This is the best smoothie bowl recipe to start your morning off right! We use avocados for a creamy texture and dates for that added natural sweetness. Smoothie bowls are great for not only breakfast but desserts or a mid-day snack.
Let's talk about smoothies! They are so amazing with endless combinations of blended fruits. If you are like me and not one for a lumberjack breakfast platter, a quick and easy smoothie is just what the doctor ordered.
I am following the Whole30 diet right now. My sweet tooth is missing ice cream and late-night snacks. This smoothie bowl is healthy, and I feel like I am eating dessert. How awesome is that! Interested in some great Whole30 recipes? Check out my mushroom-leek quiche.
Jump to:
Why this is the BEST smoothie bowl recipe
- This smoothie bowl is naturally sweet and creamy without added refined sugar.
- The combinations of frozen berries, banana, almond milk, avocado, dates, and protein powder makes the perfect base recipe. Get creative with your toppings! Toasted coconut, hemp seeds, and granola are a few of my favorites.
- Easy to meal prep for the entire week. Blend up a batch of this recipe and portion it into small glass jars and pop them into the freezer.
What You'll need to make this recipe
- Mixed frozen berries - Great for smoothie bowls or smoothies. I love to buy a big bag of them at Costco.
- Avocado - For creaminess!
- Dates - Natural sweetener. Make this recipe paleo, and Whole30 friendly by using dates.
- Protein powder - I use primal kitchens vanilla coconut collagen powder.
- Banana - Make sure it's frozen
- Almond milk - A great choice for smoothies. I like that almond milk doesn't have a strong flavor.
How to make the best smoothie bowl recipe
- In a high-speed blender, combine frozen banana and berries.
- Pulse a couple of times until berries are into small bits. You may need to stop the blender and stir berries with a spoon and blend again.
- Avocado, Dates, almond milk, and protein powder go in next.
- Blend for 1 minute until smooth and creamy!
- Serve it up! Pour smoothie into individual bowls.
- Toppings! Be creative and add any garnishes you desire. In this recipe, we used banana, coconut, chia seeds, and hemp hearts.
Variations
- Strawberry banana smoothie bowl. Use 2 cups of frozen strawberries in place of mixed berries.
- Green smoothie bowl. Use 2 cups of frozen mango and 1 cup of spinach.
- Dragon fruit smoothie bowl. Use 2 packets of frozen dragon fruit and 1 cup of frozen raspberries.
Toppings
- Granola
- Toasted coconut
- Chia seeds
- Hemp hearts
- Berries
- Mango
- Kiwi
Pro Tips
- Use a Vitamix or a comparable high-speed blender. Since the fruit is frozen you need a good quality blender to get the job done.
- Use the tamper that comes with a Vitamix to push the fruit down. The goal is to turn the frozen berries into small bits. If you don't have a tamper, you can't stop the blender and push the fruit down with a spoon.
- Choose a ripe avocado. The purpose of avocado is to contribute a creamy texture to the smoothie bowl. If the avocado is too hard it won't work.
- Blend smoothie for no longer than 1 minute. High-speed blenders heat up quickly which means your frozen smoothie will melt if you blend too long. In my experiments, 1 minute seems to be the right amount of time.
- Store in the freezer. Let the smoothie bowl sit a room temperature for 15-20 minutes for the perfect texture.
- Freeze fresh fruit that is starting to turn. How often do we discard fresh berries that are starting to go bad? I like to put them into a ziplock bag and pop them into the freezer for smoothies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are smoothie bowls actually healthy?
It depends on what you put in them. Some smoothies are packed full of sugars, which are not healthy. I like you use a few dates to get a desirable sweetness. Avocados are a great way to add healthy fats, and they make a creamy smoothie.
How do you thicken a smoothie bowl?
Use frozen fruit and a minimal amount of liquid. Smoothie bowls are different than your traditional smoothie. We are not drinking a smoothie bowl, we are eating it with a spoon. I like to add a small amount of almond milk at a time to achieve a thick and creamy consistency.
Do ice cubes make smoothies thicker?
Yes! Frozen fruit and ice cubes will thicken up smoothies. I like to start with frozen fruit. Ice cubes are my last resort.
What toppings go on a smoothie bowl?
- Granola
- Oats
- Berries
- Mango
- Coconut
- Chia seeds
- Hemp hearts
- Bananas
Other recipes you'll love
📖 Recipe
Best Smoothie Bowl Recipe (refined sugar-free)
Ingredients
- 2 cups mixed berries frozen
- 2 frozen bananas
- ½ avocado
- 2 dates pitted
- ½ cup almond milk
- 2 tablespoons protein powder
- Toppings
- Strawberries
- Toasted Coconut
- Almonds
- Banana
- Chia seeds
- Hemp hearts
Instructions
- In a high-speed blender add in frozen banana and mixed berries.
- Pulse a couple of times until berries are into small bits. Use the Vitamix tamper to achieve this. If you don't have a tamper use a spoon to push down the fruit.
- Avocados, dates, almond milk, and protein powder goes in next.
- Blend for 1 minute until thick and creamy.
- Serve it up! Pour into individual bowls.
- Toppings! Be creative and add any garnishes you desire. In this recipe, we used banana, toasted coconut, chia seeds, and hemp hearts.
Deanna Ikdal
Does it can I use frozen avocado? Does it matter what type of dates I use? Can it be used for breakfast/snack/dessert?? Last ? do I have to put protein powder in I don't have any on had and I have some collagen from the 310 line can I add some. Really want to make a small batch today.
mikecleavenger
Hey Deanna!
You don't want to use frozen avocado because you want the creaminess of a ripe and fresh avocado. I prefer to use Medjool dates just make sure to remove the seeds first. Breakfast, snacks, and desserts are a perfect time to enjoy this smoothie! You do not have to put protein powder in this smoothie. Let me know how this recipe turns out.
Mike