How to Build the Best Acai Bowl

Acai Bowl is a super healthy breakfast option that is easy to make and uses less than 5 ingredients and 5 minutes. Top it with a variety of topping for a new taste every day. Learn all about this healthy bowl in this post.

Also, try my slow cooker steel cut oats or instant pot oatmeal recipes for healthy and filling breakfast ideas.

Ever heard of Acai bowls? Or ever tried one? Don’t worry, I have you covered.

I am a big fan of these Bowls!

Just like other smoothie bowls, they also take just 5 minutes to get ready.

They are easy to make, yes but they are also loaded with nutrients making it super healthy. 

You can even top it with your favorite fruits, nuts, granola, etc to add that crunch in your bowls.

I usually make this bowl and keep the toppings on the table, and it’s so much fun to make your own toppings and we love this at home. 

If you think it’s difficult to make, you are wrong!

These are nothing but a thick smoothie made by blending together the acai berries, frozen banana, pineapple, or mango and poured in a bowl and then topped with fresh fruits, chia seeds, nuts, seeds, and granola.

Easy, right?

So, what are you waiting for?

Here are another Smoothie Bowl, that you will love for your breakfast – Healthy Mango Smoothie Bowl

What’s Acai Berry?

Acai Berry (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) is a dark purple berry that grows on acai palm trees around the Amazon river in Central and South America.

It is majorly cultivated in Brazil and neighboring countries, as these flourish in rainforest climates.

You can read more about these berries here.

You can get the frozen berry paste from Trader Joes in the US.

But like I have mentioned, you can use Acai Berry Powder if the paste is not available.

While I went to the grocery store I got a few of these packets which I could use over next few days.

What does Acai Taste like?

Acai berry tastes like chocolate, wild berries, and soil, all at the same time.

People say it’s a cross between a blackberry and raspberry with a hint of chocolate.

Acai is sugar-free and doesn’t taste like any fruit at all. It has an earthy taste with a chocolaty hint to it.

It is 90% stone, so usually, people don’t prefer eating it on its own.

Mostly it is used to make acai smoothies by combining it with bananas, pineapple or mangos.

What are the Health Benefits of Acai Berries?

Acai berries are known to be very beneficial as they are rich in antioxidants, fiber, proteins, and healthy fats.

They are known to be good against aging and cancer.

These are good for the heart as they contain high levels of healthy fats.

They are even known to be good for losing weight.

What are Acai Bowls?

A Brazilian Acai bowl is called “Açaí na tigela” and is a blend of acai berry pulp and a hint of guarana syrup (Sweet Syrup), served with granola, fresh fruits, and banana slices.

Although the one served in cafés is nothing but a thick smoothie made by blending acai berries  (Frozen Pulp or Powder) with fruits like banana, pineapple or mango and then topped with a variety of toppings.

All you need to do is blend all the frozen fruits with acai berries to make a thick smoothie.

Depending on the fruits you are using, you will need to adjust the sweetness.

You won’t require any milk to make the smoothie as you want an ice cream-like consistency that you can have with a spoon.

This Bowl is

• Gluten-Free
• Keto-Friendly
• Not fattening
• Low Calorie
• Low Carb
• Super easy to make

Why should you make it at home?

Because they are super easy to make and require almost no preparation. 

If you have acai berries (Pulp or Powder) and other fruits available at hand, it is the easiest thing to make and won’t require much effort.

These are super healthy to make and very economical to make at home as compared to eating out in a cafe.

Ingredients

Acai Paste or Powder: I have used Acai powder to make this bowl as founding pure unsweetened fresh or frozen acai berry pulp in India is a little difficult and the powder works fine for the bowls.

But if you live in places where fresh or frozen berry pulp is available, it’s best to use it.

Banana: I have used a frozen banana to make the acai smoothie bowl as it adds to the creamy consistency of the smoothie and gives it an ice cream-like texture.

You can skip it and use frozen berry pulp only.

Frozen mixed berries: I have used a mix of frozen berries. You can use any berries as per your choice.

If you can get fresh berries, it is the best. Just freeze them for a few hours before using them.

Oats: Oats acts as a thickening agent and also add body to the smoothie. It is not added traditionally but I like to add it.

Honey: For sweetening, I have used honey. Traditionally a syrup called Guarana Syrup is added to sweeten the acai berry bowl.

It is made from a fruit that is found in Amazon rainforests. 

Yogurt: Although yogurt is traditionally not added in Acai Bowl, I added a little and the taste was still delicious.

It made the consistency of the bowl a little thinner though.

So if you are looking for a thick creamy bowl, avoid using it.

Process

First clean and wash all the fruits, apart from banana. Freeze the berries and banana for a few hours.

Now add all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Depending on how creamy you want the smoothie to be, add a little yogurt, water or milk.

Once done, pour the thick smoothie in the serving bowl.

Top with topping of your choices, such as chia seeds, nuts, and granola and serve immediately.

Where to buy Acai from?

If you live in the United States, you can buy single-serving acai pulp packets from the sections of the frozen fruit at Trader Joe’s or other health food stores.

You can also buy all needed ingredients at your favorite grocery store.

Buy the natural pulp, which is unsweetened and sustainably harvested.

In India, it isn’t that easily available, but you can buy the acai powder or acai mixture online in India from Amazon and Flipkart.

You can even check Nature’s Basket or other gourmet food stores.

Variations

By making slight variations in the ingredients, you can make a new acai bowl almost every day. Here are some of my fav options.

Mango – Add mango puree or fresh mango pulp along with the other ingredients.

Tropical  – Add pineapple chunks and coconut milk to give a tropical makeover to your bowl.

Berry – Add other frozen berries like raspberry, blueberry or strawberry.

Peanut Butter – Add a dollop of peanut butter while blending the ingredients.

Topping Ideas

You can try and use different toppings every time you make an acai bowl. Some ideas are:

Fruits – You can use any fruits or berries like strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, sliced banana, apple, kiwi, passion fruit, dragon fruit, etc to top your bowl.

You can use various shape cutters or even scoop to make fruit balls to make it more interesting. 

Nuts – Top your bowl with nuts like almonds, walnut, pecans, etc for the added crunch and health benefit.

Seeds – You can use seeds like chia seed, flaxseed, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or hemp seeds to top your acai bowl.

Butters – Top your bowl with a dollop of healthy peanut butter, almond butter, blackberry butter or caramel butter.

Sweeteners – You can use honey, maple syrup, raw sugar or Nutella to sweeten your acai bowl. If you are diabetic, use stevia instead.

Others – Granola for extra crunch; Homemade Granola would be the best, Chocolate chips, coconut flakes, pumpkin puree, sweet potato puree, apple juice, frozen whipped cream dollops are other options that you can consider for topping your acai bowl.

I also love to use my Strawberry Sauce as a sweetener for Acai Bowl.

Vegan Bowl

If you don’t add milk or yogurt to make the acai smoothie, it is totally vegan.

You can also add in a little Almond or Coconut Milk in the smoothie. 

Just blend all the frozen fruits with acai berry and top with fresh fruits, seeds, nuts, and granola.

Can it be kept overnight?

Although it is always preferable to make fresh smoothies and consume, if you have leftovers, you can freeze the acai bowl in individual jars.

The day you want to have it, let it defrost in the fridge overnight and top with your choice of topping before eating. They should last 3-4 days.

Can it be Refrigerated?

Yes, the acai bowl can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

Tools needed to make Acai Bowl at home

Since, we are dealing with frozen fruits and berries here, we need a strong blender that can blitz the hard stuff quickly without emitting too much heat.

A good blender like Ninja Mega Kitchen System is what I recommend. If not, use any blender that is capable of heavy-duty blending.

Can you freeze Acai Smoothie?

I will not suggest making the acai smoothie ahead of time or freezing it.

It tastes the best when made fresh.

You might also like:

Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats

Egg Roll in a Bowl

Egg White Muffins

Beet Banana Smoothie

Acai Bowl Step by Step Recipe

Add all the ingredients in a blender.

Blend until smooth.

Pour the mixture in a bowl and top with your choice of topping.

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