5-Minute Creamy Avocado Dip (That is Not Guacamole!)

Why You'll Love This

• If you love guacamole you gonna love this creamy dip. It tastes almost like guacamole but lighter, creamier, and is low-calorie, low-carb, and gluten-free.
• The universal perfect dipper for almost any finger foods to serve on your next game night.
• Easy to make, just 5 minutes to throw together.
• If you’re looking for some ways to serve this dip, be sure to try out this dip with Asparagus Fries and Potato Pancakes.

Ingredients

• Avocado - I used two ripe and chilled avocados. Overripe is the best as they are super easy to mash with just a fork. 
• Seasonings - use a generous amount of salt (well love homemade seasoned salt) and black pepper, it is much needed here.
• Lime juice - fresh is always best, but you can use lemon juice instead. My 1 tablespoon of lime juice in the recipe is more or less a guideline for you. Add the lime juice to your liking, to taste.
• Jalapenos - adds that needed zing if you like it spicy with some smoky flavor to it. Other hot peppers will work too, substitute the jalapeno with green chiles, habanero, or serrano pepper. Or just a splash of hot sauce or chili powder, cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes will work too.
• Fresh herbs - fresh cilantro is my go-to herb in southwestern dishes. It has a unique taste and smell that none of the other herbs can compete with. I do get it that some folks don’t like it and in this case, you can leave it out completely. 
• I love adding fresh garlic instead of garlic powder. Both onion and garlic are the essential aromatics here but the recipe will work with at least one garlic or onion.

How To Make Avocado Dip Step By Step

This is a very simple method of making the avocado dip. You'll need a food processor but you can totally make it by hand with a fork or masher.

1. Add all the ingredients into your blender or mini food processor. Pulse until smooth and the desired texture. Or use a handheld blender, super easy and less cleanup!
2. You can add a splash of cold water and olive oil to thin it out, but essentially crema should be thick but spreadable. 
3. Serve right away with homemade tortilla chips, tacos or buddha bowls. Taco Tuesday has never been so good!

Tips

• Avocados need lots of salt, especially when mixed into sauce or dips. Yogurt makes things creamy but takes away the flavor that we bring back with the right amount of seasonings.
• Use fresh lime juice whenever possible. Bottled ones just don’t have the right flavor and simply lack ''fresh taste''.
• The dipping sauce will get brown on top after refrigerating. It is normal. Scoop out the top layer where you'll find bright green avocado crema underneath. I don't recommend storing this for more than 24-48 hours tops, as the flavor will change and you risk your entire dip turning brown.
• Use this creamy avocado dip to drizzle over salads or barbecues. For a thinner consistency, simply add a small amount of water or plant-based milk to thin it out. Then transfer into sauce or squeeze bottle and refrigerate until ready to use. You may need to adjust the amount of the rest of the ingredients.
• Consider this as your basic avocado dipping sauce that can be modified by adding different seasonings and vegetables (similar to what goes in guacamole and Mexican dips.)

Freezing and Storing Instructions

To Refrigerate Avocado Dip

• Transfer dip into an airtight container or zip lock bag and refrigerate for up to 48 hours (is best but can be up to 2-3 days tops). If stored in an airtight container, add a piece of plastic wrap on top or pour a bit of cold water over the dip and close the lid (this is the same when storing guacamole). This will delay the browning of avocado effect for quite a while.
• If you add water, don’t store the crema for longer than a day, just my experience as the flavor will change and texture too. Some browning will still occur, and this is normal. It is safe to eat but I recommend removing the top layer before consumption.

To Freeze Avocado Dip

• I don’t recommend it but it can be done the same way by packing the crema into zip lock bags or using a vacuum if you have one. Freeze for up to 1-2 months.

Serving Suggestions

What to do with avocado crema? It has plenty of uses. Serve it with:

• Nachos
• Chips
• Quesadillas, Taquitos, vegetarian or fish tacos
• Sweet Potato Fries, healthy Asparagus Frie,, or any fries 
• Dip for fresh vegetables (carrot, celery, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers)
• Patties
• As a creamy dressing in Beef Taco Salad
• Sandwiches and wraps

How to choose a ripe avocado?

The star ingredient for this creamy avocado dip - is choosing a perfectly ripe avocado.

How to pick the best avocado:

• Avocado Stem - When shopping for avocados, always go for avocados with stems on. If there’s no stem, then it's more likely your avocado may have brown spots inside.
• Next, do a so-called press test. Gently press your thumb into the skin around the avocado. If the avocado yields to firm gentle pressure, it means it’s ripe and you’re good to go. 
• The color is also a great indicator of ripeness. The darkest green turning purple is the best. However, this depends on your location and type of avocados too. For example in Asia, I always find super green colored and huge avocados. But they pass my ‘’press test ‘’ and are perfectly ripe inside.