As healthy as they are Instagram-worthy, these Smoothie Bowls are fast to make and a delight to eat. They also happen to be vegan, gluten free and absolutely brimming with nutrients, making them a perfect breakfast or snack for just about any diet.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
This Frozen Fruit Smoothie Bowl is lightening quick to make and packed with antioxidants. Other adjectives I use to describe it are: easy, simple, healthy, tasty, gluten free, AND vegan. Seriously, what else could you want from a recipe?
While I have provided a recipe below, you should use it as more of a template than anything else. Smoothie bowls can be made with just about any combination of frozen fruits that you have on hand. Heck, you can even throw some veggies like spinach into the mix!
Whether you eat this delicious, rainbow colored bowl of beauty as a breakfast, snack or healthy dessert, you are sure to love it. Feel free to experiment with different flavor combinations and toppings to make this tasty meal as unique as you are.
Now grab your blender and meet me in the kitchen so we can whip up one of my very favorite summer treats.
Ingredients
My personal favorite smoothie recipe includes a plethora of frozen fruits including bananas, mixed berries, mangoes and pineapple chunks. For liquid, I tend to lean towards unsweetened almond milk and a touch of maple for added flavor.
Here's everything I used to make my mix:
While I absolutely adore the mix of sweet and tart that these particular fruits provide, smoothies are blank canvases on which you can paint your favorite flavors. Here are some other smoothie ingredient ideas to consider:
- Fruits: kiwi, papaya, cherries, apples, watermelon, avocado
- Vegetables: spinach, kale, sweet potato, beet, carrot, pumpkin
- Flavorings: vanilla or almond extract, citrus zest, nut butter, cocoa powder
- Liquids: any dairy or non-dairy milk, fruit juice, coconut water
- Nutrient boosters: protein powder, maca, spirulina, ashwaganda, turmeric, acai powder
This list is in no way exhaustive, so feel free to get creative!
How to Make a Smoothie Bowl
The base of any smoothie bowl is a rather thick smoothie, so grab your blender.
Start by adding the liquid, then top with any fruits or vegetables. This will help the blender pull the fruit down and process it until smooth.
Once you have added all of your ingredients, flip the switch and let the machine do the work.
TIP: Unlike a drinkable smoothie, you want the fruit mixture to be quite thick so that the toppings won't sink. If the blender is catching because the mixture is too thick, add liquid just a tablespoon at a time until you achieve the proper consistency.
When the smoothie is done, pour it into a bowl and top with your favorite toppings. I generally reach for protein packed chia seeds, fiber filled muesli and more fruit, but don't feel limited!
Once you've made your masterpiece, be sure to snap a photo or two to show off to the world, then dig in! If you'd like me to see your delicious creations, make sure to tag me in your posts (@cubesnjuliennes). 🙂
FAQs
Smoothies are generally fruit based drinks that are roughly the consistency of milkshakes. Smoothie bowls, on the other hand, would be closer to the consistency of frozen yogurt or soft serve.
While the ingredients are the same, the liquid to fruit ratio is higher in smoothies than in bowls. As a result, the bowls are perfect for topping with all kinds of tasty ingredients and then eating with a spoon!
This particular smoothie bowl recipe is quite healthy, but it is important to remember that ingredients count more than names. Just like a salad becomes less healthy when you add things like croutons, bacon or gloppy dressings, smoothies are susceptible to becoming sugar traps.
Avoid smoothie recipes that call for ice cream, frozen yogurt, juice concentrates or other sources of excess calories.
My favorite flavor combination is a combination of tart mixed berries with sweet banana, mango and pineapple. That said, pretty much any frozen fruit will work here (including avocado and apple!).
Using frozen fruit ensures that the smoothie base is thick and creamy like soft serve ice-cream or frozen yogurt, but without all the added sugar of actual frozen yogurt. If you use fresh fruits, the water content generally results in a looser base that is more tailored to drinking with a straw than eating with a spoon.
Nope! That said, if you are using budget-end blender machines, you may want to give deeply frozen fruits anywhere between 5-15 minutes at room temperature to prevent the machine from straining.
The best way to achieve a nice, thick base for your smoothie bowl is to use frozen fruit and to only add enough liquid to purée it.
If bananas are not your favorite, you can opt for other starchy frozen fruits or veggies like avocado, pumpkin or sweet potato. Silken tofu is also an excellent replacement and will bump up your protein content.
For the best quality, I recommend eating the smoothie bowl immediately after blending. As the bowl sits at room temperature, it will become looser, and if you try to freeze it, it will become quite solid.
If you happen to have any leftovers, I recommend that you pour them into popsicle molds for a healthy midday snack!
Expert Tips
- If frozen fruits aren't available, buy them fresh and freeze them yourself. You can also add some ice cubes to the mix, but the smoothie will not be as creamy as if you use frozen fruit.
- Get ahead of schedule with a little meal prep! Indeed, you can make smoothie bags of your favorite fruits, berries, powders and nut butters and freeze them. In the morning, just grab a bag and toss the contents into a blender with liquid!
- For the best consistency, always start with liquid first and then frozen fruits with biggest chunks on the top.
- Good quality heavy duty blenders can be a pricey investment, but they are absolutely worth it. I recommend that you get the best blender you can afford.
- Be careful with your ratio! Too much liquid in smoothie bowls means everything will sink. You want the texture to be like soft serve ice cream.
Smoothie Bowl Topping Ideas
Just as smoothies themselves are highly adaptable to your own flavor preferences, so are the toppings you add. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Nuts & Nut Butters - drizzle on some of your favorite nut butter (anything from peanut butter to tahini works!) or sprinkle with chopped nuts for more texture. I like cashews, almonds, walnuts, pecan, coconut flakes, or shredded coconut. Bonus points if you toast the nuts first.
- Seeds - another excellent source of protein and fiber, but without the same allergens as nuts. Feel free to experiment with pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, basil seeds, or hemp hearts.
- Cereal - add some crunch with granola or Grape Nuts, or opt to keep your fiber softer by reaching for oats, brans or muesli.
- Extra Fruit - give yourself some textural contrast by adding sliced fruits, whole berries, Goji berries, or dried or freeze dried fruits to the mix.
- Syrups - consider swirling the top of your bowl with sweet-tart pomegranate molasses, sweet date syrup or a drizzle of maple, honey or agave.
- Cacao Nibs or Chocolate shavings.
More healthy smoothie ideas for you
If you tried making my Fruit Smoothie Bowls using the recipe below, I'd appreciate it if you would rate and review it!
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📖 Recipe
Smoothie Bowl Recipe
Ingredients
- 8-10 tablespoons Unsweetened Almond Milk
- ½ cup Frozen Mango
- ½ cup Frozen Banana
- ½ cup Frozen Pineapple
- 2 ½ cups Frozen Mixed Berries
- 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup or Honey (optional)
Toppings
- 1 ½ tablespoon Chia Seeds
- 3 tablespoons Muesli or Granola (optional)
- Fruits and Berries as needed (optional)
Instructions
- In a blender jar, place milk, frozen fruits, frozen berries and maple syrup.
- Blend until smooth, smoothie should be thick like soft serve icecream. Add 1-2 tablespoons of almond milk only and only if needed.
- Scoop out in serving bowls and top with fruits, berries, granola, chia seeds or desired toppings as you like.
- Serve immediately, it tastes best when fresh.
Notes
- Unlike a drinkable smoothie, you want the fruit mixture to be quite thick so that the toppings won't sink. If the blender is catching because the mixture is too thick, add liquid just a tablespoon at a time until you achieve the proper consistency.
-
While I absolutely adore the mix of sweet and tart that these particular fruits provide, smoothies are blank canvases on which you can paint your favorite flavors. Here are some other smoothie ingredient ideas to consider:
- Fruits: kiwi, papaya, cherries, apples, watermelon, avocado
- Vegetables: spinach, sweet potato, beet, carrot, pumpkin
- Flavorings: vanilla or almond extract, citrus zest, nut butter, cocoa powder
- Liquids: any dairy or non-dairy milk, fruit juice, coconut water
- Nutrient boosters: protein powder, maca, spirulina, ashwaganda, turmeric
-
Just as smoothies themselves are highly adaptable to your own flavor preferences, so are the toppings you add. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Nuts & Nut Butters - drizzle on some of your favorite nut butter (anything from peanut butter to tahini works!) or sprinkle with chopped nuts for more texture. I like cashews, almonds, walnuts, pecan, coconut flakes, or shredded coconut. Bonus points if you toast the nuts first.
- Seeds - another excellent source of protein and fiber, but without the same allergens as nuts. Feel free to experiment with pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, basil seeds, or hemp hearts.
- Cereal - add some crunch with granola or Grape Nuts, or opt to keep your fiber softer by reaching for gluten free muesli, brans or oats.
- Extra Fruit - give yourself some textural contrast by adding sliced fruits, whole berries, or dried or freeze dried fruits to the mix.
- Syrups - consider swirling the top of your bowl with sweet-tart pomegranate molasses, sweet date syrup or a drizzle of maple, honey or agave.
Natalie
I love having smoothie bowls for breakfast. I will definitely give your combo a try. Sounds very delicious and so healthy. Can't wait!
Amy Casey
This bowl looks almost too pretty to eat! I usually have smoothies, but will be giving this recipe a try for breakfasts this week.
Kushigalu
How gorgeous and colorful are these smoothie bowl. One of the best that I have seen. Thanks for sharing.
Kathryn
Smoothie bowls are one of my favorite breakfast items so I'm always looking for new ideas. Love all the different topping suggestions!
Leslie
I love how this smoothie bowl is full of flavor, texture, and nutrition! This is the perfect smoothie bowl recipe!
Sharon
I love smoothie bowls because they are so tasty and the perfect way to get my fruit in. The granola on top of this is wonderful.
Allyssa
This looks amazing! would love to try this for my family! Thanks a bunch for sharing this recipe!
Chef Dennis
Hmmm yum! I am going to have this today! Your Fruit Smoothie Bowl looks absolutely tasty. And I have so many topping ideas in mind.
Gloria
This certainly is an eye-catching recipe. Looks at all those colours popping out of my computer screen. Healthy and delicious is the name of the game with this smoothie bowl. Perfect for breakfast or lunch.
Farrukh Aziz
Hey Gloria,
Thank you so much for your lovely words of appreciation. 🙂
Have a wonderful week ahead!