Good-bye expensive, store bought smoothie bowls, hello homemade decadent, yet healthy, cherry chocolate granola smoothie bowl.
I’m normally an oatmeal-for-breakfast kind of girl. But let me tell you, some days in the summer are just too dang hot for oatmeal. In comes my cherry chocolate granola smoothie bowl. Not only is this a refreshing breakfast, or afternoon snack, but it’s also a lighter option for the summer. I enjoy feeling satisfied, but not weighed down, by a heavy breakfast in the summer.
Chocolate granola is life
I’m IN LOVE with this chocolate granola. I know not everyone is a fan of turning their oven on in the summer, but it’s totally worth it. Cherries and chocolate are true soulmates. The chocolate granola has a perfect hint of chocolate, with a touch of sweetness from the honey.
P.S. - Did you know that homemade granola is simple to make?! It's basically mixing up all the ingredients, making sure your oven temperature is low, and allowing the cooking & cooling process to dry out the oats for that classic crunchy granola texture. It's that easy, people!!
Lazy girl’s guide to smoothie bowls
Life is too hard some days, don't make cooking stressful. Introducing my lazy girl's guide to smooth bowls!
- Use frozen fruit: In order to make your smoothie bowl thick (so your toppings will stay in place), you’ll want to use frozen fruit. Pre-frozen, bagged fruit is a great option because it’s cheaper, and you can get it year-round!
- Always have frozen bananas in your freezer: I buy a bunch of bananas almost every week, and let them ripen on my counter. Once they hit the point of having multiple brown spots on the skin, and you can smell a sweet scent, it is time to put them into the freezer. These will add just the right amount of sweetness to your smoothie bowl!
- Use any liquid: You can use just about any liquid in your smoothie bowl – almond milk, dairy milk, soy milk, fruit juice, or even water if you are out of everything else. Just be sure not to add too much liquid. This is a rookie mistake, and will make your smoothie bowl turn into soup. We add just enough liquid to allow the fruit to blend smoothly.
- Use whatever toppings you have on hand: There is no hard & fast rule of what toppings should go on a smoothie bowl. Try using what you already have on hand in your pantry – nuts, seeds, graham crackers, nut butter, dried fruit, or cereal.
- Make it healthy: Need more vegetables in your life? Add a handful of spinach or kale. You won’t even be able to taste it!
More Breakfast Recipes
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Cherry Chocolate Granola Smoothie Bowl
Ingredients
Chocolate Granola
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder unsweetened
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil melted
- ¼ cup honey melted
Cherry Smoothie Bowl
- 4 cups dark sweet cherries frozen, pitted
- 2 medium bananas frozen
- ¾ - 1 cup vanilla almond milk (start with ¾ cup of almond milk. add additional if fruit needs help blending)
Suggested Toppings
- chocolate chips
- chocolate granola
- chia seeds
- honey
- peanut butter
- sliced cherries
Instructions
Chocolate Granola
- Preheat the oven to 300 °F.
- Mix the dry ingredients - oatmeal, cocoa powder, and salt - together in a medium mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
- Add vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Stir to combine.
- Melt coconut oil in the microwave until completely liquid (approximately 30-40 seconds). Stir to combine.
- Melt honey in the microwave until completely liquid (approximately 15-20 seconds). Stir to combine.
- Line a 9 x 13 inch cookie sheet with parchment paper. Spread a thin layer of the mixture on the cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Remove from oven and allow to completely cool for 30 minutes.
Cherry Smoothie Bowl
- Add all ingredients in a blender.
- Blend ingredients until smooth, scraping down the side of the blender as needed.
- Pour mixture into bowls, and finish with your favorite toppings.
Laura
Just made this for breakfast yesterday and it was SO good! Light and refreshing! I love that this recipe uses frozen cherries so I can make this all year round.