How to Make Epic Smoothie Bowls!
My weekend plans almost always include making delicious, decadent, thick smoothies, and throwing them in a bowl with all the toppings imaginable. I often post photos of these creations on my Instagram account and they tend to get a pretty positive response, so I thought I would share how I do it here!
A couple of years ago, I was living at my parents' place and working from home, and I got into the habit of making a chocolate almond butter smoothie every morning for a quick + healthy breakfast. I always had a bit of trouble, though, with making these smoothies nice and thick, because I didn't want to add other fruits/veggies besides banana + spinach (because of the chocolate aspect). I would often find myself adding lots of extra banana chunks, but they didn't provide that much substance or make it thick up as much as I wanted them to.
It was a big moment last year when I discovered (through Instagram, duh) that other neutral veggies can be added to smoothies to make them thick, nutritious + creamy, without sacrificing taste. I am not exaggerating when I say that this discovery was LIFE CHANGING.
Now I'm passing this exclusive + critical knowledge on to all of YOU, so you, too, can make luscious smoothie bowls that beg to be obnoxiously topped + scooped with a spoon.BaseI like to make the base of my smoothies with neutral vegetables. These can include any of the following (or a mix), previously steamed then frozen:
- Cauliflower
- Zucchini
- Sweet potato
- Spinach (or other neutral-tasting greens)
- Carrot
*note: I have a large pot with a steamer insert, which I find works best for quickly steaming vegetables before freezing them. You can also buy something like this
- Banana
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Cherries
- Mango
- Pineapple
- Mango
- Coconut meat
FatsI alwaaaays include nut butter. If you have ripe avocado, this is a great addition to any smoothie bowl as well!
- Almond butter
- Peanut butter
- Coconut butter
- Avocado
- Coconut oil
Protein/omegas
- Collagen powder (I love Vital Proteins
and Further Food - you can use my code KULASKITCHEN10 for 10% off your first Further Food order)
- Plant-based protein powder
- Hemp seeds (Manitoba Harvest
ones are the best!)
- Chia seeds
- Ground flaxseeds
and 
ones are the best!)Liquids
- Almond milk (if it's not homemade, Califia Farms is my fave!)
- Oat milk
- Cashew milk
- Coconut milk
- Coconut water
- 100% pure juice (apple, orange, etc.)
Extras
- Cocoa powder
- Coconut flakes
- Oats
- Fresh ginger
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla extract
Toppings
- Homemade granola
- Hemp seeds
- Chia seeds
- Cacao nibs
- Coconut yogurt
- (More) nut butter
- Energy balls (like these or these...heh)
- Nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews, etc.)
- Pumpkin seeds
- Fruit
Basic Recipe
- 1 c. neutral base (mixed frozen fruits + veg - I usually do zucchini, cauliflower and/or sweet potato)
- 1/2 c. extra fruit (banana, berries, etc.)
- 1/2 c. liquid (start with this amount and add more as needed!)
- 1 tbsp. nut butter
- 1 scoop collagen or protein (optional)
- few shakes of cinnamon
Flavour IdeasCarrot Cake
- 1 c. mixed cauliflower + carrots (previously steamed + frozen)
- 1/2 c. sweet potato (cooked)
- 1-2 tbsp. vanilla protein powder (this gives it sweetness)
- 1 tbsp. almond or cashew butter
- 1 large date
- 1/2 c. almond milk
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- pinch of nutmeg
- pinch of vanilla
- optional: small handful of rolled oats
Blueberry Avocado
- 1 c. mixed cauliflower/zucchini/sweet potato (or just one - steamed + frozen)
- 1/2 c. frozen blueberries
- 1/4 large ripe avocado
- 1 tbsp. almond or coconut butter
- 1/2 c. almond milk
- pinch of cinnamon
Super Green
- 1/2 c. steamed + frozen zucchini (could also switch this for fruit like mango or pineapple!)
- 1/2 c. spinach
- 1/2 large ripe banana (frozen is best)
- 1-2 tbsp. vanilla protein powder
- 1 tbsp. peanut butter
- 1/2 c. almond or oat milk
- pinch of cinnamon
Chocolate Banana
- 1/2 c. cooked sweet potato
- 1/2 c. steamed + frozen zucchini
- 1 large ripe banana (frozen is best)
- 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp. almond or peanut butter
- 1/2 c. almond milk
- 1-2 tbsp. chocolate protein or collagen (optional)
Strawberry Coconut Beet
- 1/2 c. steamed + frozen beets
- 1 c. frozen strawberries (or mixed berries!)
- optional: extra frozen zucchini and/or banana for added bulk
- 1/2 c. coconut milk
- 1 tbsp. coconut butter
- 2 tbsp. unsweetened shredded coconut
General Tips
- You need a good, reliable, high-speed blender for these. Unfortunately, I don't think a regular Magic Bullet will do, but I use a NutriBullet
and it works wonderfully for these (it's very strong!) Highly recommend.
- I always steam + freeze tons of veggies ahead of time as part of my meal prep, which is the best way to have them on hand for these. Steaming them ensures that they're super easy to digest - with zucchini, it doesn't necessarily NEED to be steamed first, this is just what works best for me! Sweet potato/squash obviously need to be cooked, and I would definitely recommend cooking the cauliflower, as raw cauli can be pretty tough on the tummy. As long as you remember to prep these in advance and pop them in freezer bags/glass containers, you're good to go!
- I always find these sweet enough, but maybe I'm more used to the less-sweet taste, so if you need more feel free to add a date or a few banana slices until it's to your liking!
- Always start with a small amount of liquid - about 1/2 c. at a time - and keep adding in very small amounts to get your blender moving, while keeping it super thick. This ensures your smoothie is thick enough to go in a bowl!
- I love adding flavourless collagen (see links above in this post) for a protein/nutrition boost
- I will add a slightly sweetened vanilla protein to a very veggie-heavy smoothie (like the carrot cake one) to give it that perfect amount of sweetness
- Cinnamon, always <3
- TOP THEM TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT!
and it works wonderfully for these (it's very strong!) Highly recommend.