Homemade Acai Bowl recipe with acai powder or frozen acai berries, topped with fresh fruit, nuts, and plain yogurt for a delicious breakfast with health benefits! These healthy smoothie bowls are ready in 10 minutes or less!
Fellow breakfast bowl lovers, I have a real treat for you! Imagine your favorite smoothie, but thicker, prettier, and loaded with crunchy toppings.
These fruit and nut acai bowls are nourishing, energizing, and just plain gorgeous. Plus, you can whip it up in under 10 minutes. Breakfast doesn’t get much better than that.
Whether you’re fueling up for a busy day or treating yourself to a leisurely weekend breakfast, this bowl will make you feel like you’re on a little tropical getaway.
What is Açaí?
Açaí (ah-sigh-EE) is a deep purple berry that comes from the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. It’s considered a superfruit because it’s packed with antioxidants, omega fatty acids, and fiber.
Traditionally, açaí is enjoyed as a frozen puree, blended thick and topped with fruits, granola, and nuts, aka the famous açaí bowl.
Since frozen açaí puree can be tricky to find, we’re using açaí powder here, which has all the flavor and nutrients in a shelf-stable, easy-to-use form.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These bowls check every box for flavor, texture, and nourishment. The smoothie base is rich, creamy, and slightly tart thanks to the blueberries and yogurt, while the toppings add natural sweetness and satisfying crunch.
Apples bring juicy freshness, walnuts give that earthy, nutty bite, and a sprinkle of cinnamon ties everything together. Here are a few more reasons why you’ll love this recipe:
- Creamy, soft-serve style base you can eat with a spoon
- Sweetened naturally with fruit + a drizzle of maple or agave
- Loaded with antioxidants, protein, and good-for-you fats
- Totally customizable – pile on your favorite toppings
- Ready faster than your coffee brews
Ingredients for Apple Walnut Açaí Bowls
Açaí powder: The star ingredient that brings deep berry flavor and a boost of antioxidants, hailing from South America. If you can find frozen acai puree packets, those work too. Just swap one of the frozen acai packets for the powder. Most grocery stores carry these the Sambazon brand of frozen açaí packets in the freezer section of the grocery store.
Frozen banana: Naturally sweetens the base while making it thick and creamy. Not a banana fan? Try frozen mango or a pear for a similar silky texture.
Frozen blueberries (or mixed berries): Adds tangy brightness, antioxidants, and that gorgeous purple color. Raspberries, strawberries, or a berry blend all work beautifully here.
Plain Greek yogurt: Protein-packed and extra thick, it keeps the smoothie bowl satisfying. Use coconut yogurt or almond-based yogurt for dairy free options.
Unsweetened almond milk: Helps everything blend smoothly without watering it down. Any type of milk (oat milk, cashew milk, dairy, soy milk, etc.) is fair game. I love using full-fat canned coconut milk for richness or coconut water for a lighter approach.
Agave nectar or pure maple syrup: A little natural sweetness to balance the tart berries. Honey works too, or skip it if your fruit is already sweet enough and you don’t want the added sugar.
Ground cinnamon: Adds cozy warmth and ties the flavors together. Pumpkin pie spice or cardamom are great alternatives.
Toppings:
Apple slices: Crisp, sweet contrast to the creamy base. Pear slices make a fun seasonal swap.
Walnuts: Crunchy, heart-healthy fats that make it filling. Pecans or almonds are great alternatives.
Pistachios: Bright, nutty crunch and extra color. Skip if you don’t have them, more walnuts will do the trick.
Unsweetened shredded coconut: Light, tropical touch. Toast it first if you want a deeper flavor. Coconut flakes are great too.
Extra Greek yogurt: Swirl it in for creaminess. Coconut whipped cream is a fun, dairy-free substitute.
Sprinkle of cinnamon: Cause there’s never too much cinnamon. But hey, if you’re not a cinnamon fan, feel free to leave it off.
Dried Fruit or Seeds: Sprinkle chia seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, goji berries, cacao nibs, etc. on top.
How to Make Apple Walnut Açaí Bowls
Blend the frozen banana, frozen berries, Greek yogurt, almond milk, sweetener of choice, açaí powder, and a pinch of cinnamon in a high speed blender until completely smooth and creamy. The trick is keeping the consistency super thick so you can eat it with a spoon rather than sip it.
Divide the smoothie mixture between two bowls, then top with your favorite fixings. I love apple slices, walnuts, pistachios, shredded coconut, an extra swirl of yogurt and cinnamon, and often a drizzle of nut butter.
If you like, a drizzle of honey or extra maple syrup sends these homemade acai bowls over the top.
Recipe Adaptations and Additions
- Nut butter drizzle – A spoonful of almond, peanut, or cashew butter swirled on top adds richness, staying power, and that sweet-salty vibe.
- Protein boost – Stir in a scoop of vanilla protein powder or extra Greek yogurt to make the bowl even more filling.
- Tropical vibes – Swap apple for tropical fruit like pineapple, mango, passion fruit, or papaya. Use orange juice or apple juice for the liquid.
- Extra crunch – Add your favorite granola for a satisfying texture.
- Chocolate fix – Sprinkle cacao nibs or mini chocolate chips on top for a crunchy, antioxidant-rich treat.
- Green power – Toss in a handful of spinach or kale before blending, you won’t even taste it!
What to Serve with Apple Walnut Açaí Bowls
Açaí bowls are a complete meal on their own, but if you’re serving brunch or want or just feeling extra, try pairing them with:
- Grain Free Tahini Granola with Apricots and Cherries
- The BEST Almond Flour Zucchini Bread
- Homemade Chai Latte
- Fruit Salad with Lemon Coconut Cream
Other Breakfast Recipes to Try
If you love this açaí bowl, you’ll also enjoy these nourishing breakfasts:
- Berry Protein Smoothie
- Tropical Summer Blue Smoothie Bowl
- Banana Chia Pudding
- Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
Enjoy your own custom açaí bowls, and let me know in the comments below which toppings and fruit you use!
Easy Açaí Bowls
Ingredients
For the Açaí Smoothie:
- 1 ripe banana frozen
- 2 cups frozen blueberries or mixed berries
- 1-1/2 cups plain full-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup or honey or agave nectar
- 3 to 4 Tbsp açaí powder or 1 (2.5-oz) package frozen acai berries
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
For Serving:
- Plain Greek Yogurt
- Unsweetened shredded coconut
- slices Apple
- Walnuts
- Pistachios
- Sprinkle of cinnamon
Instructions
- Add all ingredients for the “açaí smoothie” to a blender and blend until completely smooth. The consistency should be very thick.
- Divide the thick smoothie between two bowls and add desired amount of fruit, nuts, granola, shredded coconut, etc. to the bowls. Drizzle with honey, agave, or pure maple syrup and enjoy like a champ!
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
How thick should the smoothie base be?
You want it thick enough to eat with a spoon, almost like soft-serve ice cream. If it’s too thin, add more frozen fruit. If it’s too thick to blend, splash in a little extra milk.
Do I need a high-powered blender?
A strong blender makes things easier, but you can still make this in a regular blender; just let your frozen fruit sit out for a few minutes to soften first.
Is it filling enough for breakfast?
Definitely! Between the yogurt, fruit, and nuts, it’s balanced with protein, fiber, and healthy fats.
Can I make it ahead?
The smoothie base doesn’t store well once blended, but you can prep your toppings ahead of time for quick assembly.
agave syrup is really,really bad for you. might as well be eating poison
Looks so yummy, and the pictures are great too 🙂
Can’t wait to recreate it
Gorgeous pictures! Thanks for the post, I cannot wait to make this myself.
Love Domi x
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Thanks Domi! Enjoy!
whole foods and I have a date with destiny to (a) pick up some acai powder and/or puree and (b) go crazy with fruity toppings for this. It’s gonna be all kinds of awesome!