This acai bowl recipe is a smoothie made with fruit, acai berry puree and yogurt that’s served in a bowl and finished with a fun and colorful variety of toppings. The perfect healthier option for breakfast, lunch or snack time.
When I need a quick nutrition boost, I make a strawberry banana smoothie, mango smoothie, or this creamy and refreshing acai bowl.
We are a family of smoothie lovers, and I decided to shake things up a bit by trying something a little different in the smoothie department. This acai bowl recipe combines a variety of nutritious foods to create a unique and colorful snack or breakfast that my kids can’t get enough of! The adults love these acai bowls too, how could anyone resist something so colorful?!
What is an acai bowl?
An acai bowl is a blended mixture of acai berries and other fruits, served in a bowl and topped with a variety of fresh fruit, nuts and seeds.
Acai berries a small fruit native to Central and South America and are considered a superfood because of their high antioxidant levels. They’re definitely becoming a trendy ingredient, there are acai smoothie bowl shops popping up everywhere in my town! You can find packets of acai berry puree in the freezer section of most grocery stores, either with the frozen fruit or the cans of frozen juice. Just break up your acai packet into pieces, toss it into the blender with the other ingredients and you’re ready to go!
How do you make an acai bowl?
These acai bowls are actually very quick and easy to make, and your family will never guess that they’re full of good-for-you foods! The recipe starts with a smoothie base. I used frozen banana, apple juice, vanilla yogurt, frozen berries and acai berry puree.
What you end up with is a thick and creamy smoothie – you don’t even taste the acai, it marries nicely with the other fruit flavors.
You want your acai smoothie to be on the thick side because you’re going to pour it into bowls and eat it with a spoon.
Acai Bowl Tips
- I find that the texture of the acai bowls are best if served immediately. If you’re looking to make them in advance for meal prep purposes, you can blend up the fruit mixture and store it in small containers in the freezer. Let the acai mixture partially thaw, give it a stir and you’ll be ready to eat.
- If you’re looking to make this recipe vegan, you can use non dairy yogurt and agave or maple syrup instead of the honey.
- Not a berry fan? You can blend you acai with peaches, pineapple or mango if you prefer a different flavor.
Are acai bowls healthy?
Acai bowls are full of nutrients such as antioxidants, fiber, protein and vitamins. That being said, fruit is naturally high in sugar and these acai bowls are primarily fruit based. To keep your acai bowls on the healthier side, you can use plain non fat yogurt instead of vanilla, omit the honey, and choose lower calorie toppings for your bowl.
I make these acai bowls almost every week – it’s a great way to get that smoothie shop flavor at home. The topping possibilities are endless, my kids love to make their own acai creations for a fun snack.
Still hungry? Follow Dinner at the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more great recipe ideas!
This post was originally sponsored by Honey Bunches of Oats.
More fresh and healthy fruit recipes
Easy Acai Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup of apple juice
- 1 large banana sliced
- 1 1/2 cups of frozen berries
- 1/2 cup vanilla greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 frozen packet of acai berry puree (100 grams), broken into pieces
- Assorted toppings such as sliced almonds, berries, shredded coconut, granola, chia seeds, sliced banana, mint sprigs, etc.
Instructions
- Place the apple juice, banana, frozen berries, yogurt, honey and acai puree in the blender.
- Blend until thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Pour the smoothie into 2 deep bowls.
- Arrange the desired toppings over your smoothie bowls and serve.
Yameka Anderson says
June 1, 2019 at 12:49 pmI make these all the time, but I omit the apple juice and yogurt. I use unsweetened almond milk and add honey. It’s less sweet but still very delicious. I like it better this way to delete all of the unnecessary sugar. Keeps everything healthy.
Gabrielle says
March 7, 2019 at 1:49 pmI love this recipe!! So good!! I also love to put agave syrup on top and inside instead of honey. This is also a great smoothie for on the go!
Sara says
March 7, 2019 at 2:17 pmSo happy to hear you enjoyed it, thanks for reporting back!
Danielle says
February 9, 2019 at 8:36 pmBest Acai I’ve had in a while!! Used the unsweetened Acai puree and it was plenty sweet! Tastes like it’s straight from a California smoothie shop 🙂 AMAZING! Making this again ASAP.
Sara says
February 10, 2019 at 8:24 amSo happy you enjoyed it, thanks for reporting back!
Eugenia says
November 3, 2018 at 6:18 amI just made mine for breakfast! So delicious!! Only thing I didn’t use was the honey.
I topped mine off with fresh strawberries some sliced bananas, a spoonful of almond butter, a sprinkle of chia seeds and some granola. So yummmmm! Thank you!
Sara says
November 3, 2018 at 9:23 amLove those toppings and so glad you enjoyed it!
Michelle says
May 28, 2018 at 8:44 amThis recipe is easy and so delicious!! I was getting stressed out just finding the right ingredients but the outcome was awesome, hubby and I loved it! Thank you
Amy says
March 13, 2018 at 11:59 amI’m having a hard time getting the consistency right… Could I be blending it for too long? Absolutely delicious, regardless!
Sara says
March 13, 2018 at 12:37 pmIs it too thin? You can try freezing the banana slices before you add them to the blender to help thicken it. I hope that helps!
Shandra Carlsen says
February 2, 2018 at 6:49 amI noticed that none of the previous comments said they had actually made this recipe. I made this recipe and found it lightly creamy and very sweet, even having omitted the honey because the apple juice is really sweet to begin with, not to mention banana, also. Additionally, the yogurt I used was the Trader Joes Vanilla, not Greek Yogurt so there would be more sweetness.
I figured I could drizzle the honey on top if I needed more sweetness, but didn’t. It was delicious and I would make it again!
Helena says
November 29, 2017 at 5:00 amThis bowl looks so pretty and delicious!
Greg says
August 23, 2016 at 11:10 pmThat looks so refreshing and tasty. It would make a great breakfast!
Beatrice says
February 14, 2016 at 8:52 pmI’m a honey nut fan so this looks like something my family would enjoy!
Debbie says
February 12, 2016 at 9:08 pmGoing to try these for breakfast!
Stephanie says
February 12, 2016 at 6:20 pmWhat a fantastic recipe idea! I have a very picky eater that nearly lives on berries and the Honey Roasted Honey Bunches of Oats. I am going to have give this recipe a try! YUM! #client
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
February 12, 2016 at 2:45 pmGorgeous! Love the vibrant colors and ingredients, totally my kind of breakfast!
Kirsten / Comfortably Domestic says
February 12, 2016 at 2:09 pmMy kids would also eat cereal for every meal of the day if I let them. I’ve never thought to top smoothie bowls with a bit of cereal, too. They would love that!
Debra Worth says
February 12, 2016 at 2:09 pmThose colors are gorgeous! I have never tried acai, I probably should. You mentioned not being able to taste it, is it not something very pleasant tasting?
Chrisy @ Homemade Hooplah says
February 12, 2016 at 1:32 pmI could totally see this in my morning routine 😀 Love the colors and flavors!
Heather says
February 12, 2016 at 11:00 amThis looks amazing! We love Honey Bunches of Oats too! This is a brilliant idea. Thanks for sharing! -Client
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says
February 12, 2016 at 4:49 amI love how colorful it is! It looks delicious! Such a great way to start the day 🙂
Adriana Martin says
February 12, 2016 at 12:37 amYummy perfect way to start the day and great idea to make a special bowl of cereal, so much goodness in here =)