Avocado Lime Nice Cream

This Avocado Lime Nice Cream is deceptively easy to make, super creamy, decadent tasting and is the perfect way to use up extra ripe avocados!

I’m embarrassed to say that I grew up not eating avocados.  I’d say that I didn’t like them but… I never tried them until I was in my late 20’s!  WHAT was I thinking???  Imagine all of the joy I missed out on over those years, totally unnecessary.  Shame on me says my older dietitian self.

Fast forward to today, and we go through A LOT of avocados in our house; they are a staple! There are so many things I love about this fruit (yes, it’s a fruit).

First, they are such a great source of heart healthy monounsaturated fats (along with olive oil, nuts, olives and a few others).  These fats may lower your risk for heart disease by lowering your total cholesterol along with your low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL, also referred to as the ‘bad cholesterol’) while maintaining your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level.  They may also help control insulin and blood sugar levels according to some research.

Avocados are also ridiculously versatile.  Take this recipe, for example.

Throw them on toast, toss them in a green smoothie, as a dressing in a pasta salad, in a tortilla soup, breakfast wrap or even make pudding out of them when they start to turn (recipe coming soon), they really are talented.  Bravo Mother Nature, you really out did yourself!

We wanted to create a simple, healthy green dessert for St. Patrick’s Day (easy, right?? lol), and landed on this Avocado Lime Nice Cream.  And thank goodness we did!  The mixture is whipped up in a blender (I have a Vitamix Ascent 3500 and LOVE it), and is finished off either in an ice cream maker (if you have one) or simply in a loaf pan in the freezer.

The xanthan gum acts as a stabilizer, but can be omitted if you don’t have any on hand.  You can also substitute lemons for the limes if need be, and you can use frozen avocados.  Freezing avocados is such a great way to save the remainder of an avocado when you cut into it – how many times have you cut one to eat half and the other half gets forgotten about?  Simply peel the avocado and remove the pit and freeze on a baking sheet.  Place them in a resealable container until ready to use.

Of course, if you want to make this vegan simply use maple syrup instead of the honey.  We used creamed honey for its texture and colour (it’s whiter, which helps keep the bright green colour).

You’ll want to make sure that you freeze the mixture right away once you blend it up to avoid the avocado from oxidizing and turning brown.  It won’t taste much different but it will absolutely look better if you work quickly!  If you don’t have a frozen banana you can use a fresh (unfrozen) one – using the frozen banana just helps cool off the mixture which helps expedite the freezing process.

4.75 from 4 votes

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Avocado Lime Nice Cream

This creamy dreamy coconut lime ice cream is what dreams are made of.  It's made in a blender and is the perfect way to use up extra ripe avocados!  You can easily use frozen avocados in this recipe if you have those on hand and of course, to make it vegan simply use the maple syrup instead of the honey.  If you want a more subtle lime flavour only use 2 tablespoons of lime juice.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword avocado

Prep Time 10 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Author Fraîche Nutrition

Ingredients

• 2 large ripe avocados (1 1/2 cups mashed)
• 1 large ripe frozen banana
• 1 400 ml can full fat coconut milk
• 1/2 cup creamed honey (or maple syrup for vegan)
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 1/2 limes)
• 2 teaspoons grated lime zest (from 1 lime)
• 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

1. Line a small loaf pan with parchment paper.  (This step is optional.  A tip if you do line the pan: the paper will stick to the pan easier if you lightly oil the pan first)

2. Place all of the ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes (use a tamper if your blender has one, I used my Vitamix Ascent 3500 for the job). Use 2 tablespoons of lime juice if you want a milder lime flavour.

OPTION 1: FREEZE IN A PAN

1. Transfer the mixture to the loaf pan, smooth the top with the back of a spoon, and freeze until frozen, about 6-8 hours or overnight.  If you freeze it overnight you will need to thaw it slightly before serving as it will be too difficult to scoop.

OPTION 2: ICE CREAM MAKER

1. If you have an ice cream maker you can process the mixture in the machine according to the manufacturer's directions and transfer the mixture into the prepared loaf pan or another similar container of choice and freeze until ready to serve.