Have you tried an Açai Bowl yet? Açai berries are real nutritional powerhouses! Pronounced ah-sigh-ee, this potent little purple berry grows in the Amazon Rainforest. Besides their beautiful color, these berries are rich in antioxidants, healthy omegas, fiber, and protein – which makes them one of the healthiest foods on the planet. If you have not tried Açai yet, give it a chance!
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I tried an Açaí bowl first time a few years ago in Florida. On a hot, steamy day, I was amazed how rich, delicious and refreshing that morning smoothie was. Since that time, our friendship with acai berries only gets stronger. For me, making an acai smoothie is always associated with summer fun.
After I noticed a frozen pureed acai packs at Trader Joe’s, I started experimenting with my own acai smoothie recipes. All my experiments were mostly successful since acai berries taste amazing with almost anything! (Next time you are at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods check their acai berry pulp in the freezer section.)
Now I am trying to stay away from ordering acai bowls out since they are often too sweet. And as everyone else, I don’t enjoy experiencing sugar crash after breakfast 🙂
Today I am sharing one of my favorite recipes with acai where the sweetness and sourness come together and create a wholesome union! Since this smoothie is really thick and rich, I love making it as a smoothie bowl. Beautiful and healthy toppings will make every bowl different and amazingly delicious.
Summer Acai Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup of nut milk or 1/3 cup of unsweetened coconut milk + 2/3 cup of water
- 1 3.5 ounces pack of frozen pureed acai berries
- 1/2 cup of frozen blackberries raspberries or blueberries
- ½ frozen banana
- *If you are looking to increase your protein intake and make this smoothie more filling add a scoop of your favorite organic plant-based protein powder.
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- For topping pick a few favorites
- 1 tbsp almond butter a few berries, circles of banana, cacao nibs, bee pollen, and coconut flakes ( chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, goji berries, ...)
Instructions
- Put an acai puree pack in a hot water for a minute. Then transfer the puree into a blender, add milk of your choice, banana, and process until smooth consistency.
- Pour in a bowl and top with a few berries, circles of banana, coconut flakes, bee pollen, and cacao nibs. Drizzle with almond butter. Or create your own mix for a topping. Options are endless!
A few notes regarding nut milk.
Buy it
If you live in the US, you can always find nut milk at the grocery store. If you prefer this option, always try to get unsweetened one and check the ingredients on the bottle. The optimal choice will be the one with only water and nuts. If you see ingredients which you would not be able to find in your own kitchen pantry, you do not need this product.
Make it!
You can always make nut milk at home. It takes little time and tastes 100% better than store bought. I wrote a post about making homemade nut milk here.
To simplify the process of making milk you can use nut/seed butter (Thanks to my friend Ashley for this reminder!)
To make 2 cups of plant milk, mix 2 cups of water with 1 tbsp of nut butter. Adjust the amount of nut butter according to your desired nut milk consistency. Sometimes I love to use this little shortcut when making hot chocolate, pink latte, and turmeric milk.
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Have fun in the kitchen and enjoy the summer!
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Zhenya, ♡
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Let me know if you tried acai smoothie yet! What is your favorite recipe?
Can’t wait to hear from you!
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