How to make the best-looking açaí bowl at home.

The difference between a café-worthy bowl and a purple puddle comes down to a few small habits. Here's how to get the thick base and clean finish that photographs beautifully.

01Chill the bowl first

Put your serving bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes before you start. A cold bowl stops the base melting at the edges while you add toppings, which keeps the lines crisp.

02Keep the base thick

This is the big one. Use açaí straight from frozen, add frozen fruit rather than fresh, and use as little liquid as possible.

Start blending on low, stop to push the mixture down with a tamper or spatula, and add liquid a tablespoon at a time only if the blades stall. The finished base should hold its shape on a spoon.

03Smooth the surface

Spoon the base into your chilled bowl and use the back of the spoon to make a smooth, slightly domed surface. A flat canvas makes toppings look deliberate rather than dropped on.

04Arrange toppings in rows

Lay toppings in neat strips or wedges across the bowl rather than scattering them. Group each ingredient together, such as a row of sliced banana, a row of granola and a row of berries, and leave a little purple showing between them. Odd numbers of rows (three or five) usually look most balanced.

05Play with colour and height

Contrast is what makes a bowl pop against the deep purple base: yellow banana or mango, red strawberries, green kiwi, white coconut. Fan out banana slices, stand strawberry halves on their sides, and add one hero element on top, like a swirl of nut butter, a few edible flowers or a sprinkle of cacao nibs.

06Shoot it fast

Use natural light from a window, shoot from directly above or at a low angle, and take the photo within a minute or two, before the base starts to soften. Then eat it while it's cold.

Want more ideas for what goes on top? See what's in an açaí bowl.