How to make Acai bowls at home
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Hey friends,
Today I am bringing you guys an easy peasy one. I almost feel like it's cheating to call this a recipe, but hey, someone somewhere out there might be in dire need of knowing how in the world to make, wait for it, your very own HOMEMADE ACAI smoothie or bowl. 🙂
We've all seen the pictures on Instagram, and if you haven't just quickly search #acaibowl, you'll thank me later.
Acai bowls are not only mesmerizing to look at but they are also super duper healthy for you. This recipe has no added oil and no added sugars, plus acai itself is an amazing antioxidant.
I won't bore you with all the facts, but for those of you who aren't familiar with Acai, it is a berry that grows in South America along the Amazon River. This tiny purple berry has been used for years by the locals but it wasn't until the early 2000's that it finally found it's way into North America and we now know how popular it is worldwide in 2017!
Acai has become known as a super food and rightly so. It is a big antioxidant powerhouse and also has an energizing effect! Plus, it tastes delicious in a smoothie or a bowl, much better than purple cabbage would anyway.
Want to know something else that's cool about acai but totally off topic? Once the pulp of the berry is removed (to make the puree), the left over seed can be used to make handmade jewelry!
Allrighty ladies and gents, go make your smoothie or bowl and enjoy the heck out of it. Also, tag me @sproutingzeneats so that I can see your creations! 🙂
How to make your own acai bowl at home
Ingredients
- Acai Puree or Acai Powder (I use Trader Joe’s Acai Puree)
- apple juice (or any other natural unsweetened juice, coconut water works well too)
- 1 ripe banana (optional if you like to add this to the acai)
Topping ideas:
There is definitely room here for creativity, below are just some ideas as to what you can use for toppings:
- sliced bananas
- sliced kiwis
- strawberries
- mango slices
- shredded coconut
- chopped nuts and seeds
- chopped cacao
- granola or cereal
Instructions
- If you are using frozen acai puree packs (like the one in the picture from Trader Joe’s or something similar), then first you need to run the individual packet under hot water for five seconds to defrost a bit before putting it into the blender. (read the package instructions as they may differ from these specific ones). Once you have done this, then place the Acai puree into blender. If you are using powder form then skip this completely and just put about 1 tbs of powder into blender.
- Add 1 cup of apple juice or what ever liquid you are using to form the base of the smoothie bowl. You can also add in the optional banana. I like doing this because it gives more volume (if you are using powdered Acai you might want to use a banana in there) and adds a nice sweeter taste. Acai can be a little sour sometimes. Feel free to experiment and add any other fruits you might have on hand. Please note it will change the flavor of the Acai slightly.
- Once you have your smoothie base – You can pour it into a cup and call it a day! Acai Smoothie in two easy steps! Or you can pour it into a bowl and add toppings to create your very own Acai bowl at home, just like all those Instagram pictures we keep seeing around. 😉
- Get creative with your toppings and fill up the top layer of the Acai until you can’t see purple anymore! Ha, just kidding, it doesn’t have to be completely covered but the more fruit the merrier. Now it’s time to dig in! Enjoy.
Notes
- If your smoothie bowl feels a little too watery you can pop it in the freezer for a few minutes to allow it to firm up, or you can add some banana or nut butter into the smoothie mixture and blend a little more to thicken it up.
