This acai bowl with protein is made with banana, blueberries, strawberries, a frozen acai packet, and a scoop of protein powder. It is refreshing, delicious, and makes for a great breakfast or post-workout meal!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Acai bowls, with or without added protein, have become very popular over the past several years, and for good reason! While we love going out to get an acai bowl with family or friends, we find it is often more convenient and cheaper to make them on our own at home. This high protein acai bowl is essentially a thick smoothie bowl with acai puree included in the smoothie mixture. Acai is a small, dark berry found on the acai palm tree in South America. These berries are filled with antioxidants, fiber, and healthy fats to keep you feeling full and satisfied.
While the acai mixture is delicious on its own, the toppings are also essential! We love adding colorful fruits such as fresh berries, mango, kiwi, and banana, as well as nut butter, granola, coconut flakes, and honey. If you are a fan of acai protein bowls or smoothie bowls, but don't know how to go about making them at home, this recipe is for you! If you'd rather skip the toppings, you'll have a delicious acai protein smoothie.
Ingredient Notes
- Frozen acai packet - we prefer the Sambazon acai packets, which you can find at Target, Sprouts, and on Sambazon's website. You can find other brands at other grocery stores, just make sure it is a pure acai puree. You can also try Trader Joes Organic Açaí Puree Packets.
- Frozen banana, blueberries, and strawberries - these fruits bring additional flavor and sweetness to the pureed acai berries. Make sure you use frozen fruit, not fresh fruit. It is necessary to achieve the right consistency for the acai mixture!
- Vanilla protein powder - the extra protein in this protein acai bowl recipe comes by using a scoop of your favorite protein powder. We recommend using a vanilla protein powder. You can use whey protein powder or if you need dairy-free or vegan protein powders, those will work great too! We really like Clean Simple Eats and Truvani protein powders.
- Almond milk or coconut milk - we recommend using a non-dairy milk for this recipe. Cashew milk or oat milk would work well too.
- Favorite toppings - the topping options for this homemade acai bowl are endless! Here are a few ideas: fresh fruit such as banana, strawberries, mango, kiwi, pineapple, fresh blueberries or raspberries, a drizzle of peanut butter or almond butter, coconut flakes, homemade granola, cacao nibs, mini chocolate chips, hemp seeds/hemp hearts, chia seeds, and a drizzle of honey.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Equipment You’ll Need
- High-speed blender
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Cutting board and knives for toppings
- A bowl and spoon to serve the acai bowls
Step by Step Directions
Measure out and add all ingredients to the blender. Blend until smooth. Avoid adding extra almond milk to maintain a thick and creamy texture.
Pour the acai mixture into a bowl.
Add your choice of toppings. Enjoy!
For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Tips & Variations
- Our biggest tip is to start with a small amount of liquid when blending the acai and frozen fruit. The goal is to get a thick consistency that resembles a soft ice cream. You may need to stop the blender and mash/mix several times to achieve the right texture. If after doing this a few times, you are unable to achieve a smooth texture, add a tablespoon or two more of liquid and continue to mix and blend. It should be a thick smoothie bowl.
- If you don't have protein powder on hand but would still like to up the grams of protein in this acai bowl, consider adding Greek yogurt to the mixture.
- If you don't want a high protein acai bowl, you can remove the protein powder all together.
- Instead of using a non-dairy milk, you could also try using coconut water or orange juice for a more refreshing flavor.
- You can also add Cacao powder to the acai mixture if you'd like to create a chocolatey flavor.
- If you don't have an acai packet on hand, consider making another one of our protein smoothie bowls.
FAQ
Homemade acai bowls are best enjoyed immediately after they are made. However, if you want to make this smoothie bowl ahead of time, simply pour it into a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to two weeks. When you are ready to eat it, place it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to thaw or place it back into the blender and blend again.
While we recommend using frozen fruit to obtain the optimal consistency, you can use fresh fruit and a few ice cubes instead. The texture will likely be runnier and the flavor not as strong.
Yes, this recipe is gluten-free and vegetarian. It is also dairy-free and vegan dependent on the choice of protein powder and toppings.
If you like this recipe, check out some of our other delicious recipes:
If you make this Acai bowl with protein, please let us know how it turns out in the comments below and/or rate the recipe! Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram to show us your finished product—it makes our day every time we see you trying the recipes we love!
Acai Bowl With Protein
Ingredients
- 1 frozen acai packet (we prefer Sambazon)
- 1/2 medium banana, frozen
- 1/4 cup frozen blueberries
- 1/4 cup frozen strawberries
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1/2 cup almond or coconut milk
- Toppings of your choice (fruit, granola, nut butter, shredded coconut, honey, etc.)
Instructions
- Measure out and add all ingredients to the blender. Blend until smooth. Avoid adding extra almond milk to maintain a thick and creamy texture.
- Pour the acai mixture into a bowl.
- Add your choice of toppings.
Notes
- This recipe is gluten-free and vegetarian. It is also dairy-free and vegan dependent on the choice of protein powder and toppings.
The recipe can be found on My Fitness Pal by searching "BWB Acai Bowl With Protein". Note that the nutrition only includes the base and not the additional toppings of your choice.
The nutrition content provided for each recipe is an estimate created through the My Fitness Pal database. Please be aware that the nutritional content of each recipe may vary based on the products you use, the precision of your measurements, and the source you use to obtain nutrition data. While we try to provide accurate information, we give no guarantee regarding the accuracy of the nutritional information provided.
Leave a Reply