How to make an açaibowl with a base of just 3-ingredient antioxidant-rich acai smoothie topped with a nourishing combination of protein, fiber, and nutrient-dense toppings! The result is a homemade acai bowl perfect for a nourishing breakfast or refreshing treat!
To get the signature thick and creamy consistency of an acai smoothie bowl, you need to work with frozen ingredients. If you don't already have some in the freezer, then prepare these the night before.
To freeze the banana, either slice the banana in half (if you have a high-speed blender) or in coins and spread on a tray (not touching). Freeze until solid, then transfer to an airtight bag. These will be fine in the freezer for between 3 and 4 months!
Step 2: Blend the acai smoothie
You can use either a blender or an immersion blender for this frozen acai smoothie. Add all the ingredients to your blender or container, breaking the acai pack into several pieces, and then blend until thick and smooth.If you're blending, make sure to add the liquid first so it's closer to the blades. This will help it blend the frozen ingredients easier. If you have a tamper, this will also help the process. Otherwise, be patient – as this can take some time.If you want a super-thick açai bowl, add the liquid bit-by-bit rather than all at once in the beginning.
Step 3: Assemble the acai breakfast bowl
Transfer the blended acai smoothie to a serving bowl, using a spoon/spatula to smooth it down.
Add your toppings of choice. My toppings included a small handful of homemade granola, a sprinkling of shredded coconut, a couple of sliced strawberries, 1/3 a banana, and a spoonful of almond butter.
Enjoy the frozen acai smoothie bowl immediately before it melts too much.
How to Store
Meal Prep: to save time in the morning, you can create little "meal prep" packs with all your toppings (stored separately, so the fruit doesn't make the granola soft). That way, in the morning, all you have to do is blend the smoothie and pour your toppings over, no need for any additional fruit washing/chopping/weighing, etc.You can also prepare the smoothie and transfer it to a large Ziplock bag, pressing it thin. Then freeze the smoothie until solid and store in the freezer for several months. When you want a smoothie, just break the frozen acai smoothie sheet into smaller pieces and add to your blender with a splash or two of liquid.Storing: once the açai bowl is assembled and topped, I recommend enjoying it immediately before it can melt and the granola becomes soggy.
Notes
Store fruits in your freezer at all times: I enjoy several smoothies weekly, so I always have fruits in my freezer. Making sure the freezer is stocked means you're ready to make a homemade acai bowl whenever the cravings hit.
A high-speed blender is best: if you're using an old/low-speed blender, it will struggle to process the frozen ingredients. You need to add extra liquid to the machine when that happens, which ruins the super-thick consistency that a frozen acai bowl should have.
Don't go overboard with toppings: without realizing it, you'll have added hundreds of extra calories. Instead, I recommend adding a balanced amount of healthy fats, additional fruits, and fiber-rich ingredients.
Serve in a chilled bowl: this is especially helpful if you live in a warmer climate. Chilling the bowl will mean you can take your time enjoying the frozen acai smoothie bowl without it melting too quickly.
Blend the fruits directly from the freezer: Don't allow them to thaw slightly first if you want the thickest, creamiest açai bowl.
Optional add-ins and recipe variations:
Berries: if you aren't a fan of the simple acai banana combination, you can further boost the flavor of this acai bowl recipe with the addition of berries like strawberries or blueberries (frozen). I usually add a handful of my berry of choice.
Mango: my other favorite fruit to add is mango – which helps to boost the tropical flavor.
Yogurt: you can add Greek yogurt or dairy-free yogurt (like coconut yogurt, soy yogurt, or almond yogurt). I don’t recommend using flavored yogurt.
Fruit juice: instead of using coconut water/milk, you could infuse the homemade acai bowl with extra flavor by adding a fruit juice – like apple juice or orange juice.
Banana-free acai bowl: to reduce the natural sugars in the recipe while maintaining the texture, you can use frozen cauliflower in place of the banana. However, I recommend using 50/50 the first time.
Seeds: for extra protein, you could add a tablespoon of chia, flaxseed, or hemp seeds to the smoothie (or as a topping).
Nut/seed butter: instead of topping the bowl with this, you can add it into the acai smoothie for a richer, creamier texture. I recommend almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or peanut butter acai bowls as my favorite options.
Chocolate acai bowl: you could use cacao/cocoa powder (around 1 Tbsp). I love to add this, especially when using nut butter, as the combination of acai, chocolate, and creamy nut butter is wonderfully rich! Alternatively, use a combination of cocoa powder and chocolate protein powder.
Protein acai bowl: add a scoop of your favorite plain or vanilla-flavored protein powder.
Vanilla: just a little pure vanilla extract will boost the flavor.
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