Homemade Hawaiian Acai Bowl

This refreshing and delicious homemade Hawaiian acai bowl is the perfect healthy breakfast and it's so easy to make! Top with fresh fruit, nuts, coconut, granola, and more for a tasty way to start the day.

I love smoothies. Especially in the summer when all of the fresh berries are in season. I'm obsessed. Honestly, is there any better way to cool off than with one of these refreshing drinks? I definitely don't think so! Unless it's ice cream of course...Then that's definitely a toss-up.

I considered myself to be the "smoothie queen" when I was in college. My mom taught me how to make a dang good smoothie when I was growing up, so naturally, I took her recipe with me when I moved out. I'd make smoothies for my roommates quite often, and they loved them. The funny thing is, my smoothies weren't anything amazing, just a simple combination of orange juice, berries, banana, yogurt, and ice. Nothing too special right? I thought they were so delicious, and I didn't know there was anything better out there...

Meet acai bowl.

What is an acai bowl?

Acai bowls are smoothie-like breakfast bowls layered with fruit, coconut, granola, nuts, honey, and more. The base of acai bowls, acai berries, are considered a superfood because of their high antioxidant levels. Acai berries have become quite the trendy ingredient, due to their superfood status, and can be found in the frozen section in puree, juice, and the whole berry form.

Are acai bowls healthy?

Acai bowls are full of nutrients, but keep in mind that fruit is naturally high in sugar. So if you're trying to limit your sugar intake, you may want to take it easy on the toppings or cut the recipe in half for a smaller portion size. For an extra boost of nutrients, you could blend in a handful of spinach.

How do you make an acai bowl?

Acai bowls are so quick and easy to make! The recipe starts with a basic smoothie base: almond milk, frozen berries, frozen acai puree, and a frozen banana. Since there is a higher ratio of frozen ingredients to liquids, acai bowls tend to be thicker than a smoothie. Once you blend up all the ingredients, pour the mixture into bowls and serve with your choice of toppings!

Acai Bowl Tips

• Acai bowls taste the best when served immediately. If you must make it ahead of time, thaw it and then stir before serving.
• You can blend in other frozen fruits instead of berries. Try peaches, pineapple, mango, or whatever fruit you enjoy, for a different flavor.
• If you find that your acai bowl isn't thick enough, blend in another handful of frozen fruit until it reaches the desired texture.
• Use a high-powered blender, it makes it that much easier and quicker to thoroughly blend up all of the frozen ingredients.

I love how versatile acai bowls are as you can use a variety of different toppings depending on your preference. The options are endless! Acai bowls make for a great breakfast, or snack, or lunch, or basically whenever you are in the mood for something healthy and refreshing. Midnight treat anyone?

So forget those traditional smoothies, it's time to start making acai bowls instead!

 

If you like this recipe, you'll also want to try my other breakfast recipes.

• Irish Breakfast
• Strawberry Nutella Crepes
• Classic Crepes
• Belgian Liege Waffles with Cookie Butter
• Austrian Pancakes
• Shakshuka with Feta