In the last few years or so, smoothie bowls have swerved their way up to the top as the latest food trend. A close second to avocado toast, and right next to Matcha green tea, there lies the aesthetically pleasing health bowl of various fruits and grains.
The beauty of smoothie bowls is that they are essentially a free-for-all. In other words, smoothie bowls can be made with just about any ingredient that can be mashed or juiced. That means that anyone who has access to a blender or food processor has no excuse but to get creative and whip one up!
Another great trait of the great smoothie bowl is their versatility. They can be eaten as a snack or as a meal, for your breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner – come on, there’s no harm in eating three smoothie bowls a day, especially if they serve two different spectrums of taste buds. For instance, there’s the green smoothie bowl to energize, the pink for sweetness, and the brown for dessert.
Now, just because smoothie bowls can be made from such a wide array of ingredients, does not mean that all things in your cabinet or refrigerator should be tossed into your Nutri-Bullet for a taste test. Remember, certain fruits, if not most, can be scarce, especially if you live in New England or colder areas. You definitely do not want to be wasting them on substandard smoothie bowls. With that being said, expect to make a mess the first few tries – it’s okay, it happens to the best, if not all of us!
So, how exactly do you not only make these, but perfect them? It’s easy, as long as you remain calm, cool, and collected – and trust me, once you know these bowls not only look good, but taste better, you’ll be as patient as can be. And personally, I like to make smoothie bowls with as few ingredients as possible, because if I crave a certain flavor, I want to be able to taste it immediately.
Just a tip to keep in mind when hopping on the smoothie bowl trend – buy a lot of bananas; you’ll want them for a smoother and thicker base. Unless you don’t like bananas; then I would find another fruit similar to the consistency of a banana that you can blend easily, like mangos. For a thinner smoothie bowl, use acidy fruits, like berries, as the base. Depending on whether or not the fruit is fresh or frozen will determine the texture. Frozen bananas will blend into the form of ice cream, while fresh ones will blend quickly like a juice.
What if I told you that you can make various different kinds of smoothie bowls with 4 ingredients or less? And just wait, there’s more — each of these bowls are vegan-friendly! Instead of making you read more, here are 3 smoothie bowl recipes that can be made in under 10 minutes, with a heaping number of toppings.
1. The Berry Banana Bowl
- 1 to 1 ½ frozen bananas (2-3 fresh ones)
- 1 cup frozen berries (I prefer strawberries or blueberries)
- 2-3 tbsp. of non-dairy milk (I prefer soy, almond, or coconut)
Topping suggestions:
- More sliced bananas (you can never have enough!)
- Sliced strawberries
- Chia seeds or hemp seeds
- Raw nuts (I prefer almonds or cashews)
- Nut butter (Peanut Butter or Tahini go really well)
- Fruit Jam (I prefer strawberry or blueberry)
- Coconut shavings
- Cacao nibs
2. Peanut Butter + Chocolate Chip Cookie
- 1 to 1 ½ frozen bananas
- 2-3 tbsp. of raw peanut butter
- 6-8 tbsp. of cacao powder OR ¾ cup of melted dark chocolate (I use vegan brands like Endangered Species or TAZO)
- ½ cup of non-dairy milk
Topping suggestions:
- Sliced bananas
- Peanuts
- Dark chocolate chunks
- Coconut shavings
- Cacao nibs
- Peanut butter (to drizzle)
3. Green, Lean Energizing Machine
- 2 frozen bananas
- 1 cup of non-dairy milk (I prefer coconut)
- 1 cup of spinach or kale (frozen works best)
- 2 tsp. of Matcha Green Tea powder
Topping suggestions:
- Sliced bananas
- Berries (I prefer strawberries or blueberries)
- Coconut shavings
- Chia seeds
- Sliced almonds or cashews
What’s amazing about each of these recipes is how adjustable they are. Let’s say you have more of one ingredient and less of another, you can totally work with it and get as much flavor out of both as possible. The consistency of your smoothie bowl will change, but by keeping the ingredients simple and wholesome, you’re bound to get some great flavors out of them no matter what!
Photo credits to @veganfoodspot on Instagram