Over the weekend I had a serious craving for a cold and fruity acai bowl. It was hot, like really sticky-hot, and the thought of going out was just plain awful. But my grocery list was growing and a trip to the store was inevitable. So, I added a few acai bowl making ingredients to my grocery list and satisfied my craving at home.
What is Acai?
Acai is a berry grown in South American rainforests and is very high in antioxidants. If you've never eaten an acai bowl, well it's sort of like a really thick smoothie made with frozen acai berries (which taste similar to blueberries) mixed with more frozen fruit and usually some almond milk.
It's sweet and delicious and made into a meal when topped with crispy hemp granola, sliced banana, strawberry, and a whole bunch of other fruits and superfoods like chia seeds, goji berries and cocoa nibs. Yup, raw chocolate, people! So, basically it's dessert and here in California we try our hardest to pass it off as a healthy meal. Who's on board?
Back when I lived in San Clemente, we would frequent a little acai bowl chain. Those bowls were hard to leave when we moved back to Los Angeles! Now you can find Acai & juice places popping up in pretty much every neighborhood and they aren't simple bowls like they used to be either!
Served in coconuts and dusted with edible flowers, acai bowls sure have become a stunning food trend! So, I picked up a coconut at the store and served mine up in style. Just because you make them at home doesn't mean they can't be stunning, am I right?
And the best thing about acai bowls, you can really customize them to your liking. Add in fresh spinach to get your greens or peanut butter for a creamy twist. I love the Peanut Butter Bowl from Berry Bowl, yum. You can make them tropical by adding frozen pineapple, mango, and shredded coconut or keep it traditional with frozen strawberries and blueberries.
So, have you tried an acai bowl yet? What is your favorite combination?
Acai Bowl Recipe
Homemade Acai Bowls you can make and customize at home!
Ingredients
- Acai Base:
- 2 packets unsweetened frozen acai (I use Sambazon)
- ½ cup frozen blueberries
- ½ cup frozen strawberries
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 cup sweetened or unsweetened almond milk
- honey or agave, to taste
- Toppings:
- hemp granola
- sliced fresh banana
- sliced fresh strawberry
- fresh blueberries
- dried goji berries
- chia seeds
- cocoa nibs
- edible flowers, optional
- 1 coconut split in half for serving, optional
Instructions
- In a blender combine frozen acai, frozen fruit, almond milk
and honey. Blend until you reach a thick spoonable consistency. Adjust fruit,
almond milk and honey to taste. - Pour into bowls (or coconuts) and top with rows of fresh
fruit and other toppings. Eat immediately.
Notes
Customizations:
- Try chocolate almond milk and a couple of tablespoons of
peanut butter for a delicious and creamy treat.
- Sweeten base by adding in a few dates and blending well,
instead of honey.
- Make it tropical by substituting tropical fruits such as frozen mango and pineapple for the berries in the base. Top with shredded coconut!
- Get your greens by blending in fresh spinach for a healthy
kick.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 869Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 189mgCarbohydrates: 126gFiber: 24gSugar: 68gProtein: 17g
MaryAnne Locher says
You got me hooked on the peanut butter bowl at Berry Bowl. Now something tropical sounds appealing. It's time to put my blender to work!
Allison says
This looks out of control delicious! Plus cracking coconuts open is pretty fun, so I love that you served your acai bowl in one!
xx Allison @ alwayseatdessert.com
Tammy Thiele says
So beautiful! Hoping to make these for a friend soon!