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Avocado Mousse

by:
December 12, 2017
5
4 Ratings
Photo by Bobbi Lin
  • Prep time 5 minutes
  • Makes about 1.5 cups
Author Notes

This simple preparation makes a fantastic dipping sauce, and it also works as a condiment on sandwiches or a lazy alternative to making guacamole. The texture is silky smooth, so this preparation works if you are looking to use avocado but you want a textural change of pace. —Josh Cohen

Test Kitchen Notes

It may be a new year, but our fondness for avocados is anything but new. Yup, we’re still very much into avocado toast every which way. Alone as a snack? Sure. Scooped up as a hot weather treat? Yes, please. Even in a sumptuous birthday cake! Our love is everlasting.

So it should come as no surprise that when our Test Kitchen Director Josh Cohen gave us yet another way to enjoy our favorite creamy green orb, we welcomed it with open arms.

Say hello to avocado mousse.

Your mind might drift off to a mousse of this nature, but I’m here to reign you in! Our savory mousse is a velvety celebration of pure avocado, accented by lime, salt, and the tiniest hint of cayenne. Light as a cloud and perfectly balanced, it is a straight up avocado dream.

“The texture is creamy, smooth, and luxurious,” Josh tells me. “It can be tempting to add more ingredients to the avocado mousse (chorizo! jalapeño!) but I find that this simple preparation, with no additions, results in a very clean and satisfying taste.”

It’s a great condiment swap for mayonnaise, lending your sandwich the lift and moisture it deserves. It makes a fantastic dipping sauce for empanadas, is the perfect topping for elevated hors d'oeuvres (think mini crab cakes), or even works as a lazy alternative to guacamole (just let the food processor do all the work!).

We can also see avocado mousse working well dolloped onto salads, eggs, cold pasta dishes, and even poke bowls. Come to think of it, upgrading your avocado to avocado mousse would solve that annoying problem of wayward chunks falling off of your tacos, burritos, tostadas, and nachos, too—am I right?

“The truth is, avocado mousse is incredibly versatile. You could dip crudité into it, dip your grilled cheese into it, place a dollop on top of seared fish, use it as a condiment with grilled meat...you can't dip food into guacamole very effectively (you need to sort of scoop guac on top of your food), but you CAN dip food into avocado mousse.” FACT.

We have a feeling this creamy and versatile mousse will be making major inroads in your 2018 menu rotation... —Hana Asbrink

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Ingredients
  • 2 avocado
  • 3 pinches salt
  • the juice of 1 lime
  • 1 small pinch cayenne
Directions
  1. Put the flesh of the two avocados into a food processor, and add three pinches of salt. Pulse the avocado for about 1 minute, until the texture resembles avocado that has been smashed with a fork.
  2. Add the juice of 1 lime along with a small pinch of cayenne. Turn on the food processor again and let it run for about 2 minutes, until the avocado mixture has a smooth and silky texture. Taste the avocado mousse. Adjust with more salt, lime, or cayenne as necessary. This mixture can last for a couple of days stored in the refrigerator, but the color may fade from green to brownish over time. Serve the avocado mousse as a dipping condiment, or use it on sandwiches in place of mayo.
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12 Reviews

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Carmen December 30, 2018
I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS MOUSSE! I added a garlic clove and smoked paprika. I’ve used it as a dip/spread for tortilla chips, fried potatoes, eggs, chicken, fish, you name it! It’s healthy and yummy!
Josh C. January 2, 2019
Thanks Carmen for this feedback, I always encourage folks to get creative so I love that you added garlic and smoked paprika.
Pamela L. August 25, 2018
Why all the nay-saying? It isn't slimy and doesn't darken nearly as fast as plain avocado, the lime juice helps that. Maybe you should just try making it?

My question: has anyone tried making in a blender? I know the Cuisinart is what adds in all the air, but will be staying at a rental that only has a blender ... Thanks.
tamater S. May 3, 2018
I've been making it this way for ages, but I'll give you a tip, for if you've got too much: smooth out what's left in the bowl, and press in to cover it with finely sliced red onion, then use your plastic film. This can be done with a cut-in-half avo as well. I've tried this with white and yellow onion, but it didn't work.
tamater S. May 3, 2018
I forgot to say that this tip is meant to stop browning, and the reason to slice the onion thin, is to cover leaving no space uncovered as you'd have using thick slices.

If anybody knows why this works with red & not white oe yellow onion, I'm all ears!
Daniel H. May 3, 2018
The “why” is in the color red.
Lemon January 12, 2018
In Mexican cooking they make an avocado crema, adding heavy cream to the avocado, and that keeps it from turning brown. This recipe is just a tad off the mark for me, too. And the concept is not genius.
tamater S. May 3, 2018
I gave a tip just above, using red onion, but I'm definitely going to try the heavy cream tip, for when I,m out of the red onion. Maybe with cream, I'll taste and then add a pinch of salt. Thanks.
JoAnne L. January 6, 2018
I agree with the othe comments! Reading the recipe and method was very unappealing. I’ve also been a lifelong resident of California and eaten avocados my entire life, my husband and I owned a small avocado orchard at one time.
Perhaps if you are trying to use up sub par avocados such as the Bacon variety you might try this recipe but do throw a pit or two in immediately to try to control the oxidation. I envision brown slime, not very appetizing.
Otaku January 5, 2018
I also concur with the previous comments. There is just something SO wrong with Guacamole the consistency of hot wet toothpaste or mayonnaise. The thicker and random texture of fork mashed Guacamole is what makes it special. Texture is a big part of taste. This is more like what follows after a bout of food poisoning! It may be for some, but NOT for me!!! But good luck for all those who wish to try this and waste a perfectly good avocado.. especially at the current prices (For those not currently in living in the growing belt).
Cookie January 5, 2018
Yikes, I appreciate the attempt to think out of the box, but for any true avocado lover, this recipe is inherently unappetizing. Those of us who use avocados regularly will recognize that processing them this way will cause them to turn brown very quickly, regardless of added lime juice; and eliminate the spectacular mouth-feel and very useful consistency that makes it so enjoyable either as a dip or on foods like sandwiches, tacos and burritos. Contrary to the article, one can of course "effectively" dip things guacamole, those "wayward chunks" that fall off your burritos, etc. are what make guacamole so delicious, and liquidating avocados in a food processor is hardly the "lazy alternative" to using a single fork to lightly smash an avo or two in a bowl and add simple seasonings...
Lynnie January 5, 2018
Agree w/Cookie. Indigenous Cali girl that I am, I have been around avocados all my life. If your avocado is at the right degree of ripeness and if you have a feel for just how much to mash it (not cream it), it will adhere to itself and not have chunks falling off... that is truth, but you have to have a feel for it. Sliced avos on ak-mak crackers or toast with just a good whiff of good quality creole seasoning (essentially what this recipe gets at...) or Cholula sauce or what-you-will is sublime and preserves the wonderful texture and beautiful, fresh vibrant looks of the fruit. I thought the image with the recipe looks like avocado that was over-processed ("creamed") and starting to turn. IMHO.