Açaí bowl
Açaí bowls!
Ever since having one of these delicious bowls at a farmer's market at school, I not only felt like I was transported to some tropical island (living in Miami doesn't make that too much of a stretch of the imagination), but I also came to crave them weekly. And then the craving became daily. Aaand then it became clear I needed to learn how to make them myself for the sake of my wallet 😅.
As you can see, I tried my hardest (and failed) to make this look beautiful but by the end I became impatient and too excited to eat the whole thing. Priorities.
The great thing about these is that you can approximate quantities and sub-in/take out any ingredient you want depending on your individual tastes.
Ingredients
The base
~1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk or soy milk
1 pack frozen açaí (soften for 15-20 seconds under hot water from the sink while still in the sealed pack, then break into few pieces and put into blender)
Frozen ripe banana pieces (3-4, we recommend cutting the bananas into thirds or fourths depending on the size, and freezing the bananas for future use in açaí bowls or smoothies. When they're almost over-ripe, store in freezer bag)
Frozen strawberries
Frozen peaches or nectarines
Frozen mango pieces
1-2 unseeded medjool dates
Toppings
1-2 tbsp. almond butter
Unsweetened coconut flakes
Chia seeds
Cocoa nibs
Banana, kiwi slices, any fruit you wish
Granola
You'll need either a strong blender or food processor to make these. I used a food processor since we don't have a blender in my apartment, and it worked just as well!
Add all base ingredients into blender/food processor. The frozen bananas allow the base to have a thicker, almost ice-cream-like consistency. I usually added 3-4 strawberries, peaches, mango pieces each. If you want a more liquid consistency, consider adding more almond milk or using non-frozen bananas.
Note: You can buy frozen açaí packs from Publix or Whole Foods, and they usually come in a package of 4 individual serving packs. Take it from an açaí addict who has tried any frozen açaí I can get my hands on, my favorite is from Trader Joe's. Taste-wise, I prefer these since they seem to have a less watered down flavor compared to Sambazon sold at other grocery stores, and has almost a deeper chocolate-y undertone. But now it sounds like I'm talking about wine, so I'll stop boring you and telling you all about my love for anything TJ's.
Pulse and blend the ingredients until it's homogenous and no spare chunks of banana or fruit remain. You should get a beautiful dark purple colored mixture.
Then, top with as many or as little ingredients as you want! Serve immediately.
Protip*: Since most of the ingredient quantities are approximated, I often found I had more than one or two servings of the base when I was done making it. With extra base, you can spoon into ziplock bag and freeze in freezer until you want it next time. Just soften like you did with açaí pack under the sink, and blend again! Just like new 😁.
People have criticized these bowls for causing sugar spikes akin to other desserts, but if you monitor your portion size and choose ingredients/ toppings without added refined sugars, it's a great source of vitamins, fiber, and it's fun to eat!
What do you all like to put on your açaí bowls?
Ever since having one of these delicious bowls at a farmer's market at school, I not only felt like I was transported to some tropical island (living in Miami doesn't make that too much of a stretch of the imagination), but I also came to crave them weekly. And then the craving became daily. Aaand then it became clear I needed to learn how to make them myself for the sake of my wallet 😅.
The great thing about these is that you can approximate quantities and sub-in/take out any ingredient you want depending on your individual tastes.
Ingredients
The base
~1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk or soy milk
1 pack frozen açaí (soften for 15-20 seconds under hot water from the sink while still in the sealed pack, then break into few pieces and put into blender)
Frozen ripe banana pieces (3-4, we recommend cutting the bananas into thirds or fourths depending on the size, and freezing the bananas for future use in açaí bowls or smoothies. When they're almost over-ripe, store in freezer bag)
Frozen strawberries
Frozen peaches or nectarines
Frozen mango pieces
1-2 unseeded medjool dates
Toppings
1-2 tbsp. almond butter
Unsweetened coconut flakes
Chia seeds
Cocoa nibs
Banana, kiwi slices, any fruit you wish
Granola
You'll need either a strong blender or food processor to make these. I used a food processor since we don't have a blender in my apartment, and it worked just as well!
Add all base ingredients into blender/food processor. The frozen bananas allow the base to have a thicker, almost ice-cream-like consistency. I usually added 3-4 strawberries, peaches, mango pieces each. If you want a more liquid consistency, consider adding more almond milk or using non-frozen bananas.
Note: You can buy frozen açaí packs from Publix or Whole Foods, and they usually come in a package of 4 individual serving packs. Take it from an açaí addict who has tried any frozen açaí I can get my hands on, my favorite is from Trader Joe's. Taste-wise, I prefer these since they seem to have a less watered down flavor compared to Sambazon sold at other grocery stores, and has almost a deeper chocolate-y undertone. But now it sounds like I'm talking about wine, so I'll stop boring you and telling you all about my love for anything TJ's.
Pulse and blend the ingredients until it's homogenous and no spare chunks of banana or fruit remain. You should get a beautiful dark purple colored mixture.
Then, top with as many or as little ingredients as you want! Serve immediately.
Protip*: Since most of the ingredient quantities are approximated, I often found I had more than one or two servings of the base when I was done making it. With extra base, you can spoon into ziplock bag and freeze in freezer until you want it next time. Just soften like you did with açaí pack under the sink, and blend again! Just like new 😁.
People have criticized these bowls for causing sugar spikes akin to other desserts, but if you monitor your portion size and choose ingredients/ toppings without added refined sugars, it's a great source of vitamins, fiber, and it's fun to eat!
What do you all like to put on your açaí bowls?
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