Packed with acai puree, yogurt, and fruit toppings, you can make an Acai Bowl in minutes with just 5 ingredients. Not only are acai bowls healthy, they’re full of gorgeous color – you’ll feel like you’re eating a work of art! Learn how easy it is to make an Acai bowl at home with this simple recipe.
Healthy Homemade Acai Bowl
Acai Bowls taste like soft serve ice cream and we are here for it! 🙌 Around here, we LOVE smoothies and acai bowls, but there’s something so much more satisfying about eating your smoothie out of a bowl. Right?!
I was first introduced to these in Australia many moons ago, and now I try to make a bowl about 1 to 2 times a week. My kids love fruit, however, while one of them will eat fruit any time and every time, the other one will only eat fruit if it’s stirred into cereal or in a smoothie. Acai Bowls to the rescue – it works wonders with her!
This easy, perfectly balanced Acai Bowl is filled with a generous amount of fruits, nuts, and healthy toppings. It’s both deliciously satisfying and nutritious.
What is Acai?
Acai is a berry that comes from the acai palm. Acai berries are packed with antioxidants, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids, said to boost immunity, prevent cell damage, and improve heart health. They taste like a mix of blackberries and chocolate! In this recipe we will be using frozen acai puree as a base for our bowl. You can also buy acai in a powder or as pressed juice.
How to pronounce acai: ACAI is not pronounced Ah-chai-ee. Nor is it Ah-kah-yee. It’s Ah-SIGH-ee. I learned that the fun way – I think the people at the Juice Café down the street are still laughing at me. With me?! 😊
Health Benefits
Acai bowls are packed with vitamins, antioxidants, amino acids, fatty acids, and other amazing nutrients like fiber. Antioxidants help boost the immune system while amino acids are great for your skin and hair. The fatty acids help lower bad cholesterol and the fiber keeps you full longer!
BUT even with all the benefits mentioned above, acai bowls are also high in sugar because of all the fruit. This can easily add up those calories and contain twice as many grams of sugar as the daily recommendation. Just remember the good ol’ tip about all things in moderation.
The toppings you choose to add also make a big difference. To keep the bowls healthier, consider using healthier toppings.
How to Make an Acai Bowl
I don’t know about in your neck of the woods, but around here an Acai Bowl can cost up to $14! 😳 Making one at home is much cheaper and it tastes just as good, if not better.
- First thing is that you have to get yourself a packet of frozen acai berry puree. I get mine on Amazon or at Target, and the bags include 4 packets of puree, at 100 grams each.
- Blend. Next, get your blender out and throw in slices of banana, frozen berries, juice, yogurt, and acai puree. Process until completely blended. P.S. You can also use acai powder. 1 tablespoon acai powder = 1 packet.
- Add Toppings. Pour the blended acai into bowls and top with whatever you got; granola, fruits, berries, chia seeds, nuts, coconut flakes, etc… play with the toppings – it’s the fun part! BUT, don’t go overboard because those calories and sugars will increase real quick. 😃
- Dig in! Finally, stick a spoon in it and wolf it down. It’s SO good! Creamy, fruity, sweet, healthy, satisfying, and super quick!
An Acai Bowl makes for a perfect breakfast, snack, or dessert! It’s a great alternative to ice cream when you’re craving that creamy, sweet amazingness really, really bad. 😋
Topping Ideas
One of the best things about smoothie bowls like this is how much freedom you have to customize your toppings! As mentioned above, the toppings you choose will impact how healthy your acai bowl is so choose wisely. 😃 Some ideas:
- Banana slices
- Sliced strawberries
- Blueberries, blackberries or raspberries
- Coconut flakes
- Hemp seeds or chia seeds
- Diced mango
- Pineapple
- Peeled kiwi slices
- Cantaloupe or honeydew melon cubes
- Chopped apple
- Peanut butter or almond butter
- Agave or honey
- Granola
- Cocoa nibs, chopped dark chocolate, dark chocolate chips
- Sliced almonds, chopped walnuts or chopped pistachios
Tips for Success
- Using frozen fruit is KEY. It’s what gives the bowl its signature thickness.
- Use your favorite fruits. The best part about an Acai Bowl is that you can make it completely your own, depending on what you have on hand. Frozen berries are not a must! You can use frozen mangoes, pineapple, kiwi, even peaches.
- Experiment with veggies and liquids. Add in some kale or spinach, and you can also use different liquids like, milk, water, or nut milk.
Can Acai Bowls Be Made Ahead?
- Yes. I can get 2 to 3 servings out of this recipe: Eat one serving, then put the rest in the freezer for the coming days. I suggest to put the acai blend in mason jars – no toppings – and keep in the freezer.
- When ready, let the acai blend sit at room temperature until partially thawed; stir and serve.
ENJOY!
TOOLS USED IN THIS RECIPE
Acai Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 frozen packet acai berry puree, 100 grams, broken into pieces (OR 1 tablespoon acai powder)
- 1 banana, sliced
- 2 cups frozen berries
- 1 cup apple juice
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- honey or other sweetener, optional, to taste
- chopped pecans, sliced almonds, berries, coconut flakes, granola, chia seeds, sliced banana, etc…
Instructions
- Add the acai berry packet, banana, berries, apple juice, and yogurt to a high powered blender; process until completely blended and smooth.
- Taste for sweetness and adjust accordingly. If you do add a sweetener, blend for a couple seconds to combine.
- Pour into a bowl and top with your favorite toppings, or enjoy as is.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
WW FREESTYLE POINTS: 6
HOW TO MAKE AHEAD
- Prepare the acai blend and pour into mason jars. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 days.
- When ready, take out a jar and let sit at room temperature until partially thawed; stir and serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Hello Katerina,
for the acai berry, do you used those readily available powdered type?
Hi!
You can use 1 tablespoon of the powder OR you can get the frozen puree packets and use those. I use the packets and get them at Target and Amazon.