I remember having my first acai bowl in Brazil years ago, and loving it, then being disappointed when I returned home and couldn’t find acai anywhere.
But now, it has finally hit the U.S. market! While I started seeing it a few years ago pop up in different places, I am now seeing it everywhere. Even most grocery stores now sell the frozen acai smoothie packets.
However, after trying an acai bowl at a few different places, while at the beach in Delaware last week, I have concluded that it’s much better (and cheaper) to just make your own.
Most places sell an acai bowl for $9-12 and its either way too sweet, doesn’t have enough acai, or the granola they top it with just isn’t that good.
As I do have experience with the real acai bowls/smoothies as done in Brazil, I believe my upgraded version is just as good and while being packed with extra goodness (I’m talking about greens of course! And some flaxseed.)
Seriously, my dad has even gotten hooked on acai bowls and is loving the ones I make for him, and he says he can’t even taste the greens — and I put a BIG handful!
So, what is açaí?
Açaí (pronounced, A-SA-EE), is a small purple berry (grown on a type of palm tree) which is native to the Amazon Rainforest, and thus very popular in Brazil. It gained popularity due to its high antioxidant content, while having nearly zero sugar, so it is considered a “superfruit.”
And what is an açaí bowl?
Traditionally it is simply a frozen puree of acai berries blended with a little guarana syrup (to sweeten) and either blended with banana and granola, or simply served with sliced banana and granola on top. They are very popular for boosting one’s energy!
How to Make the Most Delicious, and Nutritious, Açaí Bowl
Of course I always want to add greens to anything I make, so here’s how I like to make my acai bowl, for a more nutrient-packed filling breakfast…
Ingredients:
- 1 frozen acai packet, unsweetened
- 1 frozen banana
- Some other type(s) of fruit (either some frozen pineapple, half a peach, some frozen wild blueberries, etc.)
- 1 BIG handful of baby greens (I use a mix of spinach and kale)
- 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed (I love this sprouted ground flaxseed)
- Granola (I prefer homemade, using this recipe, but adding half the amount of coconut oil and maple syrup. And here’s another healthy granola recipe option that’s similar, with even less oil and sugar added. If you’re doing store bought be sure to check the sugar content and get one that has less sugar.)
- Extra fruit for topping
Directions:
Start by blending the greens with the extra fruit (such as peach slices and wild blueberries in my case at the moment), then add the acai packet, ground flaxseed, and frozen banana. If you have a Vitamix use the “frozen dessert” setting and the tamper. If you don’t have a vitamix you can do this in a food processor or regular blender, but you might need to add a little liquid (either some ice cold coconut water, nut milk, or a little fresh juice).
When finished, pour into a bowl and top with some fresh fruit of your choice (berries and sliced banana go great) and a good amount of granola. Pro tip: pour some granola in the bowl first, then pour the acai mixture, and then sprinkle extra granola on top!
Enjoy!
Note: If you’re making two servings, you could use only 1 packet of acai and extra wild blueberries (or other frozen berries) and/or other fruit. Some frozen mango would also be delicious. Experiment and see what you like best!
