We’ve all tried “healthy” recipes that taste REALLY…healthy. Those recipes that say “you’ll never guess!” Wrong! We guessed! The zucchini didn’t taste like pizza crust after all!
So please believe me on this one when I say: you can’t tell.
You will never guess that the creamy, delicious, healthy base of this chocolate frosting is courtesy of my best friend the avocado.
Bonus: it doesn’t melt, so if you’re impatient and you don’t let your cakes cool fully before frosting (like me!), it won’t disappear into the cake the way butter- and shortening-based frostings do. It’s also really easy to make.
Ingredients (for 12 cupcakes; double if frosting and filling a layer cake):
- 1 small, ripe avocado
- 2 tablespoons honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup (plus more to taste)
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- pinch of salt (do not omit)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- confectioner’s sugar (optional…and slightly less healthy)
Directions:
Slice the avocado in half, remove the pit, and scoop the flesh into a small bowl. Stir and mash until creamy – a few small lumps (smaller than a pencil eraser) are fine, but the consistency should be pretty smooth. Add the liquid sweetener, cocoa, salt, and vanilla (if using), and stir or whisk until well combined. You can add additional sweetener to taste, and a little bit of confectioner’s sugar can help the texture feel more like traditional buttercream or compensate if you’ve added too much liquid along the way. Store leftover frosting and frosted baked goods in the refrigerator.
I’ve served this to almost everyone I know and no one has ever asked me if it was one of my healthy recipes…or if there was avocado in it 😉