A Guide to Making Your Own Halal Acai Bowl

The hype for acai bowls has been high for the past couple of years, and it seems like it won’t be down any time soon. Instagram-worthy and also very healthy, acai bowls can cost a bomb if you get it often though. Save a few pennies by following this simple step-by-step guide right here!

What is acai?

Acai is a dark purple berry that tastes like a combination of wild berries, chocolate and soil. They grow on the acai palm tree, natively around the Amazon river in South America. Since these trees need rainforest conditions, Brazil and surrounding countries are pretty much the only places where acai berries are cultivated.

Health benefits

The amazing health benefits this superfruit brings is probably what gives the acai bowl so much credibility. Acai berries are rich in antioxidants, fibre, protein and have high levels of heart-healthy fats. But mainly why this berry is “superior” to that of other berries is because of claims that acai berries help slow down ageing and helps one to lose weight. 

What is an acai bowl?

The origins of the acai bowl came from Brazil, and they’re made of frozen acai palm fruit that is pureed and served as a smoothie in a bowl or glass. In Brazil, acai bowls are typically topped with granola, banana and guaraná syrup.

Other variations can be found throughout the country, including acai bowls topped with tapioca balls and a saltier version that is topped with shrimp or dried fish.

How to make an acai bowl?

Frozen acai puree is the main ingredient of course. You can get them online or at your local supermarket. It’s rather impossible to make an acai bowl using fresh acai berries as they’re quite hard to get unless you live in Brazil and have an acai palm tree growing close by. They go rancid quite quickly, which is why shipping it would be a problem.

Acai berry juice wouldn’t quite fit as well since it’s hard to tell how much acai is in the juice, and at room temperature, the juice quickly loses many of its health benefits. Another option is the acai berry powder, which works just as well.

Frozen berries like strawberries, blackberries and blueberries make great toppings for your acai bowl. A classic topping that will complement the acai taste! Acai tastes great with just about any fruit, but it tastes particularly wonderful with frozen berries.

Bananas are a great natural sweetener to your bowl. It would be ideal to have them frozen as well, but that’s up to personal choice.

Some sort of liquid is needed to get things moving along. The usual and most common one would be milk, but if you’d rather your favourite juice, feel free to substitute that in.

Toppings like granola, seeds, nuts, oats or sliced fresh fruits are perfect for your acai bowl. Not only are they a boost of extra healthy bits, but they also taste delicious overall!

Yoghurt would be an additional ingredient, as it gives the creaminess texture to your bowl. But, as yoghurt is not for everyone, it’s fine to leave it out as well and just add in more milk or juice. Do not use a flavoured yoghurt though, it’ll just eliminate the natural flavour of the acai.

Steps

1. Freeze your fruit. Slice your berries and banana and transfer it to a plate or a tray lined with parchment paper. Allow the fruits to freeze completely.

2. Blend the milk and yoghurt to the bowl of your blender (preferably with a tamper). Add your frozen fruits and frozen acai. Continue to blend until it’s all smooth, and only add additional liquid when needed.

3. Assemble your bowl with your blended acai smoothie and top with all your favourite toppings. It’ll melt seemingly fast, so it’s best enjoyed immediately.