Acai Bowl

Acai Bowl

Acai Bowl is a refreshingly, healthy breakfast  or snack option featuring the ever so fabulous acai fruit, partnered with berries, banana and yogurt.  A thick smoothie in a bowl with all the best toppings, this acai bowl recipe will get your day started off right.

What is acai bowl?  It’s paradise in a bowl, loaded with nutrients and sweet fruity flavor. Once you see that how to make acai bowl is so easy, this will become your go to breakfast choice.

Top with homemade granola for even more deliciousness, or serve with these easy breakfast cookies.

Who is looking for a healthy dish that makes you excited to get out of bed in the morning?  How about a healthy dessert or snack to throw in the mix? This Acai Bowl recipe offers a filling, flavorful, and healthy dish that can pose as breakfast by day or a guiltless snack or dessert by night.

What Is An Acai Bowl?

In short it’s a delicious, thick smoothie in a bowl, featuring the star, the acai berry.

In short an acai bowl is breakfast dream come true.  That’s what it is.

If you have not gotten on the acai bowl wagon yet, you are missing out.

What Is Acai?

Acai is all the craze right now and for good reason.  It is a fruit that has tons of vitamins and nutrients. Here are some of the amazing benefits of the acai berry:

1. Omega 3 fatty acids
2. Calcium
3. Fiber

Acai or acai berries come from acai palm trees, which are located in the rainforests in South America. 

They are a small berry consisting of a purplish, black color. They are super sweet and super delicious, and these treasures only stay good for about a day, meaning you buy them frozen so you can get them, since you probably don’t live in the rainforest of South America.

So get your hands on these frozen goodies and make some acai bowls.

What is in an Acai Bowl?

Acai bowls have frozen acai berries, obviously, accompanied with other fruits and usually toppings.

Think what would you put on top of yogurt and add those types of toppings to your bowl, for example fruit or granola.

For this Acai Bowl recipe, I combined berries, a banana, juice concentrate, and yogurt to make a delicious berry acai bowl.  

Then add whatever toppings your heart so desires.

May I make a suggestion?  Mangoes give such a pretty color contrast to the deep purplish tone of the acai bowl and they add a great complimentary flavor.

There are so many fun toppings that would go great with this Acai Bowl.

This Acai Bowl recipe will surely make you a true follower of this fantastic breakfast category.

Acai Bowl Topping Ideas:

Okay it is about to get really fun here folks.  Just when you thought you couldn’t get even more creative, here comes my most favorite part, the toppings.

You can literally have a different flare of flavor every morning of the week with this Acai Bowl recipe with just the simple change of toppings.

Topping Ideas For This Acai Bowl:

• Granola
• Dried Fruit
• Fresh Fruit
• Coconut
• Chia Seeds
• Yogurt Chips
• Chocolate Chips
• A Drizzle of Honey
• Peanut Butter

So many choices!!  What are you waiting for?

Acai Bowl:

• Thick, smoothie in a bowl
• Contains acai berries and other fruits
• Topping choices galore

How To Make An Acai Bowl?

Remember, an acai bowl is a lot like a smoothie, but you want it to be thicker.

Think, smoothie with a spoon, opposed to a straw. It is right in between smoothie and ice cream! 

In short, you will blend fruit, with liquid of choice (less liquid than a smoothie) in a blender, and then top your acai bowl with desired toppings.  Easy, right?

Blend Fruit and Liquid:  Blend frozen fruit in a high speed blender on low, using a tamper to help incorporate the fruit.  Continue to blend until smooth, adding more liquid if necessary, but don’t use too much.

Place Acai Smoothie in 2 Bowls:  This recipe makes two servings.  Divide smoothie evenly between two bowls.

Toppings:  Here comes the best part.  It’s art time. Make you bowl pretty and extra delicious by adding the toppings of your choice.

And that’s it. 

Making an acai bowl does not have to be difficult, especially when you have a recipe like this that has already figured out servings of fruit and liquid to help with consistency.

Note:  Even though liquid amount is stated in recipe, make sure to use your judgement if more liquid is needed based on which blender you use.  You will need a high powered blender to get the consistency right without adding too much liquid. 

How Can I Make An Acai Bowl Vegan?

Want your acai bowl to be vegan?  No problem. It is really easy, actually.

The basis for an acai bowl is fruit, which is vegan.  That’s convenient, right?

Where acai bowls start to become not vegan is with the use of dairy, typically, and sometimes with the toppings used.

That is what is so great about making your own.  Your kitchen, your rules my friend. Customize this recipe to make it fit your dietary  needs

If you want this recipe to be vegan, just substitute a vegan yogurt, or swap it out for a little additional juice concentrate, or some additional frozen bananas.

Then be selective with your toppings. 

Most toppings will be fine, like fruit.  However, most chocolate, honey, and some granolas won’t be fine.

Lastly, to keep the smoothie creamy, you may have to play around with the ratios of liquid and I would suggest since you won’t be using the yogurt, using an almond or coconut milk. 

How To Make Acai Bowl Vegan:

• Be Selective With Toppings
• Use Nondairy Milk (Almond or Coconut Milk) or non-dairy yogurt in place of the yogurt listed. 
• Be Careful of the Juice Used

As always, just be mindful of ingredients, but acai is vegan!  It should be easy to make a delicious vegan acai bowl.

Tips And Tricks for The Best Acai Bowls:

Tip 1:  Make It The Right Consistency.

Acai bowls are not hard to make.  Just one hiccup sometimes is the consistency.  

There is definitely a sweet spot.  Too thin and you are drinking your smoothie.

Remember, think of any smoothie recipe, and you want usually less liquid than that (maybe about a 50 percent to even 75 percent less).

Get the right blender to make your acai bowl, and don’t be too hasty adding liquid.

Tip 2:  Make It Creamy.

Although you don’t have to, a little creaminess to your bowl really makes the dish sing.

So, for example in this Acai Bowl recipe you will notice that there isn’t only the use of juice concentrate.  I also coupled it with yogurt.

However, you can also use things like almond milk/almond yogurt or coconut milk/coconut yogurt if you don’t want any dairy.

Tip 3:  Frozen Fruit Is A Must.

Frozen fruit is necessary.  It will help with consistency.  Fresh fruit equals a less thick, more watery acai bowl.

So plan ahead and make sure your are using all frozen fruit, even frozen bananas. 

I love to use banana because it helps with that creaminess factor, but frozen is a must for the right consistency, so if you can’t buy them frozen, freeze them yourself (directions below).

Tip 4:  Be Picky With Your Acai.

Some acai purees have added sweeteners or other ingredients.  Try to pick one that is unsweetened. Or adjust your recipe. 

This is a pretty healthy dish, with natural sugars, adding extra sugar makes it go toward dessert.

Tip 5:  Some Toppings Matter.

Hint:  I love to use chia seeds as a topping.  They offer great health benefits, help you stay full, and don’t affect the flavor.

Where To Buy Acai For These Bowls:

If you are new to the whole acai train, you may be worried that you will have to search high and low for this ingredient. And while it seems exoctic, lots of retailers carry it, you just have to know where to look. 

Acai is not hard to find. Don’t worry.  I wouldn’t do that to you.  

You can find acai online or at many stores.

Some Places That Carry Acai:

• Trader Joe’s
• Target
• Walmart
• Costco
• Whole Foods
• Publix
• Amazon

Look in the frozen section for some acai. And call ahead to make sure it is stocked. 

Note:  Acai comes frozen or there is powder or juice.  However, the amount of juice usually has less acai in it and I personally prefer the frozen puree over the powder.

Acai Bowls FAQS:

• What is Acai?
  Acai or acai berries come from acai palm trees, which are located in the rainforests in South America.  They are a small berry consisting of a purplish, black color.
  Super sweet and super delicious, these treasures, containing great things like omega 3 fatty acids, calcium, and fiber, only stay good for about a day, meaning you buy them frozen.
• What Does Acai Taste Like?
  Acai tastes like a combination of wild berries and chocolate.  A little sweet. A little bitter. Totally delicious. Doesn’t that just sound so yummy?!
• How Can I Make My Bowl Vegan?
  For liquid use water, homemade or vegan friendly juice, and/or non dairy milk, like almond or coconut milk.
  Be selective of topping choices, avoid honey, granola, or other typically not-vegan options. 
• Is Acai Good For You?
  Yes.  It is a fruit that contains great things like fiber and healthy fats.
• What Are The Benefits Of Acai Bowls?
  • Loaded with fruit
  • Great way to sneak some spinach or kale into your diet, by blending them into the smoothie
  • Great canvas for healthy toppings like nuts and chia seeds
  • Contain acai, which has great nutrients.
• How Many Calories Are In An Acai Bowl?
  It completely depends on what you put in your acai bowl. So you will need to calculate it yourself based on how you top your bowl. 
• Do Acai Bowls Help You Lose Weight?
  Losing weight has to do with a deficit in calories.  On a diet you typically are looking for food that will help you stay full and that is low in calories.
  If on a diet, make your own acai bowls so you can control portion size and ingredients.  Add toppings that add protein opposed to sweetness and be aware of your calories.
  Personally, I think that you can lose weight while eating acai bowls or you can gain if you over do it with large portion sizes, little protein, and tons of high in calorie toppings.
  As always just be mindful.
• Is Acai A Superfood?
  Acai contains fiber, healthy fats, antioxidants, and some say that it can help with the effects of aging.
  Many claim it is a superfood, but there doesn’t seem to be enough research to support that.
  Is acai good for you?  Yes!
  Does it taste so good? Yes!
  Is it a superfood?  Some thinks so, and it certainly has a lot of nutrients.

It’s Time To Change Up Your Breakfast Routine!

Breakfast doesn’t have to be boring and dessert does not have to be unhealthy.  Make this Acai Bowl and enjoy a refreshing dish that can be eaten as a snack, as a dessert, or made for breakfast.

This Acai Bowl will become a regular in your rotation.

Other Smoothie Inspired Favorites:

• Pina Colada Smoothie Bowl 
• Raspberry Vanilla Smoothie Bowl
• Mango Tango Smoothie Bowl