Sugar-Free Acai Ice Cream Recipe (with Mixed Berries and Acai Powder)

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This Sugar-Free Acai Ice Cream Recipe is not only easy but also the best one you’ll ever try. Packed with mixed berries (hello, antioxidants!), naturally sweetened with raw honey and frozen banana, and super creamy–this is the ultimate healthy ice cream recipe!

acai ice cream in a coconut wood bowl with mixed berries on top

Benefits of Acai

People sometimes turn to acai when they want help with “athletic performance, high cholesterol, erectile dysfunction (ED), obesity, aging skin, [or a] metabolic syndrome” (source).

Why?

Because they are a real superfood.

And this is one superfood that is worth all the hype.

As Healthline notes, “[a]cai berries contain many antioxidants, healthy fats, and fiber…According to a Venezuelan study, acai berries also contain some other trace minerals, including chromium, zinc, iron, copper, manganese, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus.”

Where Does Acai Come From?

Acai is a native plant of Central and South America.

In Brazil, where I first tasted acai, production centers mainly in the Amazon rainforest region.

If you were to see the acai tree, its whacky appearance might surprise you.

Acai berries don’t grow on bushes (like blueberries) or small plants (like strawberries) or even in cute little bunches on short trees (like cherries). Instead, dozens of pointy branches stick out from the acai tree, loaded with little black balls that are acai berries.

Brazilians are especially proud of acai as a national good. And you can easily find an acai shop in a Brazilian city.

acai ice cream in a coconut wood bowl with mixed berries on top

No Added Sugar Acai Ice Cream Recipe

Acai, in its own natural state, is shockingly bitter and sour.

So how can we make an acai ice cream recipe without sugar?

Easy: natural sweetener.

Some of our family’s favorite sources for natural sweetness are ripe bananas, applesauce, raw honey, and maple syrup.

In this recipe, we use two of these ingredients. And, in doing so, we avoid all refined sugars.

Another thing we do is to use acai powder rather than acai pulp. Some brands of acai pulp may contain added sugars in order to make them more consumer-ready.

By using acai powder, then, we eliminate that possible added sugar and keep this recipe as healthy as we possibly can.

Favorite Toppings for Acai Ice Cream

Brazilians love to drizzle sweetened condensed milk over their acai. (A fact that I quickly learned on my first trip to Brazil with my Brazilian husband.)

If you want to keep the healthfulness central, however, turn to these yummy toppings for this acai ice cream recipe:

  • homemade granola
  • powdered milk (whole milk)
  • protein powder
  • homemade granola
  • sliced strawberries
  • sliced banana
  • blueberries
  • raspberries
  • homemade coconut milk caramel sauce
  • dark chocolate (shavings, chips, or chunks)
  • homemade sugar-free chocolate syrup
  • chopped dried mango
acai ice cream in a coconut wood bowl with mixed berries on top

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

We love this recipe as-is. But feel free to tweak the ingredients.

Here are a few ideas:

  • Mix in protein powder.
  • Add mini dark chocolate chips before churning the ice cream in the freezer. (Another option is to use shaved chocolate.)
  • Exchange the berries for other favorites.
  • Add a bit of mango to the blender.
  • Substitute full-fat coconut milk for the heavy cream.

How to Make Vegan Acai Ice Cream

Another easy change you can make to this recipe for homemade acai ice cream is one that makes it vegan.

While some vegans will consume raw honey without batting an eye, others are die-hard plant-only consumers.

If that is your case, then know that maple syrup can be used in place of the raw honey. Use a 1:1 ratio of exchange, and then check the flavor and sweeten more to taste.

You will also need a substitute for the heavy cream. Full-fat coconut milk (which usually only comes in the canned variety) works just as well in this acai ice cream recipe.

acai ice cream in a coconut wood bowl with mixed berries on top

What Is In This Healthy Acai Ice Cream Recipe

Acai powder.

You don’t have to use acai puree or pulp in order to get its benefits. In this recipe, we use acai powder for several reasons: 1) its easier to store, 2) it keeps well for longer periods of time, and 3) it does not usually contain added sugars.

Raw honey.

Raw honey is amazing. The enzymes in raw honey remain intact, unlike those of processed honey (Healthline).

Heavy cream.

If you are not familiar with how cream can be good, then check out this article from Raw Farm.

Pure vanilla extract.

You might have heard me harp on this a little too much already, but pure vanilla extract is the way to go. The benefits of vanilla are only present in the real stuff, not in the imitation. And we also avoid caramel coloring, which is always a plus.

Sea salt.

Feel free to use Himalayan pink salt here, if desired. What we’re after in this ingredient is both to bring out the flavor of the ice cream and to add minerals to make the recipe even healthier.

Ingredients for Acai Ice Cream

  • 1 1/2 cups frozen banana (cut in small chunks)
  • 2 cups frozen mixed berries (I used 1/2 cup cherries, 3/4 cup blueberries, 1/4 cup cranberries, 1/2 cup strawberries)
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • dash of sea salt
  • 1/4 cup acai powder
  • 1/4 cup raw honey
  • 1 cup heavy cream, raw if possible (can substitute full-fat coconut milk)
top-down view of acai ice cream in a coconut wood bowl with mixed berries on top

How to Make This Acai Ice Cream Recipe (Step-by-Step Guide)

Step One: In a blender, blend all ingredients together until smooth, with no lumps remaining.

Step Two: Taste for sweetness and add more honey (or maple syrup), as desired.

Step Three: Freeze in an ice cream churn for a thicker texture. Or serve immediately as a soft-serve ice cream.

Step Four: Top with sliced strawberries and bananas and full-fat powdered milk.

Storage Instructions

You MUST keep acai ice cream in the freezer if you want it to remain ice cream. (Who would have thought? ha!)

Store acai ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Before eating, you will need to set it out for a few minutes to defrost slightly.

Can You Re-Freeze Acai Ice Cream After It Thaws?

If you make the unfortunate mistake of leaving acai ice cream out at room temperature and it turns to slush or juice, don’t lose heart!

You can easily re-freeze acai ice cream. Before putting it in the freezer, blend it up again to combine the ingredients.

If possible, use an ice cream churn to prevent separation as the acai ice cream freezes. Then store in an airtight container in the freezer.

(Use your best discretion. Please don’t try this if you believe the acai ice cream has been left out long enough to spoil.)

acai ice cream in a coconut wood bowl with mixed berries on top

Acai Ice Cream Recipe Card

acai ice cream in a coconut wood bowl with strawberries and bananas on top

Acai Ice Cream with Mixed Berries (Sugar-Free)

Yield: 5 cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Additional Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

This Sugar-Free Acai Ice Cream Recipe is not only easy but also the best one you'll ever try. Packed with mixed berries (hello, antioxidants!), naturally sweetened with raw honey and frozen banana, and super creamy--this is the ultimate healthy ice cream recipe!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups frozen banana (cut in small chunks)
  • 2 cups frozen mixed berries (I used 1/2 cup cherries, 3/4 cup blueberries, 1/4 cup cranberries, 1/2 cup strawberries)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • dash of sea salt
  • 1/4 cup acai powder
  • 1/4 cup raw honey
  • 1 cup heavy cream, raw if possible (can substitute full-fat coconut milk)

Instructions

  1. In a blender, blend all ingredients together until smooth, with no lumps remaining.
  2. Taste for sweetness and add more honey (or maple syrup), as desired.
  3. Freeze in an ice cream churn for a thicker texture. Or serve immediately as a soft-serve ice cream.
  4. Top with sliced strawberries and bananas and full-fat powdered milk.

Did you make this recipe?

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