Easy Acai Smoothie

Get more antioxidants with this healthy acai smoothie. Made with just 4 ingredients, the recipe is so easy to prepare at home.

Recipe Highlights

• Acai smoothie is a pureed cold drink made with acai berries, one of the healthiest fruits you can eat.
• This recipe is made by combining unsweetened almond milk, acai puree, bananas, and frozen mixed berries in a blender.
• The bananas and berries add natural sweetness to the drink.
• A quick and easy recipe, it can be made in just 5 minutes.

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4 Acai Smoothie Benefits

1. Contains Antioxidants

All of the berries in this smoothie are high in powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins. Antioxidants are good for health because they reduce oxidative stress. Over time, this can decrease the risk of chronic disease, including cancer and type 2 diabetes.

2. Protects Brain Function

Berries are excellent for the brain. This is due to their high antioxidant content. Oxidative stress can alter brain function over time. But eating antioxidant-rich foods, such as berries, may help reduce the risk.

3. Helps Digestion

The fiber in berries and banana is essential for digestion. Fiber promotes regular bowel movements, which can limit digestive discomfort. Plus, the antioxidant anthocyanins “feed” the good bacteria in your gut.

4. Enhances Immunity

Berries are a good source of vitamin C, an essential nutrient. The body uses vitamin C to fight germs that might cause sickness. Vitamin C also helps wounds heal, which reduces the risk of infection.

RELATED: 12 Benefits of Eating Acai

Ingredient Notes

• Unsweetened almond milk: Be sure to use the unsweetened kind to keep the drink healthy. If you don’t want to use almond milk, try oat milk or soy milk.
• Frozen acai puree: In the grocery store, you can find frozen acai puree in the frozen fruit section. It’s usually sold in individual 3.5 oz packets. Before adding the puree to your blender, thaw it first or cut into chunks.
• Banana: Fresh banana adds thickness and sweetness to the smoothie. Chop it into slices before loading it into your blender.
• Frozen mixed berries: This can include any combination of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. If you only have one type of frozen berry on hand, feel free to use it in place of mixed berries.

For full ingredients and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Acai Puree vs Acai Powder

It’s not possible to find fresh acai berries in stores because they spoil too quickly. Instead, after they’re picked, the berries are pureed and frozen or dried into a powder.

This recipe was tested with both puree and acai powder. The puree gave the drink the best flavor and texture.

However, acai powder is a great choice if you can’t find acai puree. Use 2 tablespoons of the powder and add an extra ½ cup of frozen berries. The additional fruit will ensure the smoothie is thick and cold.

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Variations

Seeds: Seeds act as thickeners in smoothies. They also add a mild nutty flavor and plant-based protein. Try flax seeds, hemp seeds, or chia seeds. Start with 1 tablespoon per smoothie.

Protein powders: Protein powder is a great smoothie add-in. It will make your drink more filling, thick, and nutritious. The ingredient will also increase your protein intake, which is helpful for maintaining and growing muscle. For this smoothie, you can use unflavored, vanilla, or chocolate protein powder.

Leafy greens: Add 1 cup of baby spinach or kale to increase the nutrient content of this drink. Both leafy greens are high in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They’re great for brain health too. Load the greens into the blender after the acai puree and before the fresh bananas.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Blender Tips

Chop fruits into pieces.

Cut fruits into chunks before loading them into the blender. This will ensure a thorough and smooth blend. The pieces can be the same size as a quarter of an apple. However, if your blender isn’t very powerful, you’ll want to cut them smaller.

Move ingredients with a tamper.

A tamper is a tool that you can insert through the lid of a blender. It has a stopper, so it won’t reach the blades. While the blades are moving, you move the tamper in a circular motion. This will pull in the ingredients and ensure an even blend.

Load the liquids first.

The best way to reduce air pockets is to add the lightest ingredients first. This includes liquids and optional liquid add-ins, like date syrup. Follow with other add-ins such as seeds. Next, load any leafy greens, fresh fruit, and finish with heavy ingredients like ice and frozen fruits.

Avoid blending on low speed for a long time.

Blending on low speed for too long will overheat your blender. Instead, blend on low for 10 seconds, then quickly increase to high speed.

Remove every last bit with a blade scraper.

Using a blade scraper will let you remove leftover smoothie beneath the blades. You can also do this with a thin spatula.

Expert Tips

• Always use a ripe banana. It will have the best flavor and texture. Ripe bananas are yellow with some brown spots and not too firm.
• Check the packaging of the acai puree for suggestions on thawing the ingredient.
• If you prefer sweeter smoothies, add 1 tablespoon date syrup to the recipe.
• Add a bit of extra almond milk if the smoothie is too thick. Blend for another 10 seconds to combine.
• Drink the smoothie fresh. If needed, you can refrigerate leftovers in an airtight jar for 1-2 days max.

Questions You May Have

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