If you're anything like me, you love açaí and pitaya bowls, but your wallet doesn't love the typical $10-15 price of those beloved bowls. While açaí and pitaya bowls boast all kinds of health benefits, your favorite places that serve them come at a cost that is usually on the expensive side when compared to the size of the actual bowl you are getting. Because of the mounting costs of attempting to maintain my açaí obsession, I began buying the ingredients and making açaí bowls at my house (this has become an almost daily occurrence). Here are my steps to making homemade açaí bowls like a pro.
1. The Base
Making the base of your bowl turns out to be much more simple than you would have thought. You can find açaí and pitaya puree online from Amazon, Target, or even The Vitamin Shoppe (just search açaí puree or pitaya puree). Once you have these purees, defrost them (if frozen) and stick them in the blender with your favorite fruits and even some skim or almond milk. Once you have your puree simply pour it into a bowl and it is ready for the toppings.
#Spoontip You can also find frozen açaí puree at Trader Joes. I love to use these because they come in individual packets that are pre-portioned perfectly and have no added sugars in them.
2. The Granola
The first topping that I usually put onto my bowl is the granola. Any granola will do, so pick up your favorite at the grocery store to add into your bowl.
I go with the granola first because it is the heavier of the toppings, and it does not look as bright and photogenic on the top as all of the fruit does (always have to consider the Instagram worthiness of it). Sometimes I do a layer of granola over the entire bowl of the açaí puree, but another option would be to do a line of it like you would each of the different fruits. In the end it comes down to personal preference and how much granola you want on your bowl.
3. The Fruit
Next comes the fun part, the fruit! There are no limits to what fruits or how much of them to put on the bowl, so do as much or as little as your heart desires. My favorites for when I am making my açaí bowls are: strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries (I am a big fan of the berries). I like to section off my bowl and do a little bit of each of the fruit, keeping them separate in their own lines. Once you have filled your bowl with fruit, it is time to move on to the finishing touches.
#Spoontip pick fruit that is in season for the best quality and has lowest prices.
4. The Toppings
The fixings are what really makes the bowl your own. When I am making bowls at home, I tend to stick with drizzling honey on my bowls, however, I also love Nutella or peanut butter drizzles. I also like to add some texture and crunch to my bowls by adding sliced almonds on top of the fruit before drizzling it with the honey. Other ways to personalize your bowl could be coconut shavings, chia seeds, cocoa nibs, and so much more.
Making homemade açaí bowls has allowed me to have a healthy breakfast that I love going out to get, but for a much more reasonable cost. Take it from an açaí aficionado, homemade açaí bowls taste just as good, if not better, knowing that you made that bad boy yourself, and that you are saving money while you are at it.