Açaí Bowl with Almond Butter

Açaí Bowl With Almond Butter is a fun twist on a fruity aςai bowl. It’s made with açai, frozen banana, cocoa powder, chocolate almond milk, and almond butter for a thick and tasty treat.

I eat açai bowls like it’s my day job and this particular version has been my breakfast (even lunch occasionally) for literally weeks now. It would be an understatement to say I’m obsessed! While I love fruity açai bowls, to me there is nothing better than chocolate and almond butter (in a healthy way) for breakfast!  

Açai Bowl With Almond Butter ingredients

• Açai packets: I’ve tried a lot of frozen açaí packets and my two favorites are by Sambazon and Trader Joe’s. My very favorite is the Trader Joe’s brand (not sponsored) and it’s what I use most commonly since I don’t live too far from a Trader Joe’s store.
• Cocoa powder: I’ve tried all kinds of cocoa powder and this is my all-time favorite cocoa powder (it will literally change your life if you bake with cocoa powder a lot!  Special Dark® by Hershey is also great in Açai Bowl With Almond Butter.
• Frozen banana: We don’t add a lot, but a small amount of banana gives a really great texture and creaminess.
• Chocolate almond milk: I’ve gone back and forth between using chocolate almond milk and vanilla almond milk. The chocolate almond milk obviously gives this bowl a stronger and richer chocolate flavor; vanilla almond milk will work just as well.
• Almond butter: This “secret” ingredient gives this bowl a great flavor and creamy texture, while also adding in tons of healthy fats and proteins. It helps make this açai bowl more satiating.  
• Ice: Ice for consistency! The ice helps make this bowl super thick so it can be an actual bowl — not a smoothie.

Toppings

Anything goes for topping these bowls.  A few slices of bananas, a couple of raspberries (frozen or fresh), a handful of sliced almonds, and a scoop of granola are my personal favorite toppings. Here are a few more ideas for toppings that pair well with this chocolate açai bowl:

• Fresh berries: Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, or strawberries.
• Chia seeds: A small sprinkle goes a long way.
• Toasted coconut flakes: Or plain, unsweetened coconut
• Honey or pure maple syrup: If you find your bowl needs a little more sweetness (which really depends on the ripeness and sweetness of the banana and the açaí packets used), drizzle on some sweetener.
• Mini chocolate chips: Or cocoa nibs — anything chocolatey.
• Chopped nuts or granola: Add your favorite nuts or a chocolate or peanut butter granola.

Quick tips

• Use a high-powered blender: A blender — even a high-powered one–has a hard time handling this task. While you can add more liquid to make blending easier, the açai bowl won’t come out as thick.
• Pulse the açai packet first: I pulse the açai packet to break it down before adding anything else. This ensures no chunks of açai throughout the bowl.
• Blend a couple of times: Again, this recipe is hard for a blender (even a high-powered one) to break down. You might have to blend it a few times, scrape down the sides, and stir in between blends. If you don’t want to mess with extra blends, add an extra 1/4 cup milk or leave out some of the ice, but it will be more of a smoothie and less of a bowl.

Açai Bowl With Almond Butter variations

• Add protein: One scoop of good-quality chocolate protein powder really amps up the chocolate flavor and increases the protein.
• Use peanut butter instead of almond butter: This changes the flavor a lot (I definitely prefer the almond butter), but my boys love peanut butter in theirs.

More healthy breakfast recipes:

• Chocolate Protein Shake texture of a milkshake!
• Green Smoothie Recipe with greens and frozen fruit  
• Apple Muffins made with Greek yogurt
• Protein Breakfast Cookies  tastes like a cinnamon roll
• Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies reader favorite