Avocado Nice Cream

Name: Avocado Nice Cream
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2-3 Avocados, Diced and Frozen; 2 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup or Agave; 1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil; 2 Tablespoons Non-Dairy Milk; 1/2 Cup Fresh Mint Leaves, Optional (see note 3); 1/2 Cup Vegan Mini Chocolate Chips

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Avocado Nice Cream is a super rich and creamy summer treat that you can make in your food processor! This recipe is a great way to save ripe avocados by dicing them up and freezing them before they go bad. With fresh mint leaves (optional flavoring) and mini chocolate chips, this no-banana nice cream is almost custard-like!

Hey Internet, we love avocados but they can be super fickle. Sure they make for great food, like in our Vegan Avocado Salad or Vegan Avocado Pesto Pasta, but they sneak up on you and go bad. For days they seem like they're too hard, then suddenly they are good for maybe one or two days and then, bam, they're gross.

We've lost quite a lot of avocados because of this short window. Paul was tired of this, so they decided try cutting up some of our avocados and freezing them. We were already turning our ripe bananas into frozen treats like Mango Nice Cream, Lavender Nice Cream and Toasted Coconut Nice Cream for a while, so we hoped this would work.

The avocado cubes did stick together, but that also happens with the banana. If you have space, you can lay out the avocado on a tray lined with parchment paper and keep them separate. Paul, however, slammed the freezer bag on the counter a few times and they broke apart.

The great thing is that the avocados stayed pretty green and kept their creamy texture! We have a bunch of ideas to work with for frozen avocado now. Avocado is a great source of healthy monounsaturated fat and a great alternative to traditional dairy ice cream.

Also, this is a no churn ice cream, so you don't even need an ice cream machine! The only hard part about this recipe is the waiting part (waiting for the avocado to freeze). But with some pre-planning, you'll be able to enjoy this refreshing treat on a regular basis this summer.

We decided to start with testing a homemade avocado ice cream. Unlike banana ice cream, avocado nice cream gets a thick texture to it. It's super rich and the texture is almost like custard. So, if you're looking for a unique nice cream recipe, this is one you've got to try!

Why You'll Love Avocado Nice Cream

Simple Ingredients: This vegan treat only has 6 ingredients and uses basic pantry items for many of them. This avocado nice cream is also naturally sweetened!
Really Fast: Once you have frozen avocados, it only takes 5 minutes to finish this recipe! You don't need an ice cream maker for this recipe.
Dairy-Free: This homemade easy vegan dessert is easily made with almond milk or soy milk, not heavy cream. It's better than regular ice cream!

Ingredients

Be sure to freeze your avocados in advance! Otherwise, you can easily pick up these simple ingredients for this healthy dessert the next time you're at a grocery store. See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredients, instructions, and accurate nutritional information (to the best of my ability; please consult your physician or healthcare professional if you have specific dietary needs). I give substitutions for the ingredients in the section below this one, so most people can still make this recipe!

2-3 Avocados, Diced and Frozen: Now a lot of avocado nice cream recipes just have the avocado as a sidekick to frozen banana. But we feel a good avocado ice cream recipe should have it be the star of the show. By freezing it, avocado makes for an awesome ice cream base. It's so creamy! You can also buy frozen avocado, but we haven't tested that kind since it's hard to find in our area.
2 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup: You want a sugar source that will incorporate well without cooking. Maple syrup is perfect for this.
1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil: Just a little of this helps improve the smoothness of the nice cream when it comes out. If you want it even smoother, feel free to increase it by a tablespoon or two (or for more healthy fats, especially when feeding to children).
2 Tablespoons Non-Dairy Milk: To help process the frozen avocado, we're going to add a little almond milk or soy milk to the bowl. Any non-dairy milk will work.
½ Cup Fresh Mint, Optional
½ Cup Vegan Mini Chocolate Chips

Substitutions

Avocados: If you just don't want to make your own frozen avocados, some stores sell it in packages.
Maple Syrup: Agave syrup, Vegan Honey, date syrup, or other liquid sweeteners should act similarly in this recipe.
Coconut Oil: A neutral oil should work, although it will not have that coconut flavor that goes well with desserts. You could also substitute with a tablespoon of coconut cream or canned coconut milk.
Fresh Mint: This is an optional flavoring. Spearmint or peppermint extract would also work but be careful because they're quite strong. Start with a quarter teaspoon. Use any sort of flavoring you like, since avocado is a pretty neutral base! Add cocoa powder for chocolate avocado nice cream, a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract for vanilla avocado nice cream, and so on.
Vegan Chocolate Chips: Dark Chocolate Chips typically are vegan and will add a bold and complex flavor to your nice cream. Alternatively, you can add some cocoa powder or cacao powder to your mix.

How to Make Avocado Nice Cream

Prep, Freeze the Avocado: Cut your avocados in half. Remove the pit and then remove the avocado shell by peeling the skin. Dice the avocado flesh. Add to a baking sheet with parchment paper or to a freeze bag and then add to freezer.
Add Ingredients to Food Processor: Add all ingredients, EXCEPT the chocolate chips, to a food processor with an "S" blade attached.
Process the Nice Cream: Power on your food processor (or a strong blender with a tamper, like a Vitamix) and and then blend your nice cream for about 30 seconds or until smooth. You may need to stop and scrap the sides down and then start processing again.
Add the Chocolate Chips: Add the chocolate chips to the food processor and then blitz them until the incorporated. See Note 1.
Serve and Enjoy!

Storage Instructions

You can store your mint chocolate chip nice cream in a freezer safe container (the smallest possible container is best to reduce the amount of air in the container). Please note that while the color and flavor of the avocado nice cream will stay the same, it will harden. When you'd like to enjoy the leftovers, let them thaw for about 15 to 25 minutes. Alternatively, add to a food processor or high-speed blender with some additional non-dairy milk to return it to smooth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the Baking Tray Method Preferred?

If you add all your avocados to a freezer bag, they will freeze up, but they trend to get stuck together while freezing. Using a tray, you can add them to a bag later and they shouldn't stick.

What Else Could I Use Frozen Avocados for?

While we are still testing a few ideas with our frozen avocados, there are many possibilities! You could make a thick vibrant green smoothie with them in a high speed blender. You could also reconstitute them with savory flavors and turn them into a spread. Just add a couple tablespoons of lemon juice so the spread can warm up without browning so much.

What Toppings Could I Use?

Double down on the chocolate! We have an amazing vegan chocolate sauce recipe that your whole family will love! You could also add fresh fruits like strawberries or banana in it. Or top with toasted shredded coconut, vegan sprinkles, or chopped nuts.

Other Great Nice Cream Recipes and Frozen Treats