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.

Why you'll love this recipe
- 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. Or, try my refreshing green Spinach Cucumber Smoothie.
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)
Tips for a thick and creamy smoothie bowl
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.

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

Substitutions and special diets
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
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
Yes. Bananas will give you best results but if you don’t have any, you can swap them with frozen mango or peaches.
If you don’t have zucchini, frozen cauliflower florettes (or cauliflower rice) will work well, too, though the flavor may be a little different.
Yes. A powerful blender such as Vitamix is my favorite piece of 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
- Chocolate Cherry Nice Cream (vegan banana-based ice cream)
- Vanilla Coconut Smoothie Bowl
- Snickers Smoothie Bowl
- 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.
This post includes affiliate links.
Recipe

Blue Spirulina Smoothie Bowl
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- Place frozen banana slices, frozen zucchini, plant milk, nut butter and 1 teaspoon spirulina powder in the bowl of a blender.
- 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.
- If you want your bowl to be more blue, add another teaspoon of blue spirulina powder.
- Transfer to a bowl, top with fresh banana slices, raspberries, blueberries and hemp seeds and serve immediately.
Lilly
I love the flavors of this bowl and the vibrant blue color! This is a fun way to enjoy spirulina!
Freya
I haven’t tried blue spurulina before so I’m visiting my local health shop today! And that colour is just wow!
Andréa Janssen
What a colorful bowl. It looks really nice and so easy to prepare.
Lucy
What a beautiful colour! This smoothie bowl is packed full of healthy ingredients and is such a refreshing and nutritious way to start the day.
Nora
Such a beautiful colour and I love that you’ve added zucchini as well! Great idea! Thank you for sharing!
Jerika
This Blue Spirulina Smoothie is a nutritious and beautiful breakfast, snack or treat indeed.:) Would love to prepare this to my family.:) Can't wait. Thanks!:)
Natalie
What a gorgeous color. And the flavors are amazing. Yum! I have to make this asap.
Bernice
What a lovely way to start the day. I'm always looking for new breakfast recipes and this one is so good I could have it for dessert too!
Leslie
Great smoothie idea!
Elizabeth
So yummy! Will definitely make again!
Jessica
Beautiful and delicious!
Kayla DiMaggio
Such a delicious smoothie bowl! Such a fun recipe for the warming weather!
Stacey
Such a fun and healthy breakfast idea!
amanda
This smoothie blue was delicious and the color made eating it so fun!
Maya
I've never zucchini in a smoothie before but it works really well!
Agnieszka
It's my "hidden veggie" trick - you absolutely can't taste it!
Pam Greer
Perfect for breakfast!