4 Great Tips on How to Make a Smoothie Bowl
Smoothie bowls are one of my favorite breakfast or midday snacks. They are so versatile. You can make so many different flavors of smoothie bowls and they are a great replacement when you’re tired of your traditional smoothies. I started making smoothie bowls once I got sick of eating the same protein smoothie every day. The thing that is great about smoothie bowls is the range of toppings you can use to change up the flavor and texture of your smoothie bowl.
1. Choose Frozen Fruit and Veggies
To start creating your smoothie bowl, you need to decide what types of frozen fruits and/or vegetables you want to use. I know people are often surprised by using frozen veggies, but several types of veggies work well in smoothies. You can use butternut squash, zucchini, cauliflower, greens (I often use fresh spinach or mixed greens, frozen works too). I also have tried frozen beets, which is a great way to eat beets that is much less messy!
Some of my favorite fruits to use include frozen bananas, strawberries, cherries, blueberries, mangos, and pineapple. Adding fresh or frozen avocado also adds a really smooth and creamy texture. Generally, you will want to add 1-1.5 cups of your favorite combo of fruits and veggies. Add them to your blender – I have this one – and do a quick blend to chop up the pieces a bit. You will need a quality blender to make good smoothie bowls. I personally think the one I have is great, but I know a lot of people swear by the Vitamix.
2. Add Your Favorite Milk
Depending on your diet, you can choose oat milk, almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, rice milk, or dairy milk. I usually use unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Start by adding 1/4 – 1/2 cup of milk to the blender so you can get the fruit blending. It should be hard work for the blender because you want this smoothie to be super sick for the perfect smoothie bowl texture.
3. Enhance Flavor with Protein Powder, Nut Butters or other Ingredients
Once the fruit is mostly blended, you can add any other flavors you might like. Depending on your fruit choices, you might want to add vanilla or chocolate protein powder. I use this brand (chocolate, vanilla). If you want to create a chocolatey smoothie bowl, you can add cocoa powder too. If you want a spicier flavor, you could add cinnamon, ginger, etc. Some people may want to add peanut butter, almond butter, or sunflower seed powder for healthy fats. If you want the peanut flavor without the calories, you should try PB2. You can also add vanilla, honey or maple syrup, depending on the flavor you want. Blend everything together and you should have the perfect smoothie bowl! If it’s too runny, try adding a bit more frozen fruit to thicken it back up.
4. Add all the toppings to your smoothie bowl
My favorite part of creating a smoothie bowl is to add all of the fun toppings! There is no limit. I tend to enjoy adding fresh berries, slivered almonds, unsweetened coconut flakes, and granola. I love adding a crunchy texture on top of the smooth fruit mixture. Some people like adding nut butter or honey on the top. It’s really up to you how you decide to top your bowl. It’s also nice to add fresh herbs, like mint, for color!
These are the basic steps to creating the perfect smoothie bowl. If you’re looking for one of my favorite recipes, you can find it here.