Recently, I went to California to visit my parents.
This is the state where trends seem to start.
Ideas and innovations seem to begin in the Golden State, before spreading east.
One of the latest trends is acai bowls. These are delicious bowls filled with granola and fruit, resting on top of pureed acai berry.
Acai is one of those South American superfoods that have traveled north and all over the world.
Although this dark purple berry has been touted as a cure all and a magical weight loss food, I just think it’s good for you.
Acai is loaded with antioxidants. It also contains natural anti-inflammatory compounds. (Good news for anyone who suffers from chronic pain.)
It is also delicious when it’s prepared right.
So if you want to jump upon a trendy Millenial treat, keep reading and I’ll tell you how to make this at home.
Acai bowls work really well as a complete healthy breakfast. I use pea milk in my recipe, which is high in protein.
Or you can serve acai bowls as a healthy dessert.
Dairy Free Acai Bowl Recipe
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If you make the acai bowl according to the instructions below, it will be dairy free and free from genetically modified ingredients.
I use Ripple brand pea milk, which is delicious and creamy. It also contains 8 grams of protein per 8 ounce serving.
Acai berry is topped with USDA Certified Organic granola. I purchased this at Aldi, where I buy a lot of my organic food items.
But you can also find organic granola online, if you can’t find it locally. Certified organic granola won’t contain GMO’s.
I use Ripple brand unsweetened pea milk. (It’s GMO free too.) I like this because it doesn’t contain sugar. I use it in fruit smoothies and acai bowls. If I need to sweeten the mix I use liquid stevia drops.
Frozen acai packets are available at a lot of grocery stores. I know Target carries the popular Sambazon brand.
You can also find frozen acai puree online at Amazon. (It will ship in an insulated pack in the Continental United States.
Pea milk is also sold at the grocery store. Sometimes I have trouble finding the unsweetened version. If you can’t find unsweetened you can use the Original version. But, in that case, you’ll want to either reduce or eliminate the liquid stevia.
If you can’t find liquid stevia locally you can find it online. I now use Sweet Leaf whole leaf liquid stevia and I find it has a much better taste compared to the brand I used to use.
I highly recommend this brand for all sweetening needs. Liquid stevia lets me enjoy sweet things without consuming sugar, which can drive inflammation and cause other health problems.
It’s really important to use all of the ingredients in this recipe for best results. Especially the banana.
That’s because acai puree by itself is gritty and not too appetizing. The banana turns it into a creamy treat.
Dairy Free Acai Bowl Recipe
Dairy free and GMO-free acai bowl recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce frozen acai puree packet
- 1/2 cup unsweetened pea milk
- 1/2 cup organic gluten free granola
- 1 ripe banana
- 3 to 6 drops of liquid stevia, depending upon your preference for sweetness
- 4 large strawberries diced
Instructions
- Break frozen acai packet in half and put in blender. You can also use a NutriBullet smoothie maker. If you have a difficult time getting the puree out of the packet run it under warm water for a few minutes.
- Add 1/2 cup of pea milk to the blender.
- Add 1/2 of the banana, reserving the rest for later.
- Blend until the mix becomes a puree.
- Taste the puree and add stevia if needed.
- Put the puree in a bowl and top with granola.
- Dice the remaining banana and layer it on top of the granola.
- Garnish with the blueberries and diced strawberries.
Notes
Can be served for breakfast, dessert or a healthy snack.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 18.62 ouncesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 544Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 158mgCarbohydrates: 108gFiber: 15gSugar: 33gProtein: 20g