3 uses for avocado you didn’t know about

The creamy fruit is definitely experiencing a surge in popularity at the moment, and to celebrate its success, we’ve pulled together our favourite 3 uses for avocado you didn’t know about!

Fresh and filling, it’s no surprise that we love it. However, as a top superfood fruit, we also get to enjoy its health benefits as well as its taste. High in fibre, potassium, healthy fats, protein, folate, vitamins C, E, K, B5 and B6, it’s definitely one of the best healthy foods on the planet. Not only this, but it’s also incredibly versatile. Forget about just slicing it into your salads or mashing it on to toast. You can now bake with it, make sauces from it or even freeze it into ice cream. Get creative and start making some new, healthy and delicious avocado recipes today.

Use #1: as a baking ingredient

From raw key lime cheesecakes to chocolate mousses and fruit tarts, avocados provide the perfect amount of fats to create a sweet treat that’s indulgent but still healthy. But it doesn’t stop at raw. Avocados are perfect for baking, and make a great replacement for butters or oils. I love to add them into cupcakes for added moisture, or mash them into some brownies for an irresistibly soft and fudgy texture. However if you don’t want sweet, you can even grill your avocados and enjoy them for breakfast, or bake them into a savoury treat like these beautiful muffins for brunch!

Use #2: as a dressing or sauce

Blending avocados completely transforms their texture and recipe capabilities. Who would have thought that blending an avocado with a few different seasonings could create a healthy and delicious dressing for a light summer salad? Combining it with ingredients such as lemon, garlic, olive oil and herbs makes a zingy and flavoursome dressing. Or, on colder days, you can even blend them together and then heat them through for a comforting pasta sauce. In spring or summer, my favourite way of using them to dress a dish has to be in pesto. Blending them with lots of basil and pine nuts creates the perfect twist on an amazing classic that you can serve in salads or drizzle over potatoes.

Use #3: to make a frozen dessert

Before discovering the versatility of avocados, I never thought I would be able to enjoy a healthy frozen treat, let alone an ice cream that could actually be good for me. Using avocados in ice lollies or ice cream creates just the right consistency for a creamy and refreshing treat. For ice cream, they make the perfect substitute for dairy, and create a soft and smooth result. Combining them with chocolate, berry or tropical flavours works best and could fool anyone into thinking they were eating a traditional ice cream! However, I enjoy them best in popsicles. Blending them with fruits like bananas and blueberries into a smoothie, then pouring into ice-lolly moulds to freeze makes a cooling and refreshing dessert that’s perfect for summer.