Christopher Bucchere

DIY Açaí Bowl

Written by Christopher Bucchere | Dec 13, 2015 2:07:34 AM

For years I've been enjoying these tasty concoctions (pronounced ah-sigh-EE) at Cafe Brasil in Santa Cruz and at Surfdog's Java Hut in Encinitas. I'm also looking forward to trying the many different versions at Mana Bowls in Fairfax. But today, I just wanted one for breakfast. At home. In a pinch.

I took this one myself. Can you believe it?

As fate would have it, we had everything I needed in the freezer, including these great Sambazon açaí berry packs you can find at your local health food store (a.k.a. Good Earth). I thicken up the berry mixture with banana and Manitoba Harvest Hemp 50 powder, packing in 15 grams of plant-based protein.

For me, this breakfast is a four hour hunger-killer — a great meal to have before a long surf session or trail run.

Yield

2 servings (2 bowls)

Ingredients

2 sleeves frozen Sambazon Açaí berries (sold 4 sleeves to a pack)

2 frozen bananas

1 cup frozen blueberries

3–5 frozen dark cherries (add more for richness)

8 T hemp powder

2 C almond milk

1 C granola

1 fresh banana, peeled and sliced into medallions

A small handful of fresh berries

2 t honey (to taste)

A few sprinkles of unsweetened coconut (optional)

Instructions

Place all the frozen ingredients, the hemp powder and the almond milk into a powerful blender and blend on high until smooth.

Fill two bowls in this order, dividing everything up into halves:

  1. 1/2 the granola (~1/4 C)
  2. blended açaí mixture
  3. the rest of the granola (~1/4 C)
  4. banana medallions
  5. fresh berries
  6. honey
  7. coconut (optional)

As you eat this, you'll realize that you're going to have a great day. And if you don't, it definitely wasn't the açaí bowl's fault.