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How to Make an Acai Bowl

08/10/2015 By Charlene 12 Comments

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How to Make an Acai Bowl

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.  🙂

How to make an acai smoothie bowl

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!

How to Make an Acai Bowl

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:


Print
How to Make an Acai Bowl
Author: My Frugal Adventures
 
Quick and easy homemade Acai bowl
Ingredients
  • 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
Instructions
  1. Add the apple cider to your blender.
  2. Run your Sambazon acai packet under water for about 5 seconds and break it apart. Add it to the blender.
  3. 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.
  4. Add ½ banana (fresh or frozen)
  5. Blend for a few minutes until nice and creamy. I use the ice cream button on my Blendtec not the smoothie button.
  6. Pour pureed fruit into a bowl and add toppings of your choice.
3.4.3174

 

This is the consistency you are looking for:

How to Make an Acai Bowl

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.)

How to Make an Acai Bowl

 

 

And here are a few other recipes you might enjoy:

Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats RecipeApple Cinnamon Overnight Oats

Crock Pot Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal recipeCrock Pot Maple and Brown Sugar Steel Cut Oats

Filed Under: Breakfast Tagged With: How to make an acai bowl

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Comments

  1. Dorothy says

    08/10/2015 at 3:34 PM

    I’ve never seen acai packets in my grocery, but I’ve never looked either. Is it frozen or dried?

  2. Charlene says

    08/10/2015 at 4:21 PM

    Hi Dorothy, they are frozen. The little packets inside look like Otter Pops. I find these with the frozen fruit.

  3. Dorothy says

    08/10/2015 at 4:40 PM

    Thank you!

  4. ANN says

    08/10/2015 at 4:54 PM

    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!

  5. dodi says

    08/10/2015 at 5:36 PM

    Looks delicious! Definitely going to give this a try. Thanks for sharing 🙂

  6. Charlene says

    08/10/2015 at 6:03 PM

    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?

  7. Lorraine says

    08/10/2015 at 8:42 PM

    Do you need the banana for consistency? I can’t eat them…

  8. Charlene says

    08/10/2015 at 9:58 PM

    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 🙂

  9. Brooke says

    01/24/2017 at 5:22 AM

    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!

  10. Charlene says

    01/24/2017 at 8:25 AM

    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 🙂

Trackbacks

  1. Seventh Blog says:
    01/15/2017 at 5:26 PM

    A Taste So Good It Bowls

    […] he fridge- these mason jar Acai bowls I made for quick after school snacks and m […]

  2. How to Make an Acai Bowl – It's All Bout Mason says:
    03/25/2018 at 12:49 PM

    […] Author: My Frugal Adventures Quick and easy homemade Acai bowl […]

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I'm Charlene- thank you for stopping by MY FRUGAL ADVENTURES! I am a Mom to two little girls living in gorgeous Northern California. This is a fun place to find simple & affordable inspiration for everything from gifts to home improvement to travel to children's crafts to what's for dinner tonight! READ MORE >>>

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