How To Use Avocado

How To Use Avocado

Avocados have potential that goes beyond just guacamole. Packed with 20 vitamins and minerals, heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, and fiber, it promises several benefits—not just health-related, but beauty-related as well.

Here you have 8 Ways How To Use Avocado

1. Raw key lime pie

Key lime pie fillings are traditionally made using condensed milk and sour cream, but avocados are a dairy-free, healthier substitute. Simply blend 2-3 ripe avocados with ¼ cup of lime juice and fresh, pitted dates (to taste). Make a raw, gluten-free crust by pulsing equal amounts of walnuts and fresh pitted dates in a food processor until you achieve a coarse, crumbly mixture. Press the crust into a prepared pie dish and add the filling. Let it rest in the refrigerator for about three hours, or until set.

2. Coconut avocado ice pops

Not everyone has an ice cream machine, and the tedious process of hand-stirring a custard in the freezer every half hour is unappealing. Instead, blend one can of full-fat coconut milk and coconut sugar, to taste, with two avocados. Pour the mixture into ice pop molds and let them set in the freezer. The end result? A creamsicle that required very little effort.

3. avocado-lime vinaigrette

The creaminess of avocados makes them the perfect substitute for sour cream or mayonnaise in dressings. Blend one avocado with the juice of half a lime, a handful of chopped cilantro, pepper, and salt. If you want a runnier consistency, drizzle in a bit of olive oil. Use this dressing in place of ranch or mayonnaise in chicken salads, or use as a dipping sauce for grilled tofu.

4. Chocolate pudding

Making homemade pudding is tedious, but avocados can save time by replacing the process of making a custard. The subtle flavor of avocados makes it a neutral base, perfect for flavored puddings. For a simple chocolate version, mash half of an avocado with a ripe banana and mix in two tablespoons of cocoa powder. You can get creative with the flavors—for example, add a dash of cayenne for a Mexican hot chocolate pudding, or omit the cocoa and stir in coconut cream. This pudding can be eaten instantly or left to set in the fridge for about 30 minutes for a firmer consistency.

5. Butter substitution

Avocados are nature’s butter. Replace butter in any cake or brownie batter with an equal amount of mashed avocados. Your baked goods will be moist and up to 40% lower in fat! If your recipe calls for melted butter, you may need to add a little bit of liquid (for example dairy or plant-based milk) to thin out your batter.

6. Moisturizing hair mask

Heal dry ends with a homemade, oil-rich mask. An egg-yolk contains approximately 3g of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats while half of an avocado contains 10-12g of monounsaturated fats. Rather than spending hefty amounts for a high-end hair mask, mix an egg yolk with half a mashed avocado. Apply the mask to the ends of your hair and tie your hair in a bun. Leave the mask on for at least half an hour before shampooing and rinsing thoroughly. This DIY mask will nourish your ends and leave them shiny and healthy.

7. Moisturizer

Avocado oil is great heat-stable oil to cook with, but it also can be used as a moisturizer. Rub a pea-sized amount of unrefined, cold-pressed avocado oil in your palms and press gently to your face. Pressing the avocado oil will allow your skin to absorb it properly. This oil is also better than coconut oil as a moisturizer because the structure of the monounsaturated fat molecules is smaller than the saturated fat molecules of coconut oil, allowing it to absorb into your skin more effectively.

8. Avocado scrub

The avocado stone (or seed) has uses beyond growing more avocado trees. Allow a clean avocado stone to air-dry for about 3-5 days in a sunny spot. By this point, the avocado stone will have dried up and softened. It may have also oxidized and become orange, which is a natural reaction. Carefully cut the stone into four pieces and place in a blender until you get fine crumbs. Mix the crumbs with a small amount of your cleanser and use once or twice a week, rubbing it gently into your skin to exfoliate.

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