Name: Chunky Monkey Smoothie Bowl
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 frozen banana; 1/2 cup frozen cauliflower; 2 Medjool dates, pitted; 1/4 cup cashews; 1/3 cup coconut milk; 1 tbsp flaxseeds; Cashew coconut granola (click for recipe); Shredded coconut; Cacao nibs; Dark chocolate, melted

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This Chunky Monkey Smoothie Bowl is creamy, chocolatey, and nutritious. It’s vegan, refined sugar-free, and is loaded with wholesome ingredients. Enjoy this chocolate coconut smoothie bowl for a decadent breakfast or healthy dessert!

A white bowl filled with a chocolate smoothie, topped with shredded coconut, coconut cashew granola, cacao nibs, and a drizzle of chocolate, with a spoon in it. Sitting on a white marble counter.

If you’re a big fan of chocolate, coconut, and cashews, then you’re going to love this Chunky Monkey Smoothie Bowl! It’s an irresistible combination & will make you feel like you’re having dessert for breakfast. Best of all, this easy smoothie bowl recipe only requires 5 minutes to make!

Why you’ll love this smoothie bowl recipe

It only takes 5 minutes to make this smoothie bowl.
Packed with vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and fiber.
Perfect breakfast or snack that is creamy, chocolatey, and healthy.
Tastes like a real chocolate coconut ice cream, but in a smoothie bowl form.
A vegan and gluten-free smoothie bowl recipe.
Plus, you can customize this smoothie bowl recipe, by adding your favorite toppings.

Key Ingredients

This chunky monkey smoothie is creamy and perfectly sweet, so it actually tastes like you’re indulging into a chocolate coconut ice cream. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

Frozen Banana: A frozen banana adds more sweetness and creaminess to this smoothie bowl!
Frozen Cauliflower: I know it sounds nuts, but adding frozen cauliflower is where the thick texture comes from. Don’t worry, you can’t taste it. I recommend using store bought frozen cauliflower, or even frozen cauliflower rice, because it blends up nicely.
Medjool Dates: Just adding a couple of dates makes this smoothie bowl extra creamy and sweet. Also, be sure to make sure that your dates are pitted.
Cacao Powder: To make the smoothie chocolatey! If you don’t have cacao powder, you can use cocoa powder or even vegan chocolate protein powder.
Cashews: Adding cashews to this smoothie bowl takes it to a whole new level. Of course, you can use peanuts or even walnuts, but I find that cashews make this smoothie extra creamy. I recommend using unroasted and unsalted cashews.
Coconut Milk: I love using coconut milk in this recipe, because it adds a tropical, creamy flavor. However if you don’t have any coconut milk, feel free to use any milk that you have on hand.
Flaxseeds: Flaxseeds are loaded with nutrients, high in omega-3 fats, rich in dietary fiber, and you can’t even taste them. They are completely optional, so no problem if you don’t have them…yet!

How to make this Chunky Monkey Smoothie Bowl

All it takes is 3 simple steps to achieve your chocolate coconut smoothie!

To begin, add the coconut milk, cacao powder, flaxseeds, cashews, frozen banana, frozen cauliflower, and Medjool dates, in a high-speed blender.
Next, blend the ingredients until smooth, thick, and creamy.
Then, transfer your creamy smoothie to a chilled bowl. Garnish with coconut cashew granola, shredded coconut, cacao nibs, and a drizzle of melted dark chocolate, if desired.

A blender filled with a frozen banana, Medjool dates, cauliflower, cashews, cacao powder, flaxseeds, and non-dairy milk, sitting on a white marble counter, all blended up.

Best Smoothie Bowl Toppings

There are several options when it comes to toppings for smoothie bowls. For this specific recipe, you can keep it simple, go all out with a dessert-style bowl, or choose a combination of both. I decided to go all out for my dessert smoothie bowl. Thus, I garnished mine with coconut cashew granola, shredded coconut, cacao nibs, and a drizzle of melted dark chocolate. No hard feelings if you want to go with a healthier topping route, so I will provide you with some healthy smoothie bowl topping suggestions.

Healthy smoothie bowl toppings

Fresh berries: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, etc.
Sliced banana
Chopped Medjool dates
Chopped nuts: cashews, hazelnuts, peanuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, pecans, walnuts, etc.
Nut butter: hazelnut butter, creamy peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, SunButter, pecan butter, etc.
Granola: use your favorite granola. Try my vegan gluten-free & nut-free granola, peanut butter granola, coconut cashew granola, chocolate coconut granola, or almond joy granola.
Coconut yogurt

Dessert style smoothie bowl toppings

Coconut whip cream, cocowhip
Cacao nibs
Chopped or melted dark chocolate/dark chocolate chips
Shredded coconut or coconut flakes

A white bowl filled with a chocolate smoothie, topped with shredded coconut, coconut cashew granola, cacao nibs, and a drizzle of chocolate. Sitting on a white marble counter.

Tips for making the Perfect Smoothie Bowl

To make the perfect smoothie bowl, make sure to follow these tips!

Use a frozen banana and frozen cauliflower to achieve a thick consistency.
Start off by only adding 1/3 cup of coconut milk and only add more if needed.
Use a high-speed blender, with a tamper, to ensure that your smoothie bowl achieves a thick and creamy texture.
Place your serving bowl in the freezer before you begin preparing this recipe and remove it when smoothie is ready. This will ensure that your smoothie bowl stays cold as you enjoy it.
Use unroasted and unsalted cashews

Fresh versus frozen fruit

The key to making smoothie bowls is using frozen fruit. By adding frozen fruits to your smoothies, you will achieve a thicker result, so that you can add toppings, without them sinking. Also, don’t add too much liquid, because it is a smoothie bowl after all. I usually start with a little non-dairy milk and add more, if needed, until I reach the desired thickness.

Smoothie Bowl FAQs

Can I make this smoothie bowl a smoothie?

Absolutely! This smoothie bowl can be as thick or as thin as you desire. Increase the liquid from 1/3 cup to 1 cup, to make it a smoothie.

Can I add protein powder?

Yes! To increase the protein content of this smoothie bowl, add a scoop of your favorite protein powder. I recommend using a chocolate flavor for this smoothie bowl recipe.

What if I don’t have cashews?

Don’t have cashews? No problem! Simply replace with 2 tbsp of cashew butter or swap the cashews completely and use a 1/4 cup of walnuts!

Can I make this smoothie bowl banana free?

Certainly, replace the frozen banana with an additional 1/2 cup of frozen cauliflower.

Can I make this smoothie bowl in advance?

Unfortunately, no. I do not recommend making this Chunky Monkey Smoothie Bowl in advance. However, you can definitely prep all the ingredients, the night before, by adding them to a zip lock bag. That way, in the morning, all you need to do is add the ingredients, along with non-dairy milk, to your blender.

More Vegan Smoothie Bowl Recipes:

If you tried this Chunky Monkey Smoothie Bowl or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment & rating below! Be sure to follow along on my Instagram, Pinterest, and subscribe to my email list for more recipes and updates. Also, tag me on Instagram if you make this recipe, so I can see your creation!