Try this thick and creamy avocado smoothie recipe for breakfast or a healthy snack!
5 ingredient avocado smoothie
Adding avocado to a smoothie might sound unusual, but the results are surprisingly delicious.
This secretly healthy avocado shake is so unbelievably smooth, it honestly tastes like drinking an actual vanilla milkshake.
I do not know how that is even possible, but it really does remind me of a classic vanilla shake, both in taste and texture.
Make one for yourself, and see if you agree!
With only five ingredients and less than a minute of prep time, the recipe is absolutely worth a try at least once, because it might just become your new go to smoothie recipe.
You may also like these Avocado Brownies
Ingredients to make the avocado drink
You will need a ripe avocado, milk of choice, pure vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, and sugar or your favorite granular or liquid sweetener.
Avocado – You can tell if the fruit is ripe by squeezing it very gently at the grocery store. It is ripe if it yields slightly to the pressure and feels just a little bit soft but not mushy.
If you buy an avocado that is still hard as a rock, just wait a few days for it to soften. Or place it unpeeled in a brown paper bag for a day or two with another fruit (such as apple, banana, or kiwi) to speed up the ripening process.
Milk – Use any milk in your refrigerator, including oat milk, soy milk, or skim milk.
For a plant based and vegan avocado smoothie, go with your favorite dairy free milk. I like canned coconut milk, almond milk, pistachio milk, or cashew milk.
Sweetener of choice – This can be classic white sugar, brown sugar, unrefined sugar (like coconut or date sugar), honey or pure maple syrup.
Avocados are naturally low in carbs. If you are looking for an added sugar free and keto avocado smoothie, simply use stevia or your favorite sugar alternative to taste. Be sure to choose a keto friendly milk without sugar as well.
Optional add ins – Turn it into a chocolate avocado smoothie by adding a spoonful of cocoa powder. I recommend Dutch cocoa for a rich brownie flavor. Increase the sugar to taste, to counter the bitterness of the cocoa powder.
Or if you want a healthy avocado protein shake, blend in a scoop of your favorite flavored or unsweetened protein powder. Try vanilla, chai, cookies and cream, or pumpkin pie spice protein powder.
Looking for a caffeine boost or love the coffee vanilla flavor profile? Blend in a fourth teaspoon of instant coffee powder for a refreshing post workout pick-me-up.
Feeling adventurous? Make Chickpea Cookie Dough Dip
Healthy avocado smoothie recipe video
Above, watch the step by step recipe video
Frequently asked questions
Avocado adds unbelievable thickness and creaminess, without any noticeable flavor whatsoever for most people.
If you have super tastebuds, you might be able to tell it is in there. But even then, the flavor is only slight and will not detract from the overall tastiness of the shake.
Frozen or fresh avocado will both work here.
Just be sure to peel the avocados first. If you have a high speed blender like a Vitamix, try freezing your milk of choice in an ice cube tray and using that for the avocado drink instead of refrigerated milk.
This is especially good with canned coconut milk or whole milk, because it tastes like an actual avocado milkshake.
You may add fresh or frozen blueberries, cherries, strawberries, apple, cucumber, banana, or pineapple. Play around with different foods that pair well with avocado.
I love adding a ripe frozen banana, which gives even more thickness to the recipe.
I do not recommend adding ice, because this will dilute the flavor at the ice melts into water.
However, you can blend in a few tablespoons of Greek yogurt or a handful of homemade coconut milk ice cubes for a super thick and ice-cream-like shake if desired.
To make your own coconut ice cubes, just freeze canned coconut milk in an ice cube tray. It is that simple.
Avocado smoothie health benefits
Besides the delicious creamy texture, you can also get so many added health benefits from avocados.
Packed with vitamins. The superfood fruit is cholesterol free and contains nearly 20 vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, including potassium, folate, and B vitamins.
High fiber, low sugar. Just one serving of avocado provides eight percent of the daily value for fiber, and they have the least amount of sugar of any fruit.
Healthy fat. Over 75% of the fat in avocados is the unsaturated heart-healthy kind (good fats). For the general population, replacing some of the saturated fat in one’s diet with avocado can possibly help to reduce cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, and inflammation.
Of course if you are on a doctor ordered nutrition or weight loss plan, it is always recommended to consult your doctor.
Customizable to fit different lifestyles. Depending on the specific ingredients you use, this smoothie can be low calorie, low in saturated fat, high protein, nondairy, high in calcium, vegan, and gluten free, with no sugar required.
How to make an avocado shake
- Be sure to start with a ripe avocado.
- Peel the fruit, and discard both the pit and peel. Slice the avocado into large pieces.
- Add the sliced avocado, milk of choice, pure vanilla extract, salt, sweetener, and any optional ingredients to a small blender.
- Blend on high until thick and completely smooth, then serve cold.
This healthy blender drink yields a large, single serving shake or two small servings. Feel free to double the recipe!
More healthy avocado recipes
Avocado Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 small avocado (100g flesh)
- 1 1/2 cups milk of choice (360g)
- 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract (4g)
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup or sweetener of choice to taste (30g)
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 scoop protein powder (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Begin with a ripe avocado. Discard the pit and peel, and chop into large pieces.
- 2. Add all ingredients to a small blender, and process until thick and creamy.
- 3. Pour into a tall glass or two smaller glasses, and serve cold.
Video
Notes
Easy Blender Recipes
Are you trying to hint around to something? Should we be expecting an announcement soon? đŸ™‚
I’ve heard your taste buds change every 7 years… so it’s possible!
Tried the avocado smoothie. Surprisingly quite a neutral taste but a great way to use up a glut of avocados. I can see I need to purchase a Cuisinart ice cream maker and make the avocado frozen yogurt. Not sure what all this will do to the losing weight plan – I am hopeless at reducing my serving sizes! Thanks for the recipes.
I use to hate sausages and coffee until last year, and now I am a coffee addict. It’s so bizzare!
Try putting in a bit of lime juice, for a Brazilian-style smoothie. My husband lived there, and avocado is considered something for sweet treats, they think we’re nuts for using it in savory things like guacamole. (Of course, they make corn ice cream too.) They call this vitamina. It’s one of my favorites!
yummy! I make this all the time for breakfast, but i replace the vanilla extra with vanilla protein powder and add some spinach, keeps me full forever!
Supposedly your taste buds change every 7 years, I used to not like Cilantro and now I do. Im still working on the mushroom and veggie tree(Broccoli and Cauliflower) thing. Im going to have to try this, it seems interesting!
“Can tastebuds really change after 27 years of life?” Absolutely! I HATED chocolate, until I went through menopause–then I ate those huge containers of chocolate covered raisins from Costco, many, many of them!! Now I’m through with all that, and back to my healthier choices, and lost 30 pounds. Now I’m addicted to my Vitamix!
This was nothing short of heavenly. I used coconut milk, stevia & a really good vanilla extract which contains the vanilla beans. I made double last night & saved half in a sealed jar in the fridge. I had that one for breakfast this morning and it was even better plus kept me full and energized for hours. Also I love what avocado does for my skin.
Katie please make a chocolate avocado pudding or other thing. I know there are a lot out there already but I am sure you would perfect it!
This tastes so much better with Condensed milk instead of syrup ;D
This recipe was so good! I used way less milk, but I loved it. The aftertaste seriously tasted like COOKIE DOUGH, b/c of the vanilla and salt I think. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you so much for trying it đŸ™‚
THIS RECIPE WAS TERRIBLE!! the vanilla flavor was WAY too strong, the minute amount of salt really took over and it tasted like bitter vanilla salt. abhorrent.
Hi Taylor,
Did you by chance use imitation vanilla extract?
Very good!
Thanks for the recipe. I’ve been meaning to try out an avocado smoothie recipe fpr a while and found a spare one today – I halved the maple syrup but it still tasted amazing, filled me up to đŸ™‚
Just saw you post after Googling “Avocado Smoothie.” Looks so tasty. I just discovered Florida avocados. I don’t like the taste all that much when eating it plain, but I mixed it in a smoothie, similar to this recipe, and it turned out delish!
http://coffeewithkatee.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/creamy-florida…mango-smoothie/
Yours calls for vanilla extract — definitely need to try that next time.
Hey, If u’re n Indian n a vegetarian there’s no way u can escape veggies as a child. Most is our mums will drown the taste of actual veggie with spice overload. Anyways, avocados are fairly new to India n r considered exotic. I had ripe n v expensive avo sitting on my counter threatening to go bad. So I googled n tried ur recipe with some modifications. Used half avo, some milk n honey ! It wasn’t mind blowing but good n had loads of potential n quickest breakfast ever. The best part is my snobby hubby saw d potential too! Thanks