Recipe Short: Chocolate Berry Smoothie Bowl

There is no way this can be healthy. 

That’s what I think every time I take a big, rounded, creamy spoonful of a bright berry smoothie bowl on a muggy summer morning.

This is the kind of recipe I point to when someone complains that healthy meals taste like diet food; this tastes like the Very Berry Chocolate Sundaes from Costco that I grew up on (if you know, you know).

Deep violet, organic blueberries (they taste better) combined with sweet, probably too-ripe bananas and a hint of chocolate create a breakfast (dessert) that I’ve returned to over and over. 

The cocoa powder (either from your favorite chocolate protein or actual cocoa) gives all that sweetness a subtle, bitter backbone, making the fruity flavors stand up just a bit taller. 

A hint of salt, which is missing from nearly all smoothie recipes I see, encourages the disparate ingredients to meld into a more perfect version of themselves. 

The Greek yogurt adds tanginess that is also important for flavor balance; you can use almond or coconut yogurt if you’re vegan or lactose-intolerant.

A crunchy topping is encouraged, a creamy dollop of nut butter is non-negotiable. Add unsweetened coconut flakes, extra slices of banana or cocoa nibs. Turn breakfast into your own healthy ice cream party. 

Let’s Make a Chocolate Berry Smoothie Bowl

Add ½ cup of almond milk or water to your blender. You might need more later, but better to start out with less. Follow that up with ½ cup frozen blueberries, ½ of a frozen banana, 1 tablespoon of Greek yogurt, a tablespoon of flaxseed if you have it, and 1 tablespoon of chocolate protein powder or ½ tablespoon of cocoa powder. Add 2 cranks from your sea salt grinder (about ⅛ teaspoon) and blend for 30 seconds. 

Scrape down the sides and assess your liquid needs. If your blender is high-powered, you might not need more liquid. If your blender is 10 years old (who are you looking at?), add ¼ cup or so more liquid until you can blend relatively easy but not so easy that it turns to soup. If that happens, ditch the bowl and grab a straw- it’ll still be delicious.

Blend for 1-2 minutes total, until the smoothie is creamy and spoonable. Transfer to a bowl, add your toppings and marvel at how delicious life can be. 

And yes, it can also be healthy.