By Alicia Doyle
Sunday Signal Writer
The sun-drenched streets of Santa Clarita hum with energy, but nothing captures the city’s vibrant, health-conscious spirit quite like a spoonful of its signature treat: the açaí (ä- sä- ē) bowl .
An açaí bowl is like a party in a bowl for your taste buds.
Imagine a thick, frosty smoothie made from the deep purple açaí berry — a superfruit from the Amazon rainforest — blended with other fruits. The flavor is slightly tart and earthy from the açaí, balanced by fruit sweetness.
For the toppings: picture a colorful explosion of granola, fresh fruit, coconut flakes, nuts, seeds or even a drizzle of nut butter. Each bowl is a blank canvas, ready for your creative touch. That means you can make it as healthy — or as dessert-like — as you want.
Besides looking pretty, açaí bowls are packed with antioxidants, fiber and healthy fats, making them a delicious way to fuel your day or treat yourself after a workout. Whether you’re a health nut or a foodie, an açaí bowl is a tropical vacation for your mouth.
Here’s a glimpse of a few local spots that specialize in this healthy treat:
Pressed Juicery
At Pressed Juicery, located in the Valencia Town Center at 24201 W. Valencia Blvd. in Suite 3552, three different açaí bowls are “deliciously crafted” to match your taste buds.
The Original Açaí Bowl is a creamy blend of oat milk, coconut milk and açaí purée, topped with fruit and crunchy granola. With 10 grams of plant-powered pea protein, it’s “the perfect balance” of flavor and nourishment. Considered ideal for post-workout recovery or as a wholesome snack, this bowl is sweetened with coconut sugar, agave, and allulose — a naturally occurring sugar found in plant foods — allowing you to indulge without any artificial additives.
The Açaí Superfood Bowl is made with a creamy blend of oat milk, açaí and coconut cream. Topped with banana, goji berries, blueberries and coconut flakes, this plant-powered bowl is packed with 12 grams of protein. Sweetened with agave and fruit purees, it’s considered a “superfood pick-me-up” that’s dairy-free, nutritious and free from artificial additives.
The Açaí Power Bowl is a smoothie bowl made with oat milk, açaí and coconut milk. Topped with almond butter, banana, blueberries, almonds and granola, this nutritious treat is packed with 14 grams of protein. Sweetened with fruit, coconut sugar and agave, this dairy-free, plant-powered bowl is the perfect satisfying snack or post-workout refuel.
For more information, visit pressed.com/
Bearies Açaí
At Bearies Açaí, located at the Valencia Town Center at 24201 W. Valencia Blvd., the energizing açaí bowls are made with açaí straight from Brazil. Each bowl is packed with essential nutrients, delivering a silky-smooth, tart and refreshing taste in every bite.
You can customize your bowl with a variety of drizzles, including agave, almond butter, cashew butter, chocolate syrup, condensed milk, honey, Nutella, peanut butter or sunflower butter.
If you want to add fruit, the selection includes bananas, blueberries, kiwis, mangoes, pineapples and strawberries.
Other toppings include bee pollen, cacao nibs, chia seeds, chocolate chips, coconut shavings, extra granola, goji berries, hemp seeds, paçoca (a traditional Brazilian treat made of peanuts, sugar and salt), PB powder (powdered peanut butter that’s a low-fat alternative to traditional peanut butter), sliced almonds, toasted coconut shavings, agave, almond butter, cashew butter, chocolate syrup, condensed milk, honey, Nutella, peanut butter and sunflower powder.
For more information, visit www.beariesaçaí.com.
Ubatuba Açaí Valencia
At Ubatuba Açaí Valencia, located at 24303 Town Center Dr. in Suite 130 in Valencia, you can design your favorite choice of bowl choosing from many bases and toppings. You can add as many as you like and create a unique combination that’s sure to satisfy your cravings. Whether you’re in the mood for fruits, granola, chocolate or other tasty treats, this bowl is all about your personal touch.
Here, you can choose your “base,” such as açaí, agave coconut, chia pudding, matcha, overnight oats or pitaya, which is commonly known as dragon fruit.
Numerous toppings are also available, including banana, strawberry, granola hemp, granola almond, blueberry, mango, pineapple, kiwi, coconut shavings, toasted coconut, cacao nibs, bee pollen, carob chips, chocolate chips, almonds, goji berries, hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, paçoca, Ninho (milk powder), Oreo, yogurt, peanut butter, almond butter, condensed milk, Nutella, honey drizzle, agave drizzle and date drizzle.
For more information, visit www.ubatubaaçaí.com/locations
Blossoms Sweet Kitchen
At Blossoms Sweet Kitchen, located at The SCV Hub Food Hall at 23460 Cinema Dr. in Santa Clarita, the Açaíberry Blue bowl is loaded with antioxidants: açaí berries, blueberries, strawberries, banana, house-made coconut cream, gluten-free house-made granola, house-ground peanut butter, pumpkin seeds, hemp hearts, chia seeds, flax seeds, coconut, cinnamon, pure maple, pink salt and seasonal fruits.
There are many additions and substitutes to choose from, including almond butter (which is ground in-house), coconut butter, almond milk, avocado and coconut nectar.
Also available are adaptogens, which are a class of plants and herbs believed to help the body resist physical, chemical and biological stressors. These include a mushrooms boost for immunity and brain health; amla berry for immunity; ashwagandha, commonly promoted for stress and anxiety reduction; Chaga, which are mushrooms renowned for their potential health benefits due to their high antioxidant content and anti-inflammatory properties; and probiotics, which support immunity and gut health.
For more information, visit www.blossomssweet
kitchen.com.
