Acai Bowls at the Sunshine Farm

A favorite in our household is Acai Bowls. Maybe you have heard of these if you live on the West Coast, they definitely are not as common in Upstate New York. I do have a feeling that they are going to quickly gain popularity here, especially in the warmer months!

Here’s what you need to make these quick and delicious smoothie bowls (serves 1):

~1 frozen Acai pack: Wegmans sells these and Whole Foods does as well
OR
You can freeze Acai juice in an ice cube tray and use 5 cubes; the same brand, Sambazon, sells juice; we purchase it in bulk at Costco

~1 frozen banana

~About 1/2 cup of frozen mango*

~About 1 cup juice or other liquid: we typically use 1/2 a cup of Acai juice and 1/2 a cup of unfiltered apple juice; you can also use any non-dairy milk for a creamier version

Optional add-ins: 

~Frozen or raw greens: we use about 1/2 cup of frozen spinach but you can use kale as well*

~Seeds: chia, flax, hemp*

~1/2 scoop of vegan protein powder: our favorite is Garden of Life Organic Greens and Protein Powder *

~You can also make a dessert version by taking out the mango and subbing peanut butter and cocoa powder. Yum!

Toppings (here you can add whatever you want! Here are some of our favorites):

~Fresh fruit: sliced banana and strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries*

~Unsweetened coconut shavings or shreds*

~Seeds (you can put these in the smoothie mix or put on as a topping): chia, flax, hemp, pumpkin*

~Chopped or sliced nuts: almonds are our favorite!*

~Granola: Chris tends to go overboard on this addition while I try to keep it minimal in order to reduce the added sugar by adding extra chopped almonds for crunch*

*optional

Instructions

1. Add everything BUT the toppings into a high-powered blender or food processor. (We are lucky to have a Vitamix that we use daily now, but in college I would make these all the time using a small, inexpensive food processor just like this one.)
2. Blend until smooth. You may need to mix around the ingredients to make sure everything gets blended well.
3. Pour in a bowl
4. Add toppings!
5. Enjoy your delicious Acai bowl for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert! Everyone acts very surprised when I mention this is a favorite dinner for us at the Sunshine Farm. Nutrient packed with fresh fruit, veggies, nuts, and seeds, why not?!

Comment below and let me know what you think and how this recipe worked for you!

Best,

Jenn