Ready in just a few minutes, this Acai Bowl Recipe is filled with acai berry puree, berries, greek yogurt and all your favorite toppings. It’s so easy to make a protein acai bowl from home that is completely vegan, gluten free and packed with antioxidants, fiber and protein.
I kind of feel like the acai bowl craze has come and gone, but as the weather starts to warm up in Texas, I’ve been craving smoothies and smoothie bowls non-stop.
But I had smoothies that are simply fruit based and leave you feeling hungry within 20 minutes.
The solution? Lot’s of protein, fiber and healthy fats! This acai bowl is protein packed thanks to greek yogurt and protein powder. I love topping it off with some peanut butter protein granola and a drizzle of nut butter for extra protein.
Acai bowls area specific type of smoothie bowl that featured frozen acai puree. Acai berries are packed with antioxidants and fiber.
This homemade recipe is so easy to make, healthy, flavorful and much cheaper than buying an acai bowl from your local juice bar! Not to mention much lower in sugar since you’re in control of the ingredients! If you love this recipe, try my blueberry avocado smoothie next.
Why you’ll love this high protein recipe
- Super refreshing and healthy
- Over 35 grams of protein
- Takes just 5 minutes to make
- Easily turn it into a smoothie
- High-protein breakfast, snack, and dessert
Ingredients needed for an acai bowl
Frozen Banana. Frozen banana makes up the base of this acai bowl and creates a really thick and creamy texture. If you aren’t a fan of banana, you can sub for frozen mango instead!
Blueberries. Really any kind of berry works here, or a mix of several types! Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries are all delicious.
I do suggest frozen berries because they help keep the acai bowl really thick! I used wild blueberries but whatever you have is great.
Acai. The star of the show! Most grocery stores sell frozen acai packets, I got mine from Trader Joes.
Greek Yogurt. This is one of the ways we’ll make this a high protein recipe. I used regular greek yogurt, but you can use dairy free if you want to keep it vegan.
I recommend unsweetened yogurt since the banana adds plenty of sweetness and most vanilla protein powders have added stevia. I technically use Skyr which is similar to greek yogurt but thicker and even higher in protein.
Protein Powder. I used vanilla pea protein, but whey or anything else works!
Milk. I used almond milk, but anything goes. Start with just 1/4 cup and avoid adding too much more since we want to keep this a thick smoothie bowl and not an acai smoothie!
How to make an acai bowl
Add all ingredients to a high speed blender.
Blend on high, using the tamper tool to push things down toward the blade.
Try to avoid adding more milk if you want to keep it thick, using the tamper tool really helps things blend!
Once smooth, transfer to a bowl and add your favorite toppings.
I love fresh berries, granola, hemp hearts and a drizzle of peanut butter. Enjoy!
Suggested toppings
I love topping my acai bowls with homemade granola, fresh fruit like banana, berries, kiwi or mango and a drizzle of peanut or almond butter.
Coconut flakes, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds and a drizzle of honey are also delicious.
Make it vegan!
You can easily make this bowl vegan by using non-dairy milk (I love almond), vegan protein such as pea or hemp and non-dairy greek yogurt.
For the yogurt, I love Kite Hill greek style but whatever you like will be fine.
Frequently asked questions
Are acai bowls healthy?
Totally depends! Some acai bowls are made entirely of fruit so they’re very high in sugar, but this recipe is well balanced with lots of protein, fiber and healthy fats. Having a balance of carbs, protein and fat with your meals is very helpful for weight loss.
Just be sure to check the acai packets, some of them have added sugar so try to get the unsweetened ones if you can!
As far as calories go, they can range from 300-700 calories per bowl, but this recipe has 350 calories.
Does it keep?
Smoothies and smoothie bowls are all best served fresh, but it will keep for 24 hours in the fridge or up to 1 week in the freezer.
Keep in mind, if you store it in the freezer, it won’t be creamy anymore, it’ll get a bit icy, so you will want to let it thaw for a bit or re-blend it so it can get nice and creamy.
Do I need a high speed blender?
Unfortunately, yes. This won’t work or blend well in a traditional low powered blender. If you don’t have a high speed blender like a vitamix then I would suggest using a food processor instead.
Try these smoothies next!
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Protein Acai Bowl
by: claire cary
Ingredients
- 1 frozen banana
- ½ cup frozen blueberries
- 1 packet acai
- ⅓ cup greek yogurt dairy or non-dairy
- 1 scoop protein powder
- ¼ cup milk I used almond
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a high speed blender.
- Blend on high, using the tamper tool to push things down toward the blade.
- Try to avoid adding more milk if you want to keep it thick, using the tamper tool really helps things blend!
- Once smooth, transfer to a bowl and add your favorite toppings.
- I love fresh berries, granola, hemp hearts and a drizzle of peanut butter. Enjoy!
Gillian says
So good! Love how much protein there is in here.