In all of the pumpkin and fall-themed items in the freezer section quietly sits a much-welcomed option. One that doesn't have a ton of added sugar to it. Yes, they are hopping on the train of trendiness with Trader Joe's Organic Acai Bowl.
Taste
In New York City an Acai Bowl from a trendy place can set you back anywhere from $7-$12. So if these bowls are your jam, then this is a good value for $3.99. But don't kid yourself, you are making certain concessions when it comes from a frozen aisle.
Premium smoothie or acai bowls contain fresh fruit. If anything, perhaps the acai was previously frozen. But here, there is a delicate balancing act that is taking place here.
First off, if you go digging for the bananas, you'll have a hard time finding them. But they have been carefully hidden. They've been mixed into the acai to cut some of the tart nature of that fruit. Now, if you don't like bananas, then this might be a deal-breaker.
However, other than the strawberries getting a touch mushy in the way that frozen strawberries do, this was a yummy bowl.
It was a touch tart but tasted very fresh. The sweetness comes from the fruit with only a touch of added syrup. I defrosted mine overnight but it still needed a quick 20-second zap in the microwave to get everything in the bowl to move around. But all the flavors and textures worked together really well for a frozen bowl.
And yes, I just complained about the mushy strawberries, but the granola and coconut chips made up for any lack in texture.
Most importantly, this is probably one of the healthier items I've tried in a while which I'm happy to see and hope to see more of in the future.
Overall
But for those of you who read this is a good value as my starting point, you can still make this cheaper at home. You can still buy Trader Joe's Acai packets for 4 for $4.49 and make your own. But if you are like me and love hitting snooze a few too many times in the morning, this is a good option to keep around.
Best of all, it wasn't noted on my receipt as being seasonal. So hopefully we will keep this one around for a bit longer. If we are really lucky, maybe we can get some other flavors as well.
Would I repurchase this? Yes, I would buy Trader Joe's Organic Acai Bowl again.
Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
Product Photos
Calories and ingredients
Directions
Out of the package you get:
After being thawed you get:
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe’s for a searchable list.
Trader Joe's Organic Acai Bowl
Product Name: Trader Joe's Organic Acai Bowl
Product Description: Trader Joe's Organic Acai Bowl is a new frozen grab and go breakfast.
Price: $3.99
Summary
Trader Joe's Organic Acai Bowl is new and frozen
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Taste
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Value
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Worthy of Repurchasing
Pros
- Tasty bowl
- Cheaper than ordering out
- One of the better breakfast options on store shelves.
Cons
- Strawberries were a bit mushy, but that is to be expected from a frozen item
I have been hoping they would come out with something really flavorful and at the same time more or less healthy just like you. It doesn't look like it's loaded with sugar either, the sugar present primarily coming from the fruit. I am definitely going to try this and will probably end up augmenting it was something. Thanks as always for the review.
Hey Dag! As long as you enjoy the fruit combo it tastes pretty fresh. Let me know what you think. I'm looking forward to getting back on a regular posting schedule this week.
I like the concept of it. Also it's vegan and gluten free which is a win. Allergen free product (only one allergen if you are allergic to coconut) Hope they do other variety without the bananas.
I was super excited to try this, but was disappointed. I didn't mind the frozen, slightly mushy strawberries, they still tasted ok. But the frozen blueberries were awful - they were tough and flavorless, and there were a lot of them. There was also not a ton of the acai/banana puree mix, mine was mostly frozen blueberries and strawberries. I guess that's how they keep the calorie count reasonable.
Hey Melly! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. You could probably make a better bowl from scratch. Thanks for taking the time to stop by and share your thoughts
I found zero bananas in mine, and agree with another post of too many blueberries! The flavor is good, and in a pinch it is a healthy breakfast – and a nice alternative to a lot of the frozen pastries trader Joe’s has.
Hey Cammy! If you taste the acai they cut the tartness and pureed the banana there. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts on it!
How do you now if something is seasonal looking at the receipt?
Hey Khanh! This time of year, check for the letters "HOL" which indicates it is seasonal. I hope that helps!
Flavor- not bad. However, all my blueberries were still green.
The bowl was just ok. The negatives were too many blueberries, a bit overly sweet in my opinion, and I would have preferred no banana flavor in the açaí. Also the plastic topping had to be ripped off from the slit made for defrosting—it wouldn’t peel off from the edge.
Hey Hortencia! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. Thanks also for taking the time out of your day to stop by!