Healthy, delicious and soooo easy to make… you don’t need us to tell you smoothies are awesome. But lately it’s the smoothie bowl that really has our hearts. Maybe it’s because they seem a little more grownup than the straw-slurping standby, or maybe it’s because they make us feel like we’re eating ice cream sundaes for breakfast. Either way, it’s a win.
Even if you haven’t made one, you already know how: just blend up what’s essentially a smoothie, throw it in a bowl and add toppings until it’s so pretty that you can’t resist snapping a pic.
Here’s a little expert inspo from smoothie bowl pros who’ve truly mastered the art!
1. A Nice and Neat Blue Beauty
Photo by @sugarberrry
German food blogger Caroline Losse has an IG feed filled to the brim with smoothie bowls and plenty of other sweet-yet-somehow-healthy treats. Fan followers will note that she works in favorite ingredients like acai juice packs and blue spirulina powder whenever she can.
How to Make It
Blend frozen bananas, blue spirulina powder and almond milk, then pile on the fun: dried coconut, frozen blackberries, hemp seeds, coconut chips, cacao nibs, banana slices and coquitos (aka tiny nuts that are related to coconuts, and look a lot like their bigger cousins). Caroline’s pro tip: use a high-speed blender (at least 1200 watts) for the best consistency.
2. A Superfood-Packed Snack
Photo by @fromscratchfast
As a cookbook author and recipe developer (who has a few classes here on Bluprint, including the definitive guide to using your blender ), it’s no wonder that Nicki Sizemore of From Scratch Fast makes a mean smoothie bowl. Frozen bananas are her secret for ultra-creamy, thick bowls that are never icy. Her favorite combo? Nut butters plus frozen berries — like a frosty PB&J!
How to Make It
Mix up almond milk, frozen bananas (cut into thirds), frozen mixed berries, raw cacao powder, almond butter, goji berries, hemp seeds (or chia and/or flax if you prefer), cinnamon and sea salt. Then make it magical with cacao nibs, toasted coconut flakes, chopped toasted nuts, fresh berries or sliced fruit and/or granola on top.
Nicki swears by adding liquid first, followed by fruit, then ice (if you’re using it). The liquid helps everything else circulate around the blade so chunks don’t get stuck.
3. A Pretty-in-Pink Watermelon Smoothie
Photo by @veggiekins
Remy Morimoto Park is known for her vegan, gluten-free recipes — not to mention the gorgeous look of her creations. She counts on smoothie bowls as a super-easy way to sneak in extra nutrients and veggies.
How to Make It
Watermelon, frozen bananas and frozen acai are the stars here. Remy went extra on decorations by adding pink radishes (just for looks — pluck ’em off before eating). For the richest possible texture, she recommends using only frozen fruit if you can — no liquid. That guarantees a mix so thick that even the most dramatic toppings won’t sink in.
4. A Perfectly Pastel Peach Treat
Photo by @purelykaylie
When she transitioned to a plant-based diet, Kaylie of Purely Kaylie got really into smoothie bowls as a way to load up on vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytonutrients. (All while eating something that kind of tastes like soft-serve ice cream. Yes, please!)
How to Make It
Start with a blend of frozen bananas, frozen peaches, lemon juice and coconut milk, then layer on coconut flakes, golden berries and sliced bananas. Edible flowers make Kaylie’s version over-the-top pretty. Not into bananas? Kaylie recommends frozen mango as another winner for major creamy texture.
5. A Gorgeous Green Bowl
Photo by @thebarefoothousewife
Graphic designer, photographer and food stylist Tina Khoury was ahead of this trend — she’s been all about the smoothie bowl for years. She tells us that she prefers bowls because they let you actually sit and savor all that goodness, rather than just sipping on the run. (Amen to that!)
How to Make It
Frozen bananas, coconut water, kiwi, lemon juice, spinach, vanilla protein powder and greens powder form the base here, while fruit, granola and shredded coconut fancy it up.
Tina’s bonus idea: if your mixtures tend to be too watery, try non-fruit additions like chia seeds, oats and flax. They do more than add extra nutrition — they’re a good way to thicken up the texture too.
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