Fruity & Nutty Smoothie Bowl

Originally posted to the OG Rise & Chai blog (RIP) on April 26, 2021.

Good Monday morning! How’s everyone doing?

I was definitely sluggish this morning -- the sun has been shining, but it’s still been so chilly here in Wisconsin. Lots of overcast, some drizzles, lots of wind… Just been feeling a bit under the ‘weather’ lately, and today was no exception.

So I decided to make a little bowl of sunshine: something sugar-y to jump start my day (it worked -- I got a good amount of stuff done and even made it to the gym). Bonus, these bowls are chock full of nutrients and feel-good fuel. I whipped together this smoothie bowl pretty quickly. They’re one of my go-to breakfast faves for that exact reason, as well as the variety and customization options, which are truly endless.

The concept is something that I almost feel silly putting together a ‘recipe’ for, but there’s a first time for everything for everyone, and I’m happy to share my tips and tricks for making a yummy smoothie bowl. If I am taking your smoothie bowl virginity, welcome. Once you stir it altogether and take a spoonful of it, it’s essentially cold yogurt with toppings -- very similar feeling, but tastes more like a smoothie than just yogurt, obviously.

Today, I used frozen blueberries, banana, strawberry, and spinach. If I’m making a traditional smoothie I’ll add loads more veggies, but for a bowl, I tend to lean towards the sweet side of things. I also added vanilla nutrient powder (here’s the link, if you’re interested), vanilla Greek yogurt, oat milk, and one raw egg.

It’s as simple as blending everything together and adding what you need as you go -- for example, I needed a little moisture, so I added the raw egg, and I wasn’t initially crazy about the texture of my smoothie -- it was very much like a smoothie, not as creamy and thick as I like the mix for a bowl -- so I added the Greek yogurt.

Once you’ve found your texture and consistency, it’s as easy as pouring it into a bowl and choosing your toppings. Now, at this point, some people choose to freeze their bowls for about half an hour either before or after pouring it. I usually skip that bit because without it, the bowls can literally take as little as a few minutes.

The most fun is what you choose to put on top! Today’s bowl in my house had chia seeds, granola, golden flaxseed, whole almonds, and crushed walnuts. The smoothie itself is fruity enough that even the walnuts don’t overpower the flavors at all -- I was worried about that, but it adds more texture than flavor -- still, so so good. Add anything you want! If I had fresh fruit on hand, I’d be adding that too. Finally, I drizzled just a little honey (more for the aesthetic than the flavor) over the top.

All I’ve got left for you is a recipe card and an over edited picture to try and capture just how good this bowl was. I’d absolutely recommend it to anyone with a couple minutes on their hands -- this is totally doable in the morning before work or as a weekend treat.