Hey loves :) I hope you are all having a fantastic day! On the blog today is the secret to my delicious, homemade Stef Health Tips Acai bowl!
I tried my first Acai Bowl out in Montauk with my boyfriend. We would grab an Acai Bowl at Happy Bowls first thing in the morning, and got hooked! Once we came back from vacation, we found a few delicious Acai Bowl spots nearby. At this point, we have eaten so many Acai Bowls, we consider ourselves Acai connoisseurs.
After spending a small fortune on Acai Bowls, I realized a cheaper (and interactive) way was to try making it on my own! When I first try a recipe at home, I'll usually browse the web and Pinterest for some general ideas. If you want to learn more about what Acai is, check out my post here.
There are a variety of ways you can make your own Acai Bowl at home, which is simply a thick smoothie topped with goodness :) Here in the US, Acai berries do not come as the whole fruit, but rather as a frozen puree or powder. I chose to go the frozen puree route and treated making this almost similarly to making Berry Nice-Cream (frozen berries & banana blended until smooth - see pic below).
First, I went to Whole Foods and purchased a Sambazon Pure Unsweetened SuperFruit Pack; the pack contains four single-servings 100g pouches. I had the toppings and blending ingredients at home; I know what flavor combinations are my favorite on Acai, but you can mix and match to create your favorite bowl.
For the toppings, there are some guidelines I like to follow. First, I usually pick 1-2 fruits for an additional nutrition and flavor boost. Although fruit is a healthy snack option, it is high in natural sugars. Therefore, I usually will add some almond or peanut butter to my bowl. When you pair a protein, such as nut butter, with a fruit, it helps stabilize blood sugar levels as opposed to letting them spike and drop rapidly. On this bowl, I have a few scoops of my homemade almond butter paired with blueberries and banana.
Then, I also add plain granola from Whole Foods. I love making my own granola, but it is typically too time-consuming. Whole Foods sells a very simple granola that you can scoop out into a container for a reasonable price. I tend to go for a granola with minimal ingredients that has a low sugar content. Another post to come with some granola-pro shopping tips!
Okay, so there you have it! Below is the full recipe, and let me know on social media @stefhealthtips if you try this out for yourself!
Stef Health Tips® Acai Smoothie Bowl
Servings: 1
Ingredients
2 Sambazon Individual Acai Packets
1/2 Frozen Banana (peel and slice, then put into plastic bag before freezing)
1/4 cup Coconut Water
1/4 cup Granola
Assorted Toppings
Raw honey (optional)
Directions:
Follow the thawing instructions on the back of the Sambazon packet prior to putting the frozen pureed Acai in the blender.
In a blender, combine the frozen Acai puree, frozen banana, and coconut water. Blend until smooth and well-combined.
Prepare a small bowl with half of the granola on the bottom. Spoon the mixture into the bowl on top of the granola.
Proceed to top the Acai with the remaining granola and assorted toppings. Drizzle with raw honey if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Xoxo,
Stefani