Strawberry Coconut Smoothie Bowl

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This thick, creamy, Strawberry Coconut Smoothie Bowl is the perfect make-ahead meal to enjoy at breakfast, after a workout, or as a snack. Thanks to the fruity flavor and creamy texture, your tastebuds will never believe it also includes frozen cauliflower! It’s an utterly sweet and delicious way to eat your vegetables! {Paleo and/or Vegan} 

Fresh strawberries + coconut cream + steamed cauliflower = BREAKFAST HEAVEN, Spiriteds. You might be thinking, steamed-and-then-frozen cauliflower? Exactly what are we doing with this? Okay, friends, go with me on this. We steam super-fresh cauliflower, freeze it in 1-cup portions, and then add a cup of frozen cauliflower to this Strawberry Coconut Smoothie Bowl. The result is the fruitiest, creamiest smoothie bowl that ever was. And all without it tasting like cauliflower! I promise. 

I add steamed-then-frozen cauliflower to smoothies and breakfast bowls now because, when steamed, cauliflower is a super-neutral flavor. Its earthy, vegetable flavor goes bye-bye. Not to mention you get a source of vegetables in the deal. Not bad, if I do say so myself. And I DO. The frozen consistency also creates a thick, creamy smoothie bowl.

And the surprises don’t stop there. The coconut in this Strawberry Coconut Smoothie Bowl provides a sweet, tropical, nutty flavor. It complements the natural sweetness of the strawberries. I top this smoothie bowl with chopped pecans, which makes it taste like a graham-cracker-crust-strawberry-fluff dessert. The kind I enjoyed at family reunions as a kid. If you love that flavor, too, then you’ll love pecans in this bowl!

Spiriteds, we can do new things. And this Strawberry Coconut Smoothie Bowl is a tasty place to start! So grab your high-speed blender, and let’s do this!

This Strawberry Coconut Smoothie Bowl is

• Gluten-free and dairy-free
• Vegan-friendly or paleo-friendly
• Thick, rich, and creamy
• Perfect for breakfast or after workouts
• Great as a mid-morning or midday snack

Strawberry Coconut Smoothie Bowl will thicken as it stands, almost like a pudding if you leave it overnight. Just, you won’t believe it’s dairy-free and gluten-free and vegan-friendly and paleo-friendly. The rich, creamy texture will blow your mind. Like, how can a cruciferous vegetable do such wonderful things in a fruit smoothie bowl? HOW??? I do not know, Spiriteds. All I DO know is it tastes like a wonderland of creamy goodness and fruity delights, and we get credit for eating our vegetables.

Strawberry Coconut Smoothie Bowl ingredients

• Fresh strawberries. Rinse and drain them. Remove any stems and leaves and slice them. Coconut cream. The thick, creamy consistency is ideal for a smoothie bowl.
• Vanilla protein powder. If you have a favorite brand, then go for it. I use Orgain and love it.
• Frozen cauliflower. Steam the cauliflower ahead of time and then freeze it. I group the florets into 1-cup portions for future use and store them in freezer-safe bags.
• Liquid sweetener. In addition to agave nectar (vegan), 100% pure honey (paleo) and 100% pure maple syrup (paleo or vegan) will also work.

How to make a Strawberry Coconut Smoothie Bowl (Step-by-Step)

1. Rinse and drain the strawberries. Then slice or dice them and remove the stems and leaves. Transfer the strawberries to a high-speed blender container. Then scoop the coconut cream out of the can and dollop over the strawberries. Next, add the vanilla protein, frozen cauliflower florets, and agave nectar.
2. Blend on HIGH until creamy. Stop, if needed, to scrape the sides of the container. Then blend on HIGH again to combine all the ingredients.
3. Serve immediately in bowls or chill in the refrigerator in an airtight container for several hours to overnight. The smoothie will continue to thicken as it chills. Consume within about 2-3 days.

Meal-prep option

1. Store canned coconut cream in the refrigerator. Whenever you’re ready for a smoothie bowl, pull a can out and use it! Avoid shaking the can ahead of time.
2. Steam a head of cauliflower. No worries on making the florets nice and uniform. Just break them apart, throw them in your steamer, and then let them do their thing. Once they are fork-tender, then remove them from the stove to cool.
3. Next, freeze the cauliflower florets in 1-cup portions. I create little mounds of frozen florets, rather than balled up chunks (see ingredient image in this blog post). If the florets are one big frozen ball, then the blender blades can’t break them down easily.
4. Store the frozen cauliflower in freezer-safe baggies (sometimes in two baggies for added protection against freezer burn) and use a straw to suck out the excess air. When you have a recipe that calls for frozen cauliflower, then pull out the portion you want and reseal the baggies, again sucking out or pressing out any excess air. 
5. When you’re ready to make a smoothie bowl, pull the ingredients you need, make your smoothie bowl, and refrigerate it until you’re ready to enjoy it. Bonus –> the smoothie bowl will thicken as it chills!

Side note: How soon you need to use up frozen cauliflower will depend on what it is stored in. It’s best to keep an eye on your frozen cauliflower and look for any signs of freezer burn. A large head of cauliflower will yield about 4-5 cups frozen cauliflower florets, and I usually try to use mine up within 1-2 weeks.

Recipe tips and tricks

• Work with super-fresh cauliflower. When I use cauliflower in my smoothies, I buy the freshest I can find. Then I steam the cauliflower florets and freeze them in 1-cup portions. Working this quickly preserves the neutral flavor so my smoothies don’t taste cruciferously suspicious. And that’s not to say our smoothies can’t taste that way and still be delicious. We’re just not doing that in this recipe.
• Coconut cream is ideal for this recipe. It is typically quite thick and a great addition to smoothie bowls. Having said that, if you can’t find coconut cream in your area, then canned full-fat coconut milk will also work. There are several variables, however, with coconut milk. While it should be chilled the night before, like canned coconut cream, it often varies in consistency. Some canned coconut milks are naturally thick, and you can scrape the cream off the top of the can (don’t shake the can before opening it) and then dollop it onto the strawberries in the blender container. Other varieties are thinner and runnier. You may also get different yields, which will affect your smoothie bowl. If you do use canned coconut milk, then plan to chill the smoothie for several hours to let thicken.
• Best toppings for this thick, creamy smoothie bowl include pecans, sliced strawberries, shredded coconut, or chia seeds. The chia seeds will also make your smoothie bowl thicker as they begin to absorb the smoothie’s liquid.

Please note: The prep time in the recipe card does NOT include time to steam or freeze the cauliflower or to chill the coconut cream.

More delicious, creative smoothies!

Do you love smoothies with a bit of a twist? Whether it’s coffee, oatmeal, or hidden fruits and vegetables, these sips are anything but ordinary! You’ll notice the almond butter smoothie bowl below also uses cauliflower. So, if you do steam and then freeze cauliflower, you’ve got another recipe to throw it into!

• On-the-Go Strawberry Breakfast Smoothie
• Single-Serving Chocolate Chia Smoothie
• Almond Butter Cauliflower Smoothie Bowl
• Vanilla Coffee Protein Smoothie

Spiriteds, stay well and stay wild. Jump into the fun when you can, and always remember I’m glad you’re here. ❤️

Strawberry Coconut Smoothie Bowl

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This thick, creamy, Strawberry Coconut Smoothie Bowl is the perfect make-ahead meal to enjoy at breakfast, after a workout, or as a snack. Thanks to the fruity flavor and creamy texture, your tastebuds will never believe it also includes frozen cauliflower! It’s an utterly sweet and delicious way to eat your vegetables! {Paleo and/or Vegan} 

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 minutes
• Total Time: 12 minutes
• Yield: 3 cups 1x
• Category: Smoothies
• Method: Blender
• Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 3–4 cups fresh strawberries, rinsed and halved
• 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut cream, chilled overnight
• 2 scoops vanilla planted-based protein powder
• 1 cup steamed-then-frozen cauliflower florets
• 3–4 tablespoons liquid sweetener
• Optional garnishes: Pecans, chia seeds, shredded coconut, strawberry slices, or flax seeds

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Instructions

1. Rinse and drain the strawberries. Then slice or dice them and remove the stems and leaves. Transfer the strawberries to a high-speed blender container. Then scoop the coconut cream out of the can and dollop over the strawberries. Next, add the vanilla protein, frozen cauliflower florets, and agave nectar. 
2. Blend on HIGH until creamy. Stop, if needed, to scrape the sides of the container. Then blend on HIGH again to combine all the ingredients.
3. Serve immediately in bowls or chill in the refrigerator in an airtight container for several hours to overnight. The smoothie will continue to thicken as it chills.
4. Consume within about 2-3 days.

Notes

• Prep time does not include time to steam or freeze the cauliflower or to chill the coconut cream beforehand.
• Please see the blog post for meal-prep/make-ahead options.

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