Acai bowls are an irresistible frosty puree of acai berries and tropical fruit, loaded with colorful toppings. Here’s how to make an acai bowl at home!
Are you jumping on the acai bowl trend? Because this one is here to stay, we think! These bowls becoming quite popular in the US, after originating in Brazil. If you’ve never had one, an acai bowl is a smoothie bowl with the smoothie portion made from acai berries and tropical fruit. The bowl is loaded with toppings like fruit, granola, coconut and almond butter. Want to make an acai bowl at home? Here’s how!
How to make an acai bowl
- Locate the acai. Just where does one find acai berries? They’re not sold fresh here in the US, but in packs of frozen pulp. We found the pulp packs at a local grocery. Sambazon is a well-known brand that sells acai pulp and has sustainable harvesting practices.
- Prep your toppings. So your bowl doesn’t melt while you’re preparing the toppings, do this first! Cut up your fruit, toast your coconut, do whatever you need to do before you make the smoothie.
- Freeze your bowl. At the same time, freeze your bowl! That will help your smoothie to stay cold for longer.
- Blend it up! Blend your acai puree with frozen pineapple, banana, mango, and lime juice (see the recipe below). The hardest part is actually removing the puree from the packet: run it under warm water first, then cut it open.
- Top and enjoy! Sprinkle with your favorite toppings, and enjoy!
Acai bowl toppings
There are so many different ways to top an acai bowl! Here are a few to get you started:
- Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries
- Diced mango
- Sliced banana or kiwi
- Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- Shredded coconut
- Granola
- Almonds, pecans, or walnuts
- Almond butter or peanut butter
- Chia seeds or bee pollen
- A drizzle of honey or maple syrup
Looking for more smoothie bowl ideas?
Once you’ve learned how to make an acai bowl, there are lots of other smoothies you could try! Here are a few ideas for smoothie bowl flavors:
- Cherry Granola Smoothie Bowl Recipe
- Chocolate Blueberry Smoothie
- Coconut Strawberry Smoothie
- Berry Superfood Smoothie Bowl
- Glowing Green Smoothie
How to Make an Acai Bowl
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
Description
Acai bowls are an irresistible frosty puree of acai berries and tropical fruit, loaded with colorful toppings. Here’s how to make an acai bowl at home!
Ingredients
For the toppings
- 1 handful coconut flakes
- 1/2 mango, diced (or ½ cup frozen diced, thawed)
- 4 sliced strawberries
- 1 small handful blueberries
- 1 small handful pepitas
- Bee pollen, optional
- Other topping ideas: Granola, almonds, pecans, walnuts, almond butter, peanut butter, chia seeds, a drizzle of honey or maple syrup
For the acai bowl
- 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
- 1 large banana
- 1/2 mango (or ½ cup frozen diced)
- 7 ounces frozen unsweetened acai pulp (such as Sambazon)*
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ¼ cup cold water
Instructions
- Place your bowls in the freezer: this will help to keep the acai from melting while enjoying it.
- Prep the toppings (before making the bowl, again to minimize melting): In a small skillet, toast the coconut over low to medium low heat until golden brown, stirring often. Immediately remove to a bowl. Dice the mango and reserve half for the acai. Slice the strawberries.
- In a large high speed or regular blender, blend the pineapple, banana and mango until somewhat combined and chunky.
- Thaw the acai pulp under warm water until it can be broken into smaller chunks, then remove the packaging. Add the acai to the blender with the lime juice and ¼ cup cold water. Blend until smooth, stopping and stirring as necessary. (If you need a bit more water you can add it; try not to add too much in order to keep the acai texture thick. A high speed blender will work well here; with a regular blender you’ll have to stop and stir more.)
- Pour the acai mixture into the frozen bowls. Top with the fruit, coconut, pepitas, and other toppings. Serve immediately.
Notes
*We’ve found this acai pulp in the frozen section at several of our local grocery stores.
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Frozen
- Cuisine: Tropical
Keywords: How to make an acai bowl
