Avocado Ice Candy are super creamy, decadent and slightly sweet. Gluten-free, dairy free and are the perfect healthy way to cool off this summer. Just 3 little ingredients and super easy to make! (Step by Steps and Video included)
Avocado Ice Candy
This recipe is the Philippines version of a delicious summertime popsicle but with a healthy twist. Traditionally, these little ice lollies can be made with sweetened condensed milk, lots more refined sugar and sometimes even thickeners. We chose to keep the star of this delicious ice candy “THE AVOCADO”. We have a higher ratio of avocado to almond milk to keep this frozen treat super creamy, delicious and dairy-free. In addition, we have made ours only delicately sweet with minimal amount of brown sugar and we did not add any sweetened condensed milk or thickeners.
Philippine Recipe
This post is all about a very beautiful lady, Shirley Vilan or sometimes-close friends call her Cherry Lyn. She bright and energetic and always has a smile on her face. Born and raised in the Philippines, Shirley wanted to share with us a very traditional avocado ice candy treat. If you like popsicles (ice lollies, ice candy, ice pops, etc.), be sure to try our Rainbow Berry Rooibos Ice Pops, Orange Coconut Cardamom Ice Lollies or our Berry Boozy Ice Pops too.
Street Food in Philippines
Avocado ice candy treats are sold on every street corner, especially in the summer months. Did you know that Philippine academic school year runs from June to March each year? Those poor kids have to be in school with their hot picky uniforms on during the hottest parts of the summer months. Bless the heart of the mom that must have invented this cool and refreshing treat.
Sari Sari Stores in the Philippines
Shirley’s parents used to own a Sari-Sari which is like a family store that sells a little bit of everything such as wine, vegetables, soy sauce and even avocado ice candy for the kids. After the kids get out of school, they are hungry, hot and ready for a refreshing treat. For about 5.0 pesos (0.12 cents US or about 0.90 cents HK) the kids in the Philippines can enjoy a delicious avocado ice candy.
How are Avocado Ice Candy sold in the Philippines?
The avocado ice candy would come in little long plastic bags with a twisty on top, which is perfect for transport to eat on the way home. However, these little popsicles do not have to be frozen in the little plastic bags. You can also use a standard popsicle or ice lolly mold like we did. Heck, you could even use little “Dixie Cups” with wooden sticks. No matter which vessel you decide to freeze your avocado treats, it will be delicious. Be sure to check out our Philippine Cuisine category for more delicious recipes from the Philippines.
Different Mix In’s
In the Philippines, they make ice candy many different ways. Sometimes they mix avocado with milk or milk powder and sugar. The street vendors sometimes add dried coconut flakes or peanuts to the ice candy. Sometimes they even add orange or chocolate flavorings in as well. However, the common denominator is that the kids and adults both like it sweet.
Feel free to have fun by adding some extra flavors such cocoa powder, vanilla bean, fruit or whatever your little heart desires right into the avocado mixture before freezing.
Healthy World Cuisine Test Kitchen
Shirley and I went to the Test Kitchen and made our idea of the best avocado ice candy. We made 2 versions.
- The first version we made with mostly avocado, just a splash of almond milk and a little bit of brown sugar and by far this was the creamier, perfectly sweet version of the two.
- The second version, even though it looks better under the camera, was not as nice. We used a higher proportion of almond milk and white granulated sugar. This one was not as creamy and lacked the depth of flavor that you get with brown sugar.
Avocados in my dessert?
We know what you are thinking. “Are you off your rocker?”
However, as you know avocados are really mild in flavor and really just pick up the flavors of the surrounding ingredients. The avocados really creamy texture makes it the perfect way to enjoy a look-alike healthy ice creamy treat. No ice cream maker required. No fancy equipment and only 3 ingredients.
Is Your Avocado ripe?
Avocados are actually a fruit. Of course, you already knew that.
In addition, it is the only fruit with healthy fats that keep you feeling full longer. We used two medium Hass Avocadoes in our recipe (or about 2.5 cups chopped).
To determine if an avocado is ripe or not, gently squeeze the fruit in the palm of your hand. If the avocado is Ripe, it will be firm but will yield to gentle pressure. If the avocado is really soft, it is probably overly ripe and the fruit inside will be bruised and brown. This effect is not desirable. According to the California Avocado Commission, the Hass avocado outer skin will turn dark green or black as it ripens. However, some other avocado varieties retain their light-green skin even when ripe.
Another way to check to ripeness is to pop off the little end knob off the avocado. If it is still green inside, it is probably not ripe. However, if the end has turned a more golden color, it may be closer to ripe.
How to ripen an avocado?
- First, do not place your avocados in the refrigerator unless they are already ripe as that will stop the ripening process.
- Place avocados in a bowl at room temperature with other fruit and let it ripen naturally.
- Put them in a brown paper bag at room temperature and it will speed up the ripening process. If you put on other fruit in the bag as well, the ripening process will happen more quickly.
Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's)
The secret is creamy decadent avocado ice candy is to bump up the ratio of avocado to your non-dairy or dairy of choice. Using less liquid to avocado makes the avocado mixture very thick. The desired texture is equivalent to creamy yogurt. We used two medium avocados or about 2.5 cups chopped. We added 1 cup of non-dairy unsweetened almond milk for the perfect texture. Ratio is about 2.5 cups of avocados to 1 cup non-dairy or dairy of choice. Avocados come in all sizes and different breeds or types. Therefore, you will need to either reduce or increase your liquid to achieve a creamy base depending on the size of your avocados. Last but not least, make sure to use ripe avocados for a smooth and creamy texture.
We used unsweetened almond milk in ours to keep it dairy free but by all means use what you have on hand such as regular milk, soy milk, coconut milk, oat milk or half and half.
We decided to use a little sprinkle of brown sugar in ours as it really gives it a nice flavor but feel free to substitute with your favorite sugar alternative of choice if watching those calories or are diabetic. As you know, we do not like our desserts super sweet so you will have to adjust the amount of sugar to your taste palate before you freeze them.
This is our kind of dessert as it is super easy with only 3 little ingredients and no ice cream makers are needed to make this heavenly creamy dessert.
Thank you very Shirley for introducing us to this very delicious Philippine fun summer dessert and healthy snack. Sarap! Our Avocado Ice Candy recipe was originally posted in July of 2014 and updated to answer FAQ, video and new photos.
If you are looking for refreshing summer treats, be sure to try our…
No-Churn Dairy Free Mango Swirl Ice Cream
Honey Cardamom Cantaloupe Sorbet
Rainbow Fruit and Yogurt Layered Ice Cream
Rainbow Berry Rooibos Ice Pops
Hungry for More? Subscribe to our Newsletter and follow along on Facebook, You Tube, Instagram, and Pinterest for all the latest updates.
Avocado Ice Candy
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 2 medium avocado ripe
- 1 cup almond milk unsweetened or dairy of choice
- ⅓ cup brown sugar or a sugar alternative of choice
Instructions
- Cut avocados in half remove the pit and scoop the flesh from inside the skin of the avocado.
- You can either do this in a bowl by hand with a fork and strong muscles or in a blender like we did. Place the avocado, almond milk and sugar in a blender and process until smooth and creamy. The texture goal is a yogurt consistency. Taste and adjust sugar amount as desired. If you want your ice candy more like icy, then add more almond milk. Please note that depending on the size of your avocados, you will need to adjust the amount of non-dairy or dairy liquid of choice. If your avocados are small, you will needless non-dairy liquid. If the avocados are large, you will need more non-dairy liquid. You can always start with less non-dairy then you think you will need and then add more to get to your achieved yogurt consistency. Depending on how powerful your blender is, you will need to brush down the sides of your blender a few times.
- Place the avocado, brown sugar and almond milk mixture in a pastry bag (or just a plastic bag and cut a hole off the end). Pipe the ingredients into ice lolly (popsicle) containers or small skinny baggies and tie with tie string.
- Freeze avocado ice candies overnight.
- Enjoy!
dianeskitchentable says
You know at first I did think ..."avocados in my desserts? BAM, are you off your rocker?" but then after reading all of the ingredients you've certainly changed my mind. These really do sound great! I'm an avocado fan so I'll sign up for making some of these. I think I'm really loving the consistency. It must be so much fun to have a friend who can play beside you to come up with such new & different ideas.
cheri says
Hi Bam, I have made pudding and smoothies out of avocadoes before and the consistency is just perfect, will be trying this recipe for sure. Love the ingredient list.
Mary Frances says
These sound so simple and full of healthy fats.
The Foodie Affair says
I must give these a try! I put avocados in my smoothies, so I definitely know I love the creamy smooth texture.
lapetitecasserole says
I bet they were as good as your friend's smile!
Healthy World Cuisine says
You are so sweet! I will pass on your kind comment on to Shirley.
Robyn says
I love fruits for dessert and this is perfect for both kids and adults alike. Your suggestion of cocoa is definitely going to be put to good use. Great recipe, lovely guest! Thanks Shirley and Bobbi. 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hi there Robyn! Adding cocoa powder is a delicious addition to this healthy dessert. I think you will really like this, especially on a hot day. I will pass you sweet comment on to Shirley. Thanks
Norma Chang says
Interesting, never thought of using avocado in this manner, but your avocado ice candy sure sounds as Karen above said: "deliciously refreshing".
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hello Norma, how are those kitchen renovations going? I know this is not a dessert you see all of the time but kind of think of it as the same concept as a sweet bean ice lolly, like they have in China. Do you like those? Then you will love these avocado ice candies because they are so smooth and creamy. Take care, BAM
Karen says
Definitely different but I'm sure it is deliciously refreshing.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hello Karen, how is the move process coming along? Thank you for your sweet comment and will pass on to Shirley.
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
I scratched my head for a minute but it does sound good!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hi there Maureen, I knew most people would think I was off my rocker but you have to trust me on this, avocado candies are really good. Sweet and creamy. Avocados are not just for guacamole anymore....
Tandy | Lavender and Lime says
I love the sweetness of avocado and how it makes such great desserts. This is another example of a creative dish BAM 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks Tandy. I will pass your sweet comment on to Shirley.
wok with ray says
I remember avocado ice candy as a very common treat-dessert from where I came from and we really enjoyed it because they are delicious. Thank you for bringing back some childhood memories. Take care.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hello Ray, I am so glad you stopped by and I was thinking of you while I was writing this post and hoping that your family and you are well. I bet this really hit the spot on these hot summer days in the Philippines. Take Care, BAM
kitchenriffs says
I'm starting to see avocado in all sorts of things lately, but ice candy is a new one for me. This looks amazing! Love the idea -- very refreshing, and fairly healthy. Thanks for this.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks John! Have you ever made a cocktail with avocados? Me either, but if anyone could that would be you. Take care, BAM
Dawn says
I love this idea - avocado is just so creamy, it would make a delicious dessert!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Avocados are not just for savoury dishes anymore. They are becoming huge in the dessert section too. My only suggestion is to add only a little milk as this keeps them really creamy. I can't find dairy free ice cream here in HK, so for me, this is the very next best thing.
nancyc says
I've never heard of avocado ice candy, but it sounds wonderful! Pinning it to try later!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks so much for the pin Nancy. Avocado ice candy is a very popular in the Philippines. Have you ever tried green bean ice lollies that they have in China?
The (Gluten-Free!) Food Gurly says
What a fabulous idea! Creamy, cold and sweet is always good in the summer! 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
No doubt especially on these 90 degree days with 100 percent humidity we are having this week in HK.