My Vegan Chocolate Cauliflower "Nice Cream" Smoothie Bowl is an easy and healthy ice cream recipe to make for breakfast, is made with only 7 real, whole food ingredients and a great way to start your day!
Here's Why This Recipe Works
My top 3 favorite reasons:
- Healthy Breakfast Ready in About 5 Minutes!
- Has a Healthy Hidden Veggie!
- Made with Only 7 Clean, Real Food Ingredients!
This has been my breakfast every morning for the past two weeks and it has surprisingly kept me full and satisfied until lunch time. It almost feels like I'm eating dessert for breakfast!
It takes less than 5 minutes to make using a Vitamix and it's worth every second of those 5 minutes! I grab a bunch of organic bananas and 2-3 bags of organic frozen wild blueberries and organic cauliflower rice on my weekly grocery trip and it lasts me for about a week's worth of smoothie bowls. You can find frozen organic cauliflower rice at both Whole Foods and even Target.
I've been reading a book called "Medical Medium: Thyroid Healing" by Anthony William, which I highly recommend for anyone with thyroid issues. In his book, he gives a list of foods that support thyroid health and I've been trying to incorporate those whole food ingredients into my meals each day.
While I've never been a big fan of "nice cream" (aka "ice cream" made with frozen bananas), it turns out that bananas are one of the top foods he recommends for thyroid healing, along with wild blueberries.
And, in case you didn't know, organic wild blueberries (the cute tiny ones) have 2 x more antioxidants than regular cultivated blueberries (the larger ones). So I've been trying to add those on anything and everything I can.
Like this smoothie bowl!
I made the "nice cream" and added raw cacao powder because I don't really like smoothies or smoothie bowls that are heavy on the fruit and, of course, love anything chocolate! And I've fallen in love with cauliflower rice and frozen cauliflower rice adds a creamy, icy texture without any flavor of cauliflower at all. Cauliflower is also high on the list of foods to heal the thyroid so cauliflower rice got invited to the smoothie bowl party 🙂
Lastly, I was trying to think of what I could top my smoothie bowl with and I remembered the wild blueberries. I know the chocolate + blueberry combination sounds really weird, but it tastes amazing!
And I added some raw cacao nibs to give it a little crunch. Sometimes I even add a tablespoon or two of organic hemp seeds for variety and a little bit of plant-based protein.
This healthy breakfast (or dessert!) recipe is made with real, whole food ingredients and is raw, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, lectin-free, soy-free, egg-free, paleo-friendly and contains no refined sugar.
"Feel good about what you eat..."
- Karielyn Tillman
Ingredients
Here are the clean, real food ingredients I used to make this recipe. Try to buy organic if possible.
- Banana
- Frozen Cauliflower Rice
- Non-Dairy Milk
- Cacao Powder
- Almond Butter
- Wild Blueberries
- Cacao Nibs
That's it! My Vegan Chocolate Cauliflower Rice "Nice Cream" Smoothie Bowl is super easy to make!
5 Fast Facts About Bananas*: high levels of tryptophan to help combat depression; aids in weight loss; strengthens the immune system; high in fiber and potassium; helps to lower blood pressure
5 Fast Facts About Cauliflower*: 1 cup contains 9.1% DV of potassium; 1 cup contains 85.9% of vitamin C; 1 cup contains 8.5% DV of fiber; excellent antioxidant; contains anti-inflammatory benefits
5 Fast Facts About Almonds*: helps to regulate cholesterol and blood pressure; energy booster; loaded with calcium and fiber; ¼ cup contains 8 grams of vegan protein; high in antioxidants
5 Fast Facts About Raw Cacao Powder*: super high in antioxidants; promotes cardiovascular health; contains essential fats; can help to decrease blood pressure; contains over 300 compounds including protein, calcium, copper, zinc and iron
5 Fast Facts About Wild Blueberries*: 2x antioxidants than regular cultivated blueberries; higher antioxidants than cranberries, pomegranates or blackberries; low glycemic food; quick frozen to lock in nutrition and flavor; ¾ cup provides 4% dv of iron
5 Fast Facts About Raw Cacao Nibs*: excellent source of antioxidants; contains one of the highest dietary sources of magnesium; one ounce has 9 g of fiber; one ounce contains 4 g of raw vegan protein; one ounce contains 6% DV of iron
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make this recipe Medical Medium® Compliant with the following substitutions:
1. Cacao Powder - omit
2. Cacao Nibs - omit
It would be more of a "vanilla" smoothie bowl, but you could add a natural-colored superfood such pitaya powder or wild blueberry powder for color.
Yes! Even though wild blueberries have a higher nutritional profile, regular cultivated blueberries are a nutrient-dense, real food as well.
Just try to buy organic, if possible.
Yes, the cauliflower can be omitted.
I added it to give the smoothie bowl a "frosty" texture, but you could just add 3-4 ice cubes instead.
You'll be happy to know the answer is NO!
Without the cauliflower being cooked or seasoned, it is bland and will not taste like cauliflower at all, especially since it is in tiny, rice-sized pieces and will be blended in with the other ingredients.
No...the cauliflower rice will only work in this particular recipe if it is frozen.
I used it primarily as a substitute for ice to make the smoothie bowl "frosty" so it would need to be frozen when added in.
Top Tip
Make sure you use frozen cauliflower rice and not cooked cauliflower rice for this recipe.
Vegan Chocolate Cauliflower "Nice Cream" Smoothie Bowl
Equipment
- Vitamix or high-speed blender
Ingredients
For the nice cream:
- 1 large organic frozen banana
- 1 cup organic frozen cauliflower rice
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon homemade almond milk
- 2 tablespoons organic raw cacao powder
- 1 tablespoon organic almond butter
For the toppings:
- ½ cup organic wild blueberries
- 1-2 tablespoons organic raw cacao nibs
Instructions
- Add all ingredients for the nice cream to a Vitamix, or high-speed blender, and blend on high speed until everything is well combined and has the consistency of soft-serve ice cream, using the tamper if needed.
- Transfer the mixture to your serving bowl(s).
- Optional: Top with suggested toppings of organic wild blueberries and organic raw cacao nibs or your favorite organic fruit or other healthy toppings.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Copyright Notice
The notes, instructions, and photographs for this recipe are copyrighted material and are protected under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA). They cannot be used legally without my written permission.
More Healthy Smoothie Bowl Recipes
- Raspberry Acai Smoothie Bowl
- Blueberry Acai Protein Smoothie Bowl
- Dark Cherry and Acai Berry Smoothie Bowl
- or my Real Food Vegan™ 14-Day Meal Plan Program with 42 plant-based vegan + gluten-free recipes made with clean, real food ingredients just like this one that you will love!
M K Countryman says
I tried to make this but it didn't work out. First of all, I steamed the cauliflower and made the rice so that may be why... it wasn't cold. But I blended it and it all got hot. I've had the vitamin a while and I know it can make ice cream and soup so I don't know how it works differently. I googled but it doesn't seem like other people have this issue.
Karielyn says
Hi there! I'm really sorry to hear that the recipe didn't work for you. I primarily add the frozen cauliflower rice to give the recipe an "icy" texture, like having crushed ice which works well since frozen cauliflower rice doesn't have a flavor to it. And, for the extra nutrition it adds to the recipe.
I'm thinking the problem may be that the cauliflower rice was cooked and not frozen. I will make additional notes in the recipe post to emphasize the importance of using frozen cauliflower rice instead of cooked so no one else will have the same experience.
I hope you will consider giving it another try with frozen cauliflower rice...it's really good 🙂
Joy says
I keep reading that if you don't cook the cauliflower, that it will be harmful fir your thyroid. I've been drinking cauli smoothies every day and noticed some alarming hypothyroid symptoms this past month. Could it be the frozen cauliflower?
Karielyn says
Hi Joy! I understand your concern regarding raw cauliflower. I had the same concern with raw cauliflower and raw broccoli due to my own thyroid issues (Hashimoto's). After discussing my concerns with my Functional Medicine doctor and after reading an explanation of the raw cruciferous veggies/thyroid connection from Anthony William's book "Medical Medium Thyroid Healing", I felt more comfortable with consuming these type of veggies in moderation. I have been able to tolerate them without any problems.
However, everyone is different and different foods can affect each of us in different ways. I would suggest eliminating the raw cauliflower for a period of time to see if there are any changes in your symptoms. That's how I am able to determine what foods affect me.
Also, if you haven't already read the book "Medical Medium Thyroid Healing" by Anthony William, I would ~highly~ suggest you grab a copy, as it has completely changed the way I view my thyroid issues and the foods I need to eat to try to heal. Another good source is Dr. Isabella Wentz (The Thyroid Pharmacist). Both suggest that the Epstein Barr virus is the root of thyroid issues and they can be reversed by focusing on getting the virus in remission. They will explain (especially in the book) how other factors/foods/events/etc can cause flare-ups in thyroid symptoms. It may or may not be the raw cauliflower causing your recent symptoms, or it could be something else causing a flare-up.
I'm sorry if I'm giving you information that you may already be familiar with...just trying to share what has been working for me 🙂
Thanks for the question and I hope you get to feeling better!
Antri C. says
WOW! Just save it in my Pinterest board... It looks so weird to me but at the same time it looks tasty 🙂 xoxo
Karielyn says
Hi there Antri! I know...the cauliflower sounds really weird, but I promise, you won't even know it's in there and it adds extra nutritional value. Hope you enjoy it if you give it a try 🙂
Keri Strawn says
Can't wait to try this! I have been putting frozen okra in everything but for some reason didn't think about using frozen cauliflower. Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipes with us! Blessings on your day!
Keri
Karielyn says
Hi there Keri! I can't wait for you to try it! It really doesn't taste like cauliflower at all and the frozen cauliflower gives the smoothie bowl and extra "frosty" texture...plus the extra nutrition!
Hope you let me know how you like it 🙂