Thick berry smoothie bowl (2024)

After a couple years of trial and error, I'm sharing my best-ever thick berry smoothie bowl. If you've ever wondered how juice shops make extra thick smoothies, I've got your back. From blender speed to ingredients, you'll never pay $10 for a smoothie bowl again.

Not into berry smoothies? I've got your back. Check out this strawberry mango beauty, or this green spirulina smoothie shake.

Ingredients

Let's talk ingredients.

Frozen berries: We can't make a thick berry smoothie bowl without berries! Note that raspberries and blackberries have little seeds that don't fully blend, and blueberry skins may get stuck on your teeth - be warned! A mix of strawberries and blueberries works best for me, but use what you can find. It is very important to buy frozen berries - to maximize flavor and thickness, we don't add any ice to our smoothie.

Mango: this creamy fruit is perfect for making an extra thick smoothie bowl. In a pinch, substitute with a peach, or leave it out.

Avocado: This is our secret ingredient. You'll need half of a perfectly ripe avocado. You won't be able to taste it, but you can feel the difference in the finished smoothie bowl. Hello healthy fats!

Peanut butter: I like peanut butter in my smoothie bowl for thickness, protein and flavor. My nickname for this bowl is the "PB&J." You can also add a scoop of peanut butter on top if you like, or sub with a nut or seed butter of choice.

Unsweetened non-dairy milk: Coconut milk and oat milk are my favorites, but almond milk works too. Try to keep it as plain as possible so the berries and peanut butter can shine unobstructed from added sugar and artificial vanilla flavor. In a pinch you can use water, or even orange juice if you like your smoothie extra sweet.

Healthy toppings: fresh berries or fresh fruit and peanut butter are my go-tos. Banana slices, coconut flakes, nuts, granola, cacao nibs, almond butter, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds and chia seeds are also great. A little bit goes a long way...

Plant-based protein powder of choice: optional! I recommend something plain, vanilla, or berry flavored.

Instructions

There are two keys to this smoothie.

First, we need to load our blender properly. We want our biggest pieces of frozen fruit closest to the blades. For a traditional blender, our strawberries will go first. If we're working with a Nutribullet or a blender with screw-on blades, we'll load our frozen strawberries last. Got it? Good.

For a thicker smoothie, cover ½ to ¾ of the fruit with plant milk of choice. For a thinner sippable smoothie, nearly cover the fruit with liquid.

Second, let's talk about blender speed. Start the blender on low speed and watch for movement in the blender. Once the big chunks have blended, slowly increase speed. Wait to add more speed until you see good movement in the blender.

If you have a one speed blender, you may need to stop frequently to stir around. If you have a high-speed blender, you may have an "agitator" or stick you can use to stir while blending. This is particularly useful when making an extra thick smoothie.

Scoop into bowl, add your favorite toppings and enjoy this healthy breakfast! It's a great way to start the day.

Substitutions & Variations

This berry smoothie bowl is naturally vegan, dairy free, gluten free and refined-sugar free.

If you have a peanut allergy, sub with your favorite nut butter of choice.

If you don't have a ripe avocado, try mango or another creamy fruit. Bonus points if it's frozen! We love natural sugars around here...

No plant milk? Water will work in a pinch, bonus points if you have coconut yogurt to add for extra thickness.

Looking for some smoothie variations? This strawberry mango smoothie follows the same formula, but with slightly different flavors.

Want more protein? This chocolate peanut butter smoothie has you covered.

For a dessert smoothie, check out this acai bowl or spirulina shake.

Equipment

There is one piece of equipment needed to make an extra thick smoothie bowl: a blender. Ideally we need a blender that has multiple speeds and a little stick called an "agitator," but can get away with more budget friendly options.

Budget: the Nutribullet was my blender of choice thru college and my first couple years postgrad. These blenders typically have one speed, but it can still make a thick smoothie with some patience. You may need to stop and start a few times to keep the ingredients moving, or add more liquid. It's a fine balance that gets easier with practice.

Mid-range: Honestly, I would skip this step. Work with your budget option and upgrade to a Vitamix when you can. I hate putting good money after bad, and I just haven't found a blender in this category that I'm in love with. You will not regret it, especially if you make lots of smoothies.

Top-of-the-line: In this category, we're typically looking at commercial grade blenders with multiple speeds. An agitator, or that fat little stick smoothie shops use to stir, are usually included. and agitators included.

In my opinion, the Vitamix is the holy grail of blenders. I splurged on my first commercial grade machine a couple years ago and use it nearly every day for smoothies and cooking. I have this one, and my parents have this one. Both are great quality.

Look out for coupons and sales. I purchased mine from Williams Somona when they had one of their "spend more, save more" sales. I also had a gift card in my back pocket. Do what you have to do!

Note: for smoothies, I recommend a blender as described above. A food processor or immersion blender won't cut it for this smoothie recipe.

Storage

While this smoothie is best fresh, you can store in an insulated mug in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Do not freeze smoothie, otherwise it'll be too hard to eat. By the time it melts, it won't be as tasty.

Frequently asked questions

Top Tip

Start blending on low, and work your way up slowly for an extra thick, decadent smoothie.

Print

Safety

• Never reach into blender, especially when plugged in. Blades are very sharp!
• Always use a lid with a blender
• To clean blender, use a cleaning brush to scrub off any residues, then blend for 1 minute on medium speed with water, 1 Tbsp baking soda and ¼ cup vinegar. Rinse well.