This thick smoothie bowl is creamy, delicious, and filled with healthy ingredients. The perfect breakfast to start your day off, you’ll be amazed at how quick it comes together. And, top it with your favorite fruits, nuts, and/or granola for a refreshing, filling meal.
If you’ve ever wondered how to make a super thick smoothie bowl, this post is going to tell you how. And don’t worry, you don’t need a $500 blender, just a normal blender or food processor will do the job.
Trust me, once you figure out how easy it is you’ll be making this healthy smoothie bowl allll summer long (or if you’re like me all year long!). Seriously, it’s so good that not even cold weather prevents me from making it. Although, I do live in Florida, so cold weather is 60, ha!
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WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
Healthy Breakfast – A smoothie bowl is the perfect, healthy breakfast! Plus, you can customize it to your needs – add protein, healthy fats, and more.
Filling & Satisfying – One of the best parts about smoothie bowls is that they are loaded with toppings! This helps create a much more satisfying breakfast or snack compared to a glass of smoothie.
Easy to Make – With just a few ingredients and a couple minutes of prep, your smoothie bowl is ready. Plus, I’ve included a ton of substitutions below to make this smoothie bowl regardless of the ingredients you have on hand.
HOW TO THICKEN A SMOOTHIE BOWL
Have you seen those perfectly thick smoothie bowls on Pinterest and wondered how the heck they made that?! If you want to make a creamy, thick smoothie bowl then keep reading for my top tips.
USE FROZEN FRUIT
To get a thick smoothie bowl consistency, it’s important to use frozen ingredients. You can either buy frozen fruit at the store, or you can buy fresh fruit and freeze it yourself. This is also a great way to avoid ripe fruit going to waste.
To freeze fruit, wash it (and peel if necessary – banana, mango, kiwi, etc), then chop it in small pieces and store in a freezer safe container or freezer bag.
DON’T ADD TOO MUCH LIQUID
You can always add more liquid, but you can’t take liquid away! Make sure to start small, and slowly add a little liquid as you go. I also recommend adding the liquid in first, followed by the fruit. This will help make it easier to blend.
MIX BETWEEN BLENDING
When creating a thick smoothie bowl, it’s important to stop the blender and mix every so often. This helps protect the blender (or food processor) from overheating. And, by giving the smoothie a mix, it makes it easier to blend in case there’s anything stuck!
CUT FRUIT INTO SMALL PIECES
It’s super important to cut the frozen fruit into small pieces before adding to the blender. If your fruit has become stuck together you can tap it against the counter to help break it up.
For larger fruits, such as bananas, cut them into 1/2 to 2 inch pieces.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (WITH SUBSTITUTIONS)
To make this mango banana smoothie bowl you will need the following ingredients. Feel free to get creative and additional fruit, protein powder, or even frozen vegetables.
Non-Dairy Milk – A little bit of plant-based milk goes a long way in this smoothie bowl! You can use any plant milk you have on hand (almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, coconut milk, the list goes on!). I recommend using milk over coconut water or juice as I find it to result in a much creamier texture.
Frozen Banana – Frozen banana is going to be the base of this smoothie bowl. To make it easier on your blender, I recommend freezing your banana in small chunks or even slices. If you don’t like banana, you can use frozen yogurt cubes. See the FAQ section for a brief tutorial on how to make these. Or, see here for a more in-depth walkthrough.
Dairy-Free Yogurt – A bit on non-dairy yogurt helps create the creamy texture that makes smoothies so good. I also like to add it because it helps the frozen fruit blend either without adding too much extra liquid.
Frozen Mango – Any frozen fruit works, mango is just my personal favorite. Frozen berries are also delicious, as are peaches, strawberries, and more. Again, if using larger fruit, such as mango, make sure it is cut into small pieces before freezing.
HOW TO MAKE
See the below steps on how to make this thick smoothie bowl recipe. For full ingredients and instructions make sure to read the recipe card below.
Step 1: In a blender or food processor add the non-dairy milk followed by the frozen banana.
Step 2: Blend, using the tamper to push the ingredients down. If your blender did not come with a tamper, stop the blender every 10-15 seconds, scrape down the sides and mix, then blend again. You may need to repeat this a few times.
Step 3: Once relatively combined, add the dairy-free yogurt and frozen mango. Then blend until smooth. Stopping the blender and mixing as necessary.
Step 4: Pour the smoothie into a bowl and add your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
SMOOTHIE BOWL TOPPING IDEAS
One of the best parts about making a smoothie bowl is deciding what to top it with. Below are some of my favorite favorite smoothie bowl toppings:
- Nut Butter (almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter)
- Seeds (chia seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds).
- Nuts (cashews, sliced almonds, walnuts, pecans)
- Fruit (apple, banana slices, kiwi, mango, mixed berries, etc).
- Dried Fruit (raisins, dried mango, dried pineapple, etc)
- Shredded Coconut / Coconut Flakes
- Granola
- Cinnamon
- Cacao Nibs
And, anything else you have in mind!
BEST BLENDER FOR THICK SMOOTHIES
If you’re wondering what the best powerful blender is to make thick smoothies, I’ve included some options for every budget below.
Best Overall: Both the Vitamix blender and the Ninja Smoothie Maker are great for thick smoothie bowls. If you’re someone who just makes smoothies for yourself, the Ninja is designed for small batches and will be perfect. However, if you’re looking for something that can handle making smoothie bowls for the whole family, the Vitamix is your go to.
Best Budget Blender: This Ninja blender is less than $100 and has nearly 40,000 reviews while still maintaining a 5 star rating. It’s a fan favorite multi-use blender.
Best Budget Food Processor: This Hamilton Beach food processor is only $50 and does a great job at making super thick smoothie bowls. It’s also great for making nut butters, sauces, hummus, and more. However, if you’re looking to also make regular smoothies, make sure to go with a blender instead.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do you thicken a smoothie bowl without banana?
To thicken a smoothie bowl without banana, frozen yogurt is a great option. Freeze plain or vanilla yogurt overnight in an ice cube tray. Then add to your food processor or blender and blend with a little bit of liquid.
This will create the base of your smoothie bowl instead of the frozen bananas. Add in any other frozen fruit and enjoy!
Can you make a thick smoothie bowl in a normal blender?
Yes! While a high speed blender is going to best for thick smoothies, a normal blender/food processor will also work. It just requires a bit more time and patience!
After adding the liquid and banana, make sure to frequently stop and mix while blending. If you’re still having trouble, add another splash of milk and repeat as necessary.
Are smoothie bowls healthy?
Absolutely! Smoothie bowls are an easy way to get in various nutrients. Plus, they’re made from natural ingredients and can easily be customized to fit your dietary needs. For an extra boost you can also add frozen vegetables like cauliflower, carrot, and/or spinach. And, you can always add a scoop of protein powder as well.
STORAGE
Smoothie bowls are definitely best enjoyed fresh once the toppings are added. You can store any leftover smoothie in the freezer for 1-2 days. Let thaw for a few minutes before enjoying.
Make sure to store the toppings separately so they don’t get soggy.
OTHER BREAKFAST RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
If you decide to try this recipe out, let me know! I love seeing your recreations tagged on Instagram @nourishedwithnatalie.
Thick Smoothie Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp non-dairy milk
- 2 frozen bananas
- 3 tbsp non-dairy yogurt, plain or vanilla
- ½ cup frozen mango
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor add the non-dairy milk and chopped frozen banana.
- Blend, using the tamper to push the ingredients down. Stop the blender, mix, and blend again as necessary. Repeat until relatively smooth.
- Add the dairy-free yogurt and frozen mango and blend until smooth.
- Pour the smoothie into a bowl and add your favorite toppings.
This was so good! I topped it with granola and almond butter and it was such a tasty breakfast.
I had it as a healthy mid-afternoon snack when I tend to binge on sweets. It really hit the spot!
The flavor and texture were spot on. I just made this as an afternoon snack and sprinkled it with just a touch of shredded coconut. So satisfying!
This smoothie bowl is perfect! I actually like it as a mid-day snack. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. 🙂
This was the perfect texture and the flavours were amazing.