Chocolate Granola + Pink Smoothie Bowl | Vegan

2.02.2020


As cold as it is outside at the beginning of February, I couldn't help but crave a smoothie bowl this morning. The heating is on, yet here I am eating a bowl of frozen fruit, how inviting.. No, but seriously I love smoothie bowls and no matter what time of year, they're equally as enjoyable. It's so fun to play around with different toppings and flavours because the options are near enough endless. Plus it makes a nice change to having porridge every morning.

Personally, my favourite smoothie bowls are as simple as they come - strawberry and banana. Which is what I've decided to bring you today! Over time I can't wait to share all of my other, more exciting creations as they'll include more ingredients and are a little bit more interesting, however, this smoothie bowl is my trusty go to that I adore, so if you're new to smoothies (bowls) then this one certainly won't disappoint!

To start with, I made a new granola recipe! this is one of my favourite smoothie bowl toppings as it adds a nice crunch and feels more like breakfast, plus it makes it a bit more filling! As chocolate and strawberry is one of the best flavour combinations ever, I thought it would be nice to make this granola as chocolatey as possible, using cocoa powder and white chocolate chunks! Of course, you could enjoy this granola alone without the smoothie bowl, but I love them together.

- VEGAN CHOCOLATE GRANOLA -

Prep Time: 10 mins   Cook Time: 20 mins

You will need:

- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup cashews, chopped
- 1/2 cup vegan white chocolate chunks (I used these ones from Plamil)

Method:

1. Pre heat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add the rolled oats and cocoa powder, mix well with a wooden spoon.

3. In a saucepan, add the coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Stir everything together on low heat continuously, until the coconut oil has completely melted.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of oats. Stir everything together until well incorporated and all of the oats are completely covered and are slightly sticky.

5. Chop up the cashews into small chunks and throw them into the bowl with everything else, once again mixing until they are well incorporated.

6. Pour out the granola onto the lined baking tray, use the wooden spoon to spread it all out and lay it relatively flat, still allowing the granola to sort of stick together.

7. Place the baking tray in the oven for 20 minutes until the granola becomes crisp.

8. Allow the granola to cool for around 15 minutes, before adding the chopped up white chocolate chunks. Make sure the chocolate chunks are spaced out.

9. Pour the granola into an airtight container. It can keep up to 3 weeks.

Now for the smoothie bowl! 

- SIMPLE PINK PATAYA SMOOTHIE BOWL - 

You will need:

- 2 frozen bananas
- handful of frozen strawberries
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- splash of almond milk (may need to add more as you go)
- 1 heaped tsp of Unicorn Superfood Pink Pitaya Powder | gifted
- 1/4 cup chocolate granola
- 3 fresh strawberries, chopped into small chunks
- 1 tbsp desiccated coconut

Method:

1. Chop up the frozen bananas into small chunks so they can blend easier. Add them to a high speed blender along with the frozen strawberries, almond milk and vanilla. Blend until smooth. You may need to add a little bit more almond milk if it is having trouble blending, however you want the mixture to be thick not runny.

2. Once the fruit is blending well, add the pink pitaya powder and blend again until completely mixed.

3. Pour out the smoothie into a bowl and use a spoon to flatten it and spread it out. Add the chocolate granola, fresh strawberry chunks and desiccated coconut and arrange them however you like. You could even add a few more white chocolate chunks too, as they make this sooo yummy. Enjoy!

If this is your first time trying a smoothie bowl, then I hope you love this super simple recipe. It's one of my favourites and never disappoints. I can't wait to share more of my smoothie bowls with you soon!

What's your favourite flavour combination?

Love Always,
Shannon x

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