A recipe for a Coconut Smoothie Bowl! This thick coconut banana smoothie is served in a halved coconut shell and topped with strawberries, chocolate, coconut flakes, and almonds for a fun and delicious breakfast.
Smoothie bowls have been a food trend for a while now. They have a thicker base compared to the traditional drinkable smoothie and are served in a bowl with a variety of often colorful and decorative toppings. Like many trends, I am jumping on the bandwagon a little late with this Coconut Smoothie Bowl.
For the coconut smoothie base, I blended together Greek yogurt, coconut milk, a frozen banana, vanilla, and ice until smooth. I topped the bowl with honey, toasted coconut flakes, almonds, strawberries, and dark chocolate. Granola or chia seeds would also be delicious.
I served the coconut smoothie bowls in halved coconuts for added presentation. In the past, I had no idea how I was supposed to open a coconut and may or may not have resorted to placing one in a tied bag before banging it against my concrete driveway.
I have since learned to look up videos and found a much more efficient, safe way to open the coconut with the added benefit of not putting on a show in front of my neighbors. All you need is a hammer or the blunt side of a knife to hit along the seam around the coconut to crack it open.
I also used a screwdriver to poke holes in the eyes of the coconut to drain out the water first. This step isn’t required, but make sure you have a large bowl under the coconut to catch the water if you skip it. Here are some step by step instructions by The Spruce Eats.
Play around with the ratios of the base ingredients to get a consistency that works for you. You want it thick enough to easily eat with a spoon. If the smoothie is too thin, blend in some more Greek yogurt. If it is too thick, add some more coconut milk.
Have all the toppings toasted (I used a skillet- be careful, they burn quickly/oven also works), sliced, and prepped before blending together the smoothie. Chill your serving bowls ahead of time to keep the smoothie nice and frosty.
Looking for more recipes featuring coconut?
Try my
- Coconut Margarita
- Paletas de Aguacate y Coco (Mexican Avocado and Coconut Popsicles)
- Coconut Lime Baked Donuts
Coconut Smoothie Bowl Recipe
Adapted from With Salt and Wit
Coconut Smoothie Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup coconut milk
- 1 large banana frozen, slightly overripe is best
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup ice
Optional Toppings:
- Honey or maple syrup for drizzling
- Toasted coconut flakes
- Toasted, sliced almonds
- Sliced strawberries
- Chopped dark chocolate
- Granola
Instructions
- In a large blender, combine the Greek yogurt, coconut milk, banana, vanilla extract, and ice. Blend until smooth. If too watery, add a little more Greek yogurt. If too thick, add a little more coconut milk.
- Pour into serving dishes or halved coconuts. Drizzle with desired amount of honey or maple syrup.
- Sprinkle with any of the following toppings: coconut flakes, almonds, strawberries, dark chocolate, and granola. Serve immediately.
Lauren @ Sew You Think You Can Cook
I haven’t decided how I feel about the smoothie bowl idea. Texturally I feel like I would be confused. How was it?
Thalia @ butter and brioche
love smoothie bowls and i adore your presentation of this!
Roz | La Bella Vita Cucina
The smoothie bowl is new to me. Thanks for sharing this unique idea, Tara.
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy
I love that you have served it in the coconut. It looks like something you would get in the Caribbean.
Sarah
These look amazingly delicious. I am a big fan of coconut so am keen to try these!
Susan
I have started enjoying smoothie bowls and this one sounds perfect.
WK
Hi,
Want to try your recipe – when you say 3/4 cup coconut milk, do you mean canned or from a carton? Thank you
Tara
Hi! I used canned coconut milk.
Andrea
I really want to like this recipe because I want to replace going to my local smoothie bar and spending ridiculous amounts of money every time I want one. I will say, the taste is great. I topped mine with sliced strawberries, sliced bananas, granola and a little bit of honey. The texture was basically like a milkshake, even thinner. Even after popping this in the freezer for about half an hour, it was still about the consistency of cereal milk. And yes, I followed the recipe exactly as written. I had to eat it because I spent all the money to get the ingredients but major adjustments are definitely necessary. Any suggestions???
Tara
Hi Andrea! Did you use coconut milk from the can or the carton?
Andrea
From a can
Tara
Thanks for letting me know! Could have been a difference in the amount of cream between brands. It has been a couple of years since I have made this recipe, so I will add it to the top of the list to test again. In the meantime, if too thin, add another frozen banana, handful more ice (be careful with this though because it will melt with time and become thin again), or a couple dollops of coconut yogurt.