Blue Spirulina Smoothie Bowl

• Only 5 ingredients
• This smoothie bowl uses a whole cup of hidden vegetables (zucchini)
• It is luxuriously thick and creamy
• It can be eaten as a healthy breakfast, snack or dessert
• Vegan, paleo (see Special Diets notes below) and gluten free
• Kid-friendly! Who doesn’t like blue ice-cream?

If you’re into smoothie bowls, make sure to also check out my recipe for an ultra creamy Vanilla Coconut Smoothie Bowl (vegan vanilla ice-cream) or my summary Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Smoothie Bowl.

INGREDIENT NOTES

Frozen Banana: for best results, use a banana that’s overripe (lots of brown spots on the skin). Slice the banana and freeze flat on a cookie sheet. Store in a ziplock bag until ready the use.

Frozen Zucchini: one small to medium zucchini is what you’ll need. Freeze it in the same way as banana – lay the slices flat on a baking sheet and freeze for at least 1 hour before using.

Nut Butter: use whatever nut butter you like or have on hand. I use all-natural peanut butter but cashew or almond butter will also work.

Plant Milk: unsweetened almond milk is my go to but any sugar free plant-based or dairy milk will be great, too (coconut, soy, oat or hemp milk).

Blue Spirulina: also known as Blue Majik, this powdered algae is a great alternative to artificial food coloring. Read more about health benefits of blue spirulina below.

WHAT IS BLUE SPIRULINA?

Blue spirulina is a blue green algae that lives in ponds and lakes and is known for its super bright blue color (thanks to the blue pigment called Phycocyanin that’s extracted and isolated). Unlike green spirulina, the blue kind does not have a fishy taste. In fact, it has virtually no flavor at all. In other words, the blue and green spirulina come from the same species of algae but through the process of extracting and isolating the blue pigment, blue spirulina powder loses the oceanic (fishy) flavor, while maintaining the same nutritional value.

Spirulina is a superfood believed to have many health benefits, some of which include:

• Increase energy and performance
• Lower high blood pressure
• Improve digestion
• Good source of protein
• High in antioxidants (may help fight cancer)

If you’d like to know more about the superfood algae, read this article about health benefits of blue spirulina.

HOT TIPS FOR THICK AND CREAMY SMOOTHIE BOWLS

There is a major difference between a smoothie bowl and a regular smoothie. Unlike a smoothie, smoothie bowls are NOT meant to be drunk but eaten with a spoon and therefore must be thick and creamy. The best kind of a smoothie bowl resembles the texture of ice-cream but if you’ve ever tried making one, you may have ended up with a thick smoothie that’s nonetheless still liquid. Been there, done that!

For a lusciously thick and creamy smoothie, follow a couple of golden smoothie bowl rules:

• All fruit and veggies should be frozen solid in slices or small chunks.
• Use creamy fruit. That’s essential for achieving a creamy texture. Bananas are always my number 1 but other “creamy” fruit include peaches or mangoes.
• Your blender needs to be powerful. I use my Vitamix and it works great but you don’t need a super expensive blender to achieve good results. Ninja Foodi Smoothie Bowl Maker is a great economical option but there are others, too.
• Only use enough liquid to help blend the frozen fruit and vegetables. This is really the most important rule – add one splash of milk too many and you’ll end up with a smoothie that’s too thin to work as a bowl. I recommend starting with ½ or ⅔ cup of plant-based milk. If you need to add more, do it one tablespoon at a time.
• Practice patience when blending. You may need to stop the blender several times, scrape the sides and loosen any pieces that get stuck under the blades. Resist the temptation of adding more liquid at the beginning – keep blending, scraping, stirring and blending again until completely smooth.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Serve your smoothie bowl in a bowl of your choice. My favorite smoothie bowl vessel is this nifty bowl made of natural coconut shell.

To make your smoothie bowl fun, top it with fresh fruit, nuts, seeds or chocolate. Here are some suggestions for a Blue Spirulina Smoothie Bowl toppings:

• Fresh berries: sliced strawberries, blueberries, blackberries or raspberries
• Sliced banana
• Chocolate chips or cacao nibs
• Nuts: chopped walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, almonds or cashews
• A drizzle of nut butter
• Shredded unsweetened coconut
• Hemp hearts or chia seeds

SPECIAL DIETS & SUBSTITUTIONS

This blue smoothie bowl is naturally vegan and gluten free. For a paleo version, use almond or cashew butter as your nut butter choice. If you don't have plant-based milk, feel free to use dairy milk, though the bowl won't be vegan anymore.

Bananas and zucchini are my go to fruit & veg combo for a neutral tasting smoothie bowl. If you prefer, you can use other fruit and vegetables as long as they are white or light-colored so the blue of the spirulina still stands out. Frozen cauliflower is a fine substitution for zucchini though you may be able to taste it a little bit. I find that frozen zucchini blended into smoothies and smoothie bowls has no taste at all. Frozen avocado would also work great in this bowl and make it extra creamy.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Where can I get blue spirulina powder?

Most grocery stores with a health food or supplement section will have it, or you can buy blue spirulina online. Some brands worth checking out are:

• Terrasoul Superfood Organic Blue Spirulina Powder
• Unicorn Superfoods 100% Natural Blue Spirulina Powder
• KOS Organic Luminous Blue Spirulina Powder

Can I make this smoothie bowl without bananas?

Yes. Bananas will give you best results but if you don’t have any, you can swap them with frozen mango or peaches.

What to use instead of zucchini?

If you don’t have zucchini, frozen cauliflower florettes (or cauliflower rice) will work well, too, though the flavor may be a little different.

Can I make a smoothie bowl without a Vitamix blender?

Yes. A powerful blender such as Vitamix is my favorite equipment for making a smoothie bowl but if you don’t have access to one, a food processor will work equally well. Another great economical option is the Ninja Foodi Smoothie Bowl Maker.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

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Vanilla Coconut Smoothie Bowl

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Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Smoothie Bowl

Chocolate Bliss Balls (vegan, paleo)

Flaxseed Pudding

If you’ve made this Blue Spirulina Smoothie Bowl, I would love for you to leave me a comment! If you want to connect with me, you can find me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

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Blue Spirulina Smoothie Bowl

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★★★★★

5 from 15 reviews

• Author: Agnieszka
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 1-2 servings 1x

Print Recipe

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Description

This Blue Spirulina Smoothie Bowl is packed with nutrients from fruit, veggies, nut butter and spirulina. If you’re in for a nutritious and beautiful breakfast, snack or treat, this mesmerizing blue bowl is for you. It is vegan, paleo and gluten-free.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

1 cup frozen banana slices (about 1 medium banana)
1 cup frozen zucchini slices (about 1 medium zucchini)
⅔ cup unsweetened plant milk (almond, coconut, oat or soy)
1 tablespoon nut butter (peanut, cashew or almond)
1-2 teaspoons blue spirulina powder

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Instructions

1. Place frozen banana slices, frozen zucchini, plant milk, nut butter and 1 teaspoon spirulina powder in the bowl of a blender.
2. Blend until smooth. It will be hard at first and you may need to stop the blender several times to stir and scrape the sides. Eventually, the contents of your blender will resemble a very thick smoothie, almost ice-cream like.
3. If you want your bowl to be more blue, add another teaspoon of blue spirulina powder.
4. Transfer to a bowl, top with fresh banana slices, raspberries, blueberries and hemp seeds and serve immediately.

Notes

For best results, make sure the bananas and zucchini are frozen solid and plant milk is cold.

When you first start blending the smoothie bowl, it may look like it won’t blend. Frozen bananas and zucchini slices may get lodged under the blades of your blender. If this happens, stop the motor, stir and scrape and keep blending.

Don’t increase the amount of plant milk unless absolutely necessary. If you need to use more liquid, add 1 tablespoon at a time.

1 teaspoon of spirulina powder is enough to make the bowl light blue. If you want a deeper shade, add another teaspoon (for my bowl in the pictures I used 2 teaspoons).

Top the bowl with any fresh fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, shredded coconut or nut butter.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Category: breakfast, dessert, snack
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: blue spirulina smoothie bowl, how to make blue smoothie bowl, vegan blue smoothie bowl