Whenever I can make a recipe that’s healthy and suitable for a wide range of dietary requirements—all while sticking to a budget—I’m all in! These delicious, creamy, and super thick Smoothie Bowls are made with 3 simple ingredients, plus whatever toppings you want to add. They’re packed with vitamins and are naturally gluten-free, raw, vegan, and dairy-free when you use a milk alternative. This smoothie bowl is JUST as good as any you’d find at a trendy juice bar (we had a killer brunch at my former restaurant, AVO, and this smoothie bowl was on the menu!) I hope you love it.
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What is a Smoothie Bowl?
A smoothie bowl is an ultra-thick, totally satisfying smoothie served in a bowl with toppings. It’s almost like eating a bowl of soft-serve ice cream, but it’s actually healthy! The key is to use less liquid than you usually would for a smoothie, which creates the perfect consistency for eating with a spoon. I blend frozen mixed berries, a frozen banana, and almond milk together, which I then top with more berries, granola, peanut butter, and chia seeds. It’s a nourishing and delicious breakfast that even picky eaters love!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make the best smoothie bowls EVER:
- Frozen Mixed Berries: You want to use frozen berries, not fresh ones. Frozen fruit will create a thick, frozen consistency, which is what I’m going for here. Grab a bag of pre-frozen berries from the store (which are often more affordable than fresh berries), or freeze your own. I love the mixed berry smoothie flavor of these bowls, but you can use any frozen fruit you like.
- Frozen Banana: Adds creaminess and natural sweetness. The riper the banana, the sweeter your bowl will be. Peel and slice it before freezing, or use frozen banana slices from the store.
- Almond Milk: I usually opt for unsweetened plain dairy-free almond milk or oat milk because the frozen fruit is both flavorful and sweet enough for me! You can also use any other milk alternative or regular dairy milk.
- Toppings: I went with chia seeds because I had them on hand at the studio already (plus they’re high in Omega-3s, fiber, and protein), granola (homemade granola is extra delicious!), more berries, and melted peanut butter. If you can’t have peanuts, almond butter or seed butter is the perfect substitute if you can find one within your budget.
More Topping Ideas
You don’t need to go out and buy any special toppings for this homemade smoothie bowl recipe! Use what you already have in your kitchen, or try some of these ideas:
- Any fresh, frozen, or freeze-dried fruit
- Nuts like almonds, walnuts, or cashews
- Seeds, such as pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, or flaxseeds
- Cacao nibs or chocolate chips
- Shredded coconut
- A scoop of leftover overnight oats
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, or other spices
- Honey, agave, or maple syrup
- Yogurt
The Perfect Ratio for Smoothie Bowls
It’s my opinion that the perfect ratio for a thick, creamy, perfectly frozen smoothie bowl is 1 cup frozen fruit of your choice + 1 cup frozen banana + ¼ cup milk. Then, on top of this base, you can add 1 tablespoon of any superfood you love. For example:
- 1 cup frozen avocado, 1 cup frozen banana, ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk, and 1 tablespoon of hemp seeds. (This would be like a bowl version of our avocado smoothie recipe! Personally, I would add a liquid sweetener to this variation, like agave or maple.)
- 1 cup frozen mango chunks, 1 cup frozen banana, ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk, and 1 tablespoon freeze dried berries.
- 1 cup frozen mixed tropical fruits, 1 cup frozen banana, ¼ cup unsweetened coconut milk, and 1 tablespoon of cacao nibs.
So long as you stick to this ratio, you can add any frozen fruit, liquid base, and superfood of your choice. This makes the perfect texture for a bowl that is creamy and dessert-like, not too icy or watery.
A Note on Blending!
Now, this isn’t a toss-it-in-a-blender and walk-away kind of smoothie—this is a stick-to-your-bones, thick, keep-you-full all-morning-long kind of smoothie bowl! (So she requires some elbow grease!). You’re going to want to have a spatula on hand to scrape the blender down over and over as often as needed until it’s blended nice and smooth.
But, no need to stress if you don’t have one of those equal-to-a-rent-payment blenders! I used our affordable Ninja blender from Walmart, a rubber spatula, and my patience; I knew the result would be worth the effort!
Can I Meal Prep It?
This recipe for smoothie bowls is meant to be enjoyed immediately after blending, and I don’t recommend meal-prepping them ahead of time. Instead, I like to gather all the ingredients and create smoothie packs for the freezer. Then, when I’m ready to make a bowl, I can simply empty the contents of the bag into a blender with the almond milk and blend for a few minutes until smooth!
Smoothie Bowl Recipe
Servings 2 bowls (about 1 cup of smoothie + ¼ cup toppings each)Ingredients
- 1 cup mixed berries, frozen ($2.08)
- 1 ripe banana, sliced and frozen (about 1 cup) ($0.26)
- ¼ cup almond milk* ($0.30)
- ½ Tbsp chia seeds ($0.07)
- ¼ cup granola ($0.48)
- ¼ cup berries ($0.52)
- 1 ½ Tbsp peanut butter, melted ($0.09)
Instructions
- Add frozen mixed berries, frozen banana, and almond milk to the blender.
- Blend, stopping often to scrape down the inside of the blender to make sure the ingredients catch the blade. Blend and scrape down the blender as often as needed until the perfect consistency is reached.
- Pour the smoothie (it will be THICK) into your favorite bowls and top with your favorite ingredients. I chose chia seeds, granola, more berries, and some melted peanut butter. Enjoy immediately!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Small Blender
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!how to make Smoothie Bowls – step by step photos
Gather all your ingredients.
Add 1 cup of frozen mixed berries, 1 frozen sliced banana (about 1 cup), and ¼ cup of almond milk to your blender. You can also use soy, coconut, oat, or dairy milk instead of almond milk. Fruit juice will also work to create a smooth consistency, but it won’t be as creamy as using milk or a milk alternative.
Blend these ingredients together, stopping often to scrape down the inside of the blender to make sure the ingredients catch the blade. You might need to do this a few times!
Keep blending and scraping down the sides of the blender until the perfect smooth consistency is reached.
Pour your smoothie (it will be THICK) into your favorite bowls. Smooth down the top to create a flat surface for all your yummy toppings!
Top with your favorite ingredients—you can add anything you like or have on hand. I chose ½ Tbsp chia seeds, ¼ cup granola, ¼ cup more berries, and 1 ½ Tbsp melted peanut butter. Serve it immediately for the best texture!
