The creamy glory of the avocado has long made it one of the most popular imports to the UK, with the population munching its way through 100913 tons of these green goddesses in 2020 alone. They have, in the past, been pejoratively decried as the preserve of millennials who wolf them down on sourdough for breakfast but, since that particular way to start the day remains utterly delicious and healthy, the trend has long since crossed over to the mainstream.
It’s hardly surprising. Avocados are tasty, filling, and offer a myriad of health benefits. They are an excellent and tasty source of good monounsaturated fats (the kind that help to lower blood pressure and protect against heart disease); and they also contain hearty helpings of potassium, folate and fibre. Who wouldn’t want to chop a few generous pieces into a salad?
But what about their potential as a sweet treat? They are, after all, a fruit rather than a vegetable. Whilst we will never tire of ordering extra-large order of guacamole along with our Mexican dinner on Friday nights, there is far more to avocados than just a tasty chip dip. Did you know that avocados are also a fantastic ingredient to use in healthier desserts?
We are all for culinary hacks that make the consumption of puddings and sweet snacks that little bit healthier. A single serving of a medium avocado provides 11 per vent of our daily dietary fibre and keeps us fuller longer, you say? Count us in. With that, in addition to avocados’ good fats which enable us to absorb nutrients better, we say it’s a no-brainer.
Check out these tasty sweet avocado recipes and indulge your sweet cravings in the healthiest possible way.
Avocookies
Tin & Thyme
Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside: that, to us, is the gold standard when it comes to a good cookie bake. These chocolate chip beauties use avocado in place of butter, making this easy avocado snack dairy-free as well as more generally good for you. The recipe recommends making using wholemeal flour while keeping the sugar content low. It is, thus, the ideal way to do a spot of baking with avocado if you’re keen to keep an eye on the health benefits of the afternoon snacks you – and your children – consume. Did you know that avocado is fast gaining popularity as a butter substitute? Although we often use it as such on bread and toast, its use in baking remains less common. Not so in our house any longer. Turns out using avocado in your biscuit dough makes for the perfect alternative. Make, consume, enjoy without an iota of regret, repeat. Find the recipe here.
Avocado ‘Nice’ Cream
Cuinisart
Have you caught the ‘nice’ cream bug yet? If you haven’t and you are, like us, a fiend for a good bowl of delicious creamy frozen desert, it’s high time you did. You’ll soon wonder why these crowd-pleasing wholesome alternatives – which feature actual fresh fruit and lower sugar content – have not been part of your repertoire for years. For, as well as being a healthy dessert recipe, this avocado snack is easy to make, too. All you will need is avocado flesh, semi-skimmed milk, lemon juice, double cream – and a food processor. Once the lot have been swirled beautifully together for a full 30 minutes, simply put your nice cream in the freezer overnight and enjoy your virtuous bounty the next day. A word of warning for the uninitiated: avocado ice cream does still taste a little bit like avocado. However, the flavour is mild and works surprisingly well in a dessert. Texturally, its creamy, smooth flesh it makes an excellent ice cream ingredient. And, should you opt for a non-dairy milk, it is even possible to produce a home-made ice cream which contains zero lactose or dairy and is chock-full of healthy fats. Now that’s what we call nice. Find the recipe here.
Avocado Icing
United Cakedom
Technically, this one isn’t a dessert, but nor did we feel it possible to leave so ridiculously delicious an icing alternative off the list. United Cakedom’s review of Kate Hackworthy’s book, Veggie Desserts + Cakes: Carrot Cake and Beyond!, in which this recipe for pumpkin cupcakes with avocado icing features, notes that ‘Kate didn't write her book to hide vegetables away in baked goods, but to show how they can shine!’ We wholly concur. There is no air of apology or sense that these veggie substitutes are a pale imitation of an original, sweeter recipe. ‘Why avocado icing?’ you may ask. Well, for a start, it's vegan, which means dairy-dodgers can enjoy ‘buttercream’ again. It also happens to be full of all the goodies that all the #eatclean devotees adore, plus it's super easy to make and it looks great too. But that’s not the only thing: avocado icing is every bit as creamy as its buttercream counterpart but just feels less heavy whilst its naturally delicate flavour is a delight. Whether you’re making a whole batch of cakes or – whisper it – you just want to lick the icing from the spoon, this is an avocado baking recipe not to miss. Find the recipe here.
Avocado Mousse
Tesco
One of our very best-loved sweet avocado pudding recipes has to be this knock-out mousse, in which the flesh of our favourite sweet/savoury fruit stands in for egg (or any other dairy product for that matter). Intensely chocolatey, it incorporates two other choice health foods too: almond milk and dark chocolate. The perfect way to quell sweet cravings while nourishing your body. And, if you’re hosting a dinner party, it makes a great option: it’s perfect for any vegan or gluten-free guests, whilst retaining its powerful flavour for the rest. For anyone wanting a twist on the recipe, why not add a little twist of orange, plus a shaving of its zest for a citrussy zing that will lift the intensity? Find the recipe here.
By Nancy Alsop
Updated July 2023
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