Dr. Igor’s Fruit & Nut Protein Açai Bowl Recipe

Strawberry Peach Açai Bowl blended with Hemp Hearts, Grass-fed Collagen Protein, Macadamia Milk & Blue Agave Nectar and topped with Fresh Berries, Bananas, Peaches, Cacao Nibs, Chia Seeds, Pistachios, Shredded Coconut & a drizzle of Honey

DAIRY-FREE/GLUTEN-FREE/OVO-PESCATARIAN/VEGAN/VEGETARIAN

Açai bowls are just awesome. Creamy, cold, crunchy, fruity, highly nutritious and extremely versatile, what’s not to love? 

They are most commonly eaten for breakfast but can also be a great snack for that extra boost of energy you need in the middle of the day, or even as a dessert. You can use any type of frozen fruit for the base, any type of protein powder your taste buds and dietary restrictions prefer, choose from a plethora of different milks, and finally top it off with an infinite amount of fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, syrups and garnishes you can think of! 

Skip the trip to your local breakfast café and save a few dollars, and make this easy to prepare breakfast-dessert recipe at home.

In this recipe, I use pureéd açai packets that are available in the freezer section of most whole food, health and vegan grocery stores. Creamy macadamia milk is low in calories, and has a nutty floral flavor. For me, animal collagen protein is the ultimate mixer because it’s flavorless but still gives the base some body and thickness without giving you an unwanted aftertaste. Collagen protein is also great for building muscle mass, improving skin, and is good for your joints and bones.

Fruit & Nut Protein Açai Bowl

Ingredients

BASE

• 3 packs Sambazon Açai Original Blend Superfruit Packs
• 1 frozen banana, cut into chunks
• 1 cup of frozen strawberries
• 1 cup of frozen sliced peaches
• 4 scoops of Great Lakes Collagen Hydrolysate OR your choice of protein powder
• 1 tablespoon of hemp hearts
• 1 cup of Milkadamia Unsweetened Vanilla Macadamia Milk or your choice of milk
• 1+ tablespoons of agave

TOPPINGS

• 4-5 fresh strawberries, sliced
• 1 ripe peach, de-seeded and sliced
• 1 banana, sliced
• ½ cup of blueberries
• 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon hemp hearts
• 1 tablespoon shelled pistachios
• 1 tablespoon cacao nibs
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 teaspoon of honey/agave/maple syrup

Steps

1.) Begin by gathering all the ingredients you need. The point is to set yourself up completely before making the smoothie base so that once the base is ready, all you have to do is assemble the açai bowl/s and eat it while it’s thick and not melted.

2.) Slice the fruits so that they’re ready to go! Set aside.

3.) Using a high powered blender, place the frozen fruits, the açai packets, milk, hemp hearts and protein powder (in that order to prevent clumps of powder), and pureé everything to a smooth, ice cream-like spoonable texture. The frozen fruits might be hard to work with at first but keep at it! Start on a low setting and proceed to blitz it on high once you feel a lot of the solids are broken down. Taste and adjust to your preferred sweetness with your choice of sweetener.

4.) Divide the smoothie base into 2 bowls and top each bowl with half of the sliced fruits, blueberries, nuts and seeds. Enjoy right away!

Tips

• Freeze your bowls beforehand so that you can enjoy a thick consistency throughout your meal. This is important especially in hotter climates because once you blend everything, the melting process happens quick!
• Having a high powered blender is really useful in crushing hard frozen fruits and açai packets, making this recipe lusciously smooth. If you don’t have one, defrost all your frozen ingredients on the counter for 20-30 minutes before blending so that they break down much easier
• As much as this recipe can be accurately sweet for me, it might not be for you. Take into factor that when fruits are frozen, they can vary with their peak fruit flavor and sugariness. Tasting as you go helps you get the perfect flavor you desire.
• If some of the ingredients on this list are difficult to find for you, feel free to customize with whatever you can buy. Even better, empty out your pantry with whatever fruits, nuts, seeds and toppings you have!

Q&A

• I only need one portion of this recipe, thoughts? You can cut the ingredients in half or better yet, save the rest! You can store the base in the freezer in an airtight container or mason jar and save it for later. When you want to eat it again, thaw it out on the countertop for 20-40 minutes, garnish with your favorite toppings and enjoy! Alternatively you can build a bowl, toppings and all, freeze in an airtight container and then store it. Defrost for 20-40 minutes on the countertop, and enjoy a quick premade breakfast with this time saving tactic!
• Can I make this vegan? Of course you can. Vegan protein powders are widely available nowadays either online or in health food stores. My personal favorite is chickpea protein for its mild flavor.
• Can I use fresh(ish) fruit? Yes! We do not throw to waste overripe bananas, bruised peaches, squishy berries! We freeze them and use them in delicious açai bowls or protein smoothies! Make sure to peel and deseed any fruits going into the blender beforehand.