Vanilla Smoothie Bowl

Start your day with a delicious, healthy vanilla smoothie bowl! Learn how to make this simple recipe in just minutes. Get all the flavor but skip the guilt—make this vanilla smoothie bowl recipe for the win! Try it today and make your mornings better.

A closeup of a vanilla smoothie bowl with fresh fruit and pumpkin seeds on top. There's another bowl in the background.

I love enjoying a creamy, delicious smoothie bowl bursting with fresh vanilla flavor. I was inspired by this purple smoothie bowl and decided to make it vanilla!

The good news? You can customize the ingredients to blend up your bowl in just a few minutes for a guaranteed nutritious treat!

This smoothie is like eating a bowl of ice cream…but it’s healthy!

Key Ingredients

You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.

  • Banana — We’ll add one cup of chopped frozen bananas to the smoothie.
  • Cauliflower — This may be a unique addition to a smoothie, but frozen cauliflower has a neutral flavor, making it a good option to add to smoothies. The trick is to keep it frozen!
  • Protein powder — We’ll add vanilla flavor thanks to vanilla protein powder.
  • Yogurt — Let’s make it creamy by adding plant-based plain yogurt.
  • Almond milk — We’ll be using unsweetened almond milk.
  • Ice — I like adding crushed ice to the smoothie to make it light and fluffy.

Will the banana take away from the smoothie bowl vanilla flavor? It definitely has an impact. You can adjust the quantity of bananas used if you prefer less banana flavor.

Vanilla Boost: Increase the amount of vanilla protein powder to give your smoothie a bigger vanilla boost. Another option is to add a few drops of vanilla extract for more vanilla flavor!

Two bowls of vanilla smoothie has berries and seeds on top. There's a bowl of pumpkin seeds in the background.

How to Make Vanilla Smoothie Bowl

  1. Add the frozen ingredients (banana and cauliflower), protein powder, yogurt, and almond milk to a blender.  
  2. Blend on low until mostly broken down, then gradually increase the blending speed until it’s smooth.
  3. Add ice and blend again, beginning on low and gradually increasing speed.
  4. Test the consistency and flavor and make adaptations as needed.
  5. Pour the smoothie into a bowl and top with your favorite toppings, such as sliced almonds and fresh berries.

Frequently-Asked Questions

Are smoothie bowls healthy?

Smoothie bowls are as healthy as the ingredients you add to them. So, adding lots of plant-based ingredients will deliver a deliciously healthy smoothie bowl. Using too much sugar and processed ingredients can add unnecessary calories that are not balanced with fiber and other nutrients.

How long do you blend a smoothie bowl?

You should blend a smoothie bowl in short bursts at first to break down frozen ingredients slowly. This makes it easier on your blender. Then, as the ingredients become broken down, you can gradually increase the speed to achieve a super smooth smoothie!

Flavor Combinations

If you love vanilla smoothies and you want to mix up the flavors (and colors), here are some favorites to try:

  • Strawberry Vanilla Smoothie Bowl — Add 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries to the blender along with the bananas and cauliflower.
  • Vanilla Blue Sky Smoothie Bowl Recipe — I’ve discussed blue pea powder in my blue chia pudding recipe. You can add some blue pea powder to this smoothie to make it a gorgeous blue sky color!
  • Vanilla Protein Smoothie Bowl — Add a tablespoon (or two) of vanilla protein powder to increase the protein content of your beverage!
  • Coconut Vanilla Smoothie Bowl — Substitute coconut milk for almond milk to add coconut flavor and creamy fat!
  • Smoothie Toppings — You can change the flavor by simply changing the toppings. Add drizzles of peanut butter! Or how about some tigernut butter for a real change of pace? Add chopped nuts and seeds. How about some dairy-free chocolate magic shell for chocolate flavor?

How to Store Vanilla Smoothie Bowls

Smoothies are best when served fresh. However, you can store them short-term in the fridge. To store your smoothie in the fridge, cover it first. It should keep up to 2 days. Transfer the smoothie to a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to 2 months. Let it sit at room temperature to thaw. For the best texture, blend it again.

Looking down on two vanilla smoothie bowls with fresh berries and pumpkin seeds on top. There are more toppings between the bowls.

Smoothie Recipes

If you love this vanilla smoothie bowl recipe, here are more favorites to try:

A closeup of vanilla smoothie bowl shows blackberries and blueberries on top along with pumpkin seeds.

Vanilla Protein Smoothie Bowl

This comforting vanilla protein smoothie bowl is a tasty treat you can serve any time of the day, including breakfast. Frozen bananas make it creamy, protein powder makes it filling. The toppings keep you coming back for more!
5 from 1 vote
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 179kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup frozen bananas , chopped
  • 1 cup frozen cauliflower
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla protein powder
  • ½ cup vegan plain yogurt
  • ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 cup ice (crushed ice works best)
  • Toppings: sliced almonds, chocolate chips, pumpkin seeds, coconut flakes, fresh berries, drizzles of peanut butter or cashew butter.

Instructions

  • Add the frozen banana, frozen cauliflower, protein powder, yogurt, and almond milk to a blender.  
    Looking down on ingredients like cauliflower and bananas in a blender jar.
  • Blend the ingredients on low until mostly broken down. Scrape down the sides of the blender jar. Then gradually increase blending speed until it's smooth. Add ice and blend again, beginning on low and gradually increasing speed.
    A hand holds a blender jar with freshly blended vanilla protein smoothie inside.
  • Test your smoothie. Start with the consistency. If it's too thick, add a little more milk. If it's too thin, add some ice and pulse again. Then test the flavor. If you need it to be sweeter, add sweeteners like stevia, agave nectar, or maple syrup. For more vanilla flavor add a bit more protein powder or 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
  • Pour the smoothie into a bowl and top with your favorite toppings. Some options include sliced almonds, sliced bananas, coconut flakes, and fresh berries.

Recommended Equipment

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Notes

Cauliflower

You may wonder if cauliflower adds flavor to this smoothie, but because it’s frozen, it doesn’t. However, the banana does add flavor. You can change the quantities to reduce the amount of banana flavor: 1 1/2 cups of frozen cauliflower with 1/2 cup of frozen bananas works, too.
Calories: 179kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 146mg | Potassium: 475mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 48IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 240mg | Iron: 0.4mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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