An acai bowl is a refreshing, healthy and customizable breakfast or afternoon snack. Make one of these stunners with your favorite toppings in just 10 minutes!
What is Acai?
Acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) are deep purple berries that grow on acai palm trees throughout South America. The pulp from these berries are rich in antioxidants, with a fruity, tangy, earthy taste – like a cross between blackberries and dark chocolate.
What Is an Acai Bowl?
An acai bowl is a thick smoothie bowl made from frozen acai puree, blended with other fruit (typically berries and banana), and then garnished with assorted toppings like nuts, granola and more fruit.
An acai bowl is oftentimes served as a healthy summertime breakfast but they are also awesome afternoon snacks!
If you’re loving healthy berry smoothies, try this Healthy Strawberry Banana Smoothie too!
Acai Bowl Ingredients
- Frozen, unsweetened acai – you can buy unsweetened acai packets in the frozen section of the grocery store. Several packets are typically sold in one big bag.
- Banana – use a fresh, not frozen banana.
- Frozen strawberries – you can buy pre-frozen strawberries or buy fresh strawberries, hull them (remove the stems) and freeze them with the blueberries for about an hour or until ready to use.
- Frozen blueberries – you can buy pre-frozen blueberries or freeze your own with the strawberries!
- Milk of choice – I use nonfat dairy milk, but you can use any milk you’d like. I recommend unsweetened milk unless you like your acai bowl extra sweet!
How to Make An Acai Bowl
Full instructions in the recipe card; this is just an outline!
- Blend.
Add all ingredients to a blender, and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Top.
Pour into a bowl, and add your favorite toppings. Serve right away.
Acai Bowl Topping Ideas
There are so many possibilities! Here are a few of my favorite acai bowl toppings:
- More fruit: like strawberries, bananas, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, mangos, kiwis, and pineapple.
- Dried fruit: like raisins, dates, prunes, figs, apricots, and apples.
- Nuts: like peanuts, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, cashews, and pecans.
- Nut butter: like peanut butter, Homemade Peanut Butter, or almond butter.
- Granola: almost any flavor works!
- Coconut: try sweetened or unsweetened coconut flakes or chips.
- Seeds: try chia seeds or pumpkin seeds.
- Chocolate: some dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs go so well with acai.
- Honey: want a little more sweetness? Drizzle the final product with honey!
- Warm spices: add a dash of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to the top.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
This acai bowl recipe includes a healthy base, filled with fresh fruit, unsweetened acai, and your milk of choice. Most acai bowl toppings are generally healthy and can be customized based on your preferences. Of course, this Website is not intended as a source of nutritional advice.
The acai bowl base is thick enough to eat with a spoon. If you prefer an extra thick acai base, I recommend using ¼ cup milk instead of 1/3 cup.
You can sweeten an acai bowl by using sweetened milk, a squeeze of honey or agave, or garnishing with sweet toppings like granola or sweetened coconut.
Store leftover acai in the fridge. The acai will melt into more of a smoothie texture. While you can store leftovers acai bowl with toppings, the toppings will sink as the bowl melts.
I don’t recommend making an acai bowl ahead. The acai mixture will melt in the fridge and turn more into a smoothie texture. The toppings will also start to sink to the bottom of the bowl.
Yes, you can! You can double or triple the recipe if you’re making multiple acai bowls.
More Fruity Breakfast Recipes You’ll Love!
- Healthy Strawberry Banana Smoothie (Secret Ingredient!)
- Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes (in 20 Minutes!)
- BEST Blueberry Coffee Cake
- How to Make Mom’s Homemade Strawberry Preserves
Equipment
- Blender (or food processor as a substitute)
Ingredients
- 1 packet frozen unsweetened acai roughly 3.5 ounce packet
- ½ medium banana not frozen
- 5 medium frozen strawberries hulled
- ⅓ cup frozen blueberries
- ⅓ cup milk of choice
- Toppings of choice
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Pour into a bowl, and add your favorite toppings (sliced fruit, nuts, nut butter, seeds, granola, etc.) Serve right away.
Video
Notes
- The nutrition facts are for the acai bowl itself, without any toppings.
- If you prefer an extra thick acai bowl, use ¼ cup milk.
- I use nonfat dairy milk, however you can also use other dairy milks, unsweetened almond, coconut, soy etc.
- If you like an extra sweet acai bowl, add in a dash of honey, agave, or use a sweetened milk.
- Want more protein? Add a small scoop of protein powder into the blender with your other ingredients.
- More topping ideas in the blog post above!
