Tropical Smoothie Bowl
By Ramona Cruz-Peters of Fab Everyday
Happy New Year! It’s the time of year for new beginnings, setting goals for the year, and making positive changes in our lives. One of my resolutions this year is to eat more fresh, whole foods as a healthier lifestyle choice. Another new resolution this year is to make more environmentally-conscious decisions to do my part for the planet. Today I’m sharing a recipe that helps with both of those goals: a Vegan Tropical Smoothie Bowl! Since plant-based meals have a much lower environmental impact, this smoothie bowl is not only delicious, but also good for both you and the planet.
This recipe uses coconut milk as its base. I love using coconut milk in recipes since it is one of the most sustainable of the non-dairy milk alternatives. The bonus is that it has a natural creaminess (be sure to shake the can before pouring it) and a delightful, light tropical taste.
Another reason this recipe is so fab is that it is super quick and easy to prepare. You add coconut milk, frozen bananas, pineapple, and mango, and coconut flakes to a blender, and you’re just about done!
One of the keys to this recipe’s success is using frozen fruit. This allows you to blend it without adding extra ice that could water the smoothie bowl down. You can also easily prep several servings’ worth by storing your frozen fruit together in portions in your freezer and pulling each out when needed.
Blend the frozen fruit with the coconut milk and coconut flakes until creamy.
Then, distribute the smoothie into two bowls, and top with additional unfrozen sliced banana, chopped pineapple, chopped mango, toasted coconut flakes, and lime zest.
The toasted coconut flakes add a great texture to the finished smoothie bowl.
The lime zest is optional, but I think it adds more of a tropical kick, so I recommend it if you’ve got limes.
Tropical Smoothie Bowl
Serves 2 | Prep time: 5 minutes; Cook time: 5 minutes; Total time: 10 minutes
vegan, nut-free, dairy-free
Ingredients:
¾ cups coconut milk
3 bananas, frozen
1 ½ cups chopped pineapple, frozen
1 ½ cups chopped mango, frozen
1 tablespoon coconut flakes
For topping: Sliced banana, chopped pineapple, chopped mango, toasted coconut flakes, lime zest
Instructions:
Add coconut milk, frozen bananas, pineapple, and mango, and coconut flakes to a blender. Blend until creamy.
Distribute the smoothie into two bowls, and top with additional sliced banana, chopped pineapple, chopped mango, toasted coconut flakes, and lime zest.
