Chocolate Smoothie Bowl (Dairy-Free & Vegan)
This Chocolate Smoothie Bowl recipe is full of healthy ingredients and rich chocolate flavor. Serve it as a satisfying breakfast or snack at any time of year. Dairy-free and vegan.
Sometimes you just want the best of both worlds – a breakfast that’s healthy and, at the same time, indulgent.
This Chocolate Smoothie Bowl is packed with fruit, protein, and antioxidants, but tastes rich and chocolatey. It’s a delicious way to start the day.
A smoothie bowl is just a very thick smoothie that’s meant to be eaten out of a bowl with a spoon. You can top it with anything from nuts and granola to fresh fruits and cocoa nibs.
Chocolate Smoothie Bowl Benefits
- It’s ready in 10 minutes. If your mornings are super busy like mine, a smoothie bowl makes a quick and easy breakfast. See my list of the best quick and easy healthy breakfasts for kids.
- It’s healthy but tastes like dessert. This smoothie is refined-sugar free. It’s sweetened with bananas and mango while chia seeds and peanut butter add protein.
- This recipe is dairy-free & vegan. You won’t miss dairy in this smoothie because it’s so creamy without it.
Ingredients
Let me show you how I make this smoothie bowl recipe.
- Unsweetened plant milk helps break down all the frozen fruit and allows it to get thick and creamy. I used almond milk but you can use cashew, soy, or oat milk if you like. Just be sure it’s unsweetened to avoid added sugars.
- Frozen bananas thicken up the smoothie and add sweetness. Make sure your bananas are ripe before freezing. The starch in bananas convert to sugar as they ripen so a ripe banana is a sweet banana! See how to freeze bananas.
- Frozen mango chunks are also naturally very sweet. They’re an excellent source of magnesium and potassium which support healthy nerve function.
- Chia seeds pack a nutritional punch and I love to add them to smoothies and smoothie bowls. They contain protein, fiber, and they’re naturally gluten-free too.
- Peanut butter adds a rich and nutty taste that pairs so well with the cocoa powder plus it packs in even more protein. Feel free to use whatever nut or seed butter you like (almond butter would be excellent).
- Cocoa powder has no added sugar but gives this smoothie a rich chocolate flavor. Cocoa powder is packed with antioxidants that help prevent disease and cancer. You can also use raw cacao powder, if you prefer.
Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.
How to Make a Smoothie Bowl
Step One
In the base of a high speed blender combine the milk, frozen banana, frozen mango, chia seeds, nut butter, and cocoa powder.
Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.
Step Two
Turn the blender on high and use a tamper to push the fruit toward the blade.
You may need to stop the blender and scrape down the sides of the blender to make sure it all gets creamy.
Step Three
Once the mixture is thick and creamy, pour it into two serving bowls.
Step Four
Add any additional toppings and enjoy immediately!
See my article with suggestions for the best smoothie bowl toppings.
I hope you agree that this vegan smoothie bowl is perfect as a quick breakfast or a healthy dessert.
Recipe Tips
- Look for frozen mango chunks in the freezer section of your local grocery store.
- To freeze your bananas, let them get ripe and spotted. Break them or slice them into chunks and freeze flat on a baking sheet. Then, transfer the frozen banana chunks to a ziptop bag for storage or use them right away. See my guide on how to freeze bananas for smoothies.
- Feel free to get creative with your creamy smoothie bowl toppings! Some suggestions include: two tablespoons shredded coconut or coconut flakes, one tablespoon cacao nibs, two tablespoons granola, and/or half of a sliced ripe banana.
- You can cut this recipe in half to make one serving. Or, you can double it to make 4 servings.
- If you want to serve this smoothie bowl as a meal replacement, feel free to add 1-2 scoops of your favorite unsweetened protein powder to help increase the protein content. See my list of the best clean protein powders. Or, if you can tolerate soy, blend in a some soft or silken tofu to add more protein.
- If you want this to be a dessert smoothie bowl, feel free to add 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup. Top it with a tablespoon of dairy-free chocolate chips!
- To make a green smoothie bowl, feel free to add 1-3 handfuls of baby spinach or baby kale.
Recipe FAQs
The key to a thick smoothie bowl is frozen fruit and less liquid than a regular smoothie. The frozen fruit will naturally thicken the smoothie while the right amount of liquid will allow it to get thick and creamy without thinning it out too much.
You can really use any milk in this smoothie. I prefer unsweetened plant milk but you can also use regular dairy milk. Just don’t use juice as it won’t pair well with the chocolate and peanut butter combination.
Smoothie bowls are only as healthy as the ingredients you add to them. This chocolate smoothie bowl is healthy because it only contains whole foods and unsweetened, non-dairy milk.
Yes, but a high-speed blender with a tamper is ideal. The tamper can push the fruit into the blade without having to add more liquid. I use and recommend a Vitamix.
More Healthy Chocolate Smoothie Recipes You Might Like
- 1,000 Calorie Smoothie
- Avocado Chocolate Smoothie
- Kale Berry Chocolate Smoothie
- Strawberry Banana Chocolate Smoothie
- Chocolate Cherry Smoothie
Or, see my entire index of dairy-free smoothies.
Don’t Miss These Smoothie Resources!
Chocolate Smoothie Bowl (Dairy-Free & Vegan)
This Chocolate Smoothie Bowl recipe is full of healthy ingredients and rich chocolate flavor. Serve it as a satisfying breakfast or snack. Dairy-free and vegan.
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened plant milk (I used almond milk)
- 2 frozen bananas, broken into chunks
- 1 1/2 cups frozen mango chunks
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 2 tablespoons almond butter or peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder or cacao powder
- Optional toppings (see the notes for suggestions)
Instructions
- In the base of a high-speed blender like a Vitamix, combine your milk, frozen banana chunks, frozen mango, chia seeds, nut butter, and cocoa powder.
- Turn on high and use a tamper to push the frozen fruit into the blade of the blender. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides of the blender to ensure that everything gets smooth and creamy.
- Try not to add any extra liquid to the blender as it will cause your smoothie bowl to be less thick.
- Once the mixture is thick and creamy, divide it between two serving bowls.
- Add any additional toppings (see notes) and serve immediately.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
- Look for frozen mango chunks in the freezer section of your local grocery store.
- To freeze your bananas, let them get ripe and spotted. Break them or slice them into chunks and freeze flat on a baking sheet. Then, transfer the frozen banana chunks to a ziptop bag for storage or use them right away.
- Feel free to get creative with your smoothie bowl toppings! Some suggestions include: two tablespoons shredded coconut, one tablespoon cacao nibs, two tablespoons granola, half of a sliced ripe banana.
- You can cut this recipe in half to make one serving. Or, you can double it to make 4 servings.
- If you want to serve this smoothie bowl as a meal replacement, feel free to add 1-2 scoops of your favorite unsweetened protein powder to help increase the protein content.
- Smoothie bowls are best served right after they are made. Otherwise, they tend to melt and become more of a traditional smoothie texture.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Diet: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 332
- Sugar: 28.5 g
- Sodium: 97.4 mg
- Fat: 13.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 53.2 g
- Fiber: 10.7 g
- Protein: 8.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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About the Author: Carrie Forrest has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition. She is a top wellness and food blogger with nearly 10 million annual visitors to her site. Carrie has an incredible story of recovery from chronic illness and is passionate about helping other women transform their health. Send Carrie a message through her contact form.
I love this recipe so much!