Happy New Years!
After a brief hiatus, (who knew starting a new job, planning a wedding AND getting married would take up so much time!) I’m back to the blog and starting the year off right with this fresh and healthy acai bowl topped with homemade quinoa granola.
Acai bowls are what all breakfast dreams are made of…or at least mine. For those of you that don’t know, an acai bowl is a thick smoothie made from acai berries and has been topped with sliced fruit, peanut or almond butter, coconut and granola. It’s a delightful way to start your day with a bit of sweet, savory and crunch that is somehow still really, really good for you.
Acai is used as the base of this smoothie bowl. In the U.S., you can’t buy acai berries as whole fruit, instead you can find them in powder form or frozen puree both available at Whole Foods. Finding acai is only half the battle though, it’s getting the right texture that’s the real tricky part. You want a consistency that is s not too thick and not thin. You are looking for the perfect blend to create a scoopable smoothie-like texture. I created mine using powered acai, a frozen fruit mixture, ripe bananas, and almond milk.
Once you’ve found the perfect texture, it’s time to layer your bowl! First add a layer of this seriously delicious quinoa granola with almonds and oats. This healthy and protein-packed granola has amazing flavor and adds a serious crunch. Add your smoothie mixture over the granola and top it all off with sliced strawberry and banana, fresh blueberries, shredded coconut, almond butter and even a little more granola! It’s a healthy and very filling way to start out your day. Enjoy!
- Acai Bowl Ingredients:
- ½ cup Frozen Fruit Mixture (strawberries, raspberries and blueberries)
- 1 Ripe Banana
- ½ cup Almond Milk (or milk of your choice)
- 1 teaspoon Acai Powder
- Toppings
- Banana, sliced
- Fresh blueberries
- Fresh strawberries, sliced
- Granola
- Coconut Flakes
- Almond Butter
- Granola Ingredients:
- 1 cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
- ½ cup uncooked White Quinoa
- 2 cups raw almonds, roughly chopped
- 1 Tbsp cane sugar
- pinch sea salt
- 3½ Tbsp coconut oil
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- Acai Bowl Instructions:
- Add all smoothie ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. If mixture is too thick add more almond milk, if too thin add more banana or frozen fruit.
- Pour the smoothie mixture into a bowl and top with desired ingredients.
- Granola Instructions
- Preheat oven to 340 degrees F.
- Add oats, quinoa, almonds, coconut sugar, and salt to a large mixing bowl - stir to combine.
- To a small saucepan, add coconut oil and maple syrup. Warm over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, whisking frequently until the two are totally combined and there is no visible separation.
- Immediately pour over the dry ingredients and stir to combine until all oats and nuts are thoroughly coated. Arrange on a large baking sheet and spread into an even layer.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Then remove from oven and stir/toss the granola. Turn the pan around so the other end goes into the oven first (so it bakes evenly) and bake 5-10 minutes more. Watch carefully as to not burn. You'll know it's done when the granola is deep golden brown and very fragrant.
- Let cool completely before enjoying. Store leftovers in a sealed bag or container at room temperature for 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
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