Bionicos Fruit Salad Bowls (Ensalada de Frutas Biónica)

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Try bionicos (Mexican fruit salad bowls) for a quick, easy, and refreshing way to start your day. In this plant-based version, lightly sweetened cashew crema is combined with layers of tropical fruit.

Top it all off with vanilla-infused granola, coconut shreds, chopped nuts, and dried fruits like raisins for a delicious ensalada de frutas.

Ensalada de Frutas con Crema y Granola — Try bionicos for a refreshing brunch idea

Table of Contents

📖 About

What is better than fruit for breakfast?! It’s healthy, hydrating, and naturally sweet. Throw in some dairy-free crema and crunchy toppings and you’ve got a 10/10 recipe on your hands.

These Mexican fruit salad bowls are so quick and easy, they’re just what your mornings have been missing.

What are bionicos?

Ensalada de frutas con crema or “fruit salad with cream” is a popular treat in Mexico. Bionicos take things to new heights with the addition of toppings like granola, dried fruit, coconut, and agave — a Mexican parfait of sorts.

Since moving here, bionicos have become one of our go-to treats because of the affordable tropical fruit selection all around us.

This extravagant version of ensalada de frutas is kid-friendly, simple-to-make, and extremely customizable to your preferences!

We made this particular bionico recipe plant-based and gluten-free by utilizing cashews instead of condensed milk and Mexican crema or sour cream.

History

Guadalajara, the capital city of Jalisco, is supposedly where it all began for bionicos. These Mexican fruit salad bowls layered with creamy and chewy elements were invented by a street vendor to create a healthier breakfast item (or so the story goes).

Low and behold, these delicious fruit bowls became a sensation across the country in the 90s, even making their way up North to the United States.

They eventually evolved from a solo breakfast item to a sweet treat that can be enjoyed at any time of the day.

Serving

Serve your ensalada de frutas con crema immediately so the fruit is fresh and the granola stays crunchy.

To include more fruit in your day, serve these bionicos with different aguas frescas like agua de sandia, agua de fresa, or agua de piña.

You can also serve your fruit cups on the side of an “eggy” breakfast like huevos a la Mexicana or ejotes con huevo.

It doesn’t matter how you serve this tasty version of a Mexican fruit salad, you’ll be helping the critters without a voice by incorporating a plant-based meal into your day.

Papaya, Pineapple, Watermelon, Limes, Honeydew, and Grapes — Use whichever fruits are in season

🍲 Key ingredients

For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.

Fruit

Adding ripe, sweet, juicy, and tangy flavors to this ensalada de frutas are… fruits! We use more tropical fruits that are easily accessible to us in Mexico, but there are lots of options like:

Pineapple
Grapes (red or green)
Melon (honeydew, cantaloupe, watermelon, etc.)
Stone fruits (peaches, mangoes, nectarines, etc.)
Berries (strawberries, blueberries, etc.)
Kiwis
Apples, pears, etc.

Health: fruit is an excellent source of many different vitamins and minerals, especially when you mix and match different colors. Fruit is full of fiber and antioxidants, which can both help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Crema

Taste: this Mexican fruit salad wouldn’t live up to the hype without some sweet, rich, and drool-worthy vegan crema layered between the fruits. Made from a base of cashews, you’ll be shocked at how creamy and delicious a dairy-free sauce can be.

Health: because this sweet crema is made with cashews, there are many health benefits we’re excited to share with you! This high-fiber nut is low in sugar, rich in protein, and contains large quantities of minerals like manganese and copper, which is necessary for energy production and brain health.

Bionicos Cup — Fruit is so healthy and hydrating!

Toppings

To make ensalada de frutas con crema a full-on bionicos, add crunchy, sweet, and chewy elements like:

Dried fruit: raisins, mangoes, craisins, dates
Shredded coconut
Your choice of granola
Chopped nuts: pecans, walnuts, almonds
Syrup drizzle: agave, maple, or date syrup

Health: although these are healthy ingredients, try to eat them in moderation as they’re super easy to over-consume. Another tip is to make your own granola or find one that limits the added sugars and preservatives.

White Sauce in a Blender — Blend the cashew crema until smooth

🔪 Instructions

If you have questions about this ensalada de frutas con crema recipe, don’t forget to check out our FAQ section at the bottom of this post.

Step 1: soak the cashews overnight so they are nice and soft. Blend the drained nuts together with plant milk, lime juice, and sugar until smooth (you might have to stop and scrape down the sides a few times), then transfer it to your fridge.

Chopped Fruit in a Mixing Bowl — All the fruit needed for this ensalada de frutas

Step 2: cut all of the fruits you’ll be using into ½-inch cubes and add them all to a mixing bowl and give it a stir. Cover the bowl and transfer to your fridge as well until you are ready to serve.

Bionicos Cup, Granola, Coconut Shreds, Raisins, and Pecans — Layer all the fruit and crema in that you want

Step 3: when you are ready to eat your bionicos, layer a scoop of fruit, then some cashew cream, then more fruit, and so on (or however you want to layer it).

Vegan Bionicos Fruit Cup — Top your ensalada de fruta with granola, raisins, and coconut shreds

Step 4: top your bowls or cups with granola, pecans, raisins, coconut shreds, and/or agave syrup. Happy eating!

🌡️ Storage

Don’t store your bionicos all together as they will become soggy (although still very delicious).

Since we’re confident you know how to store fruit and granola, the following instructions are for keeping the cashew crema fresh.

Fridge

This vegan crema will store in your fridge for up to 3-5 days. Just use an airtight glass container to keep the flavors nice and fresh.

Freezer

Can’t get through all the crema? No problem! Store it in your freezer for up to 6 months!

Thaw

If you know you want to use the crema in advance, thaw it in your fridge overnight. The next day, give it a whisk or blitz in your blender to smooth it out.

💭 Pro tips

We’d like to share some tips and tricks we learned while experimenting with a vegan version of these Mexican fruit salad bowls:

Soak the cashews. Let the cashews soak for the full 12 hours, especially if you don’t own a high-speed blender.
Make it sugar free. If you want to limit added sugars, try using monk fruit or stevia instead of sugar at a ratio of 1:8 (⅛ tablespoon of stevia = 1 tablespoon of sugar).
Serve it chilled. If you want a cold ensaladas de frutas, chill the fruit overnight in your fridge.
Choose your crema consistency. If you prefer a thicker or thinner crema, just adjust the liquid while blending.
No toppings? No problem. If you don’t have any toppings or want to cut down on the cost, fruit with crema is equally tasty.

💬 FAQ

How sweet is this recipe?

This recipe is naturally sweet from the fruit. With a little sugar in the crema, we would say it’s about a 4/10. If you prefer your bionicos less sweet, just omit the sugar in the cashew crema.

Is ensalada de frutas con crema healthy?

We would consider these Mexican fruit salad bowls to be healthy. If you’re worried about sugar, you can easily omit it. If you want fewer calories, reduce the number of toppings you add or make your own granola.

If I don’t have cashews, what can I use for the crema?

If you don’t have access to cashews, try using blanched almonds in their place. Otherwise, you can just use vegan yogurt (or make your own).

♻️ Similar recipes

For more flavorful and healthy recipes like bionicos, check out these options:

Fresas con crema for a rich, refreshing, and easy-to-make strawberries and cream treat.
Mexican oatmeal if you’re on the hunt for a simple, no-fuss, and healthy breakfast idea.
Ejotes con huevo for protein-packed tofu mixed with fresh green beans and spicy red salsa.
Enfrijoladas to try this Mexican breakfast staple made by covering veggie-stuffed corn tortillas in a creamy bean sauce. Don’t forget the toppings!
Summer fruit salad for a juicy, sweet, and flavor-packed dish that also happens to be high in protein!