Acai Smoothie Bowl 101

Ohhhh, smoothies <3 How I adore you.

If you take a peek at my Instagram @mich_baptista, you’ll see just how obsessed I am. Mango smoothies, blueberry smoothies, green smoothies! I’ll take them all, please.

But what’s even better is when your smoothie is in a bowl. It’s basically soft-serve ice cream for breakfast. And who would say no to that?

Not I.

Acai is a power fruit. Originally from Brazil, this berry is now able to be enjoyed all over the world.  It’s most often sold in tropical beach locations, like Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Mexico… but acai bowls can be made just as easily at home! If you can’t go to the tropics, bring a part of the tropics home with you… am I right?!

This is my favorite way to start a weekend morning. With a big, cold, refreshing bowl of acai, pilled high with fresh fruit and granola.

 
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ACAI BOWL FOR TWO

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 packets of frozen acai puree

  • 2 frozen bananas, sliced

  • 1 cup frozen wild blueberries

  • I cup frozen strawberries

  • <1 cup almond milk (just enough to get it blending)

  • Optional toppings: banana, granola, coconut, berries, papaya, kiwi, mango

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Run acai packet under hot water for ~10 seconds to lightly defrost.

  2. Add all the ingredients into a high-speed blender, with 1/2 cup of almond milk. Any blender will work, but the amount of liquid you need to use will vary based on blender type. For blenders like a Nutribullet, you will need a lot more liquid.

  3. Blend, and add more almond milk as needed. Scrape down the sides and mash with a tamper or similar tool. Be careful not to over blend or add too much liquid or you will end up with a smoothie instead of a bowl (not a horrible situation). I have found that I really need to mash the ingredients in order to avoid adding too much liquid.

  4. Decorate your bowl by adding fresh fruit, like bananas, papaya, mango or strawberries on top. Sprinkle some of your favorite granola (mine is coconut granola from Trader Joe’s) and finish with some coconut flakes!

  5. EAT & ENJOY!


Tip: Invest in a good blender, it’s worth it! Especially if you will be using it a lot. I currently have a Blendtec and use it at least once a day. The only downfall is there is no tamper, compared to Vitamix, so frozen treats with little liquid are much harder to attain.