Thick Raspberry Smoothie Bowl

This thick raspberry smoothie bowl is bursting with sweet, juicy raspberry flavour and has 25 grams of protein! It’s ultra thick and made with simple healthy ingredients. Easy to make in just 5 minutes! Vegan, gluten free, nut free and soy free.

Why You’ll Love This Smoothie Bowl

• Super thick
• High in protein
• Antioxidant-rich

This thick raspberry smoothie bowl is the ultimate healthy breakfast! It’s actually thick, making it perfect for scooping up with a spoon and adding your favourite toppings. The flavour is sweet vanilla raspberry, with subtle tropical hints. This smoothie bowl has 25 grams of plant protein which also makes it great as a post-workout high protein snack!

Pitaya powder is an optional ingredient in this thick raspberry smoothie bowl, but highly recommended. Pitaya powder is made from finely ground freeze dried red dragon fruit. It adds a subtle tropical taste to this recipe and creates the perfect shade of pink. If you don’t have any pitaya powder don’t worry—this smoothie bowl is also perfectly delicious without it!

Raspberries for Health

Banana and raspberries are the fruits that create the thick texture of this smoothie bowl. Raspberries are one of the healthiest fruits to make smoothies with as they have a high nutrient profile for relatively low calories. Frozen raspberries will give you the same health benefits as fresh raspberries.

Raspberries provide vitamins A, B6, C, K, thiamine, riboflavin, calcium and zinc! This makes eating raspberries great for bone strength, cognitive health, your heart and even eyes. These red berries boost immunity and encourage wound healing.

One of the most powerful benefits of raspberries is the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect they provide. Raspberries can help prevent certain cancers thanks to ellagic acid and phytonutrients. Reducing inflammation in the body can improve a wide range of pains and chronic diseases. Blood sugar levels are also shown to be more balanced when consuming raspberries.

Ingredients Needed

These are the ingredients you will need to make this thick raspberry smoothie bowl.

Frozen raspberries: The star ingredient! Creates the thick base of the smoothie bowl.

Frozen banana: Adds creaminess and natural sweetness to the base of the smoothie bowl.

Pitaya powder: Optional (but recommended) ingredient! Freeze dried pink pitaya powder makes the smoothie bowl a beautiful shade of pink. It also adds a subtle tropical flavour.

Protein powder: Vanilla vegan protein powder is used in this recipe. Raspberry, strawberry and plain protein powders will also work well! Use whichever is your favourite. The protein powder can be sweetened or unsweetened.

Agave syrup: Adds sweetness to balance any tartness in the raspberries.

Coconut milk: The liquid that brings all of the other ingredients together to blend smoothly and adds a creamy consistency. Use the type of coconut milk that comes in a carton. The coconut milk in cans tends to be too thick.

For ingredient amounts and instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Smoothie Bowl Benefits

High fibre

Easily get more fibre in your every day diet! In addition to being generally healthy, getting enough fibre can be extremely helpful for weight loss as it helps keep you feeling full for longer, without adding calories. Fibre also helps improve our gut health.

Nutrient dense

Vegan smoothie bowls are a great way to get more nutrient rich foods in each day. By blending them into a single meal, it’s super quick, easy and fun! Choose ingredients like dark leafy greens, berries, nuts, seeds and fruits to make your smoothie bowls nutrient rich.

Quick and easy

It’s incredibly fast to make a yummy smoothie bowl. Gather your ingredients and toss them in the blending container, blend, and you’re already done! Rinse the blender container. It doesn’t get much more simple than that. Smoothie bowls rarely take more than 5 minutes to make. This makes them a great option if you find yourself short on time for a healthy meal.

Topping Ideas

Fresh raspberries are probably the perfect topping for this smoothie bowl, but there are tons of options ranging from super healthy to more indulgent! Here are some yummy ideas:

• Fresh raspberries
• Freeze dried raspberries
• Vegan white chocolate chips
• Dark chocolate shavings
• Strawberry slices
• Mango chunks
• Star fruit slices
• Blueberries
• Pink pitaya chunks
• Granola
• White chia seeds
• Toasted coconut chips
• Almond butter
• Raw cacao nibs

Variations

Make it without banana

If you don’t like banana it can be replaced with frozen mango chunks or even frozen pineapple chunks. Both of these tropical fruits blend perfectly with raspberries! This smoothie bowl can also be made using just frozen raspberries as the base fruit. The result will be a bit less creamy and slightly more icy.

Coconut milk alternatives

This recipe uses coconut milk but you can try using any plant based milk you prefer. Some alternatives include soy, almond, hemp or cashew! You can also make your own plant milk from scratch in a blender. The key is to avoid using just water to blend. We want to use something more creamy, it makes the smoothie bowl thicker in texture.

Make it sweeter

For an extra sweet raspberry smoothie bowl add an extra spoonful of agave syrup. Date syrup also works well. Alternatively, you can add 1-2 medjool dates for sweetness. Make sure the pits have been removed before adding them to the blender! Avoid adding yogurt for sweetness as it will ruin the thick consistency.

Instructions 

• Add all ingredients to blender.

• Start blending at low speed for 5-10 seconds. Increase to high speed and blend for 1-2 minutes. Use the blender tamper to push ingredients down towards the blades.

• Scoop into a bowl and add desired toppings. Serve your thick raspberry smoothie bowl immediately!

Prep & Blending

Add ingredients in the correct order

Always add liquid ingredients to your blender first. Then add powders, nut butters, nuts and seeds. Then add fresh greens and fresh fruit. Finally add your solid ingredients like frozen fruit. If using a small blender container with a twist on lid, reverse the order so that when you turn the container over to blend the frozen ingredients are farthest away from the blades.

Use a tamper

Push ingredients down towards the blades while blending using the tamper that comes with your blender. This helps to avoid thick smoothie bowls from getting stuck, so you don’t have to stop blending and scrape down the sides of the container.

Avoid over blending

Try to blend your smoothie bowl for less than a couple of minutes. If blended for too long, even thick smoothie bowls will become thin. This is because the heat generated by the blades and motor of the blender heat up your ingredients while they are being blended.

Use a high power blender

For smoothie bowls that have a perfectly smooth and creamy texture use a high powered blender such as a Vitamix. A Vitamix can break down any ingredients to much finer particles than standard blenders, and more nutrients are released. A high speed blender also reduces the time you need to blend your recipe, which helps keep it nice and cold.

Chill your bowl

By placing your bowl in the freezer for a few moments you can help your smoothie bowl stay cool for longer. This way it won’t start melting instantly while you are eating it. This is especially helpful if you’re in a hot climate. Pop it into the freezer while you are prepping and blending, then take it out when it’s time to pour your finished smoothie bowl!

How to Freeze Bananas for Smoothies

There are different ways to freeze bananas for making smoothies and smoothie bowls. This method is the simplest way to freeze plenty of ripe bananas for smoothies at one time.

1. Peel your fully ripe bananas.
2. Break each banana into two or three pieces.
3. Freeze the banana pieces overnight in a reusable freezer bag.

FAQ’s

Can I use fresh bananas instead of frozen?

Because the goal is a super thick smoothie bowl it’s important to use all frozen fruit when blending. Fresh bananas or raspberries break down much faster in the blender and make a warm, thin smoothie you can drink with a straw. Freeze bananas completely (overnight) before blending for a thick result!

Can I lose weight with smoothie bowls?

Smoothie bowls are an excellent weight loss food! This is because they are generally healthier and higher in fibre and nutrients. Due to high water content, the large volume of a smoothie bowl helps your stomach to feel satiated. And the fibre keeps you feeling full for longer, without feeling weighed down or tired.

Can smoothie bowls be refrigerated?

Smoothie bowls are best enjoyed immediately after blending, while they are freshest. However you can refrigerate most smoothie bowls for 1-2 days in an airtight container such as a jar. Be aware the consistency will not be thick, but you will have a drinkable smoothie to enjoy later.

Can I make smoothie bowls without a high speed blender?

Yes, you can still make smoothie bowls with a regular blender. It might take more patience depending on the recipe. Turn off the blender to scrape down the sides of the container, and secure the lid before continuing to blend. Repeat as needed. Alternatively you can add a small amount of additional liquid to the recipe, which should help.

How can I increase the protein?

If you wish for your thick raspberry smoothie bowl to have a higher protein content simply add one extra scoop of protein powder to the blender. Avoid adding more protein powder than this as the texture and flavour may become unpleasant. Instead, add in other high protein ingredients like hemp seeds or almond butter. Avoid adding yogurt in this smoothie bowl as it will make the consistency less thick.

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