Acai bowls – pronounced ah-sigh-ee – are a super trendy breakfast item at juice bars, cafes, and restaurants, but you can easily prepare them at home. Just type in #acaibowls on Instagram and you’ll discover a superb variety of mesmerizing tropical bowls beautifully decorated with berries, coconut flakes, and superfoods. Acai bowls are a traditional Brazilian delicacy –
açaí na tigela – prepared with mashed and frozen purple fruit from the açaí palm. What’s unique about açaí bowls is that they feature frozen açaí puree, taste like a combination of wild berries and chocolate, and are basically a smoothie served in a bowl.
It’s not only delicious but super healthy too. Studies show that açaí berries are more antioxidant-rich than most other berries on the market, e.g. strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and cranberries. And since they are low in sugar and higher in healthy fats, a bowl provides a quick and lasting nutrition boost. This means that it’s a perfectly filling healthy meal for a busy lifestyle.
The Classic Recipe
Where would you source açaí berries from? Açaí berries have a short shelf life, therefore, most supermarkets stock up on frozen açaí puree. We recommend you look for pure unsweetened açaí puree as the healthiest option.
The classic recipe includes granola and banana on top plus a finish of guaraná syrup and other berries, but you can play around with the ingredients and decoration. Blending the açaí puree and all the frozen ingredients normally takes about five minutes, and the rest is decoration and serving in an aesthetically attractive way. For instance, açaí bowls are most commonly served in coconut bowls and, more recently, in hollowed-out pineapple halves. You can also make your own granola and sprinkle all kinds of superfood powders on top, e.g. spirulina, matcha, maca, cacao, spirulina, turmeric, etc.
Here is our scoop of Pinterest’s most delicious and beautiful açaí bowls. Extremely drool-worthy!
Watermelon Acai Bowl
This raw and vegan recipe features watermelon, bananas, dragon fruit powder, lime juice, and coconut milk.
Detox Acai Bowl
With this one, you’ll taste notes of raspberries, blueberries, banana, vanilla, and almond milk. It includes superfood toppings, such as açaí powder, chia seeds, goji berries, cocoa nibs, paleo granola, and desiccated coconut. So healthy and delicious!
Mermaid Smoothie Bowls
The mermaid smoothie bowls are made with banana, frozen cooked cauliflower, coconut milk, rolled oats, spirulina and maca!
Matcha Smoothie Bowl
If you love matcha latte, you’ll love this green goodness in a bowl! Start your morning with a blend of banana, cashew milk, peanut butter, and matcha!
Black Sesame Smoothie Bowls
Kick-off the week with this powerful mix of açaí and black sesame seeds!
Green Smoothie Bowl with Coconut & Dark Chocolate
The recipe calls for bananas, raw or frozen spinach, cashew milk, spirulina, rawnola (i.e. raw granola), pepitas, dark chocolate, and shredded coconut. Amazing taste!
Matcha & Mango Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients: bananas, mango, coconut milk, matcha, spirulina, cacao butter, oats. Top with granola, fruit, and mango cheeks.
Ocean-inspired Acai Bowl
Two words: banana and spirulina! The result is a light, silky smooth mixture that melts instantly in your mouth. Yummy!
Açaí Nice Cream Bowl
This classic açaí bowl comes with goji berry, pistachio, shredded coconut, dried white mulberries, blueberries, blackberries, and a seed mix. Served in a ripe coconut half.
Tropical Bowl
You can prepare this deliciousness yourself with a few simple ingredients: açaí puree, frozen bananas, and blueMajik powder (basically, an extract from spirulina). Top with Lilli Pilli’s, quinoa puffs, blueberries, and edible petals!
Here’s a quick video on how to make a traditional açaí bowl:
Bon Appétit!
