Summer Smoothie Bowls (3 Ways)

Looking for refreshing, healthy and easy summer smoothie bowl recipes? We've got you covered with these three delicious vegan recipes! The recipes include a berry cherry smoothie bowl, a blueberry coconut pitaya smoothie bowl and a carrot mango turmeric smoothie bowl. Plus, we've included a few tips on how to make the perfect smoothie bowl!

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Alright, guys. I know that smoothie bowls may seem like an overrated Instagram trend, but I'm here to tell you that they're truly the perfect easy, healthy breakfast.

For one, you can throw in just about anything. Frozen fruit, fresh fruit, protein powder, superfood powders, nut butter, milks, even vegetables - it's all fair game. It's easy to incorporate a wide range of nutrients into one smoothie, without the effort of preparing ingredients separately.

Secondly, TOPPINGS.

Let's be honest: toppings are the best part of a smoothie bowl. I'm all about texture, so I always top my bowls with something creamy, crunchy and soft/sweet.

Sounds kinda weird when I put it that way. But here's what I mean: creamy = nut butter, crunchy = granola, toasted coconut and/or cacao nibs, soft/sweet = fresh berries, sliced banana, etc.

When you add toppings, smoothie bowls are truly a full meal, so they'll actually keep you full until lunch!

How to make the perfect smoothie bowl

You may be wondering why you need a tutorial on how to make a good smoothie bowl. It seems pretty self-explanatory, but I've had some pretty terrible smoothie bowls in my lifetime.

There's nothing worse than spending $13 on an açai bowl and finding chunks of ice or dates or some other unidentified substance. Once you master the technique, it's SO much easier & less expensive to blend up your own bowls at home.

Here are a few of our tried and true techniques for a smooth, creamy, delicious smoothie bowl:

1. Ditch the ice. Ice just doesn't work. It never fully blends into the smoothie, so you'll either end up with random chunks of ice floating around or worse, a watery mess.
2. Instead of ice, opt for frozen fruit. Frozen berries, mango, bananas, pineapple, etc. - they're all great options for smoothie bowls.
3. Bananas are your best friend. Bananas (frozen or fresh) are hugely helpful in getting that perfect creamy texture. We buy them in bulk, let them ripen on the counter, then freeze in reusable bags.
4. Let your frozen fruit soften before blending. If you add rock hard, frozen strawberries to a blender, don't expect them to blend well. Don't panic - you don't need to add more liquid, you just need to let the fruit soften. Do this by leaving it out at room temperature for 10-15 minutes, or throw it in the microwave for 45 seconds. You won't need any extra liquid!
5. If your blender comes with a tamper, USE IT! It helps keep things moving and prevents random chunks of frozen fruit from ending up in your bowl.
6. Add a bit of fat, like nut butter, avocado or coconut flakes. They add a bit of richness and help with the creaminess factor.

Now that you know how to blend a smoothie bowl...

What kind of blender is best for smoothie bowls?

Any high-power blender should do the trick, but here are some of the best options on the market:

• Vitamix A3500 Ascent Series Smart Blender - this is the blender that we currently use and we absolutely LOVE it. No joke - we use this thing at least 3x per day and often 5-10x. (Life of a food blogger!) There are 5 programmed settings (for smoothies, soups, dips & spreads, frozen desserts and self-cleaning), or you can control the speed manually with any easy-to-use dial. It also comes with a tamper, so you don't have to purchase one separately. If you have any specific questions about this blender, feel free to comment below or send us an email.
• BlendTec Classic 575 Blender - We also have this blender and use it on a weekly basis. Although we haven't found it to be quite as powerful as our Vitamix, it's definitely a more cost-effective option. We love that you can purchase a smaller jar to use for sauces, dips, nut butters, etc. We use it all the time for sauces especially!
• Kuvings SV500S Vacuum Sealed Auto Blender (affiliate link) - We haven't actually tried this blender, but we've heard great things about it. The vacuum technology allegedly preserves more nutrients that a regular blender, making it a great option for smoothies. Plus, a heavily insulated motor means it's much less noisy than a traditional blender. I'm sure our family would appreciate that!

Summer Smoothie Bowl Recipes

Hopefully we've answered all of your burning questions about making the perfect smoothie bowl, but feel free to comment below with any additional questions!

We consider ourselves smoothie experts at this point - we've developed well over 50 smoothie recipes for various clients. Plus, I truly make them on a daily basis at home!

Let's briefly chat about these three summer smoothie bowls. First up: Cherry Berry. It's made with frozen raspberries, strawberries, cherries and a surprise ingredient: beet powder! It's tart, sweet, and makes the most of delicious (and nutritious) summer berries.

Next up: Blueberry Coconut Pitaya. Frozen blueberries, banana and pink pitaya powder team up to make the most gorgeous, rich purple. Pitaya is optional, but a fun addition if you happen to have some.

We also add in a splash of hydrating coconut water to this smoothie bowl.

Lastly, Carrot Mango Peach Turmeric! How's that for a name? Frozen peaches are one of our favorite smoothie ingredients, and they're perfect for summer.

If you have a high-power blender, you can add a fresh (diced) carrot to your blender. If not, we suggest carrot juice instead. Turmeric adds an extra nutritional boost + a gorgeous deep yellow hue.

Best smoothie bowl toppings:

• Granola is a must for me. The textural contrast is much-needed! I love using our homemade classic granola or this banana bread granola.
• Nut butter is another essential on my list. Any nut butter will do –– peanut, cashew, almond, sunflower seed, even tahini!
• Fresh fruit is optional, but I usually add a handful of fresh blueberries to my smoothie bowls. Other fruits that work well include bananas, raspberries, blackberries and diced strawberries.
• Coconut flakes
• Nuts & seeds: not a huge fan of nut butter on your smoothie bowl? Toss on a handful of cashews, almond, sunflower seeds, pepitas, etc instead.

More favorite smoothie recipes:

We have no shortage of smoothie recipes to share with you. Here are a few of our favorites to try next:

• Green Smoothie Bowls 3 Ways
• 3 Recovery Smoothies for Athletes
• How to assemble a Smoothie Bowl Bar
• Vegan Strawberries and Cream Smoothie Bowl

If you make one of these smoothie bowl recipes, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.

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