Refreshing tropical açaí bowl with bananas and mango. It’s easy, delicious and packed with more nutrients than your average smoothie bowl.
What Is Açaí?
Açaí (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) is a dark purple berry that grows on palm trees around the Amazon river in Brazil and a few surrounding countries. It looks similar to grapes and tastes like a combination of wild berries, cacao and soil.
Unlike other types of berries, açaí isn’t usually eaten raw. Moreover, açaí berries are stone fruit, which means that most of the inside is a hard seed, with a thin layer of fruit around it.
Where Can I Buy Açaí?
In most parts of the world, it’s impossible to get fresh açaí berries. The fruit doesn’t travel well, so it’s always mashed down and sold in one of its many forms, including:
- Capsules
- Açaí Juices
- Frozen Puree
- Açaí Berry Powder
Only the last two options, however, are suitable for making an açaí bowl. My favourite form of açaí is frozen purée, as the berries are shock frozen right after harvesting to preserve as many nutrients as possible, and include little to no additives or sweeteners.
You can find it in most health food stores, or order it from Amazon. It’s more expensive than your usual berries, but still way more affordable than going out for an açaí bowl every time a craving strikes.
What Does Açaí Taste Like?
Açaí is one of the few fruits that are naturally sugar free, which means it doesn’t taste like regular fruit. The flavour is a combination of wild berries and cacao, with a very earthy undertone.
To compensate for the lack of sweetness, this recipe for açaí bowl mixes frozen açaí puree with banana, mango and a tablespoon of agave syrup.
Why Eat Açaí?
Açaí berries are packed with antioxidants, as well as other nutrients, fibre and healthy monounsaturated fats, while low in calories. Açaí is also often described as a magic berry, superfood, or even “purple gold”, and that’s mostly because of its antioxidant levels, as foods rich in antioxidants have been known to help with fighting against cardiovascular diseases, high cholesterol and even cancer.
My take on it is if you want to try something new and healthy, go ahead and try out an açaí bowl. Making one at home always beats store-bought. But don’t expect any miracles. Açaí is packed with nutrients and beneficial properties, but so are many other fruits and veggies. The secret to health is in eating a balanced diet, consisting of more than just one superfood.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make This Tropical Açaí Bowl
Açaí puree - a frozen açaí packet is the most common form of açaí puree. Alternatively, you can use 4 tablespoons of açaí powder with 6-8 ice cubes.
Banana - adds much needed sweetness and creaminess to the bowl. If you want it to be extra thick and ice-creamy, try using a frozen banana.
Tropical Fruits - frozen mangoes are my favourite choice, as they add extra creaminess. Frozen pineapple chunks are another great option.
Plant-based milk - you can use almond milk, soya milk, oat milk, coconut milk, hemp milk … pretty much any plant milk will work.
Agave or maple syrup - for added sweetness. If you’re used to using less sugar in the kitchen, you can also choose to omit syrup altogether.
How To Make a Tropical Açaí Bowl
Traditional Açaí na Tigela is made of nothing more than frozen açaí and guarana syrup, and topped with some bananas and granola. I tried balancing the slightly unusual flavour of açaí with some of my favourite fruits, bananas and mango. All of the ingredients are frozen, because that gives the smoothie a silky, ice cream like texture that is perfect for hot summer days.
STEP ONE - BLEND
Throw all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. If you’re using frozen açaí, make sure to break it up into a few pieces before putting it in the blender.
STEP TWO - SERVE
Scoop the smoothie mix into two bowls and top with fresh fruits, granola, almond flakes, coconut flakes, chia seeds, nut butter, maple syrup… the choice is yours.
Tropical Açaí Bowl FAQs
How many servings does this make?
The recipe makes 2 açaí bowls.
Can I make them ahead?
I wouldn’t recommend blending the açaí base ahead of time as it can lose its creamy texture when refrozen.
Is it cheaper to make açaí bowls at home?
Absolutely! The ingredients for an açaí bowl are not that pricey, but cafes and health food stores can charge a small fortune for them.
More Smoothie Bowls
Tropical Açaí Bowl
ingredients
- 2 packets frozen açaí purée* - (7 ounces)
- 1 ½ banana, frozen
- 1 cup frozen mango chunks
- ½ cup plant-based milk (I used almond milk)
- 1 tablespoon agave syrup
- Optional toppings: berries, fresh fruits, nuts, coconut, chia seeds
instructions
- If using frozen açaí purée, break it in a couple of places before you throw it into the blender.
- Add frozen banana, mango, almond milk and agave syrup. Blend until perfectly smooth. If it won't blend, just add some more almond milk until you get a nice sorbet consistency.
- Transfer into two bowls and top with garnishes of your choice.
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