Acai Bowls

When my now 28-year-old daughter was around 15, Acai Bowls were a hot commodity. I recall giving her a 20-dollar bill to go and buy one and her coming back with a cup-sized bowl that had a few small toppings. She handed me back a dollar and some change and I was troubled with how much that little bowl cost. That is when I realized I could easily make Acai Bowls at home.

They are super easy to make and the best feature of this recipe is that it’s completely customizable to your taste. If you don’t like strawberries, use a different fruit. You can also combine both fresh and frozen fruit, with the frozen fruit giving the bowl a thicker consistency. Acai Bowls are a refreshing treat any time of the year.

Prepare the Ingredients

First, using a 4" Paring Knife, slice one cup of fresh strawberries. Alternatively, you can use frozen strawberries, which can give the bowl that thicker consistency.

Next, using a Trimmer, chop three-quarters cup of fresh mango. When trying to find a ripe mango, gently squeeze it. If it is slightly soft to touch, you know it is ripe.

Slice a banana using a Santoku-Style 3" Paring Knife. If you like your bowls to be more banana forward in taste, add a bit more and, alternatively, use a little less if you want the other ingredients to be more prominent in taste.

If you have ripe fruit hanging around, I recommend cubing it up and freezing it. That way you have ready-to-go fruit to use in future Acai Bowls. It’s a great way to not waste fresh fruit.

Prepare the Acai Bowls

Grab a blender and add the coconut water (or juice), strawberries, mango, sliced banana, ice, acai powder and honey. Mix well for about two minutes.

After all the ingredients are blended, divide the mixture into two bowls.

Back when Acai Bowls started becoming popular, acai powder wasn't easy to find. Nowadays, you can find it just about anywhere. Even if I didn't have it, I would add a few cherries or a splash of pomegranate juice for the color. I would even sometimes use leftover grapes – whatever I had on hand, really.

The first time I made these and tried them, I understood what the craze was all about. I thought to myself, wow, this really is good.

Add Toppings

Top the bowls with additional strawberries, mango, the remaining banana slices, some granola and shredded coconut.

When it comes to the toppings, you can get pretty creative. I teach some cooking classes for kids and when we make Acai Bowls, I melt down some chocolate chips for them to drizzle over their bowls. SunButter® is also a delicious topping, allowing you to get that peanut butter taste without the peanuts in it.

This recipe is perfect for a bachelorette party or teenage sleepover. You can get the bowls ready and then let your guests customize with all sorts of different toppings.

Acai Bowls are refreshing, make you feel good and are a great recipe for using up fruit in your house. Allow yourself and your guests to get creative with the toppings and it's sure to be a hit.