The best acai bowl is the perfect blend of creamy, tangy acai topped with fresh fruit and hearty granola. Ideally, a great acai bowl gives you the best of both worlds: a fruity, filling, “healthy” meal in the form of a delectable dessert (healthy is debatable thanks to all the sugar in these, but I digress).
Since moving to the West Coast, I’ve watched trendy acai bowl spots pop up all over SoCal. By now, I’ve spent countless hot days dreaming of that perfect, refreshing bowl (and a frothy iced coffee to go with it, because I’m basic like that). But like everything else in this economy, restaurants ain’t cheap. As my colleague Jordan Myrick noted in their Trader Joe’s vs. takeout acai bowl challenge, “Food from a local restaurant will always be better than food from Trader Joe’s. That being said, sometimes you don’t have the funds to eat out and need a delicious, filling meal for a couple of bucks.” As I set out on my search for the best store bought acai bowls, I was really hoping to find some hidden gems. And to be honest with you, reader, my expectations may have been too high—but I did, thankfully, end up with three good options to consider the next time you’re craving this hip “superfruit.”
What I’m after is simple: fresh-tasting acai that actually tastes like acai, paired with granola that’s crunchy and satisfying. Sadly, there aren’t a lot of frozen acai bowls on the market right now—but grocery brands are always behind the restaurant trends, so I expect more options to come out each year. Here are three brands that hit the mark and make the best acai bowls you can buy at a supermarket…for now.
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- Trader Joe’s Organic Acai Bowl
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Okay, here’s the deal: As of right now (August 2024), it’s my understanding that TJ’s frozen acai bowls are on a production delay and not currently available. Womp, womp. Still, I feel compelled to include them, because they are really the best acai bowls we tried to date—better overall, in Jordan’s opinion, than a takeout acai bowl they tried from a local smoothie spot. It comes with all the fixin’s: sliced fruit, granola (a mix of chia seeds, quinoa flakes, amaranth flakes), and tangy, creamy acai. You can let it thaw in the fridge, or you can microwave it for a few 20-second intervals. For now, we’ll have to wait patiently for these to come back in stock (apparently, this is not their first production delay—the supply is simply not meeting demand), and turn to other options in the meantime.
Credit: Merc / Trader Joe’s
- Dole Acai Bowl
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Dole’s frozen acai bowl comes with honey oat granola and frozen fruit (strawberries and blueberries). The crunchy granola has little coconut slices in it, which sets it apart from the frankly lackluster granola included in other brands. While the add-ins are quite yummy, the acai itself could use some improvement—it doesn’t have the same flavor depth as our #1. It has a nice creamy texture, but I’m really looking for acai that has that subtle note of dark chocolate that permeates the berry. For something you simply thaw out at room temperature for 35 minutes, Dole will absolutely do in a pinch (and they have other flavors of smoothie bowls, like mango, too), but it’s not the best acai bowl if you’re looking for that addictive, tangy-sweet acai flavor.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Sambazon Amazon Superberry Acai Bowl
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Before I get into the good stuff about Sambazan Acai bowls, let’s get the negative out of the way: Instead of granola, these frozen acai bowls come with plain oats to sprinkle in. Texturally, it’s a little off-putting. I’m also going to nitpick—I’m not a huge fan of the papier-mâché-esque bowls Sambazon uses here, either. That could be a me thing, but it makes the experience feel cheap and soggy. But the acai in this? By far the yummiest. It’s tart, tangy, and very sugary in a way that of course makes it taste delicious, and definitely reminds me of trendy take-out acai bowls. The flavor has that signature hint of dark chocolate and a creamy, scoopable texture that keeps your spoon coming back for more. For the acai alone, Sambazon makes the best acai bowls to date. Plus, you only have to thaw this one for 15 minutes at room temp. (But hey, maybe bring your own granola and fruit. That’s all I’m saying.)
Credit: Merc / Target
Best Hearty
Best Granola
Best of the Best
Other frozen acai bowls we tried: Pitaya Foods Smoothie Acai Bowl, Sweet Nothings Berry Acai, Sweet Nothings Mango Acai
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!