Avocado recipes don’t just have to be variations on guacamole.

There are very few people I’ve ever met who don’t like avocados. They’re delectably creamy, not to sweet, incredibly flavorful and completely satisfying – what’s not to love? Not only are avocados delicious, they are also full of vitamins A, E and K, and are considered one of the most nutrient dense foods packed full of essential minerals, B vitamins and dietary fiber. So try them in our top 10 avocado recipes and fall in love with them all over again!

1. Vegan Coconut Avocado Ice Cream with Strawberry-Hibiscus Swirl – Now that’s a mouthful, and a mighty taste one at that. Pictured above, this ice cream is unique, but so totally satisfying for your taste buds, especially on a hot late summer day. Better make enough as it may well disappear quicker than you might expect!

2. Avocado Buckwheat Pancakes – Try this healthy twist on traditional breakfast favorite to start your day off right. The avocados replace extra butter or oil in this recipe, and make for rich yet heart and skin healthy alternative to heavier classic pancakes. The recipe even offers vegan substitutions for all the ingredients.

3. Avocado Lime Soup – This raw avocado recipe is so simple but full of flavor. Served cold, it is the perfect appetizer for a late summer dinner party or barbecue. Serve it with raw crackers or sprouted bread to stick to the raw food theme.

4. Easy Raw Avocado Fries – Next up is another raw avocado recipe that’s perfect as an appetizer, snack or side dish. It’s super easy to make (basically rolling avocado slices in spices and ground flax seed and dehydrating them) but they’re sure to be a hit!

5. Avocado Macadamia Pear Salad – Decadent and almost dangerously delicious, this salad is great to serve as a small appetizer or side dish. Remember to use organic macadamias and seasonal pears such as Barlett’s or Kalle varieties.

6. 15-Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta – Looking for a quick and easy but healthy main dish? You’ve got it right here in this rich and creamy avocado pasta that is completely vegan. Use your favorite quinoa or rice pasta to make it gluten-free!

7. Salmon and Avocado Rice Balls – This recipe offers up a fun take on sushi that is way easier and quicker to make. You can choose to switch up the filling ingredients and play with different ones like tofu, ginger, pickled veggies or tuna.

8. Grilled Avocado Guacamole – No avocado recipe round up would be complete without a guacamole recipe, and we love this grilled version from Treehugger’s Jerry James Stone. That’s right, you actually grill the avocados before blending them with all those other fresh ingredients, and trust us, it makes a heavenly smoky flavor.

9. 5 Ingredient Avocado Fudge Bites – When you’re ready for a little sweet treat, whip up these quick chocolate avocado bites. They’re entirely vegan and perfect for settling little sweet cravings, and are option for a simple dessert with coffee or tea.

10. Avocado Cheesecake with Pistachio Shortbread Crust – Of course we wouldn’t leave you hanging without a decadent and outrageously tantalizing avocado recipe! This one from Avocado Central is the bee’s knees, and will make you realized that avocados and pistachios were actually made to be together..forever…

Image: Pastry Chef Online

More Avocado Recipes on EcoSalon

Recipe: Vegan Avocado Alfredo Sauce

Sunday Recipe: Baked Egg in an Avocado with Parsley and Goat Cheese

Recipe: Avocado-Chocolate Pudding

The post 10 Absolutely Delicious Avocado Recipes to Try appeared first on EcoSalon.

We often associate the avocado with guacamole, and that’s it. But that would be doing the odd-looking fruit a great injustice.

Because of its creamy texture and impressive nutritional profile, the avocado is a prized ingredient in plant-based dishes. It provides the bulk and the consistency that are usually the product of milk, butter, or cream. These 15 unusual uses for the avocado explore the many ways you can expand your repertoire beyond guacamole.

You may already know that avocados are considered an excellent source of “good” fats. But they are fare more beneficial to your health than meets the eye. Avocados prevent breast cancer with oleic acid content and inhibit the growth of prostate cancer. Avocados also contain lutein for eye health and are known to help lower cholesterol levels due to its beta-sitosterol content. They contain 23 percent of the recommended daily value of folate, which lowers incidence of heart disease, and, they are high in glutathione, which prevents aging, cancer and heart disease. Put those nutrients to work with these 15 unusual uses for the avocado.

1. Pudding

Get your chocolate fix without the dairy and white sugar with this avocado chocolate pudding recipe. The avocado gives the pudding its trademark decadence and the lemon juice cuts the avocado flavor, allowing the cocoa and natural sweetener to shine through. It’s a great way to fill up on dessert without the sugar rush.

2. Mayonnaise

Instead of spreading a layer of mayonnaise on a bun, add a few slices of avocado. You achieve the same creaminess and neutral taste in a lighter, vegan way.

3. Grilled Avocados

To raise the bar on presentation and infuse the avocado with a savory smoke flavor, get grilling! Slice the avocado in half, remove the pit, brush both open halves with lime juice, and then place them face-down on the grill. The grill marks are a feast for the eyes and you can serve the grilled avocados with a few spoonfuls of salsa in their concave centers.

4. Eye and Facial Skin Therapy

Avocados are packed with nutrients, such as vitamin E and A, B-vitamins, folic acid, and potassium, which are enriching to the sensitive area surrounding your eyes and face. Vitamin A helps to remove dead skin cells from the body and the amino acid glutamine helps to clean and protect the skin from environmental damage. Mash an avocado until smooth and apply it around your eyes and face. Allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat dry with a towel.

5. Alfredo Sauce

Alfredo sauce now has a better, healthier half.

Ingredients

• 1 large avocado
• 2 garlic cloves
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Small handful of fresh basil
• Up to 1/4 cup almond milk (or water) to thin it out

Directions

 Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Mix into your prepared noodles of your choice. Enjoy!

6. Hair Mask

To treat dry or lifeless hair, mash 1 avocado with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Massage into your scalp and hair, making sure the use your fingers to brush through hair strands, from the scalp to the ends. Tuck hair into a shower cap and allow to sit for 20 minutes. Rinse and then shampoo and condition hair as usual.

7. Baby food

Avocados are a great introduction to solid foods. Their buttery, creamy texture is easy for babies to chew on and swallow safely. Rich in omega-3s and other nutrients, the avocado offers babies a healthy source of plant-based fat. Be sure to pick an avocado that is gives slightly when squeezed but is not mushy. Blend the avocado in a blender with the optional addition of water to thin the mixture out.

8. Fried Avocados

In the world of weird fried foods, avocado takes the cake. Try your hand at this fried avocado with lime-cilantro dipping sauce recipe. It’s a unique, crowd-pleasing snack that is easy to make!

9. Whipped Cream

This recipe pairs well with as a creamy accompaniment to fish and as a dip for vegetables. Blend the flesh of avocado fast in an immersion blender and the fruit transforms into a decadent whipped cream, even with peaks to prove it. Add garlic and spices for extra taste, or make it dessert apropos with the addition of a sweetener and cinnamon.

10. Green Smoothie

Get your greens in with a creamy backdrop to make them all the more appetizing and filling. This recipe for a green smoothie can be made vegan by replacing skim milk with almond, rice, or coconut milk. Enjoy!

11. Crème Brûlée

This has got to be the recipe that piques my curiosity the most. Avocado crème brûlée is an innovative take on the traditional French dessert and is sure to introduce an earthier, deeper taste and texture.

12. Butter Substitute

Replace ½ the butter in any baked recipe with the same measurement of avocado. The result will be lower in calories and yield a softer and chewier result. If you want to replace all the butter in a baked recipe, the ration of avocado to butter is 1:1, but you have to reduce the oven temperature by 25 percent and increase baking time — this prevents the baked good from rising in the middle and then sinking after it’s removed from the oven.

13. Chocolate Cream Frosting

If you are anything like me, the frosting is the best part of any cake. Of course, it’s also the heaviest part. Luckily, the avocado makes a vegan alternative possible.

Ingredients

• 2 avocados
• 1 tablespoon almond butter
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 bar dark chocolate, melted

Directions

Blend all in a food processor until smooth. Apply to cupcakes or cake or eat it as it is!

14. Ice Cream

In the same way avocado brings creaminess to vegan pudding, the fatty fruit does the same for vegan banana ice cream. Alone, banana ice cream is enough, but the addition of avocado creates an even more textured, filling dessert dish.

15. Cheesecake

When I saw this recipe for a green cheesecake, I was floored by the presentation. It makes perfect sense that avocado would be the base to a vegan cheesecake, only because the avocado mimics the thickness and density of cream cheese. Enjoy!

Photo Credit: Ollesvensson, GlowKitchen, 

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The mighty avocado lends itself to lovely variations of the traditional guacamole recipe.

Guacamole in its simplest form is delicious enough, but it never hurts to explore new, creative options that will wow a crowd and take a party platter to the next level. Add these seven guacamole recipes to your arsenal and you’ll never get bored.

1. Hearty Greek Guacamole

Add more texture and surprise to each bite by bringing some Mediterranean flavors to your guacamole. This Greek guacamole does just that with feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and fresh marjoram.

Ingredients

• 1 large ripe avocado, chopped
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 6-8 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cucumber, diced
• 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
• 6 kalamata olive, pitted and chopped
• 1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh marjoram

Directions

Fold all ingredients together until evenly combined.

2. Sweet Mint Guacamole

Guacamole is a naturally rich dip, but with the lightness of honey and the refreshing aromas of fresh mint, this recipe makes guacamole a palette cleanser of types. It’s a filling way to feel energized.

Ingredients

• 1 large ripe avocado, mashed
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1.5 teaspoons honey
• Handful of cilantro, chopped
• Sea salt to taste

Directions

Fold all ingredients together until evenly combined or mix until smooth in a food processor.

3. Detox Kale Guacamole

If you’re anything like me, I can eat guacamole by the spoon — no dipping fodder necessary! However, as healthy as the avocado’s fats are, too much of a good thing can be…too much. Because of this, I’ve turned to mixing greens in my guacamole in order to reduce the concentration of fat per bite and to boost the nutrition of the entire recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 large ripe avocado
• 4 stalks of kale
• Juice of half a lemon
• Juice of half a lime
• Handful of fresh parsley or cilantro
• 1 garlic clove
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
• Dash of red pepper
• 1/2 small red onion

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a food processor until evenly combined. Add up to 1/2 cup water to smooth out the consistency.

4. Spicy Pomegranate Guacamole

Add a sweet touch and a colorful flair with the addition of pomegranate seeds to your guacamole. Pomegranates also bring extra antioxidants to the table and balance the spiciness of the pepper.

Ingredients

• 1 large ripe avocado, mashed
• 1 tablespoon onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 serrano chile, minced
• Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• Sea salt to taste
• 1/4-1/2 cup of pomegranate seeds

Directions

Fold all ingredients together until evenly combined.

5. Tropical Mango Guacamole

Welcome a taste of the tropics in your kitchen with this mango guacamole. The mango holds its own up to the dense texture of the avocado but actually lightens the dip with its sweet taste.

Ingredients

• 1/2 mango, skinned and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 large ripe avocado, chopped
• Handful of cilantro, chopped
• Juice of half a lime
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion (about half a small one)

Directions

Toss all ingredients in a food processor until evenly combined.

6. Indian Twist Guacamole

By now guacamole has become such a popular dip that there is no need for a Mexican-themed occasion in order to serve it. However, it’s not something you necessarily whip up for a gathering with an Indian theme — until now, that is. This guacamole variation adds but two spices in order to turn a simple guac into the newest hot-shot appetizer reminiscent of India.

Ingredients

• 1 large ripe avocado, mashed
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 1 large garlic clove, finely diced
• 1/2 teaspoon Indian curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Fold all ingredients together until evenly combined.

7. Guacamole Hummus

This recipes brings two party spread mainstays together. And, why not? Their flavors balance each other well and they taste even better together!

Ingredients

• 1 large ripe avocado
• 1 can (or 15.5 ounces cooked) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 garlic clove
• Handful of fresh parsley or cilantro
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Place the avocado, chickpeas, garlic and cilantro into a food processor. Blend until smooth. Add the olive oil while the food processor is still running. Lastly, add the lemon and salt and pepper and pulse a few times before serving.

Photo Credit: GlowKitchen, Yous A Machine

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