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Hot Chocolate Smoothie Bowl

This hot chocolate smoothie bowl is my favorite breakfast of all times! It’s deliciously healing and energizing.

Hot Chocolate Smoothie Bowl

This is my favorite breakfast of all times!!!

I know I say a lot of things are my “favorites” but I really mean it this time…

Many mornings I make a healthy superfoods packed shake for breakfast. I adjust the ingredients depending upon what my body needs on that particular day. I use herbs, superfoods, fruit, vegetables… you name it and I’ve blended it up for breakfast.

If you’re looking for a whole list of great breakfast ideas, there are some great  recipes here: 10 Breakfasts To Boost Your Energy.

Last week, on a cold windy morning, Steve wasn’t feeling great and asked me to make him a shake to make his sore throat and emerging cold feel better. Now, I’ve done this many times before so I started pulling out the cold and flu healing ingredients from the cabinets and refrigerator.

All of a sudden it was like a lightbulb went off and poof… the best idea ever!

It’ cold outside. He’s cold inside. He needs something warm and comforting. I’m going to make a hot shake! And I started putting the ingredients into a pot on the stove before I put them into the blender. When the new creation was done, I tasted it and it was incredibly delicious, but too thick for a shake in a glass. It ended up being a warm smoothie bowl, and it’s the best breakfast ever!

It tastes like hot chocolate in the consistency of a smooth and creamy chocolate mousse. Yum. And it’s got a kick of ginger and the sweetness of bananas. This Hot Chocolate Smoothie Bowl is truly amazing. You have to try this!

He felt better, but I made this yummy bowl 3 mornings in a row, and I rarely make the same thing more than once… but this is that good!

My favorite summer smoothie bowl is my Cherry Berry Smoothie Bowl, so if you want something cold try this one too!

Hot Chocolate Smoothie Bowl

Look at some of the amazing things in this healing smoothie bowl:

In Asian medicine, nuts are known to be good for your brain, heart, skin and reproductive system. Almonds are particularly nutritious. They are a good source of protein and they give you energy. And, they are gluten-free. Almonds will help relieve a cough and asthma and are also good for constipation. Even if you are not on a dairy-free diet, almond milk is the way to go.  This recipe uses almond milk and almond butter.

Raw cacao is a superfood. It is packed with magnesium, iron, zinc and other minerals. Not only is it packed with health benefits, but it actually has properties that help the body absorb nutrients better and it’s filled with antioxidants. Cacao can actually be translated as “food of the gods”… Raw cacao can help lower blood pressure, promote healthy heart function, improve digestion, and may even help increase the libido.

Baobab is a superfood that is a powder made from an African fruit. This amazing superfood has tons of vitamin C to boost your immune system and it’s great for energy. Sometimes I put some in my water bottle to keep my hydrated throughout the day. It’s easy to put a scoop in anything for a pick-me-up.

Maca Root is one of the superfoods I take every day. It has many healthy benefits including increasing libido, helping menopausal symptoms, relieving menstrual cramps, regulating hormones, and increasing energy.

I add either collagen or grass-fed gelatin powder to my smoothie bowls. They are great for your bones, joints, sleep, skin, and hair. It’s a superfood and it’s a protein. (See the recipe below for the one I like and where to buy it.)

Research shows that pumpkin seeds may reduce blood sugar and increase bone density. And, because they are rich in iron, they are good if you are tired or have anemia. In Asian medicine, pumpkin seeds are sometimes used to get rid of intestinal parasites and to decrease inflammation in the body. I buy pumpkin seed protein in powder form because it’s a great easy way to add protein to my shakes and smoothies without adding any extra sugar. (See the recipe for where to buy it.)

Ginger is a Chinese herb (Gan Jiang) that warms the body. It’s especially good during cold weather and also during seasonal changes. So, when it’s winter or when winter is trying to turn into spring, and we (those of us on the east coast) get some of these cold, raw, damp days, ginger will make you feel better and will help boost your immune system. Old folklore shows that ginger was rubbed on scalps to stop baldness. And, in some circles, a ginger paste is still rubbed on arthritic joints to stop pain (don’t try this at home unless you are diagnosed with a cold-condition by an acupuncturist).

I love to add bananas to smoothie bowls; they give it a great natural sweetness and a nice thick texture. Bananas are good for your intestines (an old Asian remedy was to eat a banana every day to relieve hemorrhoids) and your lungs, and they even help relieve the effects of overindulging in alcohol.

Dates are rich in potassium, dietary fiber and tannins. Fiber is good for your gut and tannins help the body fight inflammation and infection. Dates are also rich in vitamin A and iron. The most amazing thing about dates is that they can be used to replace sugar in almost anything. I stopped using sweetened protein powders in my smoothies and now I use unsweetened ones but I add a few dates.

Chaga mushrooms are a longevity superfood. I use a chaga mushroom extract powder that makes it easy to add this immune-system-boosting mushroom to my smoothies. There’s a lot of research being done on the power of chaga right now and it’s possible ability to help fight cancer. It’s also good for your intestinal system and it can help calm your nerves. (See the recipe below for where to buy this amazing ingredient.)

Hot Chocolate Smoothie Bowl

 

Hot Chocolate Smoothie Bowl
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Recipe type: Breakfast, Smoothie Bowl
Cuisine: American, superfoods
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
This is a hot smoothie bowl! It tastes like hot chocolate, is filled with immune-boosting superfoods and has the texture of a creamy chocolate mousse. It's the best breakfast ever!
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Put the almond milk, almond butter, cacao, baobab, chaga, maca, coconut oil, collagen, pumpkin protein, and ginger in a medium pot. Whisk to combine.
  2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 3 minutes.
  3. Put the banana and dates into a blender.
  4. Pour the liquid from the pot into the blender.
  5. Cover the blender tightly with a clean dish towel (using a towel instead of the blender cap will allow steam to escape so you don't burn yourself), and blend until creamy and smooth.
  6. Pour into 2 bowls.
  7. Top with chopped walnuts

 

Hot Chocolate Smoothie Bowl

Cherry Berry Smoothie Bowl

This cherry berry smoothie bowl is delicious, healing, and has everything your body needs to stay healthy!

Cherry Berry Smoothie Bowl

I remember the first time I had a smoothie bowl. I had been seeing them pop up in photos all over the internet and I thought they were the most beautiful things. Yeah, I’m a bit of a freak that way — I think food photos are gorgeous the way other people think pictures of amazing sunsets are the best…

Then, I went to visit my daughter at college, and I went to a juice bar (I can find a juice bar in any city) and lo and behold they had a whole smoothie bowl menu. I ordered one, ate it, and then went back every morning for another one.

Smoothie bowls are the perfect way to start your day.

I still think these bowls are awesome. I put all of my greens and superfoods in them and I top them with such great healthy toppings. There are just so many options!! I get excited just thinking about it!

This Cherry Berry Smoothie Bowl was one I made for my husband. He’s a happy camper when he gets a great smoothie bowl for breakfast. As with all smoothie bowl recipes, feel free to add whatever ingredients you like and top it with things that make you smile.

I know the smoothie bowl craze is bound to end sometime, but not in my house! And, if you want a simple but great smoothie of a different type, try my Banana Chai Smoothie.

Cherry Berry Smoothie Bowl (close)-0558

Here’s some of what I put in my bowl:

Cherries are one of the best foods to combat many types of arthritis and joint pain. Also, because cherries help improve circulation, they can be helpful for post-stroke patients. In Chinese medicine, we also believe that cherries help to maintain the body’s “essence” or life-force. I always keep a bottle of organic black cherry juice in the fridge and I often drink a few ounces before bedtime or put a little in my smoothies. I also keep bags of frozen cherries in the freezer. And when fresh cherries are in season, you can always find a big bowl in my kitchen.

I love to add bananas to smoothie bowls; they give it a great natural sweetness and a nice thick texture. Bananas are good for your intestines (an old Asian remedy was to eat a banana every day to relieve hemorrhoids) and your lungs, and they even help relieve the effects of overindulging in alcohol.

Most people think of Popeye (I just realized I’m really dating myself with this reference!) and iron when they think of spinach. It is true that spinach contains iron, but it’s this vegetable’s lesser-known qualities that really hold my admiration. Spinach contains a substance that helps eliminate prostate cancer. It’s also great for your bones and also for memory loss. Diabetic patients may find that eating spinach helps combat excessive thirst and can even be good for night blindness. Spinach can inhibit the body’s ability to absorb calcium, so calcium-rich foods should be avoided when eating this leafy green.

In Asian medicine, nuts are known to be good for your brain, heart, skin and reproductive system. Almonds are particularly nutritious. They are a good source of protein and they give you energy. And, they are gluten-free. Almonds will help relieve a cough and asthma and are also good for constipation.

Figs are good for anemia, constipation, indigestion and fever. They are also good at fighting fatigue and boosting memory retention.

Lucuma powder is made from a South American tropical fruit. It’s sweet and contains a good amount of calcium, magnesium and potassium. It also has a great anti-inflammatory effect and can improve the condition of your skin. If you don’t have access to lucuma, you can use coconut sugar or add any sweetener that makes you happy, or just add more figs or a few pitted dates.

I add grass-fed gelatin powder to my smoothie bowls. Gelatin is great for your bones, joints, sleep, skin, and hair. It’s a superfood and it’s a protein. (See the recipe below for the one I like and where to buy it.)

Cherry Berry Smoothie Bowl

Cherry Berry Smoothie Bowl
Print
Recipe type: Breakfast, Smoothie Bowl
Author:
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 1
This smoothie bowl is deliciously refreshing and will energize you for the day; it's an awesome breakfast!
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Put cherries, cranberries, banana, almonds, figs, lucuma, and gelatin in a blender. Whiz it up until it's smooth.
  2. Pour into a bowl.
  3. Arrange toppings so it makes you happy.
  4. Enjoy!