Mango Kiwi Chia Seed Smoothie Bowl (Vegan, Gluten Free)
Mango Kiwi Chia Seed Smoothie Bowl (V+GF): a super easy recipe for a light, refreshing and filling smoothie bowl full of mangoes and topped with kiwis. Vegan and Gluten Free.
Have I ever told you guys that Erik and I dream about moving to Hawaii? Alright, some of you highly perceptive folks have seen the footer on my page. <– Did you just go look? Well, it’s not just because Hawaii is, um, everything. And it’s not just because of Hawaii Five-O. I mean, Daniel Dae Kim. Woah. Just woah. All due respect to Erik, of course. 😉
Anyway, so one of the reasons why we dream about moving to Hawaii is because we kinda botched our time in San Diego. I have to tell you guys about this on a different occasion. One thing links to the other, I swear! Suffice to say, we lived in San Diego for about three years and we didn’t appreciate it at all. I know, I’m kicking myself, kicking Erik (not just for not being DDK), and then Erik’s kicking me.
Gee, we sure do seem like such a lovely household, don’t we?
Skipping ahead (not kicking ahead, for some unknown reason), we plan on moving to Hawaii. And we plan on doing it right. It’s gonna take like a hundred more years til we can make it happen, but hey, there’s cryogenic freezing and all of that other kinda creepy science to preserve us until then, right?
Right?!?
Until then, lemme share with you one of the reasons why Hawaii is everything to us. So, there’s this story with my mom. (Isn’t there always a story with these sassy moms?) 😉 Mom’s been to Hawaii a couple times and she’s LOVED it. Okay, I literally just fact-checked this with Erik (yes, he knows more about my mom than I do. Keeper, I tell ya. What’s UP now, Daniel Dae Kim?!). He informed me that she’s only been once. Hmm. Well, this just goes to show you how much she loved it and has told so many stories about it that the memories from one visit have morphed into, like, five visits.
Yep, five visits. Our family’s not known for it’s, erm, “stellar” memory. See: Erik the Fact Checker to confirm this.
Anywho, so one day during one visit, she heads out with my sister to walk around the lively street markets in Hawaii. She’s gushing over all of the lush greenery, the nice people who are smiling as she walks by, the cool breeze + warm air. Everything is just as you’d expect it to be in paradise.
She walks by a few stalls, seeing hats for sale, sunglasses to try on, and so forth. She then sees a big box of gorgeous, perfectly yellow, red and orange mangoes. She walks closer to this tropical fruit bounty. She sticks a finger out and starts poking the mangoes, testing their firmness. She picks a few mangoes up, feeling the weight in her hands, gauging their purchase-worthiness.
She sets these mangoes down, steps back and nods. Yes. It’s time. These mangoes have been deemed exceedingly buyable. She looks up, glances around, looking for the vendor to purchase these from. No one’s in sight. She can’t leave now, not without the mangoes, because: buyability, perfection, all of it.
Suddenly, she feels a breeze behind her. She turns and sees a man carrying another box of mangoes, nearly identical to the box in front of her.
“Sir, excuse me. Can I buy these mangoes? There’s no sign about how much they cost.”
“Um… Well… Eh…”
My mom, thinking this is some haggling game, suits up.
“I mean, they look okay. They could be better, but I’ll buy them. How much?”
“Well… uh… the thing is…”
“How about 25 cents?”
“Um… See…”
“If I buy the whole box, it should be cheaper. How about two dollars for the whole box?” (I know… produce is dirt cheap in Hawaii).
“Oh, well…”
My mom, I like to think, winks at him. Smiles that smile of hers… both friendly, warm and just utterly convincing.
“What do you think?”
“Ohhhh, okay! Why not?”
Mom struts away… well, grunts and struts because an entire box of mangoes is heavy. She walks up to my sister, relays the entire story with more excitement than a kid at Chuck E. Cheese on her birthday.
My sister, Jenny, glances over to the stall. Glances into my mom’s hands. Glances back at the stall. And tells my mom,
“Mommy, that’s a restaurant!! That was the back of the restaurant. You just bought their supply of mangoes for the day! Um… they can’t sell any of their mango dishes now!”
My mom looks at Jenny. Jenny looks at my mom. And they both dissolve into giggles.
And that, my friends, is why I want to move to Hawaii. 🙂 People are kind, super laid back, and so good to my mom. One day, it’s gonna be home.
Until then, you and I can whip up a mango kiwi chia seed smoothie bowl. And always, always think about how much fun the simple things are. 🙂 While you’re at it, be sure to check out this Super Green Tea Antioxidant Smoothie from Healthy Seasonal Recipes!
This big, bright mango kiwi chia seed smoothie bowl is:
- easy to make
- full of the good stuff
- vegan and gluten free
- filling and refreshing
- packed with vitamins and minerals
- made with mangoes you don’t have to buy from the back of a restaurant
- (but you can)
Cheers to you, my friend. Here’s to blending up a taste of Hawaii. May this recipe always bring a smile to you.
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Mango Kiwi Chia Seed Smoothie Bowl (Vegan, Gluten Free)
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 2 smoothie bowls 1x
Description
Mango Kiwi Chia Seed Smoothie Bowl (V+GF): a super easy recipe for a light, refreshing and filling smoothie bowl full of mangoes and topped with kiwis. Vegan and Gluten Free.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk, divided
- 2 medium bananas, sliced and frozen
- 2 cups frozen mango chunks
- 2 kiwis, peeled and sliced
- Optional Toppings
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds, chopped nuts, coconut, other fruits and seeds
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add chia seeds and ½ cup of almond milk. Give it a good whisk, until thoroughly combined. Cover and let set in the fridge for about 10 minutes.
- Add bananas and the remaining 1 cup of almond milk to a blender. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender as need. Add mangoes, blending until mostly smooth.
- Take the chia seed mixture out of the fridge—it should have thickened to a gel-like consistency. Give it another good whisk. Using a rubber spatula or spoon, scrape the chia seed mixture out of the cup and into the blender. Blend until smooth.
- Pour into two bowls. Top with kiwi slices. Add additional toppings as you’d like. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Category: Smoothie, Vegan, Gluten Free
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If you enjoyed this mango kiwi chia seed smoothie bowl, try my Mango Chia Seed Smoothie (Vegan, Gluten Free). Sunshine in a cup, my friends. 🙂
So I hear you like smoothie bowls. How about trying my Blueberry Coconut Smoothie Bowl (Vegan, Gluten Free). Nothing like a big bowl of yum. 😉
Do you have any funny stories about your family?
I can’t wait to hear your responses.
Ha ha, Demeter! This is the best story ever! I’ve never been to Hawaii, but I hope to one day. Until then, I’ll just make this smoothie bowl on repeat 😉 So gorgeous (as always!)
I’m so happy you enjoyed the story! I hope you get to go too. 🙂 Thanks Megan!
Oh my gosh! I was just talking about that in my poke bowl post; how now that live in CA we need to go to HI! We must have been channeling each others thoughts 😉 So this bowl is just stunning! The colors are bright and vibrant and mangos… I just LOVE mangos! I think I could eat them every day! Pinning!
Okay, it’s official, we ALL need to go to Hawaii! 😉 Let’s channel and pack simultaneously. Haha. Thanks Kathleen! xo
Absolutely beautiful bowl! Would love to dig into this for breakfast right about now!
When you move to Hawaii tell me, and we’ll come and visit 🙂 . And we’ll make some vegan gluten-free baking, and loooots of these smoothie bowls. Which I haven’t made yet, but time is coming… As usual, your pics are lovely, beautiful, bright and cheerful like a sunny summer day!
Oh yeah! I’d love to have you as my guest–you’ll be able to eat all the mangoes you’d like! 😉 Nic, you and I would SO get our vegan/gf baking on! That would be awesome. Thanks my dear!
oh my goodness your mother sounds amazing!! ahahha. what a hilarious story. i cannot believe how cheap they were. it reminds me of when i went to Bali and got a MASSIVE papaya for only $2. it was insane and like the size of me. i’ve never been to Hawaii but hope to save up enough to go and really enjoy myself out there
Hahaha – I laughed so hard – first at this “I’m kicking myself, kicking Erik (not just for not being DDK), and then Erik’s kicking me.” and then when I read about your mom buying the restaurant’s supply of mangoes! I totally understand why you wanna move there – now I wanna move there too – but it might take me like eleventy billion years before I am ready – but no fret – this bowl fileld with MANGOES will make me feel I am there – at least in ma head and in ma belly!
So loved reading this Demeter!
I aim to please! Or… at least to tickle your funny bones! 😉 Hey, we can both dream and then dream some more about moving. One day, it’s gonna happen! So happy to read your wonderful comments. Thanks Shashi! xo
Lol. Kicking each other silly is the best way to show love though. I know what you mean about not taking advantage of where you live. I lived in Santa Cruz for three years and I kick myself all the time for not really experiencing the place as I should have. But this bowl is so amazing! Just looking at it is enough to wake me up and feel energized!
Right?? Hehe… It’s an unusual tactic, but adopted by some… 😉 Oh yeah, the beauty in Santa Cruz is incredible! But you live in NorCal, right? So you still have a chance! Thanks Megan. 😉
Smoothie bowl looks so refreshing and the way you have carved the bowl shows how much you loved the bowl. Colors speak lots about season and freshness and sunshine.
Aw, thank you Smitha. I’m so happy that you enjoy the colors! 🙂
Hi Demeter,
Your mom is adorable. I love these stories! And this smoothie looks like a gorgeous, delicious bowl of sunshine and happiness! We will definitely make them this week. And when we eat them, we will dream that we are enjoying these bowls on the beaches of Hawaii!
Hi Lucy! My mom is absolutely the best–everything’s so much more fun with her involved. 😉 Can’t wait to see what you think of this recipe. Let’s dream together, okay? 🙂
Wow, this smoothie bowl is so bright and colourful, a perfect Summer breakfast! I’m a big mango and kiwi fan, too! 🙂
Thanks Marsha! Yeah, mangoes and kiwis just belong together–in our bellies! 😉
LOL that’s an awesome story. Your mom is quite the haggler if she can get a restaurant to sell their day’s worth of mango inventory to her! 😛 … Great recipe too, mango anything is always fantastic! 🙂
Thanks Serena! Yes, she is! You should see her at actual stalls (not the back of a restaurant… Lol). Thank you, my dear. 🙂
Such a cute story, Demeter. Your mom is so adorable. I wish I could go to Hawaii (paradise) one day. So actually I am waiting for you to move there. 😉 What a stunning looking smoothie bowl. This looks like a sunshine in a bowl. So much yes to this bright, shiny and summery-y smoothie. Just beyond YUM! Happy weekend! 🙂
Thank you Anu. 🙂 She is the best! When I move, I’m gonna have like three extra guest rooms–you can visit and bring the fam! 🙂 Thanks so much Anu. Have a great weekend as well! 🙂
OMG, I’m totally laughing out loud over here at the SuBourbon Cottage about your mom and the mangoes! That is too funny!! And good for your mom, clearly her smile can get anyone to sell anything! I’ve been to Hawaii and I LOVED it!!!! Like I still dream it. You have never seen stars until you have seen them in Hawaii…. they are like a beautiful, bright canopy in the sky. Just gorgeous! If you ever move there, I’m coming with you! So weird you guys have big dreams of moving there, because my dream is to move there and be a macadamia nut farmer. So when you get ready to go, let me know!! It will take me .2 seconds to pack! 😉 Anyways, these smoothie bowls are gooooooorgeous, Demeter!!! Talk about, hello sunshine!! Mangos and kiwis are bomb, but combined in a beautiful smoothie bowl loaded with goodies? Yahhhhhhs! This is how I want to wake up daily… if only I was in Hawaii on top of it. Pinned! Cheers, sweets! xo
Cheyanne!!! Hey my dear! You are sounding especially effervescent and well. 🙂 I’m so happy. <3 Yeah, my mom and her smile... it's probably in some famous painting, I like to think. Hehe. That bright canopy sounds like EVERYTHING. Okay, I'll set a bat signal of some sort, let's make it a mango signal, for when we're ready. We'll all move, my mom will get us all the mangoes we need, you get us the macadamia nuts and I'll bring my appetite. How's that sound? 😉 One day, my dear. One day. 🙂 Thanks Chey! xoxoxoxo
Actually, we have a bit of family in Hawaii, maybe it’s time for that visit? Hmmmm, can we stay with you guys pretty please? Time to drop hints! Anyhow, kiwi’s are my top fruit and my daughters. She calls them cubies. And eats them like candy because they taste like candy. I love how happy this is and how it satisfies my sweet tooth but doesn’t require me to go to the gym. Because that won’t happen!!!
Yes, it is!! Can we all stay with your family? Hehe. Um, drop some hints for us as well? 😉 So true, kiwis are so sweet and delish. No gym needed here! Lol. Thanks for a good laugh as always Laura. 🙂
Hawaii is most certainly one of the most magical place on the earth, I wish to visit some day and this bowl looks so beautiful, fresh and light!
Agreed! One day, we’ll all get to visit as much as we’d like. 😉 Thanks Rahul!
First of all, your smoothie bowl pix look like pure sunshine. And second of all, I love your mama! What a hoot! Happy Monday. 🙂
Thanks Kate! She’s a real treasure, that’s for sure. Happy Monday, friend! 🙂
There’s no doubt this recipe will bring a smile to my face but that story will certainly have me smiling for days! You’ve convinced me…I need to move to Hawaii, too – after I live in Italy for a spell! 😉 I love all the tropical flavors here and how bright and sunny your photos are! I leave your site feeling a little brighter and sunnier, every time I visit!
Aw… thank you for saying that Annie. 🙂 It is absolutely my pleasure to bring a smile to your face. (Also, to convince you to move to Hawaii!) Lol. Oh gosh, how about we house swap? We can do it seasonally so both parties can enjoy the bounties of Hawaii and Italy. 🙂 Thanks so much for your kind words, Annie. Have a great week, my dear. xo
Love the story! I love mangoes, especially in a smoothie! Moving to Hawaii sounds awesome, hope you guys do it one day! Love this place! I’ve been obsessed with smoothie bowls lately and can’t wait to try this one!
Thanks Mira! Hawaii is just… everything. 🙂 Hope you a chance to enjoy this one. Thanks for stopping by, my dear. 😉
HAHAHAHAHA….that’s such a funny story, Demeter!! What a laugh…just what I needed on Monday morning. Hawaii does sound preeeeeety awesome. And cheap produce? Yes please! That would be awesome. Stuff around here is so expensive. Imagine just sitting on a new warm, sandy peach with a cool, refreshing, tropical drink in your hand….anyways, this smoothie bowl looks delicious and it did, indeed, put a big smile on my face. So bright and colourful and good for ya! Pinning 🙂 Have an awesome week, girl! xo
Oh yeah! I love making you laugh, Dawn. 🙂 I am imagining everything you’re saying and happily sighing at the fantasy. 😉 Thanks for pinning and commenting, D! Have a great week too. xo
Aww what a cute story about your mom and the mangos! That’s too funny, though! I bet that guy was in shock! And I would LOVE to move to Hawaii too…my husband and I always say we we will, one day…but we’ll see about that. Such a great place to visit, though! Now onto this smoothie…it looks gorgeous! For some reason, eating out of bowls just seems to make everything taste better. I love the mango and kiwi in here, Demeter! Such a great way to start the day. Pinned, of course! Hope your Monday is off to a great start!
Hehe. Yeah, he was in shock and my mom was in glee. She’s funny that way. 😉 Gayle, I’ll be crossing my fingers, toes and anything else I see that we both get to move there! Yup, the bowls just make it seem more like dessert, dontcha think? Thanks so much for pinning and your comment love. Have a great Monday, G! xo