5 Steps to the Perfect Smoothie Bowl (+ 5 of Our Favorite Recipes)

You’ve definitely heard of smoothies by now, but what about smoothie bowls? These filling and nutritious breakfasts are just like smoothies but are made a bit thicker so they can be spooned up and topped with extras.

They’re perfect for those who like to sit and eat their breakfast versus sipping it from a straw (don’t know about you, but I can chug a smoothie in about 5 seconds flat…), and these are a super-easy way to pack in tons of superfoods, protein, vitamins, and minerals.

Whereas the ingredients are all mixed in a smoothie, smoothie bowls are usually topped with something—like nuts, seeds, granola, fruit, or shredded coconut—to add nutrition, flavor, and textural variety.

Are Smoothie Bowls Healthy?

While having a smoothie is a simple snacking way to add more veggies and fruits to your diet, you can actually turn your smoothie bowl into a nourishing meal on its own. The trick is to create a combo that fuels your cells with all the nutrients they need to keep you going and satiated until the next meal.

As long as you go for whole ingredients and fresh fruits and veggies, staying away from refined sugar and saturated fats, your smoothie bowl is definitely a healthy meal. 

Smoothie Bowl Ingredients

Smoothie bowls are a very simple and convenient way to nurture your body’s cells. A balanced diet needs a constant intake of:

fiber (oats, fruits, veggies, sprouts, and seeds—basically all of the ingredients coming from plants)) to eliminate waste and toxins and prevent them from leaking back into your system

fermented foods to introduce healthy bacteria into your gut microbiome (yogurt)—note: the legumes and raw fruits and vegetables will maintain the growth of those healthy gut bugs

fresh fruits and veggies for minerals, antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, vitamins—the list goes on and on

fresh greens are filled with chlorophyll, which boosts natural detoxification and bathes your cells in antioxidants

proteins (fresh fruits and veggies, oats, nut butter, cooked quinoa, beans, tofu) for an energy boost that will keep you active

healthy fats (nuts and nut butters, avocado, coconut, ground flax seeds, chia seeds) to nourish the tissues

A smoothie bowl is an ideal way to include all of these. Adding adaptogens and superfoods such as maca powder, bee pollen, ginger, turmeric, or spirulina is also a great way to boost the nutritional value of your bowl and add extra support to balance your metabolic processes.

Making one is almost as simple as making a smoothie. In fact, you can adapt nearly any smoothie recipe to a bowl by using about 1/3 less liquid and/or adding in a thickener like silken tofu, avocado, nut butter, extra frozen fruit (bananas will make it extra creamy), yogurt, or even cooked cannellini beans.

Make sure to use as much frozen fruit in a smoothie bowl as you need to keep it thick; you don’t want your breakfast to be soupy, and you don’t want your delicious toppings to sink, either!

5 Steps to the Perfect Smoothie Bowl Recipe

Adjust these amounts to your desired flavor and thickness. Simply add everything into the blender, mix up and pour into a bowl before topping.

1. Pick a thickening protein (about 2 tablespoons)

Choose from: tofu, nut butter, Greek or coconut yogurt, cooked beans, flax or hemp seeds, oats

Note: chia seeds absorb liquid, so they will also help thicken your smoothie

2. Add a liquid (about 1/3 cup)

Choose from: water, coconut water, milk or non-dairy milk, veggie or fruit juice

3. Add fruit to thicken and sweeten (about 1 cup)

Choose from: fresh avocado or apples, dates, frozen bananas, berries or peaches, oranges

4. Don’t forget the greens! (a handful or two)

Choose from: kale, spinach, chard, romaine lettuce, peas, cucumber, celery

5. Tasty toppings (about 1 tablespoon each)

Chose from: sliced fresh fruit, nuts, seeds (sunflower, chia, flax, hemp), shredded coconut, granola or muesli, dark chocolate chips, cocoa powder, cacao nibs, chopped dates

Get started with these smoothie bowl recipes:

Antioxidant-Packed Blackberry-Coconut Vegan Smoothie Bowl (one of our most popular recipes!)

Strawberry Smoothie Bowl with Chia, Hemp, and Flaxseed

Cherry-Kale Protein Smoothie Bowl (And You Don’t Need Protein Powder to Make It!)

Mango Tango Glow Bowls from Nourishing Superfood Bowls

Breakfast Acai Bowl Recipe

This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Gina Jansheski, a licensed, board-certified physician who has been practicing for more than 20 years. Learn more about Hello Glow’s medical reviewers here. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.