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If you love the taste of coconut, almond and chocolate together, then this Coconut Joy Vegan Smoothie Bowl will hit the spot! It’s made with 100% plant-based ingredients to fuel your body and give it the nutrients it needs to keep going strong.
Smoothie bowls are simply just thick smoothies in a bowl. But they are fun to eat because you can top them with just about anything your heart desires. Sliced bananas, crunchy toasted coconut, almonds, and cacao nibs top this vegan smoothie bowl. So much deliciousness in every bite!
Vegan Smoothie Bowl Ingredients
I wanted this smoothie bowl to taste chocolate, coconut and just yummy, so this is what I blended together:
- Spinach: I know this might be an odd way to start something I call a dessert, yet trust me. You’ll have a hard time tasting this leafy green in all the delightful goodness.
- Coconut Milk: I use canned coconut milk for the ultimate creamy smoothie bowl.
- Banana: Natural sweetness, creaminess, and some good potassium.
- Almond Butter: I love the nuttiness almond butter gives and how it balances out the sweetness of the banana.
- Cacao Powder: The perfect chocolate addition. Make sure yours is unsweetened.
- Maple Syrup: This is the perfect natural sweetener in smoothies, baked goods and more.
Vegan Toppings
I love the candy bar vibes this smoothie bowl recipe gives. To lean into that flavor, I add sliced bananas (for just a bit of sweetness), almond slices, coconut flakes and cacao nibs (taste like chocolate chips!). These toppings provide a bit of crunch and even more fun flavor to this vegan smoothie bowl.
Feel free to swirl in almond butter, add a dash of maple syrup or use your favorite granola in this fun recipe.
Ingredient Swaps
Keep this vegan smoothie bowl tasty with some easy swaps. Feel free to use sunflower butter in place of almond butter for a nut-free bowl. Use cashew milk or oat milk in place of coconut milk (start with just 1/4 cup as these choices will be less thick).
100% cocoa powder is a great swap if cacao is hard to find. Use 1/2 an avocado to keep the creaminess but cut down on the natural sugar from the banana.
How to Make a Vegan Smoothie Bowl
Blending a smoothie bowl isn’t much different from a regular smoothie, yet it is definitely thicker and takes a bit of patience.
- Start by blending the spinach and coconut milk until there are no visible leafy chunks. Smooth is key!
- Then add the remaining ingredients and blend again. Since this is meant to be thick, the blender blades may stop blending at some point. Use a tamper (if you’ve got a high-powered blender) to keep the mixture moving until the blades take over again.
- Stop the blender and scrape down the sides if needed until everything is completely smooth. Pour into the bowl of your choice and go wild with toppings!
Looking for more plant-based desserts? Check out my Plant-Based Dessert Guide, with 40+ recipes that are incredibly delicious and powered by plants.
Vegan Smoothie Bowl FAQs
Yes! Use whole food, plant-based ingredients. Add leafy greens to help your body break down the natural sugars in fruit. Add plant-based protein powder with protein and healthy fat to make a more filling smoothie bowl.
Start with as little liquid as you can manage when making a smoothie bowl. Turn your blender on and once the blades stop turning, turn off and scrape down the sides. If you’re using a high-powered blender then you can tamper down the contents while the blender and lid are on. Add a bit of liquid if the mixture just won’t turn.
If you use any liquid in your smoothie bowl, avoid using dairy-based products. Instead, use plant-based milk like coconut milk for thickly creamy results. Be sure the remaining ingredients are also not animal bi-products like honey or bee pollen if you want to keep your smoothie bowl vegan.
More Vegan Smoothie Bowl Recipes
If you love the idea of smoothie bowls then I’ve got some great recipes for you. These are all unique and perfect for snacks, breakfast or even dessert.
- Apple Cinnamon Smoothie Bowl: I love feasting on this delicious bowl with Autumn-fresh apples.
- Tropical Smoothie Bowl: This fun bowl is a great kid snack. Set up a toppings bar for even more fun!
- Chocolate Smoothie Bowl: This dessert is made in minutes and is perfect for a date night.
- Iron-Rich Smoothie Bowl: This is a tried and true recipe I turn to when my iron gets low.
- Pineapple Smoothie Bowl: My kids love this bowl as an afternoon snack.
- Acai Smoothie Bowl: My go-to Summer breakfast; super refreshing and perfect for all those freshly picked Summer berries.
Coconut Joy Vegan Smoothie Bowl
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup spinach
- ½ cup coconut milk
- 1 banana frozen
- 1 tbsp almond butter
- 1 tbsp cacao powder
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
Topping Suggestions
- ½ banana sliced
- 2 tbsp sliced almonds
- 2 tbsp coconut flakes
- 1 tsp cacao nibs
Instructions
- Place spinach and coconut milk into a blender. Puree until smooth. (Stop and scrape down sides as needed, especially if blender is on the larger side.)
- Add frozen banana and remaining ingredients. Keep blending, using a tamper, if needed, until fully blended. The texture should be like soft-serve ice cream.
- Transfer to a bowl and garnish with desired toppings.
Notes
- Frozen avocado can be substituted for the banana, if desired to cut down on the natural sugar in this recipe.
- Almond milk or another non-dairy beverage can be used instead of coconut milk.
- Feel free to use canned or carton coconut milk; canned coconut milk will produce a thicker result.
- Use 100% unsweetened cocoa power if cacao powder is hard to find.
Strawberry Watermelon Blend…
Strawberries and Watermelons are both on my list of favorite fruits! This was my first time making a smoothie with watermelons and it was refreshing! The fresh ginger was a nice addition too!
My Citrus Vegan smoothie was easy to make and good to drink! The combination of oranges, pineapples, bananas, and mangoes wasn’t too sweet at all.
Strawberry Watermelon:
It has a nice flavor. I didn’t have fresh ginger, but the powder worked. Since I used it as a meal replacement, I would have liked it thicker.
This was good. I left the cacao powder out.
This recipe has too many calories for me.. What can I change to lighten to caloric load?
The easiest way to reduce the calories in this yummy smoothie bowl is to swap out the full fat coconut milk for a different plant based milk instead. We’d recommend unsweetened almond milk, as it’s the lowest calorie.
I wasn’t sure what to expect but it’s super tasty! I think my banana needed to be a little more ripe and possibly frozen to help keep it cool longer. I would definitely make this again!
If you like this flavor combination you will like this smoothie. Not my favorite, but i don’t like the chocolate and peanut/almond butter combination in a smoothie. My husband does like it though.
Not a big fan of the coconut milk, but other than that, it was filling and had a nice flavor. Texture is important, so liked that too.j
Absolutely delicious! It was like an almond joy in a bowl. I topped it with coconut flakes, vegan chocolate chips, more almonds and more syrup. I will definitely consume this again.
Love those adds Deborah. Sounds like such a treat!
Can we save some for later on the freezer?
Hi. Can the spinach be frozen? Thanks!
You can get fresh spinach and freeze it ahead of time but we don’t recommend using store-bought frozen spinach. It often contains added salt and other unwanted ingredients. It can also give the smoothies a little bit of a weird taste.
Hi,
Do you have any smoothies that are carb friendly?
Hey Deborah, check out our post on low-glycemic fruits for smoothies: https://simplegreensmoothies.com/low-sugar-fruits
Everything about this looks delicious…it looks creamy and healthy with the appropriate touch of sweetness !! <3
We are so glad that you think so!!! Let us know what you think when you give it a try!!
This was so good. I highly recommend everyone making this smoothie bowl.
Thanks for that awesome feedback Sheila!!!
After reading this recipe I know what I’m making tonight!! That’s what I love about these daily blogs — I get a new fresh idea of how to use the ingredients I probably have in my frig!
Hey Karen,
Let us know what you think!!
This recipe is si filling and i love the coconut crunch feeling i got cause i used it as a topping. This will be my once in a week fill me up this month
Love that! Thanks for sharing 🙂