Mango Green Tea Smoothie Bowl

February 18, 2020 by Nicole Collins

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I can’t believe this is happening…

But today, we’re celebrating the color orange.

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Remember how yesterday I was complaining about the dreary weather? Well, I think I’m about to make it snow.

For those of you that have been with me for a while, you know that I don’t do the color orange. It’s my nemesis. The color, the scent, the flavor…keep it all away from me.

And, that made ORANGE day in our Taste the Rainbow Challenge especially difficult.

There are many orange foods that I wish I loved. I would’ve loved to so something with sweet potatoes, or pumpkin, or butternut squash with you today. But, I DON’T LIKE IT! And, I’ve tried. I REALLY have. So at the end of the day, all I can say is yuck at the mention of orange.

I also could’ve gone the cheddar cheese route. My original instinct was to do a Cheeto crusted chicken sammie. (And, that will probably still happen at some point, tbh, because now that idea is already building in my brain.) But, everything we’re making this week falls on the healthier side of the spectrum, and I really wanted to stay true to that.

So, we went a little orange adjacent today. But, it totally works. Thank goodness there are orangish fruits that I can tolerate that were able to make today’s recipe possible.

So today, we’re making Mango Green Tea Smoothie Bowls!

I’m actually really in love with this recipe. It’s so tropical and beachy. It’s kind of a spin on a smoothie that I used to drink non stop. So I figured, why not reduce the liquid, throw it in a bowl, top it with some pretty things, and call it breakfast!

We start by making our green tea. We’re going to brew some green tea bags in a little hot water, then flavor it with a little lemon, lime, and lots of honey. That’s it. But, it needs to be completely cold before we add it to our smoothie bowl. We don’t want to have mango soup!

Though, that could work…

After our tea is perfectly chilled, all that’s left to do is throw it in a blender with some frozen pineapple, frozen peaches, and some frozen mango chunks. Pour it in a pretty bowl, and get ready to top it!

To me, I never really understood smoothie bowls. What’s the point of eating a smoothie with a spoon? Cause, that’s basically what we’re doing. But, as I started adding toppings to our smoothie bowl, that’s when I realized that it’s less about how we’re eating it and more about the art of presenting it. To stick with our orangey theme, we’re going to make some coconut granola with chopped dried apricots to throw on top. For those of you out there that don’t despise orange, I bet a little orange zest would taste great in this granola. But, you’ll have to tell me all about it. I won’t be able to test that theory for you. Sorry!

This is one of those recipes that you have to make to order. It’s not something that’s going to keep beyond the time you made it. But, you can make a big batch of tea, keep it in the fridge, then all you need to do is grab some fruit from the freezer and blend. So, it’s super duper easy to whip up.

Ok everyone, I made it through ORANGE! That means the rest of the week is going to be smooth sailing!

See you tomorrow, and let’s eat!

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Mango Green Tea Smoothie Bowl

Serves: 2 Print

Ingredients:

For the Coconut Granola:

• ½ cup rolled oats

• 2 tbsp chopped pecans

• 1 tbsp unrefined coconut oil, melted

• 1 tbsp honey

• pinch of salt

• 2 tbsp unsweetened coconut

For the Smoothie Bowl:

• 2 cups water

• 1 green tea bag

• 2 tbsp honey

• 1 tsp lemon juice

• 1 tsp lime juice

• 1 cup frozen mango

• 1 cup frozen peaches

• 1 cup frozen pineapple

• ¼ cup dried apricots, chopped

Directions:

1. Make the Green Tea: Bring water to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat, add tea bag, and steep tea for 15 minutes. Remove tea bag. Stir in 2 tbsp honey, lemon, and lime juice. Transfer to a glass, and place in the fridge to chill completely.

2. Make the Coconut Granola: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, combine oats, pecans, coconut oil, and honey. Toss well to fully combine and make sure oats and nuts are coated with the wet ingredients. Spread in an even layer on prepared baking sheet. Season with a pinch of salt. Bake for 15 mins. Remove from oven, toss the granola, and return to the oven for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle coconut flakes onto granola, and toss the mix again. Bake for 5 more minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool completely.

3. Make the Smoothie Bowls: Place frozen mango, peaches, and pineapple in the bowl of a food processor. Process on high until the fruit starts to break down. With the motor running, drizzle in chilled green tea. Process until smooth.

4. To serve, divide smoothie mix between two bowls. Top with coconut granola and dried apricots. Serve immediately.

Recipe notes:

*Unrefined coconut oil has a stronger coconut flavor than refined, so that's why I like it in this granola. It really helps the coconut flavor shine!

*This smoothie can only be served right away. If you're not making both smoothie bowls at once, that's fine. You can have the tea and the granola prepared in advance, and blend up the smoothie when you're ready to serve.

*This smoothie mix is delicious as a smoothie drink too! You will need about a half cup more green tea to thin it out and make it drinkable.