We know avocado is the best food ever. But can you cook avocados?
I’ve always heard that you shouldn’t cook with avocado. Supposedly, heating an avocado turns the texture mushy and the taste bitter, so you should always add it at the very end. But I’ve found plenty of ways you enjoy cooked avocado!
Avocado Snacks
While you’re probably most used to snacking on avocado in the form of guacamole (which isn’t cooked) you can also bake avocado wedges to make avocado fries! Avocado slices can be breaded or wrapped in bacon to make delicious fries.
Avocado In Baked Goods
You can also put mashed avocado into cakes, muffins, and brownies. The healthy fats in the avocado add moisture to baked goods and this is a great way to add a nutritional boast to traditionally unhealthy foods. Just add blended ripe avocado to your batter and no one will ever know you snuck it in. Try this avocado brownie recipe to get started.
Grilled Avocado
You can grill avocado too. Put it at the edge of the grill’s heat so that it gets more subtle treatment. Place an avocado half cut side down for about 5 minutes, until grill marks just appear.
Avocado In Sauce Recipes
Another way to cook with avocado is to add it to sauces. Try adding avocado to your mac ‘n’ cheese sauce or an avocado alfredo with this method.
Cooking With Avocado Tips
See, you can cook with avocado. If you’re using it mashed in things, then just go for it. Add it in. If you’re trying to keep it in intact slices, wedges, or halves, you must treat it gently or it will turn to mush. The more you handle it, the more mushy it becomes. That’s why you add it just before serving in many recipes.
Finally, remember that avocado does turn brown, even when cooked. Even when mashed and cooked. So that avocado mac ‘n’ cheese we mentioned, it has some citrus juice included to counter that a bit. It’s still not totally perfect though. The dish will start to turn a slight beige color if you don’t serve it immediately. In general, dishes that contain avocado need to be eaten right away or else they will start to discolor. It’s not harmful to eat discolored avocado though. It just doesn’t look pretty.
So the take away is simple. Cook with avocado. You know you want to. Just follow those few tips and it will all turn out smashing.
This post originally appeared in June 2017 and was revised and republished in July 2023.
I just tried to make avocado flat bread. Avocado smushed into flour, it smelled so good while baking. Once I tasted it it was horribly bitter, tasted like poison, burned feeling in my throat and tongue
No. I just made avocado cake. It was really pretty but the taste was disgusting. It had this blaaaah bitter taste.
Sorry that didn’t work out for you, but thank you for your feedback, Em!
Hello! Thank you so much for your feedback☺️ I once tried cracking an egg inside it and placing it in the airfryer. It looked beautiful. But as soon as I dug my spoon in that avocado and placed it in my mouth I had to run to the sink to spit it out. It is true though, we have different avocados here in Puerto Rico. Look them up😉 I can try it with hass avocados later on. 😁 Take care!
Hi! Im sorry but i have already tried heating an avocado and IT. WAS. NOT. GOOD. It had a rather chemicalish taste and turned to a mushy gooey mess. Maybe it was the type of avocado or maybe it was too ripe. But I’m just putting it out there to avoid people wasting their precious meals because of one avocado.
How did you try to heat it? The above article recommends specific ways that cooking avocado works such as baking into fries or using in sauces or baked goods. Maybe we can help you troubleshoot if we have more information on what you were using it for!
That doesn’t really explain scientifically what happens when you cook avocado.