According to Market Watch, the acai berry market is worth over $2 billion every year. Once you hear about the amazing health benefits and delicious flavors of these fascinating fruits, you won’t be surprised.
Acai berries have been exploding in popularity. They are especially used by health-conscious people who exercise and love to find natural ways to keep themselves in top physical shape.
Acai berries are naturally delicious. Mixed with the right ingredients, you can end up with some spectacular dishes.
Read on to learn all about the acai berry and learn some acai bowl recipes you can try out.
The Origins of Acai
You may have heard the name but what is acai? Acai berries grow in the lush Amazon Rainforest in South America. It is commonly called a berry, but it is technically a drupe.
Drupes include other delicious fruits like plums, cherries, and olives. They are defined by having delicious flesh that surrounds a single hard seed in the middle. The acai fruit grows in the tops of elegant palm trees and looks a lot like blueberries.
For many years, the natives of the rainforest have gathered the acai to sustain themselves. In the growing global marketplace, they have found that the rest of the world is eager to enjoy acai with them, so they can sell their berries to customers around the world.
The acai berry degrades rapidly, which means it has to be prepared quickly before it is shipped around the world. In most cases, the fruit is made into a thick, dark purple puree, and then frozen for shipping.
In one respect, acai berries are more like their olive cousins than other drupes like peaches. They are full of healthy omega fatty acids and don’t contain very much water.
The Health Benefits of Acai
You’ve probably already heard of the many benefits of omega fatty acids. They help stave off depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders. They also help keep the brain and the heart healthy and functioning at their best.
Omega fatty acids aren’t the only health benefit acai berries have going for them. Despite their delicious flavor, acai berries contain practically no sugar.
Acai berries are full of antioxidants. They have even more antioxidants by weight than other rich foods like blueberries or cranberries. In fact, while blueberries score 4,669 on the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (for measuring antioxidant strength), acai berries more than triple that with a score of 15,405!
Acai berry purees are often mixed with nut milk like almond milk for some added protein. With healthy fats, low sugar, antioxidants, vitamins, and protein from the nut milk, acai purees are in a special category of nutrition. These DIY acai bowl recipes will help you get the most out of this superfood.
Peanut Butter Acai Recipe
When it comes to knowing how to make acai bowls, there are really no rules. People are always coming up with new ways to enjoy acai berries, and like any other fruit, they can go well with almost anything.
This peanut butter acai recipe is a rich, flavorful dish that will be a hit at any dinner table. You’ll first make a delicious puree base, similar in consistency to a pudding. Then you’ll sprinkle the toppings across the top.
To make the puree, you’ll need one and a half teaspoons of peanut butter, a tablespoon of cocoa powder, half a banana, half a cup of strawberries, half a cup of almond milk, and your acai pulp. This recipe needs just one small pack of frozen acai berries, about three and a half ounces.
Mix the puree ingredients together in a blender. You want an extremely smooth consistency and plenty of aeration, so you’ll want to blend for up to twenty minutes. Once you place your finished puree in your serving dish, it’s time to add the toppings.
Slice the other half of your banana and spread the slices across the top. You can then sprinkle two teaspoons of shredded coconut and one tablespoon of cocoa nibs across the top. Finish with a teaspoon and a half of peanut butter and some honey, if desired.
Rainbow Acai Bowl Recipe
Your rainbow acai bowl will also start with a puree blend. Use another half of a banana and a half cup of strawberries, and add a half cup of blueberries to this mixture as well. The same three and a half ounces of acai puree will do, with a half cup of vanilla almond milk too.
This recipe is best if you don’t overly blend the puree, so blend this mix for only 30 seconds to a minute. Once your puree is in its bowl, it’s time to add the toppings.
Use a quarter cup of blueberries, and then slice half a kiwi, half a banana, a quarter cup of strawberries, and a quarter cup of mango. Spread the fruits all across the top, and finish with honey and granola.
This fruiter recipe is lighter and is a real showstopper when it comes to presentation. The colorful fruits all across the top are sure to catch everyone’s eyes and set their mouths watering.
Green Acai Bowl Recipe
This green acai bowl is all about the nutrients. For this puree, you’ll need a cup of spinach and a cup of kale. The ever-present half a banana, three and a half ounces of acai puree, and half cup of almond milk come next. This puree also gets a half cup of mango.
Blend for between 30 and 60 seconds, making sure the greens are finely cut. Over the top, place half a sliced banana and two tablespoons of pineapple pieces. Sprinkle one or two tablespoons of shredded coconut across the top, and enjoy!
Acai Bowl Recipes to Brighten Up Your Day
We hope you learned something helpful from these acai bowl recipes. To learn about more amazing recipes as well as restaurants with incredible meals, check out our other pages.
