I Tried the Wildly Viral Avocado Dessert Recipe and It’s Now My Go-To, Too
I’m a fan of plenty of social media influencers, but there are some I just adore — and @thekwendyhome is my top follow. I love checking in on Wendy for all things home decor, design, cleaning, and organization. She’s just the right combination of aspirational and relatable, and I really love her style.
In addition to her IG account, she blogs on topics like her remodeling her kitchen and budgeting for renovations. She also shares recipes on occasion, which I consider to be the best bonus content ever. A recent dessert idea on her Insta feed caught my eye: avocado with icy condensed milk.
In the Reel, Wendy explains that this Vietnamese dessert reminds her of her childhood. (Some commenters chimed in and shared that they had similar memories from the Philippines and Brazil.) It looked like everything I wanted on one of the first hot days of summer: crushed ice, sweet dairy, and ripe avocado. As luck would have it, I had one perfect avocado getting dangerously close to the overripe zone. Onward, to dessert!
Get the recipe: Avocado Dessert
How to Make Avocado Dessert
Gotta love a three-ingredient recipe. To make this, all you have to do is cut the avocado into bite-sized pieces and spoon it into a bowl. Top with crushed ice and drizzle over condensed milk. Stir to combine, and dig in with a spoon. Some commenters mentioned that they enjoy this blended, but I wanted to try it the Wendy way.
My Honest Review of Avocado Dessert
Forget ice pops: I have found my new favorite summertime dessert. Although this dish is pretty indulgent, it tastes light and refreshing — a winner of a combo, IMO. The juxtaposition of creamy avocado and crunchy ice is so satisfying (especially if, like me, you habitually chew on ice cubes after you finish your drinks).
I was initially unsure about what type of condensed milk to buy: sweetened or unsweetened. Wendy doesn’t specify in the video, and I don’t typically cook with it, so I didn’t have either variety in my cabinets. But I reached out to Wendy, and she confirmed: Sweetened is the way to go. (Another reason why she’s the best: She responds to fan DMs!) I grabbed a can of sweetened condensed milk, and am glad I did. That said, I bet this would work with unsweetened condensed milk; just add your own maple syrup, honey, or simple syrup to up the sweetness.
In the vid, Wendy didn’t specify how much milk to drizzle on, but I think you can just eyeball it. I used about two tablespoons. Because it’s so rich, I found that a little goes a long way, and next time, I will use just half an avocado and slightly less milk. Or maybe I’ll make two bowls and share with my boyfriend (if he promises to spring for an ice machine, that is).
3 Tips for Making Avocado Dessert
- Make sure your ice is crushed. Someday I will have a crushed ice maker in my home. SOMEDAY. But until then, I freeze cubes in trays. For this dessert to really sing, you absolutely need the ice to be in bite-sized pieces — otherwise, you’ll just eat cold avocado and be left with a bowl of green-tinted icy boulders. To crush your own ice, place a handful of cubes into a zip-top bag and seal it shut. Set the bag onto a cutting board, and smash it with a hammer or meat mallet. You could use a blender, but I am lazy so I did not.
- Use sweetened condensed milk. This is a treat, after all! You won’t go through an entire container for this, so transfer the rest into a jar and pop it in the fridge. You can use it in iced coffees or baked goods.
- Make sure your avocado is ripe. The best part about this dish, IMO, is how the avocado turns a bit mushy when mixed with the condensed milk. If your avocado isn’t ripe enough, it’ll be hard to mash. (Think about how annoying it is to make guac when your avocados are too hard.) In fact, I think this is a clever use for too-ripe avocados. I’ll be trying that next time I wait too long to use them up.