How to make a thick, creamy, fruity smoothie bowl at home. Here are all of the tips and tricks for making the best smoothie bowls. I am sharing 4 smoothie bowl recipes — acai smoothie bowl, pitaya dragonfruit smoothie bowl, chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie bowl, and blue tropical pineapple coconut smoothie bowl.
It is so easy to make smoothie bowls at home! You can save so much money and time making them in your own kitchen. All you need is some frozen fruit, a blender, and your favorite toppings!
My daughter worked at a acai smoothie bowl place for years in high school and shared all of the secrets!
What is a smoothie bowl made of?
A smoothie bowl is a fruit smoothie eaten with a spoon from a bowl instead of a cup and is usually thicker and topped with fresh fruits and granola.
It is usually made with frozen fruit, a touch of liquid, and sometimes nut butters.
The most important tip to share when making smoothie bowls is to use FROZEN FRUIT so you don’t have to use ice. It is what creates the thick smoothie bowls.
4 Easy Smoothie Bowl Recipes:
Chunky Monkey Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie Bowl:
This one is for all of my peanut butter lovers out there! This is my chunky, crunchy, creamy, nutty peanut butter smoothie bowl.
Here’s what you need to make this yummy chunky monkey smoothie bowl:
- Frozen Bananas (preferably ripe because they are naturally sweeter!)
- Peanut Butter or Almond Butter (natural, no-sugar added)
- Nut Milk (almond or oat)
- Chocolate Protein Powder (or Cacao Powder)
- Dates
Toppings:
- Fresh Banana Slices
- Cacao Nibs or Dark Chocolate Shavings
- Peanut Butter
- Sliced Dates (optional)
- Granola
Brazilian Acai Bowl:
The acai bowl started it all! This Brazilian berry become quite the craze in the early 2000s. You can make homemade acai bowls for a fraction of the price at home.
Here’s what you need to make homemade acai bowls:
- Frozen Acai Berry Packets — use unsweetened frozen acai packets or sweetened acai berry packets.
- Blueberries — use frozen blueberries because they are picked at their peak ripeness.
- Strawberries – use frozen strawberries for extra sweetness and nutritional benefits.
- Banana — this adds the perfect amount of natural sweetness. I suggest using a frozen banana. The riper the banana, the sweeter it will be.
- Coconut Milk, Almond Milk, or Apple Juice — if you want a sweeter acai bowl, I suggest using apple juice. If you want a creamier acai bowl, use coconut milk or almond milk.
Toppings:
- Fresh Banana Slices
- Cacao Nibs or Dark Chocolate Shavings
- Almond Butter or Peanut Butter
- Fresh Strawberries
- Fresh Blueberries
- Granola — I prefer making homemade granola because I love being able to control the amount of sugar. Most acai shops use the Nature’s Path Hemp Granola.
Blue Tropical Pineapple Coconut Smoothie Bowl:
This tropical smoothie bowl is absolutely beautiful and delicious with the addition of the blue spirulina powder which makes it a ocean blue color.
Here’s what you need to make blue majik tropical bowls:
- Frozen Pineapple
- Frozen Mango
- Frozen Banana
- Canned Coconut Milk
- Almond Butter
- Blue Majik — a blue spirulina powder that is naturally a bright blue color. It adds a gorgeous blue color and has nutritional benefits as well.
Toppings:
- Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
- Fresh Pineapple
- Fresh Banana Slices
- Fresh Mango
Pink Dragonfruit Pitaya Smoothie Bowl:
This naturally vibrant pink fuscia color all comes from the popular dragon fruit also called pitaya. It is mixed with pineapple, mango, and banana to bring out its tropical flavors.
Here’s what you need to make pitaya dragonfruit smoothie bowls:
- Frozen Pitaya Dragonfruit Packets (can be found at Whole Foods, Target, etc)
- Frozen Pineapple
- Frozen Mango
- Frozen Banana
Toppings:
- Fresh Banana Slices
- Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
- Fresh Kiwi
- Fresh Pineapple and Mango
- Chia Seeds
How to make thick smoothie bowls?
Do you want to know how to thicken smoothie bowls? I have the answer for you! The key is to have a high ratio of frozen fruit to liquid. The frozen fruit is thicker and makes it so you don’t even have to use ice in your smoothie bowl.
I use a high-powered Vitamix blender and it has a tamper which helps to push the frozen fruit towards the blade so you don’t have to use as much liquid.
You can also use a high-powered Ninja blender, a Blendtec blender, or even a food processor.
What liquid is best to use in a smoothie bowl?
Here are some ideas for liquids to use in smoothie bowls — cow’s milk, any type of nut milks such as almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, coconut water, or apple or orange juice.
If you want a sweeter bowl, use apple juice. If you want a creamier bowl, you canned coconut cream.
If you love smoothies, check out my POPULAR SMOOTHIE RECIPES:
Chocolate Almond Butter Smoothie
If you are looking for fresh juice recipes, check out my delicious Homemade Juice Recipes.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItChunky Monkey Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie Bowl:
Acai Smoothie Bowl:
Blue Tropical Pineapple Coconut Smoothie Bowl:
Pitaya Dragonfruit Smoothie Bowl:
Start with frozen fruit. This will help to thicken the smoothie bowls and keep them cold and thick without watering them down. A tip for freezing bananas is to peel them when they are ripe but still firm and place them on a baking sheet. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes. This will help to keep them separated once you transfer them to a freezer bag. Transfer to a freezer gallon sized Ziploc bag and freeze.
Place the frozen fruit and liquid in a high-powered blender and blend until creamy. If using a Vitamix, use the tamper tool to move the frozen fruit around to get it perfectly creamy. Add more liquid as needed.
Taste and adjust the flavor as needed, by adding sweetener of choice for added sweetness. If you prefer as sweeter smoothie bowl, I suggest using apple juice.
If making the chunky money, you may add the dates at the end of the blending time to keep them chunky.
Scoop into bowls and top with your favorite toppings.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7rrvDnqmnoJ%2Bjsrp6wqikaJ2RqMZuv8yopq2gmZp6o7vWpWSrnZOevaa%2FjG1ksJmpqHw%3D