Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free Fall Acai Bowls

There’s nothing like the crisp fall air to inspire you to make and this wonderful fall açai bowl. Please note this post is sponsored by So Delicious®. Please see my disclosures for more information on how I work with brands.

Last year I spent six weeks in London with my family. It was the summer of a lifetime! My husband had to work each day, and my kids and I fancied around London all day long.

One of my favorite memories of London was stopping many mornings at a cafe that served gluten-free açai bowls. I know I’m late to the party, but I had never had an açai bowl before. Once I ate one, I finally understood the hype. It tasted incredible. It was tangy yet sweet, crunchy and smooth. So many textures and tastes all at once – wow!

In an effort to recreate a little of that London magic at home, I decided to create my own delicious dairy-free and gluten-free fall açai bowl recipe using frozen açai puree and a little vegan yogurt.

Before I share the steps to making this wonderful little recipe, let’s talk about a few of the ingredients first.

Gluten-Free-Fall-Açai-Bowls-Good-For-You-Gluten-Free

Get to Know Açai

Açai berries grow on açai palm trees in South America and resemble dark purple grapes or blueberries. Some people refer to them as “superfoods” because of their nutrient density.

Açai berries are loaded with antioxidants, which have been proven to reduce inflammation and protect your cells from damage by free radicals. Açai berries also contain plenty of fiber and calcium too. These are bonus benefits when enjoying your morning meal!

Because açai berries spoil quickly, it’s best to buy them frozen. You can buy açai berries at any major grocery store. They typically come in 3.5 ounce pouches that are perfectly portioned for smoothie (or açai bowl) making. Look for them where you find frozen berries.

How to Make Fall Açai Bowls

I usually don’t mind spending a few extra minutes in the kitchen preparing a home-cooked, warm breakfast. Some days, however, I just want something fast. This recipe is for those “some days.”

To make an açai bowl of your own, you’ll first need a couple of pouches of açai puree, as well as a dairy-free yogurt. I used So Delicious coconutmilk yogurt.

How to Make It

To make a fall açai bowl, combine unsweetened açai puree, unsweetened coconutmilk yogurt, frozen bananas, cinnamon and vanilla extract inside a high-speed blender.

Picture of ingredients to make fall acai bowl inside a blender

Because the açai mixture is thick, it needs a little help pureeing inside the blender. I stop the blender every 20-30 seconds to push the ingredient down into the blades to make sure everything is getting blended.

If your mixture is too thick and just won’t blend, add a little bit of dairy-free milk, bit by bit, to help it blend together better.

Picture of ingredients to make fall acai bowl inside a blender and blended

Remember, you don’t want to add too much liquid or you’ll have a smoothie vs. bowl. You want the mixture thick because you’ll eat it with a spoon vs. sip it from a straw.

Once blended well, spoon the mixture into two bowls and top with as many delicious toppings as you like.

Figs are in season in the late summer/early fall, so I added a fig to my açai bowl today. I also added tart granny smith apples and dried cranberries for sweetness, as well as raw pecans and pepitas (or pumpkin seeds) for crunch.