Pumpkin Acai Bowls With a Delectable Cranberry Crunch Topping http://media2.popsugar-assets.com/files/2014/11/21/872/n/1922729/d4d27cfcd85431f9_thumb_temp_image150172341416598155.large.jpg

The following post was originally featured on Fitnessista and written by Gina H., who is part of POPSUGAR Select Fitness.

The Christmas cop has arrived in our house. It happens every year. I get a little excited to break out the snowmen and twinkly lights and he's all "honor the bird" and won't let me touch the xmas supplies until we're eating day-after-Thanksgiving sandwiches. Humbug.

Even though I have to hold off on all Christmas excitement and Michael Bublé holiday music, I don't mind taking my time with the Thanksgiving-esque flavors. Like pumpkin. It's not going away anytime soon.

I decided to pumpkin-ify one of my favorite foods: the acai bowl.

I wasn't quite sure if the flavors would work, but it does. It definitely works.

When I poured it out of the blender to have a little taste, my inner Goddess did a backflip and grabbed her spoon. (PS Speaking of inner goddesses, HAVE YOU SEEN THE FIFTY SHADES OF GREY TRAILER? I thought the books were terrible, but I have to say the temperature in the room increased 30 degrees while watching the trailer. One of the very few instances where movie > book, and I haven't even seen the movie yet.)

While the smoothie base is delicious, what takes it over the top is this cranberry crunch. Lightly sweetened with honey, it's a crispy topping to add a little extra holiday flair.

This would be a fun Thanksgiving breakfast option, or a perfect snack when you're looking for a treat in between sneaking sparkly snowmen out of the garage . . .

Pumpkin acai bowl with cranberry crunch

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients

For cranberry crunch:

• 1/2 cup raw slivered almonds


• 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds


• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds


• 1/2 cup dried unsweetened cranberries


• 2 tablespoons honey


• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon


• 1 tablespoon coconut oil (liquid)


• pinch of nutmeg


• pinch of sea salt

For one acai bowl:

• 1 frozen acai pack serving


• 1/3-1/2 cup cooked pure pumpkin puree (depending on how pumpkin-y you want it)


• Scant 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice


• 1/2 cup milk of choice


• Optional: Stevia, honey, or maple syrup to sweeten

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and grease a standard cookie sheet with olive or coconut oil.

2. In a large bowl, combine all crunch ingredients and stir well.

3. Spread the crunch ingredients onto the cookie sheet in an even layer. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until fragrant and toasted, flipping once halfway through. Let cool completely before storing in a covered container. You can also stir in some chocolate chips after cooling if you'd like!

4. To make your acai bowl, add the acai pack, milk, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and optional sweetener to a blender. Blend on high until smooth.

5. To serve, pour the acai base into a bowl and top with the cranberry crumble.

from POPSUGAR Fitness http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Pumpkin-Spice-Acai-Bowl-36151950