Here in Texas, and perhaps especially in my house, avocados are something we always seem to have on hand. From zesty guacamole to salads, sandwiches, and breakfast tacos, the creamy, green fruits lend their color, texture, and filling, heart-healthy fats to all manners of snacks and meals around here—and now, even to dessert.
With the heat of a Texas summer heavy in the air, I’ve been craving colder treats. So when I noticed the avocados in the bowl on my kitchen counter taking on the deep, black hue of ripeness, I dug out my ice-pop molds and got to work.
Avocados and chocolate, with their often overlooked fruity notes and subtle earthiness, have a surprising affinity for each other. The mild flavor and buttery texture of the avocado is a natural backdrop to chocolate’s more assertive presence.
I used unsweetened vanilla-flavored almond milk to thin out the mixture enough to easily pour into the molds, but coconut milk, cow’s milk, or your favorite milk-alternative should work well, too. If you use a sweetened product, you may want to slightly reduce the amount of honey you use. If you taste your mixture for sweetness, keep in mind that the frozen pops will be slightly less sweet than the unfrozen mixture, as extreme coldness mutes the sensation of sweetness.
I used Dutch-process cocoa powder, which has been treated with alkali, because that is what I had on hand. You can use natural (untreated) cocoa instead, but your fudge pops will be slightly lighter in color and slightly more acidic in flavor.
If you want to get your chocolate fix without waiting for your ice pops to freeze, reduce the amounts honey and almond milk to generous 1/3-cups each, and dig into instant chocolate “pudding” instead. Yield 6 standard-size fudge pops.
Avocado Fudge Pops
1 large, ripe Hass avocado, peel and pit discarded
½ cup honey
1/3 cup cocoa powder (I used Dutch-process cocoa)
1 1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
Pinch salt
Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth. Distribute mixture evenly among six standard-sized ice-pop molds and freeze overnight or until completely frozen. Keep frozen until ready to serve. If needed to loosen a pop from its mold, carefully run the outside of the mold under hot water for 20-30 seconds.
Morgan Crumm is a mother, blogger, recipe-developer, and real-food advocate based in Dallas, TX. More of her work can be found at BeingTheSecretIngredient.com, a blog about food, life, and love.