Acai Smoothie

Try this acai smoothie recipe for a delicious breakfast or a cold treat on a hot day. With 5 simple ingredients, you will have a superfood smoothie to delight in!

Nekter, my favorite smoothie/juice bar in Scottsdale, Arizona, has one of the best acai smoothies called Popeye's Acai! It has 5 simple ingredients, so I made a copycat acai smoothie recipe at home. Not only is making smoothies at home easy, but it is also much more economical.

Jump to:

• What is Acai?
• Acai Smoothie Ingredients
• Acai Smoothie Ingredient Substitutions
• How to Make an Acai Smoothie
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• Try These Sweet Vegan Treats
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

Although I frequent Nekter occasionally, it can get a little expensive. Paul and I went to Nekter for a cold drink after a long hike on a hot summer morning. Paul likes the PB&J Smoothie made with peanut butter, banana, dates, housemade cashew milk, and agave nectar poured over housemade strawberry chia jam!

However, my favorite Popeye's Acai Smoothie, made with Açaí, banana, blueberry, spinach, housemade cashew milk, and agave nectar. 

Two 16-ounce smoothies at Nekter cost over $20.00. My version is ⅛th of the cost!

What is Acai?

Acai berries are an inch-long, reddish-purple berry from a South American palm tree. While acai is relatively new to North American and European markets, Indigenous tribes of the Amazon region have eaten it for centuries.

So, Acai berries have many potential health benefits thanks to their high antioxidant content.

They’re loaded with powerful plant compounds that act as antioxidants and could have benefits for your brain, heart and overall health.

They also deliver healthy fats and fiber, making them a generally healthy food.

Acai Smoothie Ingredients

• Plant Milk: I used unflavored, unsweetened oat milk instead of cashew milk in the Nekter acai smoothie recipe.
• Mixed Berries: I used a combination of frozen blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries from a frozen bag of organic berries from Whole Foods.
• Banana: Again, I froze the banana. I often cut and freeze bananas in individual bags when they ripen.
• Acai Packet: I used Sambazon Organic Unsweetened Superfruit Packets I bought at Whole Foods in the freezer department.

I omitted agave nectar because I think the smoothie is sweet enough and doesn't need additional sweetener, but see the ingredient substitutes if you want to add sweetener.

Acai Smoothie Ingredient Substitutions

• Choose any plant milk. You can also use vanilla-flavored plant milk for additional flavor.
• Choose any combination of berries, or one type of preferred berry.
• Since Nekter smoothies contain agave nectar, add a teaspoon of agave, maple syrup, or date syrup for additional sweetness.
• Use fresh fruit instead of frozen, then add 1 ½ cups of ice for a frozen smoothie.
• Blackberry powder is the best substitute for acai powder due to its dark purple color and sweet-tart flavor.

How to Make an Acai Smoothie

1. Begin by placing one Acai frozen packet into a glass of warm water to make it easier to remove from the packaging. Or run teh packet under warm water to loosen it from the packaging.
2. Add the plant milk, frozen berries, banana, spinach, and the contents of the acai packet into a high-speed blender.
3. Blend until smooth, using the blender wand to incorporate the ingredients. Or turn off the blender and use a wooden spoon to push unblended ingredients into the blender.
4. Pour into individual glasses and garnish with fresh blueberries if desired.

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• Add 1 ½ cups of ice to use fresh fruit for a thick, frozen texture.
• A great way to have smoothie ingredients readily available, cut up bananas, and measure out 1 cup of berries into individual freezer bags for easy smoothie prep.
• Instead of spinach, choose kale or collard greens.
• Acai is also available instead of buying the frozen version.
• Choose different fruit combinations, such as mango, strawberries, or pineapple, to name a few.
• If adding sticky ingredients such as almond butter or peanut butter, add them last so they don't get stuck into the bottom of the blender.
• If smoothies aren't your favorite treat, try Vegan Fudgesicles made from sweet potatoes.

For a healthy treat on a hot summer day, try this copycat acai smoothie recipe!

Try These Sweet Vegan Treats

If you love this copycat acai smoothie recipe, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you.

📖 Recipe