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Recipes

The Pumpkin Spice Açaí Bowl for When You Can’t Let Go of Summer

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at UC Berkeley chapter.

The impending fall season may mean hot chocolate, cozy sweaters, and Thanksgiving—but what is an American autumn without pumpkin spice and a Californian without an açaí bowl? This pumpkin spice açaí bowl makes having a cold açaí bowl in the cool weather a bit more seasonal.

Being able to enjoy a pumpkin spice açaí bowl in the fall is just an added bonus however. Pumpkin spice and the classic PSL have become fall essentials. Traditional pumpkin spice is a warm blend of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg that have nostalgic effects during this chilly weather. With its great presence on store shelves and Instagram, this limited edition flavor is popular for a reason.

How did pumpkin spice evolve into a multi-billion dollar business? Pumpkins grew in excess and were native to American settlers in the early 1800 of the New World. The lack of novelty of pumpkins to early Americans temporarily made pumpkins a poor farmer’s food. However the pumpkin market grew following the American migration towards cities in the mid-19th century. With the longing for the old agrarian ways, pumpkins found their place in the heart of Americans.

With everyone hopping onto the pumpkin spice wagon, it’s no surprise that there are those against it. Starbucks’ trademark PSL was released at its earliest date on August 28th this year, with controversy. Despite the inevitable pumpkin spice haters, pumpkin spice flavored products reached over $6.9 million in sales as early as August. 

Fruits are essential to every diet and and pumpkin spice is essential to every fall. This pumpkin spice açaí bowl has all the benefits of an açaí, but with the comfort and spice of autumn—a winning combination during this transition into a new season.

Pumpkin Spice Aai Bowl

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 3 minutesCook time: 5 minutesTotal time: 8 minutesServings:1 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Christina Wang

    Put frozen açaí purée, pumpkin purée, frozen bananas, protein powder, and coconut milk into a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth and to desired consistency.

  2. Christina Wang

    Put the blend into a bowl and top with granola, shredded coconut, diced apples, cinnamon, dark chocolate, and peanut butter. Serve.

#SpoonTip: Try Nature’s Path Organic Hempseed Granola on top of your bowl for an even better açaí bowl.

This quick-and-easy pumpkin spice açaí bowl is ready for those days when you miss the joy and warmth of the holiday spirit—but crave an irresistible açaí bowl.

Vivian Tran

UC Berkeley '21

Vivian is an intended pre-med as freshman at UC Berkeley. Born and raised in Anaheim, CA, she is interested in anything nutrition and food-related-- specifically açai bowls, salads, avocados, and peanut butter. In her spare time, she enjoys watching Master Chef AU, looking for places to eat with her siblings, and spending time with her family.