Chocolate Protein Smoothie Bowl

I could eat a chocolate smoothie bowl for breakfast almost every day.  Now that I think of it… I pretty much do. There are so many flavor options, it’s hard to choose, but chocolate is my favorite.

My smoothie bowl has to be thick and covered with all my favorite toppings.

Here’s a great tip:

Stir in frozen berries to my smoothie bowl immediately after all the ingredients are blended. The frozen berries help keep the smoothie bowl from melting too fast.

Then I add another handful of frozen berries on top along with chopped walnuts, unsweetened coconut, mini semi-sweet allergy-friendly chocolate chips, dried blueberries or dried cherries (love that chew), chia seeds, hemp seeds, and more.

This may have been breakfast, but it sure felt like dessert!

I like to start my day with some cardio… after breakfast, of course. This smoothie bowl completely energizes me. Many times, I don’t even need a snack before lunch.

If I do get hungry, I just grab one of my healthy cookies or a Chocolate Chip Energy Ball to hold me over until lunch, especially if lunch ends up being a little later than planned. My favorite is Blueberry Oat & Chocolate Chip Healthy Cookies.

I wasn’t kidding when I said I like my smoothie bowls as thick as possible, so I prefer to add very little liquid. You can always add a little more liquid or frozen bananas or other frozen fruit, for that matter; experiment and see what you like best.  You will need a heavy-duty blender to make smoothie bowls. The frozen fruit can be challenging for the motor.

Be sure to read the directions for the blender you are using; they should include suggestions for the order in which to add the ingredients. For example, you would add liquids before frozen ingredients.

This recipe makes a nice serving for my breakfast. For a larger portion, you would double everything except for the ice cube. Add one tablespoon of liquid at a time if a thinner smoothie bowl is preferred.

Chocolate Protein Smoothie Bowl:
1 scoop chocolate protein powder ~ I use Orgain Organic
1/4 cup cold water or non-dairy milk substitute
1 ice cube
1 lg  frozen banana or 1  1/2 small bananas
1 pitted date ~ cut date into pieces
1/4 cup old fashioned oats

Toppings:
Use any or all:
~ Frozen berries or other frozen fruit cut into chunks
~ Unsweetened coconut flakes
~ Chopped nuts ~ I prefer walnuts
~ Dried cherries, blueberries, or goji berries
~ Chocolate chips ~ mini or regular I use Enjoy Life Dairy-Free Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips
~ Peanut butter or other nut butter drizzled over the top
~ Chia seeds
~ Hemp seeds
~ Cacao nibs

In the blender container, add ingredients in the order listed. Blend until smooth and creamy. This may take several minutes. I stop and stir a few times during the processing.
Follow the directions on your blending machine for the best results and to ensure your machine’s safety.

Empty the smoothie mixture into a bowl.
Next, I add frozen blueberries. Frozen berries will help keep the smoothie frozen longer. Sometimes I add the frozen berries or cherries in the blender with everything else, especially if I use vanilla protein powder instead of chocolate.

Sprinkle your toppings overall and enjoy!