First Watch Blazing Dragon Copycat
A copycat of First Watch’s seasonal Blazing Dragon — a fresh strawberry lemonade topped with icy chunks of red dragon fruit. Ten minutes, no juicer required.
Ingredients
- 1 cup strawberries, hulled (about 8 medium; fresh or frozen)
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- 2 tablespoons simple syrup, plus more to taste
- ¾ cup cold water, divided
- ½ cup frozen red dragon fruit, diced
- Ice, for serving
Instructions
- Add the strawberries and 2 tablespoons of the cold water to a blender. Blend until completely smooth.
- Pour the purée through a fine mesh strainer into a glass or jar, pressing with the back of a spoon. Discard the pulp — you should have about ⅓ cup of strawberry juice.
- Stir in the lemon juice, simple syrup, and remaining cold water. Taste and adjust before adding ice: more syrup if it tastes sharp, more lemon if it tastes flat.
- Fill a tall glass with ice and pour the lemonade over it.
- Spoon the frozen dragon fruit over the top. Don’t stir — let it sit on top and bleed down into the drink.
Notes
- Sweetness. First Watch’s nutrition data lists 22 g added sugar per serving, close to 3 tablespoons of simple syrup. I start at 2 and adjust up — you can always add more.
- Simple syrup. Equal parts cane sugar and water, warmed just until dissolved, then cooled. Keeps a month in the fridge. Use syrup rather than granulated sugar, which won’t dissolve in a cold drink.
- Dragon fruit. Use red-flesh, not white — white pitaya tastes similar but produces a beige drink. Frozen diced is easiest and most consistent. Keep it on top rather than blending it in; that’s what creates the layered look.
- Why strain. First Watch’s panel lists 0 g fiber, which points to strained juice rather than blended purée. Straining is what makes this read as a juice instead of a smoothie.
- Make ahead. Refrigerate the strawberry lemonade in a sealed pitcher for up to 3 days and top with dragon fruit as you pour.
- Lower sugar. Start with 1 tablespoon of simple syrup.
Find it online: https://reachwellth.com/first-watch-blazing-dragon/