Acai is so trendy right now. The South American dish hopped up north by way of Hawaii and has been slowly making its way across the country. While Acai really got its US start in vegan cafés, people have been realizing recently that it is maybe the most super of superfoods. Naturally, everyone wants to try the new, extremely healthy (and delicious!) dish. To make trying it even easier, we’re here today to share some easy acai bowl recipes for you to try!
What is Acai?
Acai (pronounced “ah-SIGH-ee”) is technically a berry, but it honestly tastes more like dark chocolate. As mentioned above, the dark purple superfood really is super. It contains a ton of amino acids and antioxidants that the body needs. The berry hails mostly from the Amazon rainforests of Brazil, and the Brazilians call it the “beauty berry” for all of its health and beauty benefits!
Acai berries can increase your energy levels, improve your metabolism, and boost your immune system – not to mention being great for your hair and skin. Unfortunately, since the berries really only grow in the tropics of South and Central America, you can’t get them fresh in the continental US. What you can get is flash frozen acai berries – and these are exactly what you need to make a delicious acai smoothie, acai sorbet, or (of course!) to try a healthy acai bowl recipe.
The base of any acai bowl is an acai puree, but the ingredients of that base vary depending on the recipe. Choose your favorite, run out to grab anything you need, and dig in for breakfast tomorrow! Tip: If there’s fruit in your base, try to use frozen fruit to get the right thick consistency. Don’t add ice to improve that aspect, though – it’ll just water down the flavor.
Autumn Acai Bowl
This recipe calls for frozen acai puree, but you can substitute acai powder in most recipes. Almost all acai recipes are naturally designed to be vegan, including this one! It’s designed to serve two. Ingredients:
- For the Puree
- 14 oz. frozen acai puree
- 1/3 cup coconut milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- For the Toppings
- 2 bananas, sliced
- 1 cup sliced figs
- 1/2 cup flaked & unsweetened toasted coconut
- 1/3 cup pomegranate arils
- 1/4 cup toasted almonds
- For the Cashew Butter
- 10 oz. raw, unsalted cashews
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste
- 1 tsp coconut oil, melted
- Pinch of salt
Start by making the cashew butter, since you’ll need it to top the acai bowl as soon as it’s ready. Get out a food processor and add the cashews, blending them for 6-8 minutes or until smooth. Once it looks buttery, add coconut oil and vanilla bean paste and blend together again until it’s all smooth. Add salt to taste. If you need to scrape down the sides of the processor occasionally, feel free.
Protip: don’t take the acai out of the freezer until you’re almost ready to puree it – you need it to be pretty frozen to get the right puree consistency. Once you are ready, add the acai puree, coconut milk, and vanilla extract to a blender. Combine until thick and creamy. Split it into two bowls and cover with sliced bananas, figs, coconut, pomegranate arils, and almonds. Drizzle with the cashew butter and serve immediately!
Hawaii 5-0 Rainbow Bowl
This recipe is designed for one, but it can be easily doubled (or tripled or quadrupled) depending on your needs. The site I found the recipe on recommends fresh fruit for the topping (which I always think is better) but frozen fruit for the puree. Ingredients:
For the Puree
- 1/2 small banana
- 3.5 oz. frozen acai (since you’re using frozen fruit, she recommends thawing under hot water for 5 seconds to break the acai into smaller chunks)
- 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
- 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
- 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (if you have plain almond milk, that’s fine – just add a dash of vanilla extract)
For the Toppings
- 1/4 cup blueberries
- 1/2 kiwi, peeled and sliced or chopped
- 1/2 small banana, sliced
- 1/4 cup peeled and chopped pineapple or mango (or both!)
- 1/4 cup strawberries, sliced
- 1/4 cup granola (optional)
- Drizzle of raw honey (optional)
Start by blending the solid puree ingredients (everything but milk) in a blender. Once the larger chunks are broken apart, add a splash of milk at a time until it’s all been added. Once all of the milk is added and the ingredients are mostly combined, blend on high for an additional 15-20 seconds. All that’s left after this is to add your toppings! If you want the rainbow effect, arrange them in stripes from left to right – blueberries, kiwi, banana, pineapple, mango, and strawberries. Then sprinkle with honey or granola if you like!
Banana Cacao Avocado Bowl
My very soon-to-be-husband insists that you can’t eat dessert for breakfast, so this is just the kind of thing I love to make. It’s incredibly healthy, but also incredibly chocolatey! This recipe also serves one. Ingredients:
For the Puree
- 1 frozen acai pack (100g)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 large overripe frozen banana
- 1 pitted Medjool date
- 1 tbsp cacao powder
- 1/4 of an avocado
For the Toppings
- Cacao nibs
- Unsweetened shredded coconut
- Sliced banana
- Granola
This chef recommends breaking the pack of acai into four chunks to make it easier for the blender or food processor to handle. Place acai, almond milk, banana, date, cacao powder, and avocado into your bender of choice and use high speed until smooth and creamy. Note: if you’re using a Magic Bullet type blender, you’ll probably have to shake it a few times to get everything blended since you’re dealing with a very thick mixture. Once you’re happy with the consistency, pour into a bowl and top with cacao nibs, coconut, banana, and granola as desired!
Peanut Butter Loco Moco
I have to put another chocolatey treat right away because I think I almost went to heaven just looking at the ingredients! If you love Reese’s (or my personal favorite, Justin’s Organic Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups), then this is the breakfast bowl for you. It only serves one, but you might honestly be able to split because it’ll be super rich first thing in the morning. Ingredients:
For the Puree
- 1/2 small banana
- 1 1/2 tsp natural unsalted peanut butter
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 pack frozen acai (3.5 oz.)
- 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or 1/4 cup coconut milk and 1/4 cup water)
For the Toppings
- 1/2 small banana, sliced
- 1/4 cup granola, optional
- 2 tsp shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1 tbsp cocoa nibs
- 1 1/2 tsp natural unsalted peanut butter
- Drizzle of raw honey (optional)
Puree all of the ingredients together, beginning with the softest and adding the milk gradually at the end. Once you reach the desired consistency, serve into a bowl and top as desired!
Berry Beet Breakfast Bowl
One last healthier berry acai bowl. True confession: I thought it was called the “Berry Best Breakfast Bowl” when I first saw it and thought that was adorably punny. It seems equally delicious as the Berry Beet Breakfast Bowl, though, so here goes! This recipe also serves one. Ingredients:
For the Puree
- 1 large Medjool date, pitted and soaked until soft
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1-2 brazil nuts
- 1 small raw beet, peeled and grated
- 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries (the author recommends a raspberry/blueberry blend)
- 1 pack of frozen acai, run under water to thaw slightly
For the Toppings
- 1 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 tbsp hemp seeds
- Sliced fresh fruit and berries of your choice
Start by preparing the date and beet to be ready for the recipe. Then, combine coconut milk, chia seeds, brazil nuts, and date in the blender and blend until smooth. Add the beet, frozen berries, and acai packet. Blend on high until thick and smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary. As always, serve immediately with your desired toppings!
Conclusion
I hope that one of these acai bowl recipes looks as delicious to you as they all look to me! As a general tip, your bowl will taste the best if you eat it right after you make it. If for whatever reason you really need or want to make it in advance, just be sure to cover it completely and keep it in the fridge to stay cold and delicious.
Do you have a favorite acai bowl recipe that I missed? Do you swear by acai smoothies or acai sorbet and have a great recipe for one of those? As always, chime in down below with all of your thoughts and ideas.
