Chocolate Berry Acai Bowl or How to Get in Chocolate and Berries for Valentines and Keep it Healthy

Every year for Valentine’s Day I would make giant soft sugar cookies for the kids to decorate and take around to the neighbors.  It was such a fun tradition.  Now my children are gone (except for my oldest child…the one I’m married to) and I realized that if I baked sugar cookies I wouldn’t have help to decorate them, deliver them or EAT them.

 I love a day in the kitchen baking cookies, cakes and breads.  I find baking a relaxing way to spend my day.  I thought of all the wonderful chocolate goodies I could bake for Valentines, then realized I would eat them all myself.  Luckily I became addicted to acai bowls, while in Hawaii.  Seriously, I crave these daily and sometimes twice daily.  I guess in my old age I’m loving fresh raw fruits as much as I love cookies.  I really love cookies.  I can combine chocolate and berries into my acai bowl.  It’s delicious.

I hope you take notice of my lovely bowl.  I purchased the bowl from a potter at a Farmer’s market in Kona, HI.  It’s make with black sand from the volcanic rock.  Love it.  I’m wondering why I only bought one?

For the Acai puree you will need:

1 packet frozen Acai puree (3.5 oz)
1/2 cup frozen berries (I’m using cherries)
1/2 cup frozen bananas
1 teaspoon cacao powder (optional)
1/4 – 1/2 cup almond milk (or coconut milk, cashew milk, pecan milk, etc)

I purchased my acai packets from Wholefoods.  Look for them by the frozen fruit in your grocery store.

I’m using a food processor.  A blender will work just as well.

Break up the frozen acai puree and add to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal “S” blade.

Because it Valentines, I’m adding just a bit of cacao powder.

Add about 1 teaspoon.

Add 1/2 cup frozen bananas.  I freeze my bananas right before they are ripe enough for banana bread. I slice them and place them on a cookie sheet lined with a silpat mat.  Freeze until firm, then transfer to a ziplock bag and return to freezer.  The bananas will stay individually frozen and are easy to remove just a few at a time.

I’m using 1/2 cup cherries, because I had them.  Frozen strawberries, or a berry blend can be used as well.

I start with 1/4 cup almond milk and add more if the mixture is too thick.

Place the lid on the processor and pulse a few times.  Blend until smooth.

You may need to scrape the bowl a few times.

The puree should be nice and thick.

I some how managed to loose a beautiful picture of all of my toppings…. What the….

Oh well…I used the following to top my acai bowl:

1/2 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1/2 cup granola (you’ll want to make a batch of my coconut almond granola for this or Janet’s granola
2 tablespoons chopped almonds
2 tablespoons cocoa nibs
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut
drizzle of local honey

This recipe will make two large bowls.  Divide the puree into two bowls.

Place 1/4 cup granola on each bowl.  Less granola can be used, if desired.

Arrange raspberries

and strawberries.

Toss on some roughly chopped almonds.

A healthy spoonful of coco nibs.  Man, I love the bit of cocoa nibs on everything!

Drizzle with some local honey, if available.  My honey comes from my next door neighbor.  How local is that?  (Love you Kenny and Becca)

Sprinkle with unsweetened coconut.

Optional toppings:  fresh cut pineapple cubes (my fav), raw cashews, goji berries, banana slices, blueberries, etc. Keep it fresh and healthy!

Dig in!

I ate both of the bowls I made.

They were going to melt so I ate breakfast and lunch at the same time.  Bam!

Acai Bowl

1 packet frozen Acai puree (3.5 oz)
1/2 cup frozen berries (I’m using cherries)
1/2 cup frozen bananas
1 teaspoon cacao powder (optional)
1/4 – 1/2 cup almond milk (or coconut milk, cashew milk, pecan milk, etc)

Toppings:
1/2 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1/2 cup granola (you’ll want to make a batch of my coconut almond granola for this or Janet’s granola
2 tablespoons chopped almonds
2 tablespoons cocoa nibs
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut
drizzle of local honey

In the bowl of a food processor or a blender, break up the frozen acai puree.  Add frozen berries, banana, cacao powder and 1/2 of the almond mild.  Puree adding more milk if needed.  Puree should be thick.  Divide puree into two bowls.  Divide toppings between the two bowls as desired.  Makes 2 large acai bowls.

Optional toppings:  fresh cut pineapple cubes (my fav), raw cashews, goji berries, banana slices, blueberries.

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