Coconut Smoothie Bowl
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Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
This coconut smoothie bowl is a totally tasty plant-based ice cream made from just four simple ingredients.
Using real vanilla beans gives it a wonderfully authentic flavour and a natural speckled appearance which matches my pottery. It’s cold, creamy, thick and very moreish. Just what we all need in these sticky and hot heatwaves.
While this treat may not be low-calorie, it’s made with simple, natural ingredients, sweetened naturally with bananas, and it’s gluten and dairy-free, so in my mind it’s a happy snack for those of us who enjoy a touch of the wholesome
Ingredients
2 ripe bananas, sliced and frozen
3/4 of a can of (full-fat) coconut milk frozen in an ice-cube tray
⅓ - ½ cup of (unsweetened) almond or oat milk
1 vanilla bean pod
Optional toppings: Roasted coconut flakes and crushed chocolate bar pieces.
How to prep:
Start by freezing the bananas when they’re ripe. Be sure to slice them into small pieces so they are easier to add to a blender later on.
Shake up a room-temperature can of coconut milk, then open it up and pour the contents into an ice-cube tray.
Now leave the bananas and coconut milk to freeze overnight.
How to make:
Get all ingredients ready. Start by scraping the contents of your vanilla pod out and prepping your blender before you take the bananas and coconut milk out of your freezer.
Place everything in a blender and blend.
Scoop the contents of your blender into a bowl and serve with toppings if you wish.
Tips:
Making a good smoothie bowl that’s thick and creamy can be a little tricky, but there are a couple of simple rules that will make it perfect every single time.
Use a powerful blender and always start with the softer ingredients at the bottom of the blender cup. A good blender is essential for making your smoothie bowl thick and ice-cream-like. My go-to is a trusty NutriBullet.
Start with a small amount of almond milk. Begin with 1/3 of a cup and add more if needed. A little liquid goes a long way, and really you only want enough to help the blender process all the frozen ingredients. You can judge it by eye after your first spin; if it looks too thick, add a little more, but if you start with too much, then it becomes more of a drinkable smoothie that you would then drink from a straw rather than serve in a bowl with a spoon.
Prep in the morning and re-freeze the smoothie mix. Depending on your timeframe and dinner plans, it’s sometimes better to re-freeze the mix once blended together for a thicker and faster snack option. They are better to consume within 24hours of being made; however, they will last up to 3 months in the freezer.
How to serve:
This smoothie bowl can be enjoyed on its own as a little evening treat, but let’s not forget the joy of toppings
Personally, as I have mentioned before and displayed in these pictures, my fav toppings are roasted coconut flakes and some grated chocolate, but of course this is completely up to you why not try one of the following:
Chopped nuts, maybe walnuts or pistachio
Granola (great idea if you fancy a chilled breakfast!)
Fresh or dried fruit (sliced bananas, strawberries or even mango would definitely work well)
Melted chocolate (drizzled on top, im dribbling at the thought)
Seeds (a sprinkle of chia or hemp seeds)
If you do give any of these a go, then of course take a picture and tag me on socials! I would love to see how you serve yours!
All the ceramics you can see in the photos used here are Twinn Pottery pieces and available to buy in the shop. To display the ingredients, I used a little ring dish for the vanilla essence, a matcha pouring bowl for the almond milk, a Karma breakfast bowl for the coconut cubes and a snack bowl for the frozen banana slices.
To serve, I used 2 of my snack bowls, which are the perfect size to hold a NutriBullet’s worth of this smoothie.
Enjoy
Lots of love
Faye
x
