Acai Smoothie Bowl

Acai Smoothie bowl

Acai (ah-sigh-ee) Smoothie bowls are the most refreshing and delicious frozen treat. Smoothie bowls can be made using just about any fruit but an acai bowl uses frozen acai pulp as the main ingredient in the smoothie. Homemade acai bowls are fun and easy to make. Once blended pour it into a bowl then pile on your favorite toppings like sliced fruit, nuts, seeds and coconut, just to name a few. Grab a spoon and enjoy as a snack or even breakfast! There are a few ways to make an acai bowl I have three of my tried and true favorites included along with an option to use freeze dried acai powder for those of you who may not have frozen acai at your fingertips.

Smoothie Bowl Confessions

The best smoothie bowls I have had and I have had plenty are in Trinidad (shout out to The Sweet Beet), Hawaii (in Lanikai, Oahu specifically) and Southern California. Heal Wellness makes the best ones I have tasted in Canada - what’s up Canada? I feel like we should be doing better with our smoothie bowls especially Toronto! What makes a great smoothie bowl is different for everyone - for me it has to be super creamy and smooth - and not too sweet. Most of the ones I mentioned above make açai smoothie that is either blended with the açai puree or freeze dried açai powder (or a combo of both) and mixed berry fruit - they have a well balanced acai flavor. Acai can be sort of intense on its own so most places make it with a blend of other berries to mellow the flavour out. I tried many combinations of making açai and my top three ways are listed below - the very berry blue being the most intense in flavor and colour to the more mellow, less intense flavored freeze dried açai powder version. CAUTION: you thought eating açai bowls is addictive well making them is just as. In truth though, it must be stated that although smoothie bowls are great, you are eating loads of fruit and that is always a good thing - but these little guys can often pack loads of calories and sugar. So the key is simply to be careful not to overdo it with large portions and high-calorie ingredients more specifically the toppings and also don’t over do it with adding sugars or sweeteners.

What is Acai?

Acai is a berry found on açaí palm trees in South American rain forests, called açaí berries. They are known for being a superfood rich in antioxidants, packed with essential fatty acids, and low in naturally occurring sugars, often called ‘purple gold’ for good reason. These are not your typical berries. Acai berries are not as sweet and have an earthy flavor - a deep flavor often compared to the flavors you get out of wine, dark chocolate and a mix of berries. The berries themselves have a very short shelf life so unless you are living in South America you likely won’t be trying a raw acai berry or have access to fresh açai berries. They are instead sold as a frozen fruit acai puree or pressed juice. It has become more and more common to find in the freezer section of your local grocery store or health food grocery store (I usually get them at Costco/ whole foods or if you are a Toronto local they always have them stocked at the big carrot). The best kind, the kind with the purest, boldest flavor, comes without any additives- no added sugar or preservatives - so look out for those when shopping for it.

Homemade Acai Bowl Recipe Ingredients

The ingredients used to make an açai smoothie bowl can vary, but the base is typically always frozen fruit. Here are the main ingredients I use to make my ultimate acai smoothie bowl:

• ACAI: Frozen acai packets or freeze dried açai powder
• FROZEN BANANA: frozen banana helps thicken the smoothie and adds a little natural sweetness.
• FROZEN BERRIES: I switch things up and use all blueberries at times when I want to keep the colours deeply purple or I use mixed berries like strawberries, blackberries and raspberries along with the blueberries.
• MILK: I use non-dairy milk - unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk, soy milk for a non dairy vegan version but you can use regular milk as well
• ALMOND BUTTER: creamy unsweetened natural runny almond butter is what I always use. You can also use any nut butter - like cashew butter, natural unsweetened peanut butter, sunflower butter or any seed butter if there is a general nut allergy
• YOGURT: I like to use a dairy free version or greek yoghurt for a thick rich and delicious addition. You can use a vanilla one if you prefer to use a flavoured one
• MAPLE SYRUP: If you would like to sweeten your acai smoothie a little I like to add a touch of maple syrup or honey. I usually find the banana adds enough sweetness for my liking but my hubby tends to always add a bit of maple syrup.
  
  

Optional Add Ins & Variations:

• Extra maple syrup, honey or agave optional for extra sweetness (or more to taste)
• Protein powder (plain, vanilla or chocolate protein powder) or collagen powder
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Ground flax seeds or flax meal
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder for a chocolate versus.
• Frozen berries – any frozen berries will do. My favorite options are frozen strawberries, blueberries and/or cherries. You can also use a bag of mixed berries
• ¼ cup of Oats - will create a thicker richer more satiating smoothie bowl
• A handful of spinach or kale for some added nutrients
• A dash of cinnamon for extra flavour
  
  

Toppings For This Tasty Smoothie Bowl

Toppings are always the fun part and the options are endless here! Get creative with your smoothie bowl toppings. Here are some of my go-to toppings:

• Fresh banana – slice fresh bananas for added sweetness!
• Fresh berries – I like using a combination of strawberries and blueberries but any fresh berry works! You can also do freeze dried berries
• Granola – want to add some texture to your smoothie bowl? Add crunchy granola on top! Try my simple vanilla almond granola or chocolate granola is great too
• Peanut butter or almond butter – can’t go wrong with a little extra nut butter drizzled on top.
• Chia seeds – add in healthy fats, fiber and texture with chia seeds.
• Chopped nuts - pecan, almond, walnut, hazelnut or seeds like pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
• Shredded coconut – add toasted coconut flakes or shredded coconut for added sweetness and crunchy!
• Chocolate or Cacao nibs, chopped dark chocolate or miniature chocolate chips or melted chocolate drizzled on top.
• Honey - or drizzled of maple syrup for a little extra sweetness
  
  

Easy Acai Bowl Recipe Tips

• Always use frozen fruit - Don’t add fresh fruit if you want an ultra thick smoothie bowl! Fresh fruit is too watery and you will end up with a soupy texture
• To achieve that desirable thickness in your acai bowl, consider using frozen bananas. This not only adds creaminess but also maintains the right consistency. Banana falls under the “creamy” frozen fruit category but frozen mango, avocado or pineapple work well too
• Additionally, be mindful not to add too much liquid, as this can make your bowl watery. Avoid over-blending for a thicker result. You will definitely need less liquid than regular, drinkable smoothies.
• Remember that the tamper on your blender is your friend. You want the smoothie bowl thick and cold, so that means you’ll need to use the tamper to push everything into the blades, or if you do not have a tamper you will need to stop the blender and use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape the sides and to give everything a mix before blending again.
• Just a splash of milk will get your blender going! That is all you need. You will see I gave ranges of milk liquid to add in the recipes below - always start with the lowest amount first adding more if needed.
• If you plan to make a lot of smoothie bowls, investing in a good blender with a strong motor that can quickly cut through frozen fruit is a really good idea. But thick smoothie bowls are possible with a cheaper blender if you have a little extra time to keep turning the blender off and stirring it until it is totally pureed.
  
  

How to Make Your Smoothie Bowl Thicker?

Nothing is worse than a melty smoothie bowl that’s hard to eat with a spoon. If you blend up your smoothie and are wishing it was thicker, here are some things to try:

• Add more fruit - in this case more frozen banana slices of frozen berries
• Add protein powder or more of it
• Add avocado – add a quarter or half of an avocado when blending for an instant thickener! If its frozen even better
• Add chia seeds – they absorb liquid and will make your smoothie thick - or even flax meal
• Use less liquid – this won’t necessary fix a liquidy smoothie, but it’s something to remember next time you make a smoothie bowl and if your smoothie is too thick for your liking make sure to add liquid a little at a time so you won’t go from super thick to super runny