If you like smoothies, you’re going to love smoothie bowls. Smoothie and acai bowls have gained popularity in the health world over the past few years and they only keep gaining more and more traction. Not only are they delicious, they’re also extremely good for you and can help you lose weight. With the boom of the smoothie bowl phenomenon, smoothie bowl recipes have been popping up everywhere from health magazines to food blogs to your favourite brunch restaurants. If you’re wondering what all the smoothie bowl hype is about, take a look at our favourite smoothie bowl tips and recipes!
What Are Smoothie Bowls?
Smoothie bowls are pretty much exactly what they sound like: A smoothie in a bowl. However, they’re typically thicker than smoothies and are topped with your favourite toppings from berries to coconut shavings. Like smoothies, smoothie bowl recipes start with a thick base of whole foods, think: frozen fruits, avocados, oats and yogurt, and once blended are poured into a bowl and decorated with toppings that can be simple or artfully complex.
Smoothie bowls have gained popularity over smoothies for a few reasons. First, they’re more filling than smoothies, offering a satisfying breakfast that will keep you full for longer. They contain more fruit and less liquid, giving them that thicker quality.
Secondly, they allow you to add more nutrients to your breakfast by topping the base with good-for-you toppings like chia seeds and bananas. And finally, eating them with a spoon instead of drinking through a straw urges you to slow down and not scarf down your meal while you’re on the go.
How Long Do Smoothie Bowls Last in the Fridge?
Smoothie bowls will stay fresh for about two days in the fridge. Make sure not to add the toppings until you’re ready to eat it, as it will end up getting really soggy. Smoothie bowls are heavy on frozen ingredients, which can change texture and dilute in the fridge. Keep in mind, if you notice mold or an unusually strong smell, it’s safer to throw it out.
You can extend the life of a smoothie bowl by keeping it in an airtight container in the freezer. This will help prevent the fruit from going bad, and will keep for a few days.
5 Tips for Making the Best Smoothie Bowls
1. Use the 3:2 Rule
A successful smoothie bowl has a base that’s thick enough to eat with a spoon and support your toppings! To get that desired thickness, use three parts frozen ingredients and two parts liquid. Frozen ingredients are typically frozen fruits or ice. It’s better to go overboard with the frozen ingredients because you can always add in more liquid, but it’s harder to get the right consistency adding frozen ingredients.
2. Build By Flavour Profile
Making a smoothie bowl is exciting! But don’t let your excitement get in the way of creating a smoothie bowl that’s simple yet delicious. Some people go overboard, placing tons of different ingredients and flavours into their bowls, but that’s not the way to go. Keep your smoothie bowl recipes simple, with just a few ingredients and stick to a flavour profile so all the ingredients work together.
3. Increase the Creaminess
Once you’ve tasted a delicious creamy smoothie bowl, you’ll never want anything else. To up the creaminess, add half an avocado or frozen banana to keep it creamy rather than icy when pureed. You can also use Greek yogurt. The goal is for it to be so thick and creamy that you’ll have to scoop out of the blender into the bowl.
4. Get the Right Topping Timing
Toppings for your smoothie bowl will be different textures and consistencies, and you want to make sure you don’t end up with a smoothie bowl that has soggy or too-hard toppings. Add crunchy chia seeds and oats first so they absorb some of the smoothie base, and add granola last so it doesn’t become soggy. Slice whole fruits like strawberries to place on top, and instead of using ingredients like dry oats and flax seeds as toppings, blend them into the base of your smoothie bowl.
5. Invest in a Good Blender
A high quality blender will make all the difference for your smoothie bowls. If you want them perfectly thick and creamy, a high-powered blender is a must! The perfect puree is key to the perfect smoothie bowl so it’s an investment you’ll be glad you made!
5 Acai Smoothie Bowl Recipes
1. Customizable Acai Smoothie Bowl | Pumps & Iron
2. Copycat Acai Smoothie Bowl | Chocolate Covered Katie
3. Summer Acai Bowl with Buckwheat Granola | Half Baked Harvest
4. Acai Blueberry Smoothie Bowl | Eating Well
5. Classic Acai Bowl | Bakerita
5 Berry Smoothie Bowl Recipes
1. Pitaya Breakfast Bowl | Golubka Kitchen
2. Blackberry Banana Smoothie Bowl | Nutrition in the Kitchen
3. Beet Berry Smoothie Bowl | With Food and Love
4. Blueberry Avocado Smoothie | Floating Kitchen
5. Mixed Berry Smoothie Bowl | What’s Gaby Cooking
5 Green Smoothie Bowl Recipes
1. Super Green Smoothie Bowl | Minimalist Baker
2. Mermaid Smoothie Bowl | The Glowing Fridge
3. Green Smoothie Bowl | Gather and Feast
4. Green Goddess Smoothie Bowl | BBC Good Food
5. Matcha Green Smoothie Bowl | Minimalist Baker
5 Keto Smoothie Bowl Recipes
1. Keto Low Carb Green Smoothie Bowl | Wholesome Yum
2. Keto Chia Smoothie Bowl | Fat for Weight Loss
3. Keto Electrolyte Smoothie Bowl | Keto Diet App
4. Matcha Keto Smoothie Bowls | Keto Summit
5. Chocolate Coconut Keto Smoothie Bowl | Bulletproof Blog
5 Vegan Smoothie Bowl Recipes
1. Vegan Berry Crunch Smoothie Bowl | Domesticate Me
2. Mango Smoothie Bowl | Downshiftology
3. Caramel Apple Crumble Smoothie Bowl | I Love Vegan
4. Blackberry Coconut Smoothie Bowl | Hello Glow
5. Banana Split Vegan Smoothie Bowl | Food Faith Fitness
Smoothie bowls are about to become your new favourite replacement meal! Try these recipes at home and see for yourself!