Acai smoothies are becoming one of the more popular smoothie flavors but if you’re not used to making recipes with acai, you might not know how to make that perfect acai smoothie.
Thankfully, we have the best acai smoothie recipe for you. We will show you how to make a delicious and creamy smoothie with these wonderful berries.
Let’s get started and learn how to make this smoothie!
What Is Acai?
Acai berries are small dark purple berries that are the fruit of the acai palm tree. These trees are native to the rainforests of both Central and South America.
Although they have beautiful purple skin, their flesh is colored yellow and they have a large seed inside. Their natural flavor is earthy and sweet.
Why Is Acai So Good For You?
Acai is often marketed as a superfood for the number of health benefits it has. Despite the small size of the berries, each berry is loaded with nutrients but with minimal amounts of sugar.
The deep purple color of the berries is produced by anthocyanin and this is also a powerful antioxidant. This helps to neutralize the harmful effects of free radicals that are contained in your body.
Acai is also high in fiber which can help your heart. It also has lower amounts of calcium which can benefit your muscles, bones, and heart.
Ingredients For An Acai Smoothie
There are several ingredients that you will need to make this acai smoothie. These are:
Acai
We have spoken about acai in-depth already so we will keep this brief. For this smoothie, we would recommend using frozen acai packets instead of the powdered version.
Frozen acai packets are made from 100 percent acai and they are ideal for both smoothies and acai bowls (see also “The Ultimate Acai Bowl Recipe With Topping Options“). It’s basically pureed acai and is easier to work with than the berries themselves or powder.
They blend to make thick and creamy smoothies and will help keep your drink chilled as well.
Berries
You can use any berries of your choice for this smoothie. We picked mixed frozen berries that are a mix of blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackcurrants.
Berries are a great addition to any smoothie as they not only taste delicious but are also very healthy. They’re high in fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants but are low in calories.
In many cases, frozen berries are healthier than fresh ones because they’re usually frozen shortly after being picked.
Fresh berries, on the other hand, can lose some of their goodness in the long journey from being picked to being served.
Bananas
Bananas are a common ingredient in acai smoothies. This fruit is a great way to give your smoothie that thick and creamy consistency that we all love.
Bananas have a wide variety of health benefits as they’re rich in nutrients and antioxidants. They can help your digestive health, and blood sugar levels, and even aid with weight loss.
You can use frozen bananas for this recipe as these will work just as well as fresh bananas.
Peanut Butter
This smoothie doesn’t require much peanut butter but a little goes a long way.
The nutty and buttery taste of peanut butter is the perfect complement to acai and the consistency of peanut butter adds some extra creaminess to your smoothie.
Peanut butter is also healthy in small doses as it is rich in several nutrients such as protein, magnesium, and omega-6 fatty acids. These can give you energy and help reduce cholesterol.
Chia Seeds
Like several of the other ingredients in this recipe, chia seeds can help to thicken your smoothie. However, chia seeds are included in the smoothie for more important reasons than that.
Chia seeds are well known for their health benefits as they are high in fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, antioxidants, and several other essential minerals.
Almond Milk
You can use any plant-based milk that you prefer. Our preference is for almond milk due to the nutty taste it adds to the smoothie.
Almond milk is also rich in vitamin E which has a wide range of different benefits such as the prevention of heart disease, stroke, and cancer.
How To Make An Acai Smoothie
Let’s now find out how to make our delicious acai smoothie.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 serving
Equipment And Ingredients
Here is all of the equipment you will need and the quantity of ingredients required to make this smoothie.
Equipment
Blender
Glass
Ingredients
1 frozen pack of acai
½ cup of mixed frozen berries
1 frozen banana, sliced
1 tablespoon of peanut butter
1 teaspoon of chia seeds
¾ to 1 cup of almond milk
Method
Now we know the equipment and ingredients required for this acai smoothie, let’s look at how it is made.
Step One
Allow the frozen acai packet to defrost slightly. If it is used straight from the freezer when it is still solid, it will be more difficult to blend. Instead, let it melt just a little as this will be easier to work with.
Step Two
Pour your almond milk into the blender and then add the frozen acai, chia seeds, and peanut butter. The frozen berries and banana should be the last ingredients added to the blender.
Step Three
Blend the ingredients together at high speed until the consistency becomes smooth and creamy.
If the smoothie is too thick for your taste, you can add a little more almond milk during the blending process.
We would recommend starting with only ¾ of a cup of almond milk and then only adding the rest as and when it is needed.
Step Four
Pour into a glass and enjoy! If you wish, you can serve the smoothie over ice or add some granola to the top of the glass.
Hints And Tips
As we suggested in step two, put your milk in the smoothie first and your fruit last. The other ingredients can be added in the middle.
This makes blending all of the ingredients together a quicker and easier process than starting with the fruit or frozen acai.
There is no added sugar in this recipe. Acai packs aren’t naturally sweet and depending on the berries you choose, these might not be that sweet either.
If you want to add some sweetness to your smoothie use the ripest bananas you can find. You can even use overripe bananas.
Remember to slice your bananas before you add them to the blender. Sliced bananas are easier to blend and the easier it is to blend your ingredients, the thicker and creamier your smoothie will be.
Although we used almond milk, you can substitute this for coconut milk if you prefer. Coconut milk has a higher fat content than almond milk so it will make a smoothie that is creamier.
You will also get less of a nutty flavor and more of a tropical one.
Frozen fruit is a better choice than fresh fruit. You can use either or both frozen berries and bananas as these will help your smoothie become thick and creamy. It’ll also ensure that your smoothie is chilled.
Frozen berries are easy to buy but frozen bananas are less common. You can easily freeze your own bananas, however!
Simply wait for your bananas to get as ripe as you want and then slice them. Once sliced, put them in a ziplock bag and freeze them until you need them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Now let’s answer some of the most frequently asked questions about acai and acai smoothies.
Can the Smoothie Be Prepared In Advance?
We would recommend consuming this smoothie shortly after making it as it is best consumed when fresh. You can make it a couple of hours in advance if you need to, however.
For example, if you want to drink your smoothie at the office, you can prepare it in the morning and take it with you. You should keep the smoothie refrigerated after being made and until it is drunk, however.
Can I Use Acai Powder Instead?
Yes, you can! If you aren’t able to find frozen acai packets then you can use powder instead. You should keep in mind, however, that using powder instead of frozen packets will affect the taste and texture of the smoothie.
This isn’t necessarily a bad change, depending on your personal tastes. You will only need one teaspoon of acai powder per single serving.
If you do use powder instead of the frozen packets, you should make some other adjustments to your recipe as well.
We would recommend increasing the number of berries in the recipe as a replacement for the frozen acai you will be losing. Around half a cup of extra berries should be enough.
Can I Add Ice To The Recipe?
Yes, you can! If you use frozen acai packets and frozen fruit, however, you won’t need any more ice as this should be enough to give you a chilled smoothie.
If you’re using fresh fruit you should add some ice to ensure your smoothie is deliciously chilled.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we introduced acai berries and explained their numerous benefits. We gave you a delicious recipe for an acai smoothie and included step-by-step instructions on how to make it.
We also listed several tips to adjust the smoothie for your tastes and to ensure your smoothie is as tasty as possible.
We hope that you enjoy making and drinking this delicious smoothie as much as we do!
Hi, my name is Justin Roberts and I like to live by one major rule in life – health is wealth. And where does all health stem from? The food choices we make.
I grew up in a not-so-wealthy household that often struggled to get food on the table.
The food we did eat was cheap, holding no nutritional value at all. I’m talking frozen foods, carbs, fats, and very little fresh produce.
I am fortunate enough to have made a life for myself where the money for food is no longer an issue, and I have spent the majority of it looking into healthy foods and different diets to try.
The most notable is keto and paleo. I am also interested in only using whole foods wherever possible – call it trauma!
As a professional chef, I now create recipes surrounding these diets every day. My family are my tasters, and I strive to make my recipes as budget-friendly as possible.
I hope that you’ll find some inspiration for healthier meals from my website. I want to create a catalog of recipes that you can come back to time and time again. Enjoy!
