Costco Discontinued This West Coast Food Court Item, But You Can Still Make It At Home

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The Costco food court has many an iconic food offering, from the long-standing $1.50 hot dog combo to those giant pizza slices (or entire pies). However, every so often, the warehouse chain introduces something trendy in its food court. Quite often, these items only spend a few years on the menu before they are taken off. The frozen dessert category is particularly turbulent, having featured various creamy treats such as soft serve, frozen yoghurt, and, at one point (likely driven by the health fad that drove its popularity), the açai bowl.

Made from the açai berry native to the Amazon forest and often marketed as a superfood despite mixed opinions on just how much better it is than other berries, the açai bowl is incredibly popular. It generally contains a pureed version of the berry, along with fresh fruit, nuts, granola, and other add-ins. The Costco version, which was priced at $4.99, was introduced in 2018 in California and a few other West Coast locations, but only lasted two years before being discontinued. Expensive by the food court's standards, the $5 price was pocket-friendly for the açai bowl, which easily costs over $10 at most establishments.

Some consider it to be one of those discontinued Costco food court items that deserve a comeback; others were happy to see it go. Those not impressed by the item draw attention to its artificial flavor and the fact that it contained a whopping 30 grams of sugar, seriously undermining its healthy image. Whether you were a fan or not, assembling a homemade açai bowl (and a much healthier version than the Costco food court offering) is very simple. 

While the intricacies of its health benefits are debated, a carefully made açai bowl is nutritious and a good breakfast substitute for eggs and other healthy staples. Getting fresh açai isn't a convenient option stateside, and deseeding the berries would take too long anyway. Thus, consider getting either açai powder or puree. While pure, sugar-free versions of both are available, the latter offers a slightly better texture for making smoothies; consider picking up a product such as Sambazon organic unsweetened açai puree.

Since açai has quite a tart flavor, which is likely why the Costco food court version was packed with sugar, it must be combined with sweet, creamy fruits to balance the berry's sourness. Bananas work extremely well, but so does any other fruit that is sweet but not tangy (so avoid citrus fruits). Blend the açai berry along with fruits, water, and ice to make the açai smoothie base, then top it with fixings of your choice. Roasted nuts and seeds, cut fresh fruit, raisins and other dehydrated fruits, and a few sprigs of mint or basil add delicious flavor and textural contrast to the bowl. Depending on your dietary needs, you can even top the smoothie with granola or blend protein powder along with the puree when making the açai base. While making it at home might work out to more than the $4.99 you would have paid for it at Costco, the homemade açai bowl is significantly healthier and still much cheaper than what you'd pay for a similar bowl at most other establishments.