Scrumptious Ways to Eat Avocado

Avocado lovers, this one’s for you! Here are my most creative, healthy and supremely delicious ways to eat avocado, for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and yes, even dessert!

A perfectly ripe avocado, a sprinkle of coarse salt, a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a spoon makes me so happy. It's delectable!

And it's so much fun to work them into recipes, too. Avocado salad, avocado bread, avocado desserts, avocado fries . . . . let's just jump in, shall we?

Creamy Avocado Butter

Not only is this amazing to spread on your favorite toast, you can also broil and grill fish with it, add it to pasta and roasted cauliflower . . . the possibilities are endless. It's especially delicious if you add a couple of spoonfuls of Fire Roasted Corn with Jalapeños on top. 🙂

Avocado Bread with Zucchini

This easy-to-make recipe is delicious toasted with a spread of butter for breakfast, for lunch with cheese and fruit, or on its own for dessert - and even better, with a scoop of cinnamon-spiced ice cream!

Avocado Grapefruit Salad

The texture of rich creamy avocado slices against fresh and tangy citrus never disappoints. Add to that pickled red onion and honey-glazed pistachios, and you will have your guests begging you for more of this delightful salad.

Avocado Fries

An unforgettable delicious twist on a French Fry, with a spiced crispy outside, and a creamy inside, these will wow everyone who tries them! They're an excellent appetizer or side dish with my Mediterranean Burger, Grilled Chicken Sandwich, or Mexican Chopped Salad.

Lemon Poblano Guacamole

We can't very well talk about ways to use avocados and not include a guacamole recipe. With small segments of lemon and roasted poblano chiles, this one is special and not to be missed! A spoonful is scrumptious on my Spicy Potato Soft Tacos.

Creamy Avocado Salad Dressing or Sauce

This avocado dressing will bring salads to new levels! Not only that, it's also a fantastic dipping sauce for veggies and fries, and is amazing with watermelon salad and blackened salmon.

Mango Avocado Stack with Pesto

This dish is striking and absolutely fabulous! It's essentially a mango avocado salad built into a beautiful stack. The combination of flavors and textures are out of this world. If you're serving avocado and mango lovers, it's really fun to serve this as an appetizer with Baked Coconut Mango Chicken.

Strawberry Avocado Summer Salsa

The unexpected duo of strawberry and avocado is so delicious in this salsa! You'll want it on chips, grilled chicken and fish. It's festive, fun and it's ideal for any summer meal. Serve it before or with Rosemary Lamb Skewers or Grilled Marinated Portobello Mushrooms.

Avocado Gazpacho

If you've only had a summer tomato gazpacho, trying gazpacho made with avocados is a must. Rich, creamy and fresh, it's topped with lime-pickled red onion, tomatoes and tiny chunks of avocado.

Soft-Boiled Egg Avocado Toast

This is no ordinary avocado toast. Packed with vitamins and delicious fresh flavors, it's super hearty and you'll love it for breakfast or lunch, and perhaps dinner, too. 😉

Minty Avocado Toasts with Fruit

Another fun and unique avocado toast! This one makes for an especially striking presentation. I love it served for brunch. Check out What to Do With a Dozen Eggs: 3 Easy Egg Recipes, for ideas of what to serve alongside it.

Chocolate Avocado Cookies

The use of avocado in these super chocolatey cookies adds so much, yet its flavor is indistinguishable. It makes the texture super moist and chewy, and it also enhances the chocolate flavor. And let's not forget, avocados are nutrient-rich!

How to Pick, Ripen, Cut and Store Avocados

Now that you have some new ideas, let’s make sure your avocados are in perfect condition to use!

How to Pick a Ripe Avocado

• Cradle the avocado in your palm and gently squeeze it. Use your palm, not your fingertips, so you don’t bruise it. A ripe avocado will yield slightly. If it feels hard, it needs a few more days. If any of it feels mushy, it’s likely overripe (best for guacamole).
• If you’re planning ahead, buy firm avocados a few days before you need them, and let them ripen at room temperature.

How to Ripen an Avocado Faster

• Place your avocados in a paper bag with a banana or an apple, fold the top closed, and leave it at room temperature. The fruits give off a natural gas called ethylene that speeds up ripening. (Check on them daily, because avocados can go from “almost ready” to “too late” quickly.)
• I don’t recommend any microwave or oven tricks. They might soften the avocados, but they won’t taste or feel truly ripe.
• And if your avocados ripen before you’re ready, move them to the fridge. That can extend their life for a few days.

How to Cut an Avocado Safely

Always cut avocados on a cutting board, never in your hand. “Avocado hand” is a real thing, and we want to keep all our fingers! Cut lengthwise around the pit, twist the halves apart, and scoop out the pit with a spoon. For step-by-step photos, see my post on How to Peel and Cut an Avocado.

How to Keep a Cut Avocado From Turning Brown

Avocados turn brown when they’re exposed to air, so here are some tips to prevent that from happening.

• Drizzling peeled avocado with citrus (lime or lemon) is the best way to help it keep its color. I do this when I want to add avocado to a salad ahead of time.
• For storing, leave the pit in the half you’re saving, drizzle the cut side with lemon or lime juice, and gently press plastic wrap directly onto the surface so no air gets in. Then refrigerate.
• A little browning on top is harmless. Just scrape it off and enjoy what’s underneath.

I hope you'll try a few of these ways to use avocados. They all combine nutrition, creativity, and of course, deliciousness!

Enjoy!