When thinking of dessert, thoughts of butter, oil, milk & sugars usually pass through your mind. It is time to expand your horizons and consider avocados as the ideal & nutritious dessert ingredient, as well as a fantastic substitute for your oil or even your dairy in some delicious recipes.
The high water content of an avocado makes it the perfect substitution to create treats that are soft, chewy and unlikely to crumble.
In the past avocados have had a bad reputation for being a high-fat fruit. Though it is true that 85% of an avocados calories come from fat, the vast majority of this fat is unsaturated. This “good” fat offers many health benefits such as being anti-inflammatory and aiding in digestion as well as lowering your risk of heart disease.
Get your creative baking juices flowing and check out the recipes below! Since avocado takes the place of using typical dairy baking ingredients, both of these recipes are completely vegan as well.
“Chovacado” Pudding:
Dessert without guilt is definitely the best dessert there is! This chocolate pudding certainly fits the bill. With only 5 ingredients and no baking time this is a no brainer that your whole family is sure to love!
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1/4 cup cacao or cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup raw agave nectar (honey or maple syrup also work well)
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (almond can be used in exchange)
Using a blender, mix together all ingredients stopping to scrape the sides as necessary. Top with chopped nuts or fruit. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
Double Chocolate Avocado Cookies:
Two healthy and delicious fats come together in this recipe to create an amazing cookie that keeps well and will still be moist and delicious days later. Another added bonus is that they can also be customized to be vegan!
Makes 18-24 Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups white or white whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup mashed avocado
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup almond milk
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (If you want to make this a dairy free treat, use these delicious chocolate chips from Enjoy Life.)
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa. Set aside.
3. In a stand mixer or food processor, beat the coconut oil, avocado, and sugars together until creamy and smooth. Add in the vanilla extract.
4. With the blender or mixer on low, add half of the flour mixture. Add the milk and then add the remaining dry ingredients. Using a spoon, fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Place on cookie sheet by the tablespoon and slightly flatten the cookie.
6.) Bake cookies for 10 minutes, or until set around the edges, but still soft in the center. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for two minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.
Photo credits: It’s a Logical Life, j_silla (Adapted CC)
Love it- we have been incorporating more avocado into our foods – including replacing other things with it. It’s working great & I feel better about what we are eating.