The Perfect Smoothie Bowl

Smoothie bowls, as we all know, are very trendy. Everyone's buying them, and everyone's making them; at least that's the way it seems. If you ever find yourself scrolling through instagram, amazed by people like @earthyandy who've clearly perfected the bowl game, I'm right with you. But seriously, how do they do it? It's a question I've asked myself time after time and I think I've finally mastered the game myself. If you're looking for a step in the right direction, keep reading, and you'll be on your way to making thick, delicious smoothie bowls in no time.

Buying smoothie bowls gets expensive, and there's nothing better than hopping out of bed and whipping up a refreshing, fruity breakfast in the comfort of your own home. But achieving the perfect consistency can seem like a rather daunting task. However, with a few tricks and a little practice, it's not nearly as hard as you'd expect. Below are a list of my all-time favorite smoothie-bowl-making tips and trust me when I tell you they'll change your smoothie bowl game forever.

1. Use a high-powered blender of some sort. I personally LOVE my vitamix; it makes for the thickest and creamiest bowls, and is so powerful it requires just the tiniest splash of liquid. However, I know they are pretty expensive and not in the budget for everyone.* If you don't have a vitamix, no worries; your food processor should do just the trick. If you have a fairly good food processor, it shouldn't have any trouble making a thick, creamy bowl with only a tiny amount of liquid.

2. Use the proper amount of liquid. More often than not, people end up with smoothie bowls that look much more smoothie than bowl. Runny, watery bowls are exactly what we're trying to avoid. Remember that a smoothie bowl shouldn't require much liquid at all. Yes, it will take a little bit of time to fully blend, but you certainly don't need to pour a crazy amount of almond milk into your blender. I like to add just a splash of almond milk into my blender and I simply let it blend for a few minutes until it's thick and creamy. If it seems like it's not going to blend, just be patient. It will happen. And if it doesn't, add just the smallest splash and keep on blending. If your blender isn't too high powered, you'll most likely need more liquid. However, ALWAYS start with less. Add about 1/4 cup and go from there. You can always make it thinner, but you can't make it thicker. Finally, if you have a vitamix and really want super thick nice cream, you don't need any liquid at all.

3. Don't use ice. If you typically use ice in your smoothies/smoothie bowls, it's probably making them much less creamy than they could be. Since this is the opposite of what we want in a smoothie bowl, you're going to want to use something else instead. Here's where you have two options. Option one: Don't use any ice at all. Simply stick to a base of frozen banana and fruit and you're good to go; you'll still have a cold, thick bowl. Option two: If you're used to using ice and feel that it's a must-have, try almond milk or coconut milk ice cubes instead. I keep a container of these in my freezer at all times in case I ever want to pop them in a smoothie or use them in my iced coffee. Simply pour almond or coconut milk into an ice cube tray and freeze. I freeze a couple batches at a time and store them in a big container.

4. Pick your base wisely. It's important to note that not all frozen fruits have the same consistency. When choosing ingredients for your bowl, be mindful of what fruits you're using and be sure to use at least one that will give you a thick, creamy base. Fruits like banana, mango, and blueberries are my favorites as they'll produce that creamy base you're looking for. Fruits such as strawberries and pineapple on the other hand, are much more watery/icy so it's important to pair them with a fruit that's creamy and keep in mind how much you're using. For example, if you want a strawberry smoothie bowl, pair your strawberries with some banana and make sure to use more banana than strawberry. Additionally, remember that because strawberries are watery, you'll need less liquid to make your bowl. If you're using two creamy fruits such as mango and banana, you'll find yourself needing more liquid.

I hope these tips helped and if you want some more help or have a specific question, feel free to shoot me an email; I'd be more than happy to help! Happy smoothie-bowl making! PS. #deats for the smoothie pictured are below :)

My Mango-Banana Smoothie Bowl:

- 2 fresh bananas

- 1 big handful frozen mango

- a splash of almond milk

- a handful of blueberries

- 3 strawberries (cut up)

- 1 tsp chia seeds

- 2 tsp wild friends peanut butter

Directions:

- wash your strawberries and blueberries and set them aside

- cut your strawberries into slices and cut 1/2 the banana into small pieces

- Blend 1 1/2 bananas with frozen mango and a splash of almond milk until thick and creamy. Start off at the lowest speed and work your way up.

- Scoop smoothie into your bowl with all your toppings and enjoy!!

- Rach

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