Host a Smoothie Bowl Brunch

You guys know I love my morning smoothie, but sometimes I want to start the day with something that feels a little more substantial and requires, you know, eating. Enter the smoothie bowl, a breakfast trend that I am so on board with, since it (1) allows me to pack a crazy amount of nutrients into one bowl, and (2) makes me feel like I’m eating ice cream for breakfast. And the best part of a smoothie bowl’s thicker consistency? I can go crazy with toppings, making this the perfect first post in our newest series with Blue Diamond Almonds, which happen to be my favorite way to top my smoothie bowls along with shredded coconut, berries, banana, mint, and so much more. I invited a couple pals to join me for an AM smoothie bowl-fest… click through the slides for the colorful brunch idea that’s as easy as setting out toppings and letting everyone build-their own.

*photos by kate lesueur

*this post is sponsored by Blue Diamond Almonds – thanks for supporting our partners!

The essential tip to making a good smoothie bowl is to use less liquid than you would in an actual smoothie, so you get that thick, spoonable consistency. The bowl becomes a blank canvas for all the delicious toppings to actually sit on top instead of sinking straight to the bottom.

The toppings I put out on the table included:

• Blue Diamond Almonds
• banana
• coconut
• kiwi
• hemp seeds
• granola
• raspberries
• blueberries
• edible flowers
• mint
• honey

We offered up three different almond options to add something special to our bowls:

Honey Roasted

Dark Chocolate

Whole Natural

I love hosting parties like this that let guests build their own creations. Not only does it relieve the hostess of lots of prep work, but guests will get really into it — we even got a little competitive by seeing who could turn out the prettiest smoothie bowl (do you guys think that my bowl won?)

Before guests arrived, I whipped up two different smoothie bowl bases in my blender, then poured into bowls and popped into the freezer so they were ready to go. The bowls can chill for about an hour, but any longer and they might freeze up too hard.

 

Bananas, berries, and almond butter give this smoothie bowl plenty of energizing minerals and proteins — we topped it with more berries and honey roasted almonds for sweetness and crunch.

Get the recipe for this Strawberry and Banana Smoothie Bowl here

This blend of spinach, banana and avocado is packed with antioxidants and healthy fats, helping you stay full all the way to lunchtime. The fresh mint and edible flowers definitely made these bowls Instagram-worthy.

Get the recipe for this Spinach and Banana Smoothie Bowl here!

Why not treat friends to a gathering where they can eat deliciously and still feel light and energetic afterwards? We all agreed that these bowls are (almost!) like eating ice cream for breakfast but without the guilt. Would love to hear if y’all treat yourselves to one of these smoothie bowls this week — leave a comment and let us know which topping combos were your faves!