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    Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Breakfast

    How To Make a Smoothie Bowl

    Published: Feb 12, 2021 · Modified: Aug 24, 2022 by Dannii · This post may contain affiliate links · 53 Comments

    826 shares
    • 332
    Jump to Recipe
    Diet: Gluten Free / Low Fat / Vegetarian
    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 in to 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?
    • FAQ
    • Extra tips
    • 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 in to 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.

    a bowl full of purple smoothie with a small wooden spoon.

    FAQ

    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.

    heart icon

    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.

    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
    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
    4.95 from 73 votes
    Pin Print Save recipe Recipe saved!
    Course: Breakfast, Dessert
    Cuisine: British
    Prep: 2 mins
    Total: 2 mins
    Servings: 1 serving
    Calories: 336kcal
    Allergens:
    An illustration of a carton of milk.
    Dairy
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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.

    Notes

    • 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
    DisclaimerThe 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.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anna

      August 12, 2014 at 8:53 pm

      5 stars
      Wow the smoothie looks so pretty! Love the aesthetics. The blender sounds amazing as well. We have a Kenwood one that is sort of ok...

      Reply
    2. Jeanne Horak-Druiff

      August 12, 2014 at 6:04 pm

      5 stars
      Now therre's an idea - a smoothie in a bowl! Makes perfect sense to me - drinking smoothies from a glass can be challenging... What a wonderful colour too!

      Reply
    3. Maria @ runningcupcake

      August 12, 2014 at 12:16 pm

      That smoothie looks so pretty. My favourite one is with frozen banana (I slice them before I freeze them to help them blend quicker), frozen cherries, frozen blueberries, soya or almond milk, and a little acai powder, then topped with some muesli. Reminds me of our holiday to Hawaii as lots of cafes served acai bowls like that.

      Reply
    4. Lauren

      August 12, 2014 at 10:24 am

      5 stars
      This looks right up my street! I LOVE smoothie bowls!! You can get loads of fab toppings on them!
      This looks really delicious! The blender looks great too!

      Reply
    5. Jessie

      August 12, 2014 at 8:11 am

      Gorgeous color smoothie bowl. It sounds so fruity - which I love. Thanks for sharing :)

      Reply
    6. Megan

      August 12, 2014 at 7:21 am

      5 stars
      i love any kind of berry smoothie! yum! Never thought about putting a smoothie in a bowl but I like your idea!

      Reply
    7. Ruby @ Ruby Red Apron

      August 12, 2014 at 5:32 am

      5 stars
      This looks so pretty! I love smoothie bowls. Mango and blueberry are my favorite with lots of coconut on top. :)

      Reply
    8. Brittany

      August 12, 2014 at 4:28 am

      I can't believe you got this Vita-baby fo free. TOO LEGIT! I have one, and I also have a Blendtec. HAHA. Smoothie bowls are the only way to go!

      Reply
    9. Katie @glutes and ladders

      August 12, 2014 at 4:20 am

      5 stars
      I would have never thought of serving a smoothie in a bowl, what a great idea! I think part of the reason why I don't really utilize the smoothie is that I don't really like drinking my meals.

      Reply
    10. Cindy @ Pick Fresh Foods

      August 12, 2014 at 3:58 am

      I need a new blender. I haven't seen that one before. Looks really nice.
      I love the idea of having your smoothie in a bowl. Funny thing happened to us. I took my kids to a frozen yogurt shop last week. Completely unaware their first 2 machines were yogurt smoothies not frozen yogurt. My daughter accidentally poured smoothie into her bowl and loved it. I love your strawberry blueberry combination :D

      Reply
    11. Taylor

      August 12, 2014 at 2:39 am

      5 stars
      Just found your blog and I have to say I like what I see! I think I will try a smoothie bowl for breakfast tomorrow morning after my run. Looking at all your recipes is making me hungry now so I will check things out more thoroughly tomorrow! Can't wait to see more!

      Reply
    12. [email protected] The Gastronomic Bong

      August 11, 2014 at 11:22 pm

      How amazing is this smoothie! ! And that colour.. What a fun and creative idea of serving it in a bowl.. love it!!!

      Reply
    13. Deena Kakaya

      August 11, 2014 at 10:57 pm

      5 stars
      What a lovely and fun idea to keep the eyes and mind excited...gorgeous colors x

      Reply
    14. [email protected]

      August 11, 2014 at 9:53 pm

      5 stars
      This smoothie recipe sounds yummy. I do have the vitamix bc I was told it was one of the best ones out there but after comparing them I'm not so sure now. But it does do a great job! Better than most anyways.

      Reply
    15. Fish Fingers for tea

      August 11, 2014 at 9:42 pm

      5 stars
      How pretty does that look! Love the idea of serving a smoothie in a bowl Dannii, mine are often on the thick side so it makes perfect sense! And thank you for the link.

      Reply
    16. Charlene @ That Girl Cooks Healthy

      August 11, 2014 at 9:40 pm

      5 stars
      This smoothie bowl looks so darn tempting. I'm going to purchase some strawberries towards the end of the week, to give this recipe a try.

      Reply
    17. Kristina @ Blog About Running

      August 11, 2014 at 9:29 pm

      I've made super thick smoothies that I've had to eat with a spoon out of the glass -- makes so much sense to just put it in a bowl!!!

      Reply
      • Maria

        January 03, 2017 at 9:18 pm

        This smootie looks quite amazing; I will try it soon for my kids, I hope they will enjoy it

        Reply
    18. Annie @Maebells

      August 11, 2014 at 9:23 pm

      5 stars
      How clever is this!! I am totally doing this! Maybe I could trick my husband into eating a smoothie like this! Such a great idea!

      Reply
    19. Kate @ Veggie Desserts

      August 11, 2014 at 9:22 pm

      How gorgeous. My little ones would love to sit down to such a beautiful breakfast!

      Reply
    20. Grace

      August 11, 2014 at 9:17 pm

      5 stars
      This looks so pretty! Too pretty to eat.

      Reply
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