This thick smoothie bowl recipe is creamy, naturally sweet, and sturdy enough to hold all your favorite toppings. Made with frozen fruit, banana, and just a splash of milk, it blends up in minutes and tastes like soft-serve ice cream for breakfast.
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If you love this simple smoothie bowl recipe, check out my Strawberry Peach Smoothie, Mango Banana Smoothie, and Creamy Peach Smoothie next!
I love starting my day with a thick smoothie bowl topped with Crunchy Homemade Granola and fresh fruit. It makes a quick and easy breakfast!
If you love smoothies, be sure to check out my Keto Pumpkin Smoothie and Mango Pineapple Smoothie.
For more pink recipes, check out 50 Fun Pink Party Food Ideas.
Recipe at a Glance
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Method: Blender or food processor
- Difficulty: Easy
- Texture: Thick and creamy, like soft-serve ice cream
- Best For: Healthy breakfasts, snacks, and post-workout meals
- Key to Thickness: Frozen banana + minimal liquid
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This smoothie base recipe for a thick smoothie bowl is so easy to make.
- The consistency is super thick so the ingredients stay on top and don't sink.
- Kids love them - it's like eating a bowl of soft-serve ice cream.
- A great way to use up fruit before it spoils.
- Make it vegan or dairy-free.
- Suitable for Paleo, Whole30, and gluten-free diets.
What readers are saying about this recipe:
This smoothie bowl was so yummy! Perfect treat to cool down in the summer and a great way to get all those added nutrients in. It was my first time adding pomegranate seeds to my bowls and they were delicious!
- Anaiah
Recipe Ingredients
Learn how to make the perfect smoothie bowl with just a few simple ingredients:
- Frozen banana. The most important ingredient for how to get a thick smoothie bowl is frozen fruit. To get the perfect thick consistency, use frozen banana slices. If you use a fresh banana, the smoothie bowl will not be thick.
- Frozen fruit or vegetables. Use any favorite fruits you have on hand, as long as they're frozen. My favorites are frozen strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and haskap berries. You can even use a bag of mixed frozen fruit from your local grocery store or toss in some frozen vegetables.
- Milk. You can use any milk, dairy or dairy-free. I used unsweetened almond milk, but you can use Greek yogurt instead for the thickest smoothie bowl ever! For a vegan smoothie bowl, use plant-based milk like coconut milk, oat milk, or soy milk, or coconut water or orange juice.
- Smoothie bowl toppings. I like to top a pink smoothie bowl with shredded coconut, frozen raspberries, sliced banana, and chia seeds. Feel free to use your favorite toppings.
See the printable recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make a Smoothie Bowl Thick
Step-by-Step Instructions
- To make a thick smoothie bowl, place one banana (about 20 slices) in a food processor or high-speed blender with ½ cup of frozen berries or frozen fruit. Add 2 tablespoons of milk, then pulse or blend until you get a smooth consistency.
- Occasionally stop blending and scrape the sides of the blender or food processor with a rubber spatula.
- Spoon the thick mixture into a bowl and top with your favorite smoothie bowl toppings, such as granola, berries, coconut, and chia seeds.
Best Smoothie Bowl Toppings
You can add many different toppings to make the perfect thick smoothie bowl. Some of my favorites are:
- Fresh berries like blueberries, honeyberries, raspberries, and strawberries.
- Diced kiwi, pineapple, mango, peaches, pears, apricots, bananas, or pomegranate seeds.
- One teaspoon of chia seeds, hemp seeds, or flax seeds.
- Shredded coconut flakes, dried fruit, cacao nibs, dark chocolate, chocolate chips, or granola.
- Chopped or sliced nuts or seeds (almonds, walnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds).
- Drizzle with your favorite nut butter. I like peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter.
Jeri's Top Tips
- Frozen fruit is the trick to getting a thick smoothie bowl. Peel and slice a banana the night before, put it in a freezer bag, and freeze it so it will be ready to use in the morning. The same goes for fresh fruit, slice it and place it in the freezer the night before.
- To make it less thick, add a splash of milk a tiny bit at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
- Use a high-powered blender or food processor to blend up the frozen fruit. My Ninja blender and NutriBullet are both fantastic.
- If you don't have a high-speed blender, blend the banana and milk first on low speed, then add the frozen fruit and blend again.
- Freeze fresh fruit from your local Farmers' Markets or organic stores in peak season to use throughout the year.
Variations
- Protein. Add a scoop of vanilla protein powder.
- Superfoods. Add spirulina, maca powder, chia seeds, or acai powder.
- Spring. Use rhubarb, strawberries, apricots, and cherries.
- Summer. Use peaches, nectarines, and berries.
- Fall. Use apples, pears, or pumpkins.
- Winter. Use oranges, grapefruit, pomegranate seeds, or kiwis.
Storage Tips
The best way to store a smoothie bowl is to cover it with plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container and freeze it.
Remove it 10-15 minutes before you want to serve so it will thaw slightly and be the perfect consistency.
Store toppings separately in their own container so they don't get soggy.
Recipe FAQs
It takes 5-10 minutes to make this thick smoothie bowl recipe.
A regular blender, food processor, or Magic Bullet blender will work. A strong blender, such as a Vitamix or Ninja, can make blending easier. It can handle frozen fruits and create a smooth, thick texture with less liquid.
Almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk, Greek yogurt, and fruit juice all work well.
Use frozen fruit, especially frozen banana, and only add enough liquid to help the blender move.
Yes. Use frozen mango, avocado, or cauliflower instead.
Add nuts, seeds, protein powder, or oats to make it more filling and help you stay full longer.
More Smoothie Bowl Recipes You'll Love
Printable Recipe
Thick Smoothie Bowl Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large banana sliced and frozen (about 20 slices)
- ½ cup frozen fruit (or frozen vegetables)
- 2 tablespoons milk of your choice
Optional Smoothie Bowl Toppings
- chia seeds or hemp hearts
- banana or fresh sliced fruit
- granola or chopped nuts or seeds
- coconut flakes or shredded coconut
- pomegranate seeds
Instructions
- Add the frozen banana slices, frozen fruit, and milk to a food processor or blender and blend until creamy and smooth. Pause occasionally to scrape down the sides of the blender.
- If the mixture is too thick, add a teaspoon of milk at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
- Transfer the smoothie mixture to a serving bowl and smooth out the top with the back of a spoon or spatula.
- Decorate the top with your favorite smoothie bowl toppings and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Video
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Notes
- For the thickest smoothie bowl, make sure your fruits are frozen before blending.
- If you don't have a high-speed blender, blend the banana and milk first, then add the frozen fruit and blend again.
- To make it less thick, add a splash of milk a tiny bit at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
- Experiment with different fruit combinations and toppings. You can even add frozen vegetables.
- Add a scoop of vanilla or unflavored protein powder for extra protein.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is automatically calculated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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Sharon VanHorn says
I really like this recipe I know a couple other alternatives that you could add to your recipes to make the smoothies or a smoothie bowl sticker would be instant oatmeal of different labors besides cinnamon or maple and Greek have frozen yogurt thank you very much
Jeri says
I'm glad you like the recipe, Sharon! Thank you for the suggestions, they all sound delicious! 🙂
Faith still says
This recipe is absolutely gorgeous!
Jeri says
Thanks, Faith! I'm glad you like it! 🙂
Sara says
My smoothie loving kiddo was all over this!
nancy says
this smoothie bowl was so easy to make and great job on making it thicker and more filling
Jeannie says
Great breakfast treat, I always look forward making this healthy and great taste
Mihaela | https://theworldisanoyster.com/ says
This smoothie is perfect for the reduced berry crops I can get from the allotment at the moment. Yesterday I had a handful each of three types and no idea what to make with them. I'm going foraging this evening again!:))