Helping families eat healthier for less

Helping families eat healthier for less

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Nothing Says Summer Like Popsicles - Avocado Raspberry Popsicles

 


Avocado Raspberry Popsicles

Disclaimer: I received free samples of California Avocado mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by California Avocado and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.
 
I grew up in Southern California where Hass avocados are widely available. My brother used to rent a house that had several avocado trees  on the property and he’d let me pick as many as I could carry in a large grocery paper bag. What great memories I have from those days.

There are many reasons to love avocados. I love their taste and creamy texture. They’re also loaded with “good” monounsaturated fats, the predominant type of fat found in Mediterranean-style diets. A one-ounce serving, or 1/5 of a medium avocado provides 3 grams of monounsaturated fat and 0.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat. Contrary to some beliefs, one serving of avocado is only 50 calories, provides 2 grams of fiber, and has no sodium or cholesterol.

California avocados are in peak season from March through September, making them perfect for summer gatherings.

Because avocados provide “healthy” fats, they are a good substitute for unhealthy saturated fats. So, for instance, try spreading avocado on your toast or bagel in the morning instead of butter, or use mashed avocado instead of mayonnaise on your sandwich bread, or dip raw veggies into guacamole instead of a sour cream-based dip. Although I haven’t yet tried this, I’ve read that avocado can be substituted for butter or oil in baked good recipes, such as cookies, cakes or muffins. “Though the result may vary slightly by recipe, you can use a one-to-one substitution of avocado for butter, however when substituting avocado for oil it may be necessary to add another liquid to balance the recipe and "thin out" thicker batters or mixes.”[1]

To me, nothing says summer better than popsicles. Here is a recipe for cool and creamy Avocado Popsicles.  I don’t have any fancy popsicle molds, so I simply use 5-ounce Dixie cups with a wooden stick. Foil over the top of the cup helps to hold the sticks upright while freezing. This recipe takes about 10 minutes to prepare. I love the combination  of raspberries and avocados in a green salad, so I used those two flavors in this popsicle recipe. It’s so easy, but looks impressive. One popsicle is only 129 calories and provides a good source of protein, fiber, and vitamin C.
Step one is to blend together one ripe peeled and seeded California Avocado in a blender with honey and an individual container of coconut vanilla nonfat Greek yogurt and pour into cups (or a popsicle mold.  Cover with foil, insert wooden stick and freeze for 2 hours.
 



 
Step One

Step two is to blend together fresh or frozen raspberries with an individual container of raspberry nonfat Greek yogurt and then spoon this mixture over the top of the frozen avocado mixture. Top with foil and freeze for 2 hours.
 
Step Two
 
Here is the complete recipe.

Avocado Raspberry Popsicles

Prep Time: about 10 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours, 10 minutes

 

Ingredients:

1 ripe Fresh California Avocado, seeded and peeled

1 tablespoon honey

1 5.3-ounce container toasted coconut vanilla nonfat Greek yogurt

1 5.3-ounce container raspberry or strawberry nonfat Greek yogurt

1 cup fresh or frozen red raspberries

4 5-ounce paper cups

4 flat wooden sticks

 

Instructions:


Step One:

 
Combine avocado, coconut vanilla yogurt, and honey in blender. Cover and blend until smooth. Divide mixture evenly among paper cups. Tap cups gently on counter to make avocado mixture even within cups and to eliminate any air pockets. Cover cups with foil and insert stick into center of each cup. Freeze for 2 hours or until completely frozen.


Step Two:

 
When first layer is frozen, remove foil from pops. Combine strawberry yogurt and raspberries in blender. Cover and blend until smooth. Spoon mixture into each cup over the frozen avocado layer. Again cover cups with foil with sticks poking through center. Freeze until completely frozen, about 2 hours.

 
To eat, peel off paper cups. Enjoy.

 
Serves: 4

 

Nutrition Information per serving:

 
129 calories, 5 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 3 g monounsaturated fat, 1 g polyunsaturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 28 mg sodium, 302 mg potassium, 14 g total carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber, 9 g total sugars, 9 g protein, 1.2% DV vitamin A, 18.5% DV vitamin C, 8.7% DV calcium, 2.5% DV iron, 0 % DV vitamin D, 9.2% DV folate, and 0.04 g omega 3 fatty acids.

Click here to download and print a copy of this recipe.

Check out these other avocado summer delights.


18 comments:

  1. Almost too pretty to eat! Almost...yum!
    Heidi@betterthandormfood

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    Replies
    1. The contrast of the green and red do make these pops appetizing. Guess you could even add a third layer if you really wanted to get fancy.

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  2. Love these for kids AND adults!! So funny... and I bet the coconut yogurt is delicious with the avocados.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, these popsicles are great for kids of all ages. The coconut and avocado go together very well in my opinion. You could also use a mango or pineapple flavored yogurt for tropical treat.

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  3. I love the colors! I can't wait to try these flavors together:)

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    Replies
    1. The avocado gives these pops a beautiful green color. I love it.

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  4. YUM! I bet those are really creamy! Perfect summer treat

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  5. So pretty!!! Love the color! I have a cooking class with kids I think it would be fun to show them how versatile avocados are by making these! Pinning!

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    Replies
    1. Of course, you'll have to make them ahead of time, but they are a great treat for kids. And with Dixie cups and popsicle sticks, you can make a dozen or more at a time.

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  6. Yum! Loved the layered look, and combo of avocado and raspberries going on here. I've got some honey ginger yogurt in the fridge....wonder how that would go with the avocado? Would be a fun experiment for sure :-)

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    Replies
    1. I think honey ginger yogurt would be a great variation.

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  7. We are at the beach and I sure wish I had one of your yummy looking popsicles- they're so pretty. How cool that you could had avocado "access" from your brother's yard back in the day!

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  8. Looks delicious! I love homemade pops, never thought to add avocado. I bet the combo of raspberry and creamy avocado is incredible!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for your comment, Alex. Yes, it is a flavorful combination in my opinion.

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