Goodness these Acai bowls are so darn good! I was first introduced to them in San Diego where they are very popular. I also had one in Maui that was amazing and actually Jamba Juice does a pretty good job of making acai bowls. We have a gourmet grocery store in town that makes all sorts of variations on Acai bowls but these do tend to get a little pricey. I typically see them for about $6-$10 each.
But guess what? You can make these in just minutes at home and completely customize to exactly the flavors you love. Plus if you are counting calories you will know exactly what is going into your bowl.
A smoothie bowl is basically just a thicker version of a smoothie topped with fruits and coconut and nuts or seeds or granola. It tastes like yogurt and ice cream had a baby. Acai versions of smoothie bowls tend to be the most popular and they are so good for you! Acai is a superfruit and it tastes like a blueberry meets a pomegranate and cherry – really yummy!
It can take a little tweaking to get a perfect smoothie bowl- it took me several tries to get exactly the right consistency. So please be aware that you can absolutely make substitutions to this recipe but if you do, you might need to also tweak the quantities a bit to get the right consistency. The worst case though is that you have a smoothie to drink so don’t be afraid to play a bit. 🙂
Also the end result will vary according to your blender. I have a Blendtec that does an amazing job with things like this.
A good acai bowl is very filling, has tons of antioxidents and tastes so refreshing. The texture is thicker so it is almost like indulging in a rich sorbet. This really is a perfect breakfast on a warm summer day or a great option a late afternoon snack when you might crave coffee or sweets. Try this instead!
To make your Acai bowl you want to decide what kind of liquid base to use. Most people like the hint of sweetness from a good quality apple juice or the creaminess of an almond milk. I prefer apple juice myself and if you do use almond milk, you may need to add slightly more liquid to your bowl. Be very careful when adding liquid as you want to use the least amount possible to get the thicker consistency for your bowl.
Here is the basic recipe I use:
- ¼ cup liquid- I used apple juice
- 1 Sambazon Acai Superfruit packet (find these at the grocery store or Costco)
- 1 cup frozen fruit of your choice
- ½ banana
- Your choice of toppings including:
- nuts
- seeds- chia seeds are wonderful
- fresh fruit
- honey
- coconut
- granola
- Add the apple cider to your blender.
- Run your Sambazon acai packet under water for about 5 seconds and break it apart. Add it to the blender.
- Add 1 cup frozen fruit of your choice to blender. (I used ½ cup frozen coconut and ½ cup frozen blueberries). Mango and pineapple are also big favorites.
- Add ½ banana (fresh or frozen)
- Blend for a few minutes until nice and creamy. I use the ice cream button on my Blendtec not the smoothie button.
- Pour pureed fruit into a bowl and add toppings of your choice.
This is the consistency you are looking for:
Mango is absolutely amazing with Acai and gives a super creamy consistency. Pineapple on the other hand makes it just slightly runny and the coconut is also yummy but does give you a slightly different texture. So again just play with this and see what you like.
You can add a bit of spinach to the blender as well- just add your liquid and your spinach and pulse a few times to incorporate and then add the rest of the ingredients.
As for toppings the sky is the limit! Chia seeds, fresh berries, sunflower seeds, granola and drizzles of honey are all very popular. I like to use fresh fruit, coconut and granola on my bowls. If I am short on time I might just add the acai, juice and a big scoop of frozen mango. Then I top with whatever is in the fridge- these mason jar Acai bowls I made for quick after school snacks and my children literally inhaled them! (Like spills all down the shirt inhaled.)
And here are a few other recipes you might enjoy:
I’ve never seen acai packets in my grocery, but I’ve never looked either. Is it frozen or dried?
Hi Dorothy, they are frozen. The little packets inside look like Otter Pops. I find these with the frozen fruit.
Thank you!
Do you buy coconut in the frozen section? Or get a coconut from a store and cut and freeze it? Or something else? I’ve never used coconut unless bought already shredded or coconut oil. Thanks!
Looks delicious! Definitely going to give this a try. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi Ann-
I use mango or pineapple or even peaches depending on what comes in the bags at Costco and is on sale ;). I recently discovered chopped frozen coconut though and I found that at my Sprouts market in the frozen section. It is chopped chunks of coconut- so yummy! I haven’t seen it elsewhere- maybe Whole Foods or Trader Joes?
Do you need the banana for consistency? I can’t eat them…
Hi Lorraine,
Yes the banana helps with consistency. I haven’t tried one without the banana but I would totally try to do it with extra frozen fruit or fresh fruit or maybe just a tablespoon of greek yogurt. The worst case is that you have a smoothie to drink 🙂
Hello Charlene,
I have been making the base for the acai bowls the night before and they are the coming out a great consistency at the time of making them but by the time I take it out of the fridge in the morning it is closer to a juice consistency.
Any recommendations to keep it at the desired consistency? Blending it less or freezing it overnight?
Thanks!
Hmmm Brooke, I am not sure about overnight… I feel like you might need to reblend with a banana frozen banana or something but that sort of defeats the purpose of making them in advance. I am not sure how to make them in advance. What if you just assembled everything the night before and had the blender ready and then actually blended before eating? Or maybe freezing but in this cold weather it might take awhile to defrost.
Sorry that isn’t much help- good luck 🙂