No longer unjustly vilified as unhealthy, avocados have gone from being associated almost exclusively with a certain Mexican dip to being appreciated as a versatile fruit that’s easy and fun to incorporate in just about every meal of the day.
Ten years ago I probably would have been surprised to see avocado as an ingredient in a dessert recipe. But after looking through hundreds of cookbooks (vegan, raw, South American, Southeast Asian, etc.) over the past couple of years, I realize that just about everybody has accepted avocado is as great in desserts as it is in guacamole.
Of course, the Vietnamese were way ahead of the trend on this one. They’ve been enjoying the tropical fruit with sweetened condensed milk as a indulgent shake.
Although I’ve incorporated avocado in desserts on Girl Cooks World several times before (here), I thought it was about time they were given a starring role, rather than being a background ingredient providing texture and body. I adapted the classic Vietnamese avocado shake to ice cream form.
The avocado gives it a creamy, luscious mouthfeel and the lime juice adds a touch of acidity and brightness to keep things fresh and interesting. Still dubious about avocado being a natural fit for dessert? I think a bite of this just might change your mind…
Avocado Ice Cream
Yield: 8-10 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
 flesh from 3 small to medium avocados
2-3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1-1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup heavy cream
Directions:
First, combine the avocados, lime juice, milk, sugar and sweetened condensed milk in a blender and process until smooth. Then add the heavy cream and process quickly, until just combined.
Freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.