California-based grocery chain Sprouts Farmers Market is trying its hand at sippable status symbols. 

When Erewhon’s Coconut Cloud arrived on the scene in early 2022, it completely shattered expectations — mainly, on acceptable price — for a crafted, layered smoothie. So, if you’ve ever felt the urge to sip on a decidedly deluxe smoothie but can’t fathom forking over a crisp Andrew Jackson for it, it might be worth visiting your local Sprouts location the next time you find yourself in Los Angeles. 

Sprouts’ visually stunning Tropical Glowgetter smoothie debuted at the supermarket earlier this year, quickly drawing comparisons to an exorbitantly priced viral smoothie that’s been making the rounds on social media for years. The limited-edition pineapple and banana concoction, which is modestly priced at just under $7, features vibrant blue spirulina swirls that are reminiscent of Erewhon’s massively popular $19 Coconut Cloud. 

Sprouts has more than 450 locations across the United States, including outposts in Colorado and Arizona. However, this new drink is only available at a select few locations that feature smoothie bars. We spotted it on the menu at Sprouts’ Chula Vista, California location, while some folks online have also found it elsewhere in the Golden State, such as San Diego and Oakland.

When it comes to flavor, does this smoothie satisfy the discerning tastes of the TikTok crowd? Some say yes, while others argue that it doesn’t compare to its more expensive counterpart. On Instagram, content creator Akkaraj (@Hungry4Munchies) shared with his nearly 250,000 followers that its flavor is ultimately fair, considering the lower price. 

“Great flavor but a little watery, and definitely not as good as Erewhon’s in terms of texture, or how healthy I feel drinking it, or flavor and sweetness,” he said in the video. “This will definitely get you right. They made it super fast too, which at Erewhon they be taking 15 minutes minimum. If you’re balling on a budget, it’s going to hit.” 

Despite their similar swirled look, the two grocery chains take a vastly different approach. Sprouts’ version, which comes in a generous 20-ounce cup, blends organic agave, bananas, pineapple, unsweetened coconut milk, collagen, and organic blue spirulina. 

“Pineapples are rich in vitamin C and contain Bromelain, a group of enzymes that help to break down protein,” Adrian Hernandez, RDN and owner of AEH Nutrition, an insurance-based practice in Washington D.C., tells Food & Wine. “Bananas are high in potassium, which helps with muscle soreness and cardiovascular health. Both ingredients are good fiber sources as well.”

Meanwhile, the 20-ounce Erewhon’s Coconut Cloud has a longer ingredients list: almond milk, pineapple, banana, avocado, almond butter, vanilla collagen, vanilla Stevia, blue spirulina, and coconut cream. Collagen, a nutrient found in similarly viral bone broth, is said to improve skin and bone health (but current research is limited). 

“I would expect the Coconut Cloud to be thicker or creamier, and higher in calories and fat than the Tropical Glowgetter,” Hernandez explains. 

Notably, Sprouts’ smoothie lacks almond butter and avocado — presumably disappointing for anyone aiming to achieve ambitious protein macros. However, both smoothies feature a well-rounded list of ingredients. 

“The Erewhon Coconut Cloud Smoothie and Sprouts’ version have many of the same healthy ingredients in common. However, they differ slightly in their inclusion of healthy fats,” Allyson Brigham, MS, RDN, says.  “The choice mainly comes down to the value of the quality of the ingredients, inclusion of healthy fats, and how much that benefits the individual customer.”

Erewhon, regarded as one of Los Angeles’ pricier natural food chains, is perhaps best known for its extravagantly priced smoothies topped with coconut cream and swirls of vibrant blue spirulina. The grocer has teamed up with celebrities, brands, and social media personalities for its smoothie bar lineup — most notably Hailey Bieber and Nara Smith. (Erewhon is rumored to sell 40,000 of Bieber’s Strawberry Glaze Skin smoothies every month, according to Vogue Business.) 

This highly Instagrammable drink has become a symbol of aspirational wealth: a consumable status symbol or, conversely, a source of frustration with the buzz surrounding it. Which begs the question: Would the Erewhon smoothie attract the same attention without its $19 price tag? 

Food & Wine reached out to the Sprouts team for additional details on availability, but we haven’t yet heard back. There’s also no sight of it on the brand’s official social channels, so for the meantime, we’ll have to just wait and see.