Green Smoothie Bowls are a tropically delicious and healthy breakfast to kickstart your day (and with just FOUR ingredients!). Plus you can customize them in so many ways!
When I was working through my master’s, I was always pressed for time. Whether I was on the run to class, working on the website, trying to spend time with friends, or on the way to the library – I rarely had much time to eat.
This is where smoothies and smoothie bowls came in. I became very proficient at throwing stuff in a blender and running with it (both in flavor and, like, physically running with it). One of my favorites to date is my Green Smoothie Bowl or as I like to call it – The Green Machine!
This smoothie bowl is packed with antioxidants and is only 4 ingredients! Like are you kidding me?? Four ingredients and you have a meal? That is exactly why I went to college for nutrition I guess, to become this proficient in how to build a smoothie bowl as fast and as simple as humanly possible that still tastes good.
Ingredients For A Green Smoothie Bowl
So ingredients for the base of this green smoothie bowl are pretty simple. But you can get creative with the add-ins and the toppings!
- Frozen Fruit: This can be any frozen fruit you have on hand like pineapple, mango, berries, or cherries.
- Banana: The banana should be peeled and frozen previously (tips for freezing bananas here!). This is to ensure a super creamy (ice cream-like) texture!
- Spinach: The green in this green smoothie bowl! I like to use baby spinach because it is a little sweeter, less fibrous, and fits in the blender better.
- Liquid: Depending on my mood I will typically opt for oat milk or orange juice. But even water will work!
- Optional: You can add chia seeds or flax seeds to thicken the smoothie and add nutrients and fiber.
- Toppings: The possibilities are endless! Some favorites of mine are sliced fruit, shaved coconut, nuts, and seeds.
How to Build A Green Smoothie Bowl
Making this smoothie bowl is VERY simple and uncomplicated. Just be sure to have a frozen banana and frozen fruit on hand to speed up the process.
Step 1: Freeze
Pick the fruit you want to use and freeze it into chunks. Peel, chop, and freeze the banana. It’s important to use frozen fruit when making a smoothie bowl, because that’s what gives it the frosty texture!
Step 2: Blend
Combine frozen fruits, spinach, and your chosen liquid (+ optional chia seeds_ in a blender until smooth, pushing down the sides as needed to get everything blended (you may need more liquid to get things moving).
Step 3: Serve
Pour evenly into 2 bowls and decorate with your favorite toppings.
Green Smoothie Bowl Variations
Tropical Resort: Ok, probably my favorite take on this green machine. To make this smoothie you will need frozen pineapple and coconut milk. Then for toppings, use shredded coconut, cashew butter, and diced pineapple or mango on top.
Creamy and Dreamy: To make this smoothie extra creamy, try adding avocado, using frozen mango, and using cashew milk. Then for topping, since this is such a creamy bowl, I like to use something with a little crunch like granola and blueberries.
Protein Bro: This is for after you’ve lifted lots of weight in the gym or you just need something a little more filling to hold you over. For this one, add a scoop of vanilla protein powder, peanut butter or peanut butter powder, frozen banana, and frozen cauliflower to the smoothie bowl along with whole milk. Then top with more bananas, nuts, and raspberries (because they are so tasty!).
FAQs
What should I put in my smoothie bowl to make it thick?
The best way to thicken smoothies is to use frozen starchy fruit or vegetables like bananas, cauliflower, or avocado. You can also swap out some of the liquid for yogurt to make it thicker.
What is a smoothie bowl base made of?
Smoothie bowls typically require three things to result in a smoothie bowl – something frozen, something with flavor or color, and some liquid. For building this green smoothie bowl our version of those is frozen fruit, liquid, and spinach.
Should you put ice in a smoothie bowl?
Probably not, if you can avoid it. For a smoothie, ice is a great option! But, ice typically results in a thinner smoothie and it will thin even faster as the ice melts into water. For smoothie bowls, we need them to be stable enough to hold toppings and let us eat them.
More healthy smoothie recipes to try
Want more tasty smoothies to take on the go? Try any of my other favorites!
- Wake Me Up Coffee Smoothie
- Orange Dreamsicle Smoothie
- Key Lime Pie Smoothie
- Strawberry Watermelon Rind Smoothie
- Pink Power Beet Smoothie
- How to Make Green Smoothies
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen fruit such as pineapple, mango, berries, or cherries
- 1 banana previously peeled and frozen
- 2 cups baby spinach 60 g
- ¼ cup liquid such as orange juice, milk, or water
- Optional Thickener: 1 Tbsp chia seeds or 2 Tbsp rolled oats
- Optional Nutrition Boosters: 1 tsp flax seed, moringa powder, protein powder, spirulina, or turmeric
- Toppings: sliced fruit, shaved coconut, nuts, or seeds
Instructions
- Freeze: Pick the fruit you want to use and freeze it into chunks. Peel, chop, and freeze the banana.
- Blend: Combine frozen fruits, spinach, and your chosen liquid (+ optional ingredients) in a blender until smooth, pushing down the sides as needed to get everything blended (you may need more liquid to get things moving).
- Serve: Pour evenly into 2 bowls and decorate with your favorite toppings.
Juliana says
Nice work! Looking attractive too.
Lori says
Yum!