11 Unique Ways You Should Start Using Avocados

If you love avocados, then we have some good news. The superfood has quite a few nutritional benefits, including boosting your immune system and even lowering the risk for certain kinds of cancers, according to Medical News Today. It is a great food to feed your brain on a regular basis, too. And if you like avocado, you probably have no problem incorporating it into your salads, your breakfast, or your tacos. But, just like any of our favorite foods, avocados can get a little boring after a while — especially if you are used to preparing them in the same way every time you eat them.

Most everyone these days knows all about the various guacamole and avocado toast recipes out there, but what about the more unique ways of incorporating this ingredient into your meals? You can add avocado to more foods than you may realize, and the fruit can also act as the main ingredient for many different dishes you may not have considered before. Whether for your next smoothie, your next barbecue, or even your next cocktail, you may find that an avocado is the perfect addition.

Okay, slicing an avocado and using it as a topping is not a revolutionary idea. After all, one of the most common uses for avocado is exactly that, and it is probably one of the first ways we are introduced to the fruit. Avocado slices can be used as a topping on salads, tacos, and a variety of sandwiches. But, perhaps thanks to its mild flavor, sliced avocado can still be thrown on top of a number of different dishes that you may have never considered before.

For example, have you ever thought about adding avocado on top of a pizza? Or you could substitute a creamy avocado blend for your typical red sauce for an entirely different take on the popular dish. You can combine avocados with other veggie dishes for an added boost of healthy fat, like with roasted Brussels sprouts. If you have a couple of avocados in your pantry, experiment with your go-to recipes to see if adding some slices makes the dish even better.

Did you know you can drink an avocado? Since it's a fruit, it should lend itself perfectly as a unique ingredient to toss into your blender the next time you want to whip up a smoothie. The creamy texture makes for an excellent addition to your smoothie recipe in the morning, not to mention the fact that your beverage will get an added boost of nutrients. Avocados can be added to a variety of different recipes, like a traditional mango smoothie, a flavorful tropical smoothie, or a more dessert-like chocolate smoothie.

In order to incorporate an avocado into your smoothie, all you need to do is scoop out the flesh and toss it into the blender. You do not need a ton of avocado either; one half is plenty for a single serving. Or if you have a half of an avocado left in the refrigerator and you're not sure what to do with it, add it to your morning smoothie and reap all of its nutritional benefits while also adding a nice burst of creaminess to your drink.

Just because avocados are traditionally associated with salads and dips doesn't mean you can't also enjoy them as a dessert. After all, there are all kinds of fruits that can easily be included in both appetizer and entrée dishes as well as desserts, like apples, peaches, and strawberries. Because avocados are naturally creamy, they can easily serve as the base for a bowl of avocado ice cream. You can break your ice cream machine out of the cupboard for this, or you can just as easily freeze the avocado ice cream in small batches to then be blended in a food processor.

For an even quicker avocado-inspired frozen treat, you can make your very own ice pops with just a few ingredients. You can customize them however you want, depending on what your favorite fruits are. All you need is a blender and some ice pop molds for an instant summer snack. Who ever said dessert can't be healthy?

While we all love homemade baked goods, we will admit that it is a category of food we should avoid eating every single day. But what if there was a way to flip the script on baked goods and sneak in the trusty avocado? Other fruits are widely known for their ability to be seamlessly integrated into baked goods, like apples and bananas, so why can't avocados fall into the same category? They are, in fact, a great ingredient to add the next time you want to make a batch of cookies or brownies, or even if you want to make an entire cake for an upcoming gathering.

But you don't have to only look to desserts when it comes to thinking of unique ways of incorporating avocados into baked goods. As it turns out, they also work as an ingredient for more complex recipes, like bread. From avocado sage cornbread to chocolate avocado bread, this fruit truly proves its versatility when you realize how many dishes it can appear in.

Condiments, in many ways, make the foodie world go 'round. Whether you are making a sandwich or whipping up a tuna salad, mayonnaise can be used in a variety of different dishes and recipes. But not everyone is fond of the egg-based condiment, and that has spawned a number of mayo substitutes over the years. If you do not like the taste or you are looking for healthier alternatives, look no further than the avocado.

Avocado can work as a substitute for a number of condiments, but a mayonnaise alternative specifically accomplishes two goals. First, fresh avocados will offer more nutrients than mayonnaise, which can oftentimes be highly processed depending on the brand. Second, avocados provide a vegan-friendly way to add creaminess to whatever dish you are recreating. Healthline also notes that avocado and avocado oil contain many antioxidants that will boost your health when used as a substitute for other ingredients such as mayo.

Sliced avocados commonly find themselves on top of many salads, providing a creamy texture as well as added nutrients. But there is another way you can sneak more avocado into your salad that you've perhaps never thought of before, and that is through the dressing itself. Dressings can instantly elevate the most pedestrian of salads into a tasty treat, but they can also throw the salad's health benefits off balance. Heavy dressings like ranch and blue cheese, or any store-bought dressing for that matter, may taste delicious. However, the calories, sugars, and sodium added can make the salad more on par with a dessert than a healthy meal.

Instead, turn to a homemade salad dressing, made easy with the help of avocados. You can make a creamy avocado dressing with ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen. The best part is that you only need to stock up on two avocados to yield a dozen servings. So whether you're making salads for the week or you're serving a crowd, your healthy dressing will be a major highlight.

Whoever came up with the concept of stuffing one delicious food inside of another was definitely onto something. Great meals like stuffed peppers and stuffed shells are solid dinner options when you really want to impress a crowd. But if we were to open our imagination a bit more, we could discover other great ingredients that are prime vessels for stuffing.

Have you ever noticed that once you slice an avocado in half and remove the pit, you are left with the perfect structure with a carved out hole to stuff other ingredients into? Let your imagination run wild and whip up your own avocados stuffed with chicken salad. Or, if you like seafood, try lobster- and shrimp-stuffed avocados. It's almost like an inverted dish where you would normally top with sliced avocado, except this time the superfood serves as the base. You also have the option to scoop the avocado in order to bite right into it, or you can go at it and dig everything out with a fork. Regardless, you now have a new low- or no-carb snack idea.

If you have a grill in your backyard, you might be looking for new and creative ways to fire things up. If you're tired of just making hamburgers and hot dogs time and time again, we have some good news: Just about everything can be cooked on the grill, as long as you have the right tools. Many foods can be placed right on the grill, including, you guessed it, avocados.

As you might imagine, avocados do not need much time at all on the grill — just a couple of minutes is plenty. You can then top your avocado with your favorite ingredients for a healthy alternative to serve your family and friends this summer. The smoky flavor pairs wonderfully with the avocado, and you can use that as the base for grilled avocados stuffed with tomato and feta. Or, you can scoop the grilled avocado out and make a mashed, smoky guacamole.

Just about every kind of food has been deep-fried these days, from Oreos to watermelon. Deep-frying is usually synonymous with pure comfort food that does not offer much nutritional value, but you can absolutely include healthier foods in the mix, too. As it turns out, deep-frying your favorite fruit or vegetable can be just as delectable as deep-frying a tasty dessert.

If you want to switch up your side dishes and skip the french fries but still want a similar taste and texture, try frying some slices of avocado. The soft, creamy texture of the avocado will balance nicely with the crispiness you get from deep-frying. Cover the slices with breadcrumbs for your basic avocado fries, or go all out and try your hand at some delicious bacon-wrapped avocado fries. If you love bacon, then you will probably agree that it will only make the avocado ten times better.

When it's time for Happy Hour, we love to default to our favorite go-to drink recipes to get the party started. If your drink of choice is a margarita, you may be used to whipping up a traditional lime beverage, or maybe you like adding some fruit like strawberries or mangos. If you are in the market for a new margarita recipe, why not incorporate an avocado? No, really, we're serious.

It may sound strange at first if you have never tried one, but avocado margaritas are actually more common than you think. Aside from the bonus nutrients you will get by adding avocados into your cocktail, just like smoothies, avocados add a nice, creamy texture to your drink, too. If you enjoy a little heat in your drinks, you can also try a jalapeño avocado margarita. You do not need much avocado at all to make a great margarita. Just take one or two slices and muddle like you would any other fruit until you have hit that ideal creamy consistency. Then, simply mix that puree in with your other ingredients.

When you shop for avocados in the grocery store, you probably aren't immediately thinking of soup as a dish you can make. But as we have seen already, avocados can work as ingredients for all kinds of dishes in addition to your typical salads and guacamoles. You may have seen slices of avocado on top of your favorite soup, but you can actually use avocado as the base for the soup itself.

The texture of the avocado can help a lot in giving you a smooth consistency in a creamy avocado soup without having to add dairy products. Sure, a green-colored soup might seem a bit off-putting, but just like your green juices and smoothies, it packs in a ton of nutrients. And if you're a fan of chilled soups, you can also try out a chilled avocado soup with seared chipotle shrimp for a little added protein. Who knows, after giving those recipes a try, you may never want to eat another kind of soup again.