Everything you need to know to make your own Acai Bowl Recipe from home!

With four different recipe variations, products and ingredient suggestions (for the bowls AND the toppings), and all the best tips and tricks, this is your one-stop-shop Acai Bowl read.

Acai Bowl Recipe in a bowl.

Acai Bowl Recipe

My mom grew up in Brazil and returned for a couple years as an adult. While she talks often about fudgy Brigadeiros, the best mangoes you’ll ever eat, and the creamiest sweetest Brazilian lemonade, everyone in our family knows how she feels about acai.

She was thrilled when acai products hit the US. Her passion has made us experts in finding and making the very best acai bowls!

What Is Acai?

  • The acai berry (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) is a small (about an inch long) deep purple fruit.
  • It comes from the acai palm tree, which is native to Central and South America.
  • Acai tastes like a combination of wild berries and chocolate.

All the ingredients used in this smoothie bowl prepped out for easy assembly.

How To Make an Acai Bowl Recipe

Acai Bowls are truly as simple as blending a few ingredients together, pouring the mixture into a bowl, and adding your favorite toppings according to the recipe below. They’re really that easy!

Where To Buy Acai For These Bowls:

  • Acai puree packets: I love Pure Unsweetened® by Sambazon.)
  • Acai powder (buy acai powder or in-store)
    • To make an Acai Bowl recipe with acai powder, substitute 1 tablespoon acai powder for the packet.

You’ll Also Need: A high-powered blender, such as Vitamix or Blendtec.

Acai Bowl Recipe Tips

  • Prepare Ahead of Time: Everything needs to be frozen ahead of time. This is what gives the bowl its signature thickness and allows for optimal topping! 
  • Consistency is Key: The more frozen your ingredients are, the thicker your bowl will be.

To Freeze Bananas: Use slightly overripe ones for more flavor. Peel, slice into 1-inch pieces, and space on a parchment-lined tray to freeze. Then, store in freezer bags (lasts 3-4 months). Use straight from freezer.

Acai bowl recipe topping options laid out.

Topping Ideas:

  • Honey (skip if vegan)
  • Vanilla almond granola, or your favorite homemade or store-bought granola
  • Fresh fruit such as strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, mango, banana, peaches, pineapple, kiwi, apple, etc.
  • Flaked coconut
  • Chia seeds
  • Cacao nibsor chopped dark chocolate, or miniature chocolate chips
  • Hemp seeds
  • Flax seeds

Acai Bowl Recipe Serving Suggestion

At my mom’s parties, instead of a dessert bar, she sets up an acai bowl bar with her go-to recipe and a wide array of toppings. It’s so fun for guests to make their own!

All four different options of smoothie bowls prepped out.

4.77 from 30 votes

Acai Bowl Recipe

Learn how to make your own Acai Bowl at home with this simple base recipe. Check the notes for fun variations!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 2 servings

Equipment

  • High powered blender

Ingredients 
 

Add to a high powered blender:

  • 1 (100-gram) frozen acai berry packet see note 1
  • 1/2 cup apple juice with no added sugar
  • 1/2 cup frozen banana slices 1 small banana, see note 2
  • 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
  • 1/2 cup frozen blueberries

Add some toppings:

  • 1 tablespoon honey see note 3
  • 1 handful vanilla almond granola or a similarย granola
  • Fresh fruit such as fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and banana, sliced thinly or chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons coconut

Instructions 

  • Blend acai berry packet, apple juice, banana, strawberries, and blueberries with a high-powered blender (see note 4) until smooth. Pour into a bowl.
  • Top bowl with as much (or as little) of your favorites such as granola, thinly sliced fresh fruit, chia seeds, and coconut! Drizzle 1 tablespoon honey over toppings. Enjoy immediately.
  • Vegan: To make this recipe vegan, replace honey with maple syrup and confirm granola being used is vegan.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Consistency is key.ย The more frozen your ingredients are, the thicker your bowl will be.
Note 2: To freeze bananas, use slightly overripe ones for more flavor. Peel, slice into 1-inch pieces, and space on a parchment-lined tray to freeze. Then, store in freezer bags (lasts 3-4 months). Use straight from freezer.
Note 3: If you don't add honey on top, I recommend adding it to the mixture beforehand
Note 4: It's important to use a high-powered blender. Less powerful blenders will struggle to crush the frozen fruits and by the time it does, it won't be as thick.
Storage: Once blended, bowls are best eaten immediately. They don't store well.
Nutrition Note: Nutrition information does not include the optional toppings.
Additional Bowl Recipes:
Side-by-side photos of a Peanut Butter Bliss Acai Bowl and an ingredient shot

Peanut Butter Bliss Acai Bowl

Add the following to a blender:
  • 1 package frozen acai berry packet,ย 100 grams
  • 2 tablespoonsย peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup chocolate almond milk
  • 1 smallย frozen banana
  • 1/2 cupย frozen strawberries
Top each bowl with the following: (Below are my recommendations; add your favorite toppings and add to your desired quantity. These topping suggestions are for one Acai Bowl.)
  • 1 tablespoonย honey (if you don't add this on top, I recommend adding it to the mixture beforehand)
  • A handful of vanilla almond granola, or a similar store-bought or homemade granola
  • 1/2 of 1 banana, very thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoonย chia seeds
  • 1 tablespoonย chopped dark chocolateย or cacao nibs
  • 1-2 tablespoonsย coconut
Side-by-side photos of a Tropical Acai Bowl and an ingredient shot

Tropical Acai Bowl

Add the following to a blender:
  • 1 package frozen acai berry packet,ย 100 grams
  • 1/2 cupย vanillaย almond milk, 116 grams
  • 1 smallย frozen banana
  • 1/3 cupย frozen strawberriesย 46 grams
  • 1/3 cupย frozen pineappleย 55 grams
  • 1/3 cupย frozen blueberriesย 50 grams
Top each bowl with the following: (Below are my recommendations; add your favorite toppings and add to your desired quantity. These topping suggestions are for one Acai Bowl.)
  • 1 tablespoonย honey (if you don't add this on top, I recommend adding it to the mixture beforehand)
  • A handful of vanilla almond granola, or a similar store-bought or homemade granola
  • 1/2 of 1ย kiwi, halved andย very thinly sliced
  • A handful of fresh pineapple or mango, thinly sliced into small pieces
  • 1 tablespoonย chia seeds
  • 1-2 tablespoonsย coconut
Side-by-side photos of a Lime Zinger Acai Bowl and an ingredient shot

Lime Zinger Acai Bowl

Add the following to a blender:
  • 1 package frozen acai berry packet,ย 100 grams
  • 1 tablespoonย fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 cup coconut waterย 116 grams
  • 1 smallย frozen bananaย 
  • 1/3 cupย frozen strawberries 50 grams
  • 1/3 cupย frozen pineappleย 51 grams
  • 1/3 cupย frozen blueberriesย 46 grams
  • 1/3 cupย frozen peachesย 51 grams
Top each bowl with the following: (Below are my recommendations; add your favorite toppings and add to your desired quantity. These topping suggestions are for one acai bowl.)
  • 1 tablespoonย honey (if you don't add this on top, I recommend adding it to the mixture beforehand)
  • A handful of vanilla almond granola, or a similar store-bought/homemade granola
  • Several strawberriesย halved or thinly sliced
  • Handful ofย blackberries
  • Handful ofย blueberries
  • 1-2 tablespoonsย coconut
  • 1 tablespoonย chia seeds

The Easiest Acai Bowl Recipe:

Add the following to a blender:
  • 1 cup frozen triple-berry blend berries
  • 1 tablespoon acai powder
  • 1/2- 3/4 cup vanilla almond milk
  • 1 small frozen banana
Top each bowl with the following: (Below are my recommendations; add your favorite toppings and add to your desired quantity. These topping suggestions are for one Acai Bowl.)
  • 1 tablespoonย honey (if you don't add this on top, I recommend adding it to the mixture beforehand)
  • A handful of vanilla almond granola, or a similar store-bought/homemade granola
  • A handful of fresh fruit
  • 1-2 tablespoonsย coconut
  • 1 tablespoonย chia seeds

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 336mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 64IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

 

Meet Chelsea


Hi there! Iโ€™m Chelseaโ€“the recipe developer, photographer, writer, and taste tester behind Chelseaโ€™s Messy Apron (although my little ones help me out quite a bit with the taste testing part!). I LOVE getting creative in the kitchen and then posting my creations here for you to enjoy.

Thanks again for stopping by!

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4.77 from 30 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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68 Comments

  1. TeresaH says:

    Have you used OATMilk with any of these? I usually just use water in my smoothie but didn’t know if water would work in the recipe either?

  2. Carolina Ayala says:

    I would love to make my own Acai bowls and you recipes sounds good and easy to make.

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      Hope you enjoy!

  3. Ayla mendoza says:

    I have NONE of this stuff

  4. angelina says:

    These all look soo delicious! Im definitely going to try these soon! ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. TIFFANY says:

    Hello ! May I know how many teaspoons of acai powder should I use if I couldn’t get any frozen acai berry packet? Thank you in advance for the yummy recipes! Can’t wait to try them!

  6. Irene says:

    5 stars
    Thanks so much for sharing. My kids and I love them!

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      Yay! So happy to hear! ๐Ÿ™‚

  7. Mohammed Jallow says:

    I really loved and appreciate the way you make your recipes thanks

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      I’m so happy to hear this! Thanks so much for your comment! ๐Ÿ™‚

  8. Rob says:

    5 stars
    Hi Chelsea,

    Is there a reason why you freeze the fruits prior to blending them with the frozen Acai?

    They look great btw!

    Rob

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      It makes it much thicker! ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. Lilliana says:

    5 stars
    Itโ€™s so good but I added a small touch of chocolate chunks it was really good

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      Yummy! So glad you’re enjoying! ๐Ÿ™‚

  10. Theresa says:

    Mine was ok..but not as Sweet and Robust as the Ones I Buy!! What can I do To give it more Sweetness and Flavor?

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      What acai packets are you using? Also, simply adding more honey (or pure maple syrup) can add a lot more sweetness! A lot of commercial acai bowls have a lot of sweetener added in, so scale it up as much as you’d like!