Smoothie bowls are a perfect food year round. In summer, they are a great way to cool down and in winter they provide a colorful and festive way to brighten a gray day. Not only is a smoothie bowl a special treat, but it is also a colorful way to put healthy and new fruit in your diet. I eat smoothies year round and look for seasonal fruit that can be frozen to use later. By freezing some fruits for smoothies, they donโt waste away with your good intentions in the refrigerator. Once you make the smoothie base, the fun can begin. Create interesting designs with fruit, nuts, granola, chia and pumpkin seeds, chocolate chips, coconut, and anything else you like. Place a scoop of yogurt on top or whipped cream. Add edible flowers for the ultimate beautiful bowl! Click here to jump to the recipe.
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 1 cup milk (2% or whole)
- 1 1/2 cup frozen pink dragon fruit (pitaya)***
- 1 tablespoon cream of coconut*
- 2 tablespoons vanilla yogurt
- Fruit for decoration, cut into shapes
- Edible flowers
Ingredients
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- Wash and dry any fruit and flowers used for decoration.
- Cut up fruit into chunks, slices, and interesting shapes. Use mini cookie cutters to cut shapes out of slices. Chop all leftover scraps into small pieces to use as filler or to sprinkle onto bowls.
- Drizzle lemon juice on any fruit that will turn dark upon standing. Set decorating fruit aside.
- Place milk, dragon fruit, cream of coconut, and vanilla yogurt in a blender and blend until smooth.
- If smoothie is too runny, add more frozen fruit to thicken or place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. You will need a stiff smoothie to hold up the fruit decoration.
- Decorate the smoothie bowl with the fruits and other decorations you prepared.
*May substitute almond milk.
**Coco Lรณpezยฉ and Coco Realยฉ cream of coconut are the brands tested with this recipe. Honey or maple syrup or one half of a very ripe frozen banana can also be substituted for cream of coconut.
***Frozen pink dragon fruit (pitaya) can be ordered online. I used brand PitayaPlus at www.pitayaplus.com.
Smoothie bowls are the most aesthetically pleasing if the fruit is arranged in a crescent moon shape or an โIโ shape down the middle of the bowl, letting some of the base smoothie show through.
Smoothie bases can be made in advance and placed in the freezer. Set out 10 or more minutes before you plan to eat it so it can thaw. With a spoon, chop up the frozen mixture and stir.ย Then place fruit and flowers on top.
For those who like a hot bowl, substitute oatmeal for the smoothie base and then decorate.
Cut kiwis into flowers by using a paring knife. Start in the middle and cut a zig-zag all the way around the kiwi, making sure you cut all the way through with each cut. Pull apart for two flowers.