Thick berry smoothie bowl

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.

Jump to:

• Equipment
• Ingredients
• Frequently asked questions
• Thick berry smoothie bowl
• Make it with me!

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!

Ingredients

Now that we have our blenders sorted, let's talk ingredients. 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.

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.

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.

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 plain plant 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.

Toppings: fresh fruit and peanut butter are my go-tos. Coconut flakes, nuts and granola are also great.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make an extra thick smoothie bowl? Making an extra thick smoothie bowl requires two things: the right ingredients and patience.

1. Frozen fruit and a ripe avocado make a wonderfully thick smoothie when blended properly. This thick berry smoothie bowl uses, you guessed it, frozen berries!
2. When blending, start on low speed while the frozen fruit breaks apart. Watch the sides of the blender: while the smoothie is moving, you're in good shape. If you hear the blender's motor change pitch suddenly, then you may need to stop and scrape down the sides, then start over again from low speed, working your way up. If you're using a one-speed blender, you might need to stop more often, or add a little more liquid to keep things moving.

Which blender is best for making thick smoothies? If you have the cash, I recommend a Vitamix commercial-grade blender. See suggested models above. If you're on a budget, a Nutribullet works too.

How do I make a thick smoothie bowl without banana? Frozen bananas are certainly not required to make an extra thick smoothie bowl. Use avocado to thicken your smoothie, and frozen berries instead of ice. You could also use another creamy fruit like mango or peach to thicken as well - just make sure it's frozen!

Will I taste the avocado in this smoothie? Nope! As long as it's ripe, it'll completely blend into the flavors of the frozen fruit and peanut butter.

Which ingredients make a thick smoothie? Half of a ripe avocado is our secret weapon. Combined with frozen fruit, it makes an incredibly thick and creamy smoothie. Some recipes call for frozen banana which works, but adds banana flavor and sweetness, which sometimes isn't needed. Nut butters also contribute to a thicker smoothie bowl.

How do I keep my blender from getting "stuck?" There are two kinds of "stuck:"

1. If something is physically blocking the blades from continuing to spin, your blender may trip your breaker. If this happens, unplug the blender, turn the breaker back on, and then carefully press the safety buttons on your outlet to reactivate. Then stir up your smoothie so the obstruction moves, and try again. If the obstruction is large (e.g. more than 1 or 2 frozen strawberries stuck together), you may need to physically break apart the mass so it doesn't damage your blender and outlet.
2. If you hear the blender speed up suddenly, then you need to stop, give it a little stir, and start again from the lowest speed while the liquid gets moving again. When you see good movement, you can slowly increase the speed.

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Make it with me!