Avocado...for dessert?

My mother and I became obsessed with these shakes last summer...you practically had to hide avocados from us. It was serious, people.

As much as I love food, I very rarely become so carried away with something that I have to declare a self-imposed ban! These smoothies are amazing!

I've tried to share my sweet-avocado love with others, but people see that pale green color and chicken out, lol!

And it's no surprise, especially since here in the U.S. we automatically associate avocados with salty, garlicky flavors...but when you really think about it, avocados have a very mild taste. They're more of a blank slate, really...

Combine that with their naturally velvety, creamy texture, it's no wonder that they'd be a great asset to an indulgent dessert. From the Philippines, to Cape Verde, to Brazil, they're all hip to the perfect match between sweet flavors and the "butter pear"...and hey, avocados are fruits anyway!

Avocado smoothies have the most sinfully rich texture...

...most milkshakes wish they could be this creamy, lol.

Any type of avocado will do, from the smooth green caribbean style to the bumpy-skinned hass variety.

The smooth type generally have a higher water content and an even subtler flavor, so it all depends on what's available and what you like...

A little squeeze of lime juice helps preserve the drinks color and brighten the flavor a bit...not really to add much citrus taste, although that's nice too!

You can even try replacing the condensed milk with a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream...there are so many ways you can play around with this idea.


You can't be much of a calorie counter to enjoy these though, they're jam packed... but the indulgence is so worth it!

Avocado Smoothie
makes 2-3 servings



6 ice cubes
3-4 tablespoons sugar
1 ripe avocado
1/4 of a lime
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup cold milk (you can add more if you want to thin it out)




Add the ice cubes and sugar to the blender, then pile on the avocado chunks, lime juice, condensed milk and blend. (If the ice cubes are being a bit stubborn, pour in some of the cold milk to help things along)


Once the sweetened avocado mixture is nice and smooth, blend in the cold milk and serve.

non-dairy version
Try replacing the condensed milk and milk with honey and vanilla soy or almond milk! It's a slightly different flavor as the the lime juice seems to come through a bit more in this version, but it's still really tasty...

Some other ways I've played around with this recipe is by drizzling a bit of chocolate sauce on top or blending in some frozen banana chunks. Yum!

While writing this, I just thought of using coconut milk and adding a bit of coconut-flavored rum for a tropical avocado daiquiri...maybe? Seems like it might be kind of cool...

I'd love to hear any other ideas on how you'd mix it up with this recipe!

**ETA: For another great way to work avocado into dessert, check out Nik Snacks Avocado Buttercream cupcakes!

*

Have you ever tasted something that at first glance seemed strange, but you ended being pleasantly surprised?

Have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend!