Acai Bowl (4 Delicious Recipes!)

Everything you need to know to make your own Acai Bowl from home! With four different recipe variations, products and ingredient suggestions (for the bowls AND the toppings), and all the best tips and tricks, this is your one-stop-shop Acai Bowl read. Skip telling Siri to find “acai bowl near me” and check out how easy (and how much cheaper) these bowls are to make from home!

Acai Bowl

My mom grew up in Brazil and returned there as an adult for a year and a half. While she talks often about fudgy Brigadeiros, the best mangoes you’ll ever eat, and the creamiest sweetest Brazilian limeade, everyone in our family knows how she feels about acai. I still remember when acai flavorings, purees, and powders began to be introduced in the states — she was giddy for weeks. Her obsession has taught all of us just how to find the best acai bowls nearby and how to create even better ones at home. If you show up at my mom’s home for a party, she’s not setting out a dessert bar; she actually sets out an acai bowl bar — her standard base recipe with every topping you can dream of.

A few FAQs about Acai Bowls:

• What is acai? The acai berry (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) is a small (about an inch long) deep purple fruit. It comes from the acai palm tree, which is native to Central and South America.
• What does it taste like? Acai tastes like a combination of wild berries and chocolate.
• Is it healthy for you? There are studies that show that acai fruit pulp is even richer in antioxidants than cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, or blueberries. The average Acai Bowl is filled with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, and healthy fats. Acai berries also have a pretty unique nutritional profile for a fruit — they are low in sugar and higher in healthy fats (which is why an acai bowl fills you up for much longer than a smoothie bowl).*
• What are the benefits of Acai Bowls? They’re loaded with antioxidants, are suggested to improve cholesterol levels, have been implicated to have an anti-cancer effect, and have been linked with boosted brain function. The benefits, of course, depend on what you’ve added in and topped your bowl with.
• How many calories are in an Acai Bowl? It completely depends on what you put in it! I include nutritional information below the first recipe, but it will vary, depending on how much and what you top your bowls with. The great thing about making your own Acai Bowl is knowing exactly what and how much of each ingredient is in what you’re eating.
• Are Acai Bowls good for weight loss? Not necessarily. While they’re loaded with healthy ingredients, they are still high in sugar. (Fruit has a lot of sugar.) Ultimately, to lose weight, you need to control calories with a healthy lifestyle approach that includes a variety of nutritious foods, plenty of physical activity, and quality rest.

*While I have my background in Exercise and Wellness (BA), all the content in this post is for informational purposes only. Please consult a doctor or dietician for any specific dietary needs/questions.

How do I make an Acai Bowl?

Acai Bowls are truly as simple as blending a few ingredients together, pouring the mixture into a bowl, and adding your favorite toppings. They’re really that easy! But here are a few tips:

• Prepare ahead of time: Everything needs to be frozen ahead of time. This is what gives the bowl its signature thickness and allows for optimal topping! The acai puree packs are purchased frozen, as well as most of the fruit, so that’s easy. Bananas need to be prepared ahead of time also, so make sure to freeze your banana at least a few hours before making the Acai Bowl.
• The consistency of Acai Bowls is key: The more frozen your ingredients are, the thicker your bowl will be. Avoid letting the fruit sit out of the freezer for long before making your bowl.

QUICK TIP

To freeze bananas: start with slightly overripe spotty bananas (you’ll get much more flavor and sweetness), and peel them. Slice the bananas into 1-inch chunks or coins and arrange them in a single layer on parchment-lined sheet pans and place in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer to freezer-safe bags. Use as needed! (Frozen bananas last 3-4 months.) Frozen bananas have quite a few uses, so whenever you see your countertop bananas getting too ripe, slice them and freeze them for later!

Where to buy acai for these bowls:

This recipe uses sambazon pure unsweetened (organic) frozen acai berry packets. To make an Acai Bowl recipe with acai powder, substitute 1 tablespoon acai powder for the packet.

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Acai Bowl

4.79 from 33 votes

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Everything you need to know about making your own Acai Bowl from home! This recipe is the standard base recipe (find more variations below!).

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

Acai Bowl

4.79 from 33 votes

- Review this recipe

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

Everything you need to know about making your own Acai Bowl from home! This recipe is the standard base recipe (find more variations below!).

Course Breakfast, Snack, Vegetarian

Cuisine American, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword acai bowl, acai bowl recipe, how to make acai bowl

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 2 -3 servings, depending on how many toppings you're loading the bowl with!

Calories 141kcal

Author Chelsea

Cost $3.98

Ingredients

Add to a high powered blender:

• ▢ 1 packet (100 grams) frozen acai berry packet
• ▢ 1/2 cup (118g) apple juice with no added sugar
• ▢ 1/2 cup frozen banana slices about 1 small banana
• ▢ 1/2 cup  frozen strawberries
• ▢ 1/2 cup  frozen blueberries

Top your bowl: (Below are my recommendations; add your favorite toppings and add to your desired quantity. These topping suggestions are for one acai bowl.)

• ▢ 1 tablespoon  honey (if you don't add this on top, I recommend adding it to the mixture beforehand)
• ▢ Handful vanilla almond granola, or a similar store-bought or homemade granola
• ▢ Fresh fruit: such as fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and banana: fruit sliced thinly or chopped
• ▢ 1 tablespoon  chia seeds
• ▢ 1-2 tablespoons  coconut

Instructions

• Add the acai berry packet, apple juice, banana, strawberries, and blueberries to a high-powered blender(See Note 1). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl.
• Top the bowl with as much (or as little) of your favorites such as granola, fresh (thinly sliced) fruit, chia seeds, and coconut! I recommend drizzling on about a tablespoon of honey over everything. Enjoy immediately.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: It's important to use a high-powered blender. Less powerful blenders will struggle to crush the frozen fruits and by the time it does, it will end up squishing your ingredients.

Vegan: To make this Acai Bowl recipe vegan, simply omit the honey and confirm the granola you're using is vegan.

Nutrition information does not include the optional toppings.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 336mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 64IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.

Acai Bowl Calories: 141 calories for the base (this doesn’t include toppings)

Scroll down to see three additional Acai Bowl recipes.

Peanut Butter Bliss Acai Bowl

serves 2-3, depending on how many toppings are added

Add the following to a blender:

• 1 package frozen acai berry packet, 100 grams
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1/2 cup chocolate almond milk
• 1 small frozen banana
• 1/2 cup frozen strawberries

Top each bowl with the following: (Below are my recommendations; add your favorite toppings and add to your desired quantity. These topping suggestions are for one Acai Bowl.)

• 1 tablespoon honey (if you don’t add this on top, I recommend adding it to the mixture beforehand)
• A handful of vanilla almond granola, or a similar store-bought or homemade granola
• 1/2 of 1 banana, very thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon chopped dark chocolate or cacao nibs
• 1-2 tablespoons coconut

Tropical Acai Bowl

serves 2-3, depending on how many toppings are added

Add the following to a blender:

• 1 package frozen acai berry packet, 100 grams
• 1/2 cup vanilla almond milk, 116 grams
• 1 small frozen banana
• 1/3 cup frozen strawberries 46 grams
• 1/3 cup frozen pineapple 55 grams
• 1/3 cup frozen blueberries 50 grams

Top each bowl with the following: (Below are my recommendations; add your favorite toppings and add to your desired quantity. These topping suggestions are for one Acai Bowl.)

• 1 tablespoon honey (if you don’t add this on top, I recommend adding it to the mixture beforehand)
• A handful of vanilla almond granola, or a similar store-bought or homemade granola
• 1/2 of 1 kiwi, halved and very thinly sliced
• A handful of fresh pineapple or mango, thinly sliced into small pieces
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1-2 tablespoons coconut

Lime Zinger Acai Bowl

serves 2-3 depending on how many toppings are added

Add the following to a blender:

• 1 package frozen acai berry packet, 100 grams
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup coconut water 116 grams
• 1 small frozen banana 
• 1/3 cup frozen strawberries 50 grams
• 1/3 cup frozen pineapple 51 grams
• 1/3 cup frozen blueberries 46 grams
• 1/3 cup frozen peaches 51 grams

Top each bowl with the following: (Below are my recommendations; add your favorite toppings and add to your desired quantity. These topping suggestions are for one acai bowl.)

• 1 tablespoon honey (if you don’t add this on top, I recommend adding it to the mixture beforehand)
• A handful of vanilla almond granola, or a similar store-bought/homemade granola
• Several strawberries halved or thinly sliced
• Handful of blackberries
• Handful of blueberries
• 1-2 tablespoons coconut
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds

The EASIEST Acai Bowl Recipe:

serves 1-2 depending on how many toppings are added

Add the following to a blender:

• 1 cup frozen triple-berry blend berries
• 1 tablespoon acai powder
• 1/2- 3/4 cup vanilla almond milk
• 1 small frozen banana

Top each bowl with the following: (Below are my recommendations; add your favorite toppings and add to your desired quantity. These topping suggestions are for one Acai Bowl.)

• 1 tablespoon honey (if you don’t add this on top, I recommend adding it to the mixture beforehand)
• A handful of vanilla almond granola, or a similar store-bought/homemade granola
• A handful of fresh fruit
• 1-2 tablespoons coconut
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds

• A high-powered blender, such as Vitamix or Blendtec
• Acai puree packets (I love Pure Unsweetened® by Sambazon; you can buy these at most health food stores.)
• Acai powder (buy online or in-store)
  • When looking for puree packs or powder, make sure there aren’t lots of added ingredients or sugars. That will make your Acai Bowl a less-healthy choice.
• Bowls suitable for your Instagram photos

What to top your Acai Bowl with:

• Honey (skip if vegan)
• Vanilla almond granola, or your favorite homemade or store-bought granola
• Fresh fruit such as strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, mango, banana, peaches, pineapple, kiwi, apple, etc.
• Flaked coconut
• Chia seeds
• Cacao nibs, or chopped dark chocolate, or miniature chocolate chips
• Hemp seeds
• Flax seeds

And that’s it for today! If you have any questions, comments, or tips, please leave a comment below. Enjoy your (better-than-store-bought) Acai Bowls!