You’ve seen them in your feed, now it’s time to make one for yourself, I’ll show you how to make an healthy fruit and yogurt smoothie bowl that’s gorgeous and good for you…
Smoothie bowls aren’t just pretty, they’re a smart way to start the day —and in fact, the prettier you make them, the healthier they get. You’ll work with a palette of fruits, nuts, and seeds to add color, texture, and nutrients to your bowl. All of a sudden plain fruit and yogurt becomes a feast, and now you not only have something you can snap and post to make your friends jealous, you’ll be encouraging yourself to eat mindfully and healthily. It’s a win win. Breakfast bowls can be achingly gorgeous, and I could just sit here and stare all day if I wasn’t so hungry, so let’s get to it. Here’s how to make a smoothie bowl…
what you’ll need
- yogurt
- yogurt is the base for most smoothie bowls. Use anything you love, dairy or non dairy. I think coconut yogurt is especially delish.
- flavoring
- if you are using plain yogurt then you may want to flavor it with a bit of vanilla. If you use a flavored yogurt you can skip this.
- fruit
- use seasonal fruits and your smoothie bowl will change throughout the year and never get boring.
- nuts
- keep a stash of toasted nuts handy. The toasty flavor adds a whole new dimension to your breakfast bowl.
- seeds
- seeds like chia, hemp, or flax add a nice hit of protein, plus textural interest.
- sweetener
- I use honey or maple syrup.
it starts with the perfect bowl
The first thing you’re going to need is the right bowl. You want a small shallow bowl that holds just enough for one serving. It should have a wide surface for displaying your beautiful toppings, but if it’s too big you’ll never finish your breakfast! A cereal bowl is ok, but if you can find something shallower, that’s even better. Thrift stores are fantastic places to find odd sized bowls, and because people used to eat smaller portions than we do now, you’re likely to come across more dainty bowls there than anywhere else.
how to make a smoothie bowl
Instead of randomly plopping chopped apples or blueberries onto your yogurt and calling it breakfast you’re going to arrange it so that it’s pleasing to the eye and appealing to the stomach.
step 1. the yogurt base
You can use any yogurt you like, but I recommend a plain yogurt so you can control the flavors. Always look for the words ‘live cultures’ or ‘probiotics’ on the label of any yogurt you buy. Probiotics are healthy bacteria cultures that can help keep your gut healthy and boost your immune system, for starters.
.My secret is to add a bit of vanilla bean paste, or, when I’m feeling fancy, I’ll scrape the seeds from a bean into the yogurt and blend it up. The vanilla tricks the taste buds into thinking you’re eating something sweet, even though there is no sugar added.
step 2. the fruit
Think seasonal with your fruit. The best, tastiest, and most economical fruit is what’s in season. If it’s January and you’re craving blackberries with your citrus, grab a few from the freezer. I freeze the berries we pick in summer and use them all year long. Look for a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. I always go for something whole like berries or grapes, then something I can slice, like bananas or kiwi, and something a bit larger, like citrus that I can either slice or section. You can go with a theme…like all berries, or all tropical fruit, or you can mix it up like I did.
Don’t crowd the surface too much, I like to let some of the yogurt peek through so you can see what you’re about to eat.
step 3. the crunch
When you’ve got your fruit arranged, it’s time to scatter on some crunch. That can be nuts, seeds, or granola. I used walnuts and hemp for this bowl.
step 4. sweeten the deal
The final step is to drizzle on a bit of honey, agave, or maple syrup, if you like. You can also blend an alternative sweetener into your yogurt.
notes:
- Recycle your leftover fruit into the next morning’s bowl. I slice the citrus with the peel on, and then cut off the peel with kitchen shears, that way I can easily save the rest of the fruit.
- I like to alternate between plain yogurt one day, and then I blend pureed fruit, like blackberries or papaya, into the yogurt the next day for a different experience. Sometimes I’ll blend it completely, other times I’ll swirl it thorough.
- Vary your cutting techniques…if you’ve sliced your citrus one day, section it the next. Try slicing strawberries horizontally instead of vertically…cut grapes or blueberries in half instead of leaving them whole.
- Seeds are especially pretty and packed with nutrition. In addition to the hemp seeds, try flax, sunflower, chia, sesame, and pumpkin.
more healthy breakfast ideas
- Lemon Ginger Smoothie
- Cranberry Cleanse Smoothie
- Melon Breakfast Bowls
- Papaya Boats
- Perfect Egg Tartines
- Paleo Fruit and Nut Bread
How to Make a Smoothie Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup yogurt of your choice
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste, or seeds of 1 vanilla bean
- 1 slice pink grapefruit
- 1 slice navel orange
- 1/2 banana, sliced
- 1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
- 5 cherries, halved and pitted
- 3 blackberries
- 5 raspberries
- 1 Tbsp pomegranate seeds
- 1 Tbsp chopped walnuts
- 1 Tbsp hemp seeds
- 1 Tbsp honey
Instructions
- Stir together your yogurt and vanilla. Put it in the bottom of your bowl
- Lay down your citrus slices in the center of the yogurt. Fan out the banana slices along one side of the bowl, and the kiwi on the other. Fill in gaps with the berries.
- Scatter the nuts and seeds over all, and drizzle with honey just before serving.
Hi Sue, what a beautiful and delicious looking breakfast, we have guest coming to stay next week. Pinned!! they will love this.
I think this would be such fun to do for guests, Cheri.
Haha this is such a fun post!! Breakfast bowls are all over Instagram, and this one is definitely a beauty. I just love the layers of texture and color.
I’m like a kid in a candy shop with those bowls in my feed…some people eat really well every morning 😉
This is the most beautiful breakfast ever! So much to see and eat and you are completely right about it all! Smaller plates and bowls, loads of color, lots and lots of color, and LOVE the vanilla paste in plain yogurt – I am going to do that everyday now! Terrific photos Sue – I love it all 🙂
What an inspiring post! I usually have a bowl of oatmeal or yogurt topped with fruit for breakfast, but with a toddler eager to eat too, I usually don’t take the time to make it look pretty. I totally should though to start my day with some beauty, and maybe an animal face pattern for her 🙂
That’s a great idea Regina!
hahaha I love the post title ?. never tried to puree fruit in yogurt, but will try tomorrow, and take a beautiful picture too!
This is too pretty to eat! Thanks for sharing the recipe. We are going to try this out this weekend.
Definitely gorgeous and an Instagram star!! Love your vanilla bean trick — I need to think about that more often! Love your bowl, too!
The vanilla bean thing really works, too 🙂
That is goooorgeous! I’d have a hard time waiting to eat it so I could instagram it 😉 haha. I love the texture of all those toppings!
For me, this and a steaming mug of dark roast make the perfect breakfast. Elegant, satisfying, healthy. Makes me feel like I’m waking up in a great bed and breakfast every day.
I’m with you on that steaming mug of dark roast 🙂
I want one now! So beautiful Sue, a perfect breakfast in my mind!