How To Make The Best Smoothie Bowls
Are you looking for new ways to incorporate fruits, veggies, and other nutritious things into your daily routine and diet? Smoothies are great, but have you ever tried to make a smoothie bowl? Read on as this article will provide you with all the tips and tricks to help you make the best smoothie bowls ever!
Lets Make A Berry Smoothie Bowl
When it comes to smoothie bowls the skys the limit! There are so many varieties and options its sometimes hard to know where to start if you are new to the smoothie bowl world. Well Im going to simplify it for you with this perfect Berry Smoothie Bowl recipe.
This delicious recipe is packed with protein, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats, making it a well rounded meal you can enjoy for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
What Are Smoothie Bowls
If you dont know what a smoothie bowl is, you are not alone. A year ago, when my smoothies were super thick, the kind that did not sip through a straw well, I either reblended the smoothie with a little more liquid or poured it into my cup and waited until the thick mixture would melt a little until my straw and my lungs could handle the sip. Now I know better. Those thick smoothies are perfect for smoothie bowls!
So whats the difference between sipping a smoothie through a straw and eating it with a spoon? Good question and up until recently, I wasnt sure either, but thanks to Instagram and the #smoothiebowl tag I got schooled on the art of smoothie bowls.
Instead of a smooth, liquid texture, smoothie bowls are a thick blend of frozen fruit, veggies, superfoods, and topped with more healthy ingredients such as chia seeds, seeds, shredded coconut, fruit, etc. They contain more fruit and less liquid which gives it an ice cream-like texture you can eat with a spoon, making it a more substantial meal and fun to eat.
I usually have them for breakfast, but you can easily pack a smoothie for lunch too! Its a wonderful cold treat to have at the office after a few hours of work. Trust me, there is NOTHING like an ice-cold mocha smoothie bowl in the middle of the workday.
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Bump It Up With Protein Healthy Fats And Superfoods And Blend Until Smooth
Adding protein and healthy fats to your smoothie bowl recipe helps to balance its nutrient profile and make it more of a meal replacement that holds you over until lunch. Plus it acts as a thickener, too.
You can use protein powder or nut butters for the protein. For healthy fats I like to use coconut butter or a bit of avocado. Superfoods I like to use are chia or flax seeds, but you can also use maca, powdered acai and/or greens.
Once the protein and healthy fats and superfoods are in, continue blending until the mixture is smooth.
Freeze The Ingredients Overnight
Frozen fruit and other ingredients come as a special addition to a smoothie. The ice-cold ingredients can save tons of effort and give a quick, easy result. Mango is traditionally frozen it contains small amounts of fats when compared to other types of fruits.
You should then toss the frozen ingredients in the blender for mixing and making a creamy smoothie. Banana has been identified as one of the best-frozen fruits when creating thick, ice cream-like smoothies.
You can as well freeze the liquid ingredients before adding to your smoothies. For example, almond milk or coconut milk can be frozen and then added to the blender with other contents for really healthy smoothies.
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Banana Berry Smoothie Bowls
Berries are a great addition to smoothies! The bananas provide a super creamy base, and you can customize this with whatever frozen berries you have on hand or love the most.
- Frozen bananas
- Frozen berries
- Coconut Milk
Make this a strawberry banana smoothie bowl by using all frozen strawberries instead of a mix of berries.
Step 1: Add the frozen fruit and coconut milk into a food processor bowl. This can also be done in a high speed blender with a tamper stick, but I find it quicker in a food processor.
Step 2: Process until all the fruit is broken down into a soft serve ice cream consistency.
Step 3: Top with your favorite smoothie bowl toppings.
Can You Make It Ahead Of Time
To save time, you can add all smoothie ingredients to as ziploc bag or container and freeze the night before. Then, when it comes time to making your smoothie bowl, simply add the frozen ingredients to your blender and pour over the milk.
I love pairing this peanut butter smoothie both with a homemade protein coffee.
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How To Make A Thick Smoothie Bowl Without Bananas
I will be disclosing the secret ingredient to how to make a smoothie bowl thicker.
I know what youre thinking- This secret is bananas .
Anyways
Yeah, I thought so too.
Bananas are key, however there is another secret ingredient to achieve the dreamiest of smoothie bowls.
The secret ingredient to your smoothie bowls to make you feel fuller longer, make it thicker, and provide a ton of fiber and anti-oxidants is
DRUM ROLL PLEASE.
Cauliflower.
I know you might be freaked out. Trust me, you dont even taste it. It provides loads of B vitamins, may even aid in weight loss, and its easy to add.
If you make a smoothie for breakfast, youll even get a dose of vegetables first things in the morning if you decide not to add any leafy greens.
I dont know about you, but Im not a huge fan of vegetables. Its something Ive been working on and is how I became obsessed with making smoothies and smoothie bowls every day. I needed to incorporate more vegetables into every meal of the day and smoothies allowed me to reach this goal.
Maybe this explains my undeniable, almost sickly obsession with smoothies and smoothie bowls.
Maybe
Anyways, I know it may seem basic, but here are the necessities to make the best smoothies and smoothie bowls. Also, continue to read to avoid the mistakes Ive made.
Theres a science to smoothie making, if you will.
Do I sound a like a complete nutjob yet?
The Smoothie Bowl Base
Frozen fruit Banana, berries, mango, and pineapple could be just the beginning. Frozen papaya, cherries, zuchinni, cauliflower and greens are great options, too.
Milk Use almond, oat, hemp, rice, or whatever you like. Milk helps to produce the thick and creamy smoothie bowl you are after.
Optional Ingredients These are “optional” but as I said before, they will give your smoothie bowl more of a meal replacement to keep you full until your next meal. Protein powder, nut butter, nuts, seeds, coconut oil or butter, or powdered superfoods like raw cacao or maca.
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Thick Smoothie Bowl Recipe
I use the same basic recipe for all of my smoothie bowls, simply varying the frozen fruit, type of fruit juice, and the toppings to change things up. Its a virtually foolproof base of 5 simple ingredients that allows you to experiment and have fun with your food.
Lets start with the juice I always look for 100% juice, which is what R.W. Knudsen Family provides in their line of unsweetened single fruit juices. With varieties like Just Cranberry , Just Pomegranate, and Just Tart Cherry, you know youre getting the maximum taste for each juice.
R.W. Knudsen uses ingredients that are all natural, and each 8-oz. is a full serving of fruit. So I feel good about using it in my smoothies and smoothie bowls AND serving it to my kids! Find it in the juice aisle at Walmart.
R.W. Knudsen prides themselves on their all natural ingredients. What exactly does that mean? Well, when were talking about cranberries, it means that small farms, like Peters Cranberries in Sixes, Oregon, are water harvesting their cranberries just like theyve always been.
After harvest, their ripe, flavorful fruit is processed into high quality, delicious products, like my favorite Just Cranberry Juice!
How To Make A Thick Smoothie Bowl: We Like It Thick
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There is more of a science to smoothie bowl making than I would have ever thought possible. Lets dive deep into the secrets of how to make a thick smoothie bowl.
This may sound pretty basic to most of you. However, if youre like me, Ive struggled for the longest time in creating the ultimate consistency for the smoothie base.
Its all about mastering that fine line of getting the dreamiest texture. Something not too watery, but also not too clumpy.
I need to share something that I recently found out that changed my life on how to make a smoothie bowl thicker. Maybe Im a little late to the smoothie bowl game and maybe this is old news. If not, enjoy!
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How To Make A Thick Smoothie Bowl
Published: , Last Modified: January 22, 2022 by Jeri – This site uses cookies – See the privacy policy linked in the footer – This post may contain affiliate links – This blog generates income via ads
Start your day with this thick smoothie bowl. This pink smoothie bowl is super thick, creamy, sweet, and delicious. This smoothie bowl recipe is different because there are no added sugars or additives it’s all natural ingredients! It will give you energy and nutrients, plus it is fast and easy to make. You’ll have a hard time putting your spoon down with this frozen fruit smoothie bowl. You can also mix and match fruits and toppings, so there’s no end to the combinations you can try out. Get creative!
To see the step-by-step process for how to make a thick smoothie bowl, check out my web-story.
If you’re trying to eat more fruits and vegetables every day, having a smoothie can help you reach that goal.
Every day we should be making a point to include a healthy breakfast into our routines, and there is no better way to start the day than this thick smoothie bowl recipe. This pink smoothie bowl is full of nutrients that will fuel you for the whole morning. It’s also a great option if you’re struggling to come up with a breakfast dish or want to make something different for your family.
I love making smoothie bowls for my family. They are just so beautiful, fresh, and colorful plus, they are super healthy. When I eat one, I feel energized for the rest of the day.
Reasons To Have A This Bowl For Breakfast
- Easy adjustable with pantry staples.
- It is a filling, fiber-rich way to start your day.
- Kids friendly.
- It is an effortless way to pack whole foods with plant-based clean nutrients.
- No need for fancy tools.
In addition to the fantastic amount of Omega-3s in your seeds and walnuts, you have all the benefits that berries offer, including fiber, lots of antioxidants, and anthocyanins .
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Thick Smoothie Bowl Tips
How to Make a Smoothie Bowl Thick: The trick to keeping smoothie bowls super thick is to not use very much liquid, and to use frozen fruit. This method is like making nice cream, the vegan frozen fruit ice cream trend.
Can I substitute the coconut milk? You can use any milk youd like in these bowls. Coconut milk lends a sweet tropical flavor and makes them extra creamy. Go ahead and use heavy whipping cream, almond milk, or even some yogurt in place of it.
How to Make a Smoothie Bowl without a Blender: These smoothie bowls use a food processor instead of a blender. The frozen fruit breaks down into a very thick, smooth consistency similar to soft serve ice cream.
How to Make Yogurt Smoothie Bowls: Instead of the coconut milk, add 1/4-1/2 cup of your favorite yogurt. I recommend using something unflavored and unsweetened, like a full fat Greek yogurt. The fruit has all the sweetness you need here!
Try one of these other Smoothie Bowl Recipes:
Preparing A Smoothie Bowl
1. Freeze bananas.
Start with frozen bananas as a base.
If you have a lot of freezer space, its best to go to the store when bananas are on sale and buy several bunches. Then, break them up into gallon zip-closure bags and freeze them. This works best when theyve been frozen at least overnight.
2. Blend frozen bananas and liquid.
Toss frozen banana pieces and at least 1/8 cup of liquid into the food processor and start pulsing to break the banana up a bit, then pulse and hold or set to on and let the processor do its thing. This may take a while, but be patient!
With a small flexible silicone spatula or just an ordinary spoon, feel free to pause the food processor and scrape the bottom of the mixer, and stir whats in there, and keep blending. Thatll help push the contents around so everything eventually gets to the blades and gets pureed.
If your mixture turns into a huge ball and rolls around in your food processor, you need more liquid! Just keep adding little by little through the spout of the food processor until it gets to the desired consistency.
When the mixture is done, it should be as creamy and perfect as the most amazing soft serve or frozen custard youve had. You can test it by dragging the bottom of a spoon around in the mixture. Does it look and feel lovely? Then its ready!
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The Best Part = Toppings
Okay, this is the fun part and the options are truly endless here! Get creative with your smoothie bowl toppings. Here are some of my go-to toppings:
- fresh banana slice fresh bananas for added sweetness!
- fresh berries I like using a combination of strawberries and blueberries but any fresh berry works! You can also do freeze dried berries
- granola want to add some texture to your smoothie bowl? Add crunchy granola on top! Try my hemp granola or this almond coconut granola.
- almond butter or peanut butter cant go wrong with a little extra nut butter drizzled on top.
- chia seeds add in healthy fats, fiber and texture with chia seeds.
- coconut mmm add toasted coconut or shredded coconut for added sweetness and crunchy!
- chocolate make this more of a dessert and add some chocolate chips or melted chocolate drizzled on top. You could even do a homemade magic shell!
How To Make A Smoothie Thicker
There are a couple secrets to perfecting that soft-serve texture. Instead of using fresh fruit, opt for frozen, it helps the texture stay thick. This is one reason I like to buy fresh berries in bulk and freeze them for quick and healthy recipes like this one.
Another trick to creating thicker smoothies is to use less liquid. It can be tempting to douse the ingredients to make everything blend smoothly, this is also where a Blendtec or high-speed blender comes in super handy.
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Tips For Prepping Ahead:
While you cant necessarily make a smoothie bowl ahead of time because, well, it melts. You can still be prepped and ready to make it go fast! Here are a few things I like to do to be prepared:
- Have the frozen fruit measured out and stored in bags or containers per servings.
- Have all my toppings ready to go.
- Pre-measure the liquid I am using and store in a jar in the fridge.
That way the morning of, all I have to do is dump and blend! Then top with what I prepped. For more quick prep breakfasts check out this freezer-friendly list!
How To Make A Smoothie Bowl
Okay, you have a solid base. Phew.
Next, you want to choose a protein. I normally get my protein from using a protein powder. Orgain Plant-Based Vegan Vanilla Protein Powder is my staple and the one Ive been using for years. You can also use beans or spirulina. I know the beans sounds weird, but trust me. It gives a creamy texture! Spirulina is another option that has a plethora of health benefits, including protein, B vitamins, and healthy fats.
Other protein ideas are nut butters, Greek yogurt, tofu, cottage cheese, or oats.
Next, you could add a healthy fat. For example, you could use avocado, a nut butter, chia or hemp seeds, coconut oil or cream, or flaxseed oil.
Then, add non-starchy carbohydrates such as zucchini or spinach. Dont forget to always add a good grasp of leafy greens! My go to is spinach or kale.
Then add starchy carbohydrates such as fruits, honey, or maple syrup for sweetness. . If youre looking for a smoothie lower in sugar, then use more vegetables.
I still swear by cauliflower as the secret ingredient. Trust me on this one.
Here is a list of fruit ideas: apples, berries, oranges, pineapple, mango, peaches, pears, cherries, melon, grapes, kiwi, grapefruit, dragon fruit, papaya, etc.
Grab a handful of ice if youd like! This will also aid in thickening your smoothie.
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Ingredients For This Berry Smoothie Bowl
To make this delicious and thick berry smoothie bowl you need only a handful of healthy whole-food ingredients, then you can garnish with whatever you like or use my simple garnishes below.
Heres what youll need:
- frozen banana
- frozen mixed berries
- avocado or nut butter of your choice
- pure maple syrup
- protein powder
- unsweetened almond milk