A few weeks ago, I saw a little pop up market on the side of the road selling some fresh produce. I slowed down to see if anything looked intriguing and just as I was about to drive off, a pile of beautiful bright yellow melons caught my eye. I made a u-turn at the next intersection and now have a few lovely canary melons on my kitchen counter.
If you are unfamiliar with the canary melon, they are a large, smooth winter melon that is bright yellow when ripe. They smell sweet, even before you cut them open, and have a beautifully soft, pale flesh inside.
Canary melon are an excellent source of fiber, they are low in calories and high in vitamin C. They are naturally delicious and a fabulous way to start your day! This smoothie bowl is thick and creamy (think soft serve ice cream) and super filling. You can keep it think to enjoy with a spoon or easily thin it out a bit to drink on the go.
Let’s get this smoothie started…
The first step is to dice up your melon and freeze it. I recently started keeping various smoothie components in my freezer (sliced bananas and cucumbers, diced up fruit, açaí berry…) and it has completely changed my opinions on smoothies.
Typically, a smoothie recipe will call for ice cubes to be added, either as a thickener or to chill room temperature fruit added, but if some of your fruit is frozen… you don’t need any ice cubes! Now, I do love a good cube, but not in my smoothies. They start melting like immediately and not only water down the texture of your smoothies, but also the flavors. We don’t need that sort of negativity in our smoothies.
The easiest way to dice and freeze a canary melon is to cut the melon into rings (starting at the end and cutting rings that are about 1 inch thick) and then use your knife to cut the rind off of each ring, leaving you with round disks of melon flesh. Cut the flesh into cubes and discard any seeds you come across. Place the diced melon onto a cutting board or a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper and place them into the freezer until they are frozen.
Note: If you are working with a high speed blender, larger cubes are fine, but if you will be using a food processor or a smaller blender, dice your melon up a bit smaller to help with the blending process.
In addition to the frozen canary melon, you will need 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt (I recommend full fat vanilla, but your favorite yogurt will work fine) and 1/4 cup of milk (I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk, but any milk will do). This is all you need to create a beautifully thick, creamy smoothie bowl.
If you check out the recipe below, you will notice that I also have honey or guarana and orange juice included in the ingredients list and here’s why…
- The honey or guarana syrup is only needed if your canary melon isn’t super ripe. The really ripe ones are sweet enough on their own, but if you prefer your smoothie a little sweeter, add a splash of honey or some guarana syrup and it will be just perfect!
- The orange juice is for thinning. So, if you prefer a mobile version of this canary melon smoothie, add some orange juice to thin it out a bit and you can drink it on the go!
Last, but certainly not least is the topping. I usually go with fresh fruit for this one. Some diced up strawberries, peaches, kiwis, mangos… whatever I have in the kitchen. Pretty much anything goes here, because the canary melon does not have a super assertive flavor, so it gets along with anything you add to it. Have fun with the toppings and let me know what you like adding in!
Now add about 3 cups of your frozen canary melon, 1/2 cup of yogurt and 1/4 cup of milk into your blender and blend until smooth. Add a little something sweet or some orange juice, if needed, and top with fresh fruit…
It’s so smooth, creamy and delicious. It feels very much like a dessert, but its also light and refreshing too. I don’t know how the canary melon does it, but it does.
This canary melon smoothie bowl is one of my late summer/ early fall favorites and I keep some in my freezer ready for breakfasts, mid-day snacks or even desserts! If you happen to see some of these beautiful melons at your grocery store, farmers market or just the side of the road, grab one and treat yourself to this smoothie bowl. You will be so glad that you did…
Canary Melon Smoothie Bowl
Ingredients
- 3 cups of canary melon, diced, frozen
- 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt (I recommend full fat vanilla)
- 1/4 cup of milk (I recommend unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
- 1 tablespoon of honey or guarana syrup (optional)
- orange juice (optional, for thinning)
- fresh fruit (for topping)
Instructions
- Place 3 cups of diced and frozen canary melon into a large food processor or blender and add 1/2 cup of vanilla Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup of milk (I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk and 1 tablespoon of honey or guarana syrup (if your canary melon is not super ripe)
- Blend until smooth
- Add a splash of orange juice if you prefer a thinner consistency
- Top with fresh fruit and enjoy!
