Switch up your morning routine with creamy, refreshing, and absolutely delicious Bionicos (Mexican Fruit Bowls)!
West of Mexico City and just north of Lago de Chapala sits the bustling city of Guadalajara. Known for smooth tequila and warm mariachi, millions flock to the state of Jalisco just to soak up the enticing Guadalajara experience. But delicious drinks and beautiful music are not all Guadalajara has to offer.
According to lore, in the early 1990s, a street vendor made history by creating bionicos, or Mexican fruit bowls. Essentially a fruit salad, bionicos typically include yogurt, sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, vanilla extract, granola, shredded coconut, and a wide variety of refreshing fruits. The popularity of this dessert quickly spread, and it’s now eaten across Mexico and even in some parts of the U.S. While primarily served by street vendors and at juice bars, many enjoy bionicos as a breakfast or dessert in the comfort of their homes.
I’m always on the hunt for a light, filling, and delicious breakfast, which makes bionicos a great option for me. These bowls have amazing flavor and are super customizable, so it’s no wonder they’re such a crowd favorite. The recipe calls for strawberries, bananas, apples, and cantaloupes. However, as this dish is all about fresh fruit, I highly recommend figuring out what fruits are in season and incorporating those. The natural sweetness of the fruit, plus the creamy condensed milk and crunchy granola, are a winning combination I will never get tired of.
Are Bionicos (Mexican Fruit Bowls) Healthy?
While the fruit provides essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber, I wouldn’t say bionicos are the healthiest meal option. Bionicos have a fair amount of carbs, fat, and sugar due to the sweetened condensed milk, yogurt, sour cream, and granola, so they’re definitely not keto-friendly.
However, you can improve the healthiness of bionicos by tweaking the ingredients. You can reduce the amount of sweetened condensed milk, granola, and shredded coconut. You can use low-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt instead, as it has a similarly tangy taste. However, I recommend still keeping the plain yogurt in the recipe for the authentic creamy base.
Those who are vegan or lactose intolerant can replace the dairy with plant-based products. Also, make sure that your granola doesn’t have dairy.
What’s The Difference Between Bionicos And Escamocha?
Escamocha, another street food that originated in Guadalajara, is kind of like a liquid-heavy bionico. It includes orange juice along with the diced fresh fruit, and it’s typically served in a glass and sipped through a straw or eaten with a spoon. Both escamocha and bionicos include condensed milk. While escamocha means “leftovers” in Spanish, bionico translates to “bionic,” which Merriam-Webster defines as “having normal biological capability or performance enhanced by or as if by electronic or electromechanical devices.” The dish got this name because the fresh fruit makes it an energizing meal.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Although you can store leftover bionicos in the fridge in an airtight container, the granola will become soggy after a day. I recommend only mixing up as much as you know you and your guests will be able to finish.
Serving Suggestions
Bionicos are incredibly versatile, so you can have a lot of fun dressing up your fruit bowl. Granola, chopped pecans, almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, dried cranberries, dried cherries, chocolate chips—the possibilities are endless! Bionicos do not boast a lot of protein, so you could always serve a smaller portion on the side of an egg dish, like this Whole30 Breakfast Casserole or an Egg White Omelet. Or, cook up some Breakfast Sausage!
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup strawberries sliced
- 1 banana sliced
- 1 apple diced
- 1 cup cantaloupe diced
- 1/2 cup granola
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- In a large bowl, combine sliced strawberries, banana, diced apple, and cantaloupe.
- Divide the fruit mixture among 4 serving bowls. Drizzle each with the creamy sauce, then top with granola and shredded coconut.
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
Leave a Comment