Smoothie Bowls 4 Ways
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Smoothie Bowls - the breakfast that started it all
Let’s take a trip down memory lane. Back in August 2019 I got the chance to share some of my recipes and pictures for the very first time ever on a german blog. I remember being so overwhelmingly excited and also incredibly happy when Pandoo first asked me if I would create some vegan smoothie bowl recipes for their website & blog. Back then, I would’ve never imagined that I’d ever be able to create my own little platform someday where I could share my passion for food photography and create new recipes on a regular basis. While the fact that me being extra about decorating and taking pictures of my breakfast for Instagram a few years ago made all of this possible now is still kind of crazy to me, it will definitely grant aesthetically pleasing, ‘instagrammable’ looking smoothie bowls a very special place in my heart forever.
But personal love story aside; smoothie bowls are amazing in general! Stuffed with lots of fresh fruit & veggies and therefore many vitamins and antioxidants, while also serving looks and tasting like a dessert?? Count me in, I’m definitely here for it. They even are 100% adjustable to any kind of tastebuds out there and you can decorate and top them off with nearly ANYTHING in your kitchen… so to be honest - what’s not to love??
All these reasons combined made it impossible for me to leave these very first recipes of mine out now, even though the food photography skills were not quite as on point back then. However, here it goes now; 4 ways to make some really delicious (and pretty!) smoothie bowls! I hope you’ll like them!
The PB & J Bowl
(the sandwich of bowls)
Ingredients:
for the peanut butter base:
2 bananas
2 tbsp all-natural peanut butter
2-3 tbsp oats
a pinch of salt
a dash of cinnamon
some plant milk or water for easy blending
1 tbsp maca root powder (optional)
for the jam swirl:
a handful of fresh or frozen mixed berries
1-2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp maple syrup or agave (optional)
for decorations / toppings:
fresh berries
cherries
apple slices
roasted and salted peanuts
Instructions:
Peel, slice and place bananas in the freezer overnight.
The next morning, prepare the chia jam by heating up mixed berries, lemon juice and optional sweetener on the stove top until slightly bubbling. Take away from the heat, stir in chia seeds and let it sit for at least 10 minutes. Then let it cool down.
Combine all ingredients for the peanut butter base in a high speed blender and mix until thick and creamy.
Place base in a bowl and swirl in the berry-chia-jam for a marbled effect.
Decorate bowl with fresh fruit and other desired toppings and enjoy!
The Matcha Bowl
(the morning coffee of bowls)
Ingredients:
for the matcha base:
3 bananas
1 tsp matcha powder
1-2 tbsp coconut butter
vanilla
some plant milk or water for easy blending (optional)
for decorations / toppings:
kiwi
toasted coconut flakes
puffed quinoa, rice or buckwheat
dried mulberries
ground cherries
Instructions:
Peel, slice and place bananas in the freezer overnight.
The next day, toast the coconut flakes in a pan without adding oil for a few minutes until golden brown. Remove from the heat and let them cool down for a few minutes.
Combine ingredients for the matcha base in a high speed blender and blend until creamy. Place the smoothie in a bowl and top with coconut flakes and other desired toppings.
The Acai Bowl
(the most basic flavor of bowls - but with a sweet & salty stovetop granola on top!)
Ingredients:
for the stovetop granola:
a handful of oats
some pumpkin seeds
a dash of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
a (generous) pinch of salt
2-3 tbsp maple syrup
for the açaí base;
2 bananas
a handful frozen berries
1-2 tbsp açaí powder
some plant milk or water for easy blending (optional)
for decorations / toppings:
fresh mango slices
cherries
blueberries
puffed quinoa, rice or buckwheat
dried mulberries
coconut flakes
Instructions:
Peel, slice and place bananas in the freezer over night
The next morning start by preparing the stovetop granola. For that, combine oats, pumpkin seeds and a generous pinch of salt (if you like the combination of sweet & salty!) in a pan over medium heat until oats start to get fragrant. You don’t need to add any oil to this, just keep an eye on it to prevent the oats and pumpkin seeds from getting too dark. Reduce heat to low and add the cinnamon and maple syrup while stirring frequently until all oats and seeds are evenly covered in syrup and any excess liquid evaporated. Take from the heat and let cool.
Combine all açaí base ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until thick an creamy. Place in a bowl, top with the granola and other desired toppings and enjoy!
The Sweet Potato Bowl
(the fall-approved bowl)
Ingredients:
for the sweet potato base:
1 sweet potato
1 banana
1 tbsp all-natural almond butter
a pinch of vanillla
a dash of cinnamon
some plant milk or water for easy blending (optional)
for decorations / toppings:
stovetop granola from recipe before
toasted coconut flakes
banana
blueberries
walnuts
almond butter
Instructions:
The night before wash and bake the sweet potato in a pre-heated oven at 200°C for about 45-60 minutes. To bake the sweet potato as a whole, prick it with a fork a few times before placing it in the oven. As soon as the sweet potato is soft inside, take it out of the oven, carefully slice in half and let cool down completely. Take the flesh of the sweet potato out with a spoon and place it in the freezer together with the sliced banana over night.
The next morning combine all sweet potato base ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
Place smoothie in a bowl and decorate with toppings of choice.
Hope you’ll have a nice breakfast now, guys!
Notes;
Depending on the quality of your blender you’ll have to add more or less plant milk or water to blend all the smoothie bowls effortlessly. If you don’t want to add any liquid to your bowl you could also try to replace parts of the frozen fruits with regular (room temperature) fruit to ensure full taste while still achieving an easier blending process. Just see and try out whatever suits you and your blender best, hehe.
Have you tried any of these recipes?
Let me know in the comments or tag me on Instagram @choartemi