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Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Breakfast

How To Make a Smoothie Bowl

Updated: Nov 7, 2024 · Published: Feb 12, 2021 · Written by Dannii Martin · This post may contain affiliate links which earn us commissions if purchases are made · 52 Comments

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Diet: Gluten Free / Low Fat / Vegetarian
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smoothie bowl with a text title overlay.

If you don't find smoothies very filling, then why not try a smoothie bowl that is loaded with toppings. Smoothies bowls are a great way to get fruit into your diet, and there are so many different flavour combinations, that you can never get bored. Here you will find how to make a smoothie bowl, with lots of different options.

A purple smoothie in a bowl topped with fruit, nuts and seeds.

This Smoothie Bowl is a filling and balanced meal that is packed full of deliciousness. You can use any kind of smoothie as the base, just make sure it is thicker than a normal smoothie that you would drink, and load it with more fruit and crunchy toppings.

In this post we will give you lots of options for the smoothie, and the toppings.

Jump to:
  • Why You Will Love It
  • Step By Step
  • What Fruit To Add
  • Green Smoothie
  • What Milk To Use
  • What Toppings To Use
  • What Can You Use Instead Of Banana?
  • Can It Be Made In Advance?
  • Extra Tips
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • More Smoothie Recipes
  • Recipe
  • Feedback

Why You Will Love It

  • Nutrient dense
  • More filling than a smoothie
  • Easy to adapt
  • Kids love them

Step By Step

One: Put all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
Two: Pour into a bowl and add toppings.

A blender jug viewed from above containing bananas, berries and yogurt.

What Fruit To Add

There are so many options here when it comes to what fruit to use. We went for a berry mix (strawberries, raspberries and blueberries) and banana. Use a frozen banana if you want a super cold smoothie, or you could just add some ice cubes if your banana isn't frozen. A frozen banana will help to thicken it too.

A bunch of bananas on a wooden surface.

Any kind of berries work in this, and we also like to add cherries and blackberries. Bear in mind that the fruit you use can effect the colour of the smoothie. Berries will make it a bright pink/purple colour.

If you want more of a tropical flavour to this smoothie, then use pineapple and mango. Try to make sure these are frozen too, and you will have yourself a super refreshing smoothie. Using these fruits will make it a nice vibrant yellow colour.

Using frozen fruit means that you can make this smoothie bowl all year round and use fruits that might not be in season.

A pile of frozen berries on a wooden board.

Green Smoothie

Why not give this smoothie bowl a green boost. If you don't want it to taste "green", then just use a handful of spinach. Bear in mind that it will turn it more of a brown colour. You could also use kale, Swiss chard, pak choi, romaine lettuce or even the green carrot tops, which is a great way to reduce waste. But these will give the smoothie bowl a different flavour.

You need to use a lot of greens to get that super green colour. See our Green Smoothie recipe for a really green drink!

What Milk To Use

You have lots of options when it comes to the milk used in this recipe. We used standard whole milk, however you could make this a vegan smoothie by using a plant based milk like almond milk, cashew or oat milk and replacing the honey with maple syrup.

To make this smoothie creamier and add some extra flavour, swap 50ml of the milk for coconut milk. This will really help to thicken the smoothie too.

You could use water instead of milk, however I wouldn't recommend doing that because it would make it really thin and won't be spoonable.

Raspberries, blueberries, a sliced banana, nuts and seeds topping a purple smoothie.

What Toppings To Use

A smoothie bowl is all about the toppings. Whilst the smoothie itself is important, the toppings are where you can get really creative and add lots of texture and extra nutrients.

Extra fruit on top is a must. It adds lots of colour and gives it more of a berry boost. You then want to give it lots of crunch, so some oats, nuts (cashews and peanuts) and some coconut are the way to go.

Give the smoothie bowl a protein boost with a sprinkle of chia seeds. You could also add a drizzle of nut butter to finish it off.

A selection of oats, nuts and seeds on a wooden surface.

What Can You Use Instead Of Banana?

I think bananas are kind of essential in this smoothie. Not only to they add lots of sweetness, but they thicken it too. If bananas aren't your thing, then you could use avocado instead. Fruits like mango would help to thicken it also.

Nut butter will also give the smoothie some creaminess if you aren't using banana.

Two whole avocados on a wooden surface.

Can It Be Made In Advance?

It's always best to make this just before you are ready to eat it. However, if you have leftovers of the smoothie then you can keep it in the fridge in an air tight container for a day or two.

Don't add the toppings until you are ready to eat it, as they will start to go soggy.

Extra Tips

  • If you don't have frozen fruit, then you can add ice cubes to the blender instead.
  • Try to make the smoothie from fresh. However if you want to prep it in advance, then you can put everything except the liquid in a freezer bag and freeze until you need it.
  • Don't add too much liquid, as you want to smoothie to be nice and thick, so the toppings don't sink. It should be the texture of soft serve ice cream.
a bowl full of purple smoothie with a small wooden spoon.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to sweeten a smoothie bowl?

We used honey to sweeten the smoothie, however if you want it to be a vegan smoothie then swap it for maple syrup. The riper the fruit used, the sweeter it will be naturally. You don't have to use any added sweetener at all.

More Smoothie Recipes

  • Two glasses of Triple Berry Oat Smoothie surrounded by fresh berries.
    Triple Berry Oat Smoothie
  • Peach Smoothie in glasses surrounded by mint leaves and peach halves.
    Peach Smoothie
  • Two glasses of Nutella Smoothie topped with whipped cream and strawberries.
    Healthy Nutella Smoothie
  • Two small milk bottles of kale smoothie amongst a pile of raw kale leaves.
    Kale Smoothie

If you’ve tried this smoothie bowl recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

Recipe

A fruit smoothie bowl topped with sliced banana, berries, nuts and oats.

How To Make A Smoothie Bowl (in 2 minutes!)

By: Dannii Martin
If you don't find smoothies very filling, then why not try a smoothie bowl that is loaded with toppings. There are so many different flavour combinations.
A circular logo saying GF.
Gluten Free
the words low fat in a white circle.
Low Fat
An illustration of a v-shaped plant.
Vegetarian
5 from 54 votes
Pin Print Save recipe Saved!
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: British
Prep: 2 minutes mins
Total: 2 minutes mins
Servings: 1 serving
Calories: 336kcal
Allergens:
An illustration of a carton of milk.
Dairy

Ingredients

  • 1 Banana
  • 200 g (1.25 cups) Frozen berries
  • 300 ml (1.25 cups) Whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon Honey

Optional toppings

  • Banana
  • Chia seeds
  • Cashews
  • Oat and bran mix
  • Fresh berries
  • Coconut

Instructions

  • Put all of the ingredients in to a blender and blend until smooth.
  • Pour in to a bowl and add toppings.

Recipe Tips

  • If you don't have frozen fruit, then you can add ice cubes to the blender instead.
  • Try to make the smoothie from fresh. However if you want to prep it in advance, then you can put everything except the liquid in a freezer bag and freeze until you need it.
  • Don't add too much liquid, as you want to smoothie to be nice and thick, so the toppings don't sink. It should be the texture of soft serve ice cream.

Nutritional Information

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 336kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 130mg | Potassium: 998mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 64g | Vitamin A: 780IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 382mg | Iron: 1mg

The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.

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Comments

  1. Danielle Wolter says

    March 04, 2021 at 11:39 am

    5 stars
    Smoothie bowls are a great way to start the morning. I like mine with bananas and granola. Thanks for the great idea!

    Reply
  2. Tania | Fit Foodie Nutter says

    March 04, 2021 at 10:25 am

    5 stars
    Love how vibrant and nutritious this smoothie is! Perfect for the warmer spring weather too!

    Reply
  3. Kay says

    March 04, 2021 at 9:37 am

    5 stars
    Love the colour of this smoothie bowl! I am going to give this a go instead of my usual porridge tomorrow!

    Reply
  4. Jo says

    March 04, 2021 at 7:56 am

    5 stars
    All I can say is this smoothie bowl was amazing! My family loved it!

    Reply
  5. Beth Sachs says

    February 13, 2021 at 11:57 am

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness the colour of the berries is amazing! Love smoothie bowls for breakie.

    Reply
  6. Wanda says

    February 12, 2021 at 11:38 pm

    5 stars
    We love making smoothie bowls here! It's such a fun way to be adventurous with smoothies! Bookmarking!

    Reply
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My name is Dannii. Here you will find easy family recipes with a healthy twist.

Established in 2011, Hungry Healthy Happy has become one of the UK's most popular food blogs, with two successful recipe books published.

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