How to make a thick smoothie bowl that is actually thick! Thick smoothie bowls are my most favorite treat to make! Learn how to make a gorgeous thick smoothie bowl recipe just like I do.
I get asked all the time, how do you make your smoothie bowls so thick? The answer is SO simple!! You only need 2 ingredients. Frozen fruit and a splash of milk. And any fruit works! That is it. That is the secret to my thick smoothie bowls.
I created this thick smoothie bowl tutorial post for everyone who wants to make smoothie bowls that are thick and not soupy. My smoothie bowls are ultra thick and will hold all your toppings. As thick as sorbet or ice cream!
WHAT'S IN A THICK SMOOTHIE BOWL
My ultra thick smoothie bowls have just two key ingredients:
- 2 cups Frozen fruit of choice
- ¼ cup Milk of choice
That is it! You can use ANY frozen fruit in your smoothie bowl recipe. Don't try to complicate making a smoothie bowl because it is SO easy.
WHY THICK SMOOTHIE BOWLS ARE ACTUALLY HEALTHY FOR YOU
Smoothie bowls are an excellent healthy treat for weight loss, gut health, and they are even kid friendly! They are a great way to pack in nutrient dense fruits. Instead of ice cream or sorbet which is high in refined sugar, make a simple smoothie bowl!
Fruits are ultra high in so many nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants that help with gut health, reducing inflammation, and getting your body the nutrients you need.
I make my thick smoothie bowls as a dessert, but you can easily make them as a breakfast. See my FAQ's below on how to make one as a healthy breakfast.
Written by a registered dietitian and expert in nutrition!
WHAT KIND OF BLENDER SHOULD I USE FOR A THICK SMOOTHIE BOWL?
I make all my new thick smoothie bowl recipes in my vitamix blender. My older recipes were made in my ninja blender.
You do need a quality blender. But thick smoothie bowls are possible with a cheaper blender if you have a little extra time to keep turning the blender off and stirring it until it is totally pureed.
TIPS FOR AN ULTRA THICK SMOOTHIE BOWL
Use only frozen fruit. Don't add fresh fruit if you want an ultra thick smoothie bowl! Fresh fruit is too watery and you will end up with a soupy texture.
Use just a splash of milk. Just a splash of milk will get your blender going! That is all you need. About ⅛ cup milk per 1 cup of frozen fruit.
Keep blending until it is creamy. Keep pushing frozen fruit down towards the blades either with your blender tamper, or by scraping it down with a spatula.
Don't be tempted to add more liquid. Don't add more liquid to get it smooth faster, this is a smoothie. Just keep blending until it is pureed.
Invest in a high quality blender. If you plan to make a lot of smoothie bowls, investing in a good blender with a strong motor that can quickly cut through frozen fruit is a really good idea.
HOW TO MAKE A SUPER THICK SMOOTHIE BOWL WITH FROZEN FRUIT
Grab your favorite frozen fruit, whether it is peaches, mango, pineapple, or anything else! If you need ideas for what fruit to use in smoothie bowls, make sure to check out my smoothie bowl recipe page!
STEP 1- Add ingredients to blender
In a blender add the 2 cups of frozen fruit and ¼ cup of milk.
STEP 2- Start blender on low speed
Turn blender on low and start pushing fruit down towards the blades with your blender tamper. (If you don't have a tamper, just turn off the blender and scrape the frozen fruit down periodically).
STEP 3- Turn up the speed and push frozen fruit down
Turn up the speed and keep pushing frozen fruit down towards the blades until there are no chunks of frozen fruit left.
STEP 4- Scoop into bowl and add toppings
- Scoop into a bowl. I love using coconut bowls!
- Smooth out the top of your smoothie bowl.
- Add toppings and enjoy!
HEALTHY SMOOTHIE BOWL TOPPING IDEAS
- Fresh fruit
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Nut butter
- Granola (sugar free or low sugar)
- Muesli
TRY SOME OF MY FAVORITE THICK SMOOTHIE BOWL RECIPES!
(click the smoothie bowl image to get to the recipe!)
Learn how to make a strawberry smoothie bowl!
How to make a mango smoothie bowl!
Learn how to make a acai smoothie bowl!
How to make a strawberry banana smoothie bowl!
How to make a banana smoothie bowl!
More thick smoothie bowl recipes! (Reader Favorites!)
- Pineapple Banana Smoothie Bowl
- Blue Smoothie Bowl
- Creamsicle Smoothie Bowl
- Red Smoothie Bowl
- Cookie Dough Smoothie Bowl
HOW TO DECORATE A SMOOTHIE BOWL
Looking for healthy smoothie bowl topping ideas? Here are some of my favorite smoothie bowl toppings to make your smoothie bowl a balanced meal!
- Nuts & seeds for healthy fat and protein!
- Nut butters for healthy fat and protein!
- Unsweetened granola for fiber and protein!
- Coconut chips & coconut flakes for fiber and fat!
FAQ'S
Frequently asked questions about making super thick smoothie bowl recipes at home.
Can I eat a smoothie bowl as a healthy breakfast?
Yes definitely! For a complete meal, you need to add more protein and a source of healthy fats. Try adding your favorite protein powder to the smoothie base. And for fat, top your smoothie bowl with nuts, seeds, or nut butter.
What's the difference between a smoothie and a smoothie bowl?
Smoothies are thin and drank through a straw. Smoothie bowls are much thicker and eaten from a bowl with a spoon.
What makes a smoothie thick and creamy?
Using only frozen fruit in your recipe will give you a perfect thick creamy texture.
How do you thicken a smoothie bowl?
Make sure to use only frozen fruit! See my tips above. If you have already added too much liquid, you can add in a bit more frozen fruit, ice cubes, or even frozen milk cubes to thicken it up.
How do I make a thick smoothie bowl with more protein?
If you want to add more protein to your smoothie bowl, try blending in these ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds soaked in 1 cup of water
- Plain full fat Greek yogurt
- Almond or peanut butter
- Protein powder
- Collagen powder
If you try my Thick Smoothie Bowl Recipe, please let me know your thoughts by leaving a rating and comment below! Ready for more? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube!
Super Thick Smoothie Bowl
Equipment
- Coconut bowl for serving
Ingredients
For the thick smoothie bowl
- 2 cups frozen fruit of choice I used a mix of pineapple, mango, peach, and strawberry for the one in the image
- ¼ cup milk of choice I used soy milk
Smoothie bowl toppings
- Fresh sliced fruit
- Nut butters
- Nuts & seeds
- Sugar free granola
Instructions
- In a blender add the 2 cups of frozen fruit and ¼ cup of milk.2 cups frozen fruit of choice, ¼ cup milk of choice
- Turn blender on low and start pushing fruit down towards the blades with your blender tamper.(if you don't have a tamper, just turn off the blender and scrape the frozen fruit down periodically)
- Turn up the speed and keep pushing frozen fruit down towards the blades until there are no chunks of frozen fruit left.
- Scoop into a bowl.
- Smooth out the top of your smoothie bowl.
- Add toppings and enjoy!Fresh sliced fruit, Nut butters, Nuts & seeds, Sugar free granola
Anne
Wow this looks incredible!! It’s the perfect healthy summer dessert!!
Sam
Thank you for such an easy to follow tutorial!! I made mine with some frozen pineapple and a handful of frozen spinach and it was sooo good!
Rosemary
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it <3
Rosemary
oo I love the veggies that you added in!
Ridglea Frazier
That looks good. I know you have milk and you time a milk, but you need like to tell the recipe because that looks so good what do you make it with because I am this is my first time making a smoothie bowl, so I really need your help. You are like incredible I really want to follow you, but my mom says only until I am eight and I’m turning eight in one month and 23 days, so yeah I really hope I get it so you might want to tell us the recipe because it’s so good.
Rosemary
The thick smoothie bowl recipe is in the recipe card at the bottom of this post! Recipes for all the smoothie bowl photos in this post are linked directly below the photos!
Anonymous
i love how it is super simple and gets straight to the point. this recipe doesn't add unnecissary ingredients and tells you a whole bunch of nonsense. i will definately be trying this again 👍
Anonymous
Are you able to half the recipe?
Disappointed
Didn’t work it’s too thick for such a small amount of milk. It won’t blend and slowly burns out the blender, a shame as I was looking forward to it.
Rosemary
The point of using less milk is to make a thick smoothie bowl, you probably need a higher quality blender if it burns out from frozen fruit.
Katherine
It was amazing! It was VERY thick and yummy! The only problem was how it blended, there were still tiny chunks of fruit and it took me a bit to blend. Otherwise, the taste is perfect!
Katherine
Oh, and it was so creamy and cool!
Kat
Oh, and it was so creamy and cool!
Anonymous
wow
Rosemary
awe I'm so happy you enjoyed it!! Some blenders are definitely more powerful so if you see the tiny chunks of fruit just keep blending and stir between blends so it's totally creamy!
Lena
It was soooo good but can you like half the recipe to make less? 😁
Lena
It was soooo good!!! I made the strawberry smoothie bowl and it was so thick and creamy!
Rosemary
Yes absolutely!! You can make them as big or as small as you want! <3
Rosemary
Strawberry is so good! So happy you loved it!
Anonymous
Is it 1/4 milk per 1 cup frozen fruit or 1/4 cup milk per 2 cups of frozen fruit? You have listed both ways in different parts of this article. We ended up using 1/4 cup and added a splash or two more. Was very tasty both my kids liked it and was easy for them to make (10 and 11).