The Best Smoothie Bowl
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The best smoothie bowl recipe made with just 5 simple ingredients. It’s thick, creamy and perfect for loading up with your favorite toppings.
I used to struggle with smoothies for breakfast because they never felt filling enough. I’d drink one in a few minutes and be hungry again not long after.
That’s exactly why I started making smoothie bowls instead. They’re thicker, you eat them with a spoon and once you add toppings like fruit, granola and nut butter, they actually feel like a real meal.
This is the version I come back to over and over. It’s simple, super customizable and always turns out thick and creamy, which is key for a good smoothie bowl.
Table of Contents
“So delicious and refreshing! Makes me feel great afterwards too. Thanks for another wonderful recipe.”
Why I Love This Smoothie Bowl
- Actually filling: The thicker texture and toppings make this feel like a real meal, not just a quick drink.
- Perfect thick texture: This blends up creamy and scoopable, so your toppings don’t sink.
- Simple ingredients: Just a handful of basics you probably already have on hand.
- Easy to customize: Swap the fruit, protein or toppings based on what you’re craving.
Ingredients Needed
The ingredients used to make a smoothie bowl can vary, but the base is typically always frozen fruit! Here are the main ingredients I use to make my ultimate smoothie bowl:
- frozen banana – frozen banana helps thicken the smoothie and adds a little sweetness. Check out my how to freeze bananas guide for tips and tricks!
- protein powder – helps make the bowl more filling and adds a little extra thickness.
- frozen berries – any frozen berries will do. My favorite options are frozen strawberries, blueberries and/or cherries. You can also use a bag of mixed berries.
- non-dairy milk – just enough to help everything blend. Start small so the bowl stays thick. My fave is unsweetened almond milk!
- almond butter or peanut butter – adds richness and helps make the smoothie more satisfying.
Topping Ideas
This is where a smoothie bowl really comes to life. I like mixing something crunchy, something fresh and something creamy so every bite has a little contrast.
- Fresh fruit like sliced banana, strawberries, blueberries or mango.
- A drizzle of almond butter or peanut butter for richness.
- Granola for crunch — I love using my homemade granola or hemp granola.
- Chia seeds or hemp seeds for a little boost.
- Toasted coconut flakes for extra texture and flavor.
- Cacao nibs or dark chocolate chips if you want something a little sweet.
- A sprinkle of cinnamon or a drizzle of honey for added flavor.
How to Make a Smoothie Bowl
Step 1: Gather all your ingredients and place them in a high-power blender.
Step 2: Blend until smooth and serve immediately with your favorite toppings!
Tips for the Best Smoothie Bowl
- Start with less liquid: You can always add more, but starting with too much will make your smoothie bowl thin instead of thick and scoopable.
- Use a high-powered blender: Thick smoothie bowls need power. A blender, like a Vitamix blender, with a tamper makes a huge difference.
- Use frozen fruit only: Fresh fruit will make the bowl too runny, so stick with fully frozen ingredients for the best texture.
More Smoothie Bowls You’ll Love
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
The Best Smoothie Bowl
Ingredients
- ½ frozen banana, chopped into chunks
- 1 cup frozen mixed berries
- 1 scoop (25 grams) vanilla protein powder, optional
- 2 Tablespoons- ¼ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk, I use almond milk
- 1 teaspoon almond butter or peanut butter
Toppings
- ¼ of banana, sliced
- ¼ cup fresh berries, I used strawberries and blueberries
- 1 Tablespoon granola
- 1 teaspoon almond butter or peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds
Instructions
- Blend all of the smoothie ingredients together in a high powdered blender until smooth. Start with 2 Tablespoons of milk and add more if needed to get your desired consistency.½ frozen banana, chopped into chunks, 1 cup frozen mixed berries, 1 scoop (25 grams) vanilla protein powder, 2 Tablespoons- ¼ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk, 1 teaspoon almond butter or peanut butter
- Pour into a bowl and top with toppings.¼ of banana, sliced, ¼ cup fresh berries, 1 Tablespoon granola, 1 teaspoon almond butter or peanut butter, 1 teaspoon chia seeds
- Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Protein powder: If you don’t want to use protein powder, feel free to skip it. The smoothie might not be as thick without the protein powder so you may want to add some additional frozen fruit.
- No banana? I know some people don’t like banana or are allergic, so if that’s the case, you can swap the banana with frozen mango or frozen veggies like zucchini or cauliflower rice! Frozen avocado is another great option. The veggies and avocado won’t add any flavor, but they’ll help to thicken up the smoothie bowl.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Equipment
Like This Recipe? Rate & Comment Below!
Simple but enjoyable! I used a food processor instead of the blender, which worked quite well. I used MyProtein marshmallow cereal flavor whey protein as that’s what I had. Topped with a small amount of cashews, walnuts, granola, and sliced strawberries!
So glad you loved this recipe, Pearl! Thanks for the review and for letting me know what changes you made!
This was a great dinner to have after going to the dentist (I couldn’t chew so I skipped the granola). I made it with Trader Joes Very Cherry Berry blend, Tera’s vanilla whey and almond butter. I highly recommend adding 1/4 tsp almond extract and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract – it really takes the flavor us a notch!
So glad you enjoyed this smoothie bowl, Molly. Thanks for tying it and for the review. I so appreciate it!
Delicious morning treat! Used frozen mangoes instead of banana in the smoothie and it worked great!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed this smoothie, Annick!! Thanks for trying it and for the review. I so appreciate it!
So yummy and refreshing on a super hot day! I didn’t have any granola but the butter and fruit was so good. Definitely will be making this again!!
So glad you enjoyed this smoothie bowl, Regina! Thanks for trying it and for the review. I so appreciate it!
This smoothie bowl was so fun, I loved eating it with the crunchy granola on top. This recipe kept me going until lunch. I used soy milk and peanut butter and it turned out so well!! Thank you:)
Ahh yay!! So glad you enjoyed this smoothie bowl, Lara. Thanks for the review, I appreciate it!
How long does these smoothies last? For eg. Is it ok to make 6 bowls on sunday for the coming week?
Hi Pooja. I would suggest enjoying this immediately. If you want to plan it out, you can portion out ingredients for each day and then simply through them in the blender the day of.
A tried and true fav! I swapped in coconut milk and yogurt and it’s so creamy, dreamy and delish! My fav breakfast and hot weather snack. Thanks EBF!
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed this smoothie bowl, Amanda. Thanks for the review, I appreciate it!
Yummy flavor, refreshing and easy to make. Paired so well with your coconut granola!
So glad you enjoyed this smoothie bowl, Sarah. Thanks for the review, I appreciate it!
I saw this recipe when I needed a little healthy breakfast inspiration and haven’t stopped making it!! Thank you for the ideas of how to make it so healthy and filling with protein powder!
So glad you enjoyed this smoothie bowl, Shanah. Thanks for the review, I appreciate it!
I loved making this smoothie bowl! super quick and easy. I also added a handful of spinach leaves and ice cubes because I added too much milk (more than what you said because at first it was too thick) Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed this smoothie bowl, Rachel! Thanks for making it and for the review. I so appreciate it!
I love this🥰 A few weeks ago i fell in love with making your smoothie recipes🤍 But i just have a cheap smoothie maker which is just for things without things like ice cupes and all this stuff:((
I’m so glad you enjoyed this smoothie, Lina! Thanks for the review 🙂