This easy watermelon smoothie bowl is amazingly thick and so full of refreshing flavors. Also packed with nutrients and makes for a tasty way to help you stay hydrated, especially on a hot summer day! Enjoy for breakfast, snack or even dessert, it is that good!
Today I am sharing one of my favorite kind of vegan breakfast: a frozen smoothie bowl!
I have two smoothie bowls on my website so far, this strawberry banana smoothie bowl and this peach smoothie bowl, but I actually make them multiple times a week, any time of the year and in all sort of ways, they are so good!
We enjoy them more often for breakfast generously topped with granola, but also as a dessert at night, one of my kids's most requested sweet treats before bed. Because yes, smoothie bowls are SO delicious and creamy, it feels like eating ice cream!
So I thought I needed to share more yummy smoothie bowl ideas, especially with the summer coming up soon, which is the perfect time of the year to start the day with a healthy and chilled bowl of blended fruits.
And today I made one of our favorites: a watermelon smoothie bowl! I like to freeze half of my watermelon right away when I buy it fresh at the grocery store, that way we never feel rushed to eat it all within a few days and there is none lost. Plus, it gives me an amazing frozen base always ready to-go to make a refreshing smoothie bowl later on without much planning.
I find that frozen watermelon makes for an amazing ingredient to make smoothie bowls: it becomes nicely slushy once blended, its flavor is so refreshing and not too sweet and its water content will hydrate you in such a fun and tasty way.
Since watermelon is very watery and blending watermelon alone will give you a texture closer to a sorbet (to make a one-ingredient watermelon sorbet, check out my "What to do with Honeydew Melon" on YouTube), I thought I would pair with frozen bananas and frozen coconut to make it creamier and richer. And wow, omg the result is outstanding. Did I say it feels like eating ice cream?
I hope you give it a try! ❤️
Why you will love this recipe
- Easy and quick recipe
- Made with only 3 ingredients
- SO creamy
- Delicious sweet flavor
- Perfect breakfast or refreshing frozen treat for the summer
- Healthy and loaded with nutrients, such as vitamins (C and A), minerals and antioxidants
- Fun to personalize with different topping ingredients
- Hydrating treat to keep you energized and your skin glowing!
- BEST summertime treat!
- Vegan, dairy-free and naturally gluten-free
Ingredients you will need + substitutions
- Frozen watermelon: most important ingredient for this recipe! You can buy frozen watermelon in some grocery stores, but I would highly recommend to simply freeze it yourself as it is so much easier and cheaper that way.
- Frozen bananas: I'll show you how I freeze bananas down below. Try to always have some frozen ready to-go for a last minute treat or to add to smoothies!
- Frozen coconut: I used the smoothie pack coconut meat that I got at Whole Foods Market. See below for substitution ideas!
How to make a thick watermelon smoothie bowl
The smoothie bowl takes only about 5 minutes to make, but you will have to plan ahead or get organized since you need frozen fruits to make it. You can buy tons of different kind of already frozen fruits, but I always freeze watermelon and bananas myself.
Freeze the fruits
To freeze the bananas, then peel them and roughly slice them in chunks. Place a parchment paper over a plate or small baking sheet and then, spread out the pieces of bananas over. Then, place the dish in the freezer. Once completely frozen, then you can transfer the frozen bananas to a container or a freezer bag. I use those reusable silicone bags to store frozen fruits. Freezing them on a flat surface apart from each other first makes it easier to grab only a few pieces at the time later.
To freeze the watermelon, simply remove the grind and chop in cubes (not too big so you can measure easier). Similarly to the bananas, freeze on a flat surface before transferring to a container or a bag for longer storage.
Blend
In a blender, add the frozen bananas, frozen watermelon and frozen coconut meat. Try to break the coconut in smaller pieces first, it will blend easier that way.
And then, blend on high-speed until smooth. It takes some work to prepare a smoothie mixture that's thick enough to serve in a bowl since you will want to avoid adding too much liquid to keep it from turning too liquid-y. So, use a tamper if you have one and take a few breaks to scrape the walls of the blender.
Garnish
Once your smoothie mixture is done, then transfer to your bowl and top with all your favorite ingredients, such as granola, fruits, nuts and seeds, etc. See below for more ideas!
Watch how to make it
Best blender for smoothie bowls
Using a high-speed blender, such as Vitamix or a Blendec, makes it so much easier and quicker to reach a thick and smooth mixture. If you have one of them, then use the tamper to bring the mixture back down to the blades while blending. This is the best way to get a super thick consistency.
If you have a regular blender, then you will have to blend for longer and even maybe need to add a small amount of liquid, such as plant milk (no more than ¼ cup). Take a few breaks to scrape the walls using a spatula, blend again and repeat until desired consistency. This could take a few minutes.
Actually, if you have a good quality food processor, this might work better than a regular (not high-speed) blender.
More helpful tips
- You want to avoid adding extra liquid (milk or water) as much as you can to avoid watering the mixture down. The mixture will be hard to blend at first, but keep going and it will eventually come together. You can add ¼ cup of milk if that's helpful, but try not to add more than that.
- The watermelon is very hard once completely frozen because of its water content, which makes it a little challenging to blend at first. So, you can let your fruit thaw just slightly, maybe 5-7 minutes, once added to your blender. This can help blend them a little easier.
- You can place your serving bowls in the freezer while prepping the smoothie mixture, so this will help keep it nice and frosty while eating.
- Add the frozen bananas to your blender first so it is at the bottom. They are easier to blend compared to watermelon, making it easier to get the blending going.
Variations
Once you have the frozen chunks of watermelon, then you can experiment and blend it with other frozen fruits!
Watermelon is super high-in-water, which means that it really goes well with a fruit that has a lower water content and that turns creamier once blended, such as frozen bananas in this case. To make it without bananas, then I would use frozen mangoes or papaya to reach a similar creamy consistency.
Watermelon also pairs well with berries, pineapple, dragon fruit or any tropical fruits.
Also, the frozen coconut smoothie pack might be difficult to find if you don't have access to a Whole Foods Market. But, do not worry! Here is what you could use instead:
- Frozen coconut milk: open a can of full-fat unsweetened coconut milk and stir very well until all smooth and uniform. Then, pour in an ice cube tray and freeze for 3-4 hours or until completely frozen. Then, use 3-4 cubes for each smoothie bowl!
- Frozen plant yogurt: similarly to frozen coconut milk, freeze some plant-based yogurt in an ice cube tray and add a few cubes for added creaminess.
- More frozen bananas: this would give you a sweeter smoothie bowl, but still very creamy and delicious!
- Frozen strawberries: they pair well with watermelon and would ensure the smoothie bowl is sweet and thick, plus will give it a darker red color!
Favorite smoothie bowl toppings
The best part of eating a smoothie bowl is to garnish it! Simply scoop the smoothie mixture into your serving bowl and then, you can decorate with:
- Granola: definitely a favorite topping ingredient and actually a must for us if enjoyed for breakfast, so we don't get hungry too quickly. For my husband, I really pile up the granola! I often use store-bought granola for convenience, but my almond vanilla granola or this matcha granola go great for smoothie bowls. Or, try my most recent favorite: superfood turmeric granola!
- More fresh fruits: I garnished with cubed dragon fruit for a beautiful contrast in color, but berries, kiwi or sliced banana would be great.
- Chia or hemp seeds: for extra plant-based protein and healthy omega-3 fats to help you stay full and satisfied.
- Cacao nibs: full of antioxidants and provide such a nice crunch.
- Nuts: crushed walnuts, almonds or pecans are great for smoothie bowls.
- Nut or seed butter: peanut or almond butter are amazing to add extra healthy fats and protein and also, it gives such a nice final rich texture to the bowl. For a nut-free drizzle, then use pumpkin seed butter.
- Caramel: drizzle a tahini caramel or a date caramel over your bowl for such a nice treat. This will add more sweetness and a nice layer of texture, which would be perfect if serving for dessert.
FAQ's
Yes! Simply swap the bananas for frozen strawberries or mangoes. You could also make it only with watermelon, although the final texture won't be as rich and creamy. I make watermelon sorbet all the time blending only frozen watermelon! Check out my honeydew melon sorbet video on YouTube to see how I make it.
There are different ways to boost this recipe with more plant-based protein, such as including hemp seeds, protein powder or chia seeds to the blender. I usually don't bother adding those ingredients in the blender but instead, I generously garnish my bowl with tons of nuts, seeds, nut butter, etc. This helps me stay satisfied long enough for the next meal!
The secret is all about using ONLY frozen fruits and also, avoid adding any extra liquids, such as milk or water. You need to be patient while blending as you will have to take a few breaks and scrape the walls of the blender to ensure everything gets blended nicely and to a smooth and uniform texture. If you add liquid to help the mixture blend, then you will water down the consistency!
More smoothie or smoothie bowls to try
- Strawberry smoothie bowl
- Peach smoothie bowl
- Avocado peanut butter smoothie
- Peach pineapple smoothie
- Beet kale smoothie
- Chocolate strawberry smoothie
- Banana carrot smoothie
- Cucumber strawberry smoothie
- Blueberry pineapple smoothie
- Watermelon banana yogurt smoothie
- Banana chai smoothie
- Strawberry and blackberry smoothie
- Watermelon mango smoothie
- Vanilla banana smoothie bowl
I hope you like this watermelon smoothie bowl recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
Let's stay in touch with Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. Also, don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to be sure not to miss anything.
📖 Recipe
Watermelon Smoothie Bowl (Super Thick!)
Equipment
- High-speed blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 2 cups frozen watermelon
- 1 cup frozen bananas
- 3.5 oz frozen coconut smoothie pack (or frozen coconut milk) - optional, see notes
Instructions
- In a blender, add the bananas, watermelon and coconut. You can let them thaw in the blender first for 5-7 minutes to ease the blending.
- Then, blend on high until smooth. This process will take a few minutes: if you have a Vitamix blender, then use your tamper to keep the ingredients at the bottom and also, stop the blender once in a while to scrape the walls. Keep going until the mixture is smooth and try to avoid adding too much extra liquid so you are not watering down the consistency (you can add up to ¼ cup of plant milk to help it blend).
- Pour/scoop the smoothie mixture into your serving bowl and garnish with granola, chopped fresh fruits, chia seeds, cacao nibs, shredded coconut, nuts or seeds, drizzle of nut or seed butter, etc. Enjoy right away!
Video
Notes
- I find frozen coconut meat at Whole Food Markets. If you cannot find it in your grocery store, then here what you can use instead: 1- You can also freeze a can of coconut milk (mix the can well first) OR plant-based plain yogurt in an ice cube tray and use about 4-5 cubes. 2- use an extra cup of frozen bananas.
- You will get better result (and quicker too) if using a high-speed blender, such as the ones from the brands Vitamix or Blentec. If you don't have one of these, then you can make it using a regular blender, although it will take more time and you might need to add a little bit of liquid, about ¼ cup. You can also make it using a good quality food processor!
- Feel free to include other frozen fruits, such as mangoes, strawberries or pineapple.
- Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
NUTRITION
Pin it for later!
Leave a Reply