Peanut Butter and Açaí Smoothie Recipe

I was first introduced to açaí (pronounced ah-sigh-EE) berries in 2011, when I visited Rio de Janeiro. It was a hot day on the beach in Ipanema, and my Brazilian friend led me to the vendor selling açaí cups along the beach walkway. She said most Americans don't like açaí, but I loved it. Later, it became more popular in the United States and now I can easily buy frozen açaí packets at my local grocery store.

While açaí bowls and cups are the "normal" way of consuming açaí, I really like açaí in smoothies as well. I've experimented a lot, and one of my favorite smoothies is "PB & Açaí", with (of course) peanut butter. I also used homemade cashew milk in this recipe to make it even creamier, and frozen strawberries to balance the mellow flavor of the peanut butter.

For the cashew milk, I like to use this easy recipe; I just divide it by 4 to make enough for a smoothie (with a little bit left over). You could use a store-bought plant milk for this recipe if you wanted to, but it wouldn't be as deliciously creamy as the version with homemade cashew milk!

All my açaí smoothies are based on a 3.5-oz packet of unsweetened acai. Trader Joe's sells a 4-pack for less than $5, and Sambazon also has packets available at most grocery stores, as well as Costco. Samabazon, however, has both sweetened & unsweetened açaí packs, so be sure you're getting the unsweetened variety (or leave out the sweetener in your smoothie).