Frozen Tropical Smoothie Bowl, Thick Enough for a Straw

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A mango-pineapple-banana smoothie blended so thick it holds a spoon upright — but still drinkable through a fat straw. Canned coconut milk and Greek yogurt give it a soft-serve body instead of the icy, watery texture most home smoothies end up with, and a squeeze of lime keeps all that tropical fruit from tasting flat. Toasted coconut, granola and fresh kiwi go on top so every spoonful has crunch.

Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen mango chunks
• 1 1/2 cups frozen pineapple chunks
• 1 large very ripe banana, peeled, sliced and frozen solid
• 1/2 cup full-fat canned coconut milk, well shaken and chilled
• 1/2 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon honey or agave, or more to taste
• 1 pinch fine sea salt
• 2 to 4 tablespoons coconut water or cold whole milk, only if needed to loosen

• 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/3 cup granola
• 1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh mango or pineapple, diced small
• 1 passion fruit, halved and scooped (optional)
• 2 teaspoons chia seeds
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• a few small mint leaves

Instructions

1. At least 4 hours ahead (or the night before), peel and slice the banana into 1-inch coins and freeze in a single layer on a plate until rock hard. A frozen ripe banana is what makes this smoothie thick and creamy rather than icy — do not skip it.
2. Put two serving bowls or wide glasses in the freezer for at least 10 minutes so the smoothie doesn't slump the second it's poured.
3. Toast the coconut flakes in a dry skillet over medium heat, tossing constantly, for 2 to 4 minutes until they smell nutty and are half golden, half pale. Tip them onto a plate right away — they scorch in seconds in a hot pan. Set aside to cool and crisp.
4. Into the blender jar add, in this order: coconut milk, Greek yogurt, lime juice, honey, and salt, then the frozen banana, mango, and pineapple on top. Liquids on the bottom let the blades catch instead of spinning against a frozen block.
5. Blend on low for about 20 seconds to break up the fruit, then step up to high and blend 45 to 60 seconds, using the tamper or stopping to push the fruit down with a spatula two or three times. The mixture should climb the sides, then fold over on itself in slow, soft-serve-like waves. If the blender is straining and nothing is moving, add coconut water 1 tablespoon at a time — no more than 4 total — and keep going.
6. Taste. It should be brightly tropical and just sweet enough; add honey 1 teaspoon at a time or another squeeze of lime if the fruit tastes dull. Blend 5 seconds to combine.
7. Scrape into the chilled bowls or glasses; the smoothie should mound up and hold a spoon nearly upright. Smooth the surface with the back of a spoon.
8. Top in tidy rows or arcs: kiwi slices, diced fresh mango, passion fruit pulp, then a strip of granola and a scatter of toasted coconut and chia seeds. Finish with mint and a lime wedge. Serve immediately with a wide straw and a spoon — it drinks through a boba-size straw for the first few minutes, then wants a spoon as it softens.

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Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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