12 Substitutes for Avocado You’ll Love

Avocados have a unique, creamy texture and a light, savory flavor. They make great dips, morning snacks, and smoothies.

But they can be expensive or unavailable at grocery stores. They take a while to ripen, and some people, especially children, dislike the flavor of this luscious fruit.

So, in this article, we’re going to share the best avocado substitutes in terms of texture and nutrition.

Avocado Substitutes

1. Mashed banana
2. Hummus
3. Mashed pumpkin
4. Carrot mash
5. Edamame dip
6. Raw Nuts
7. Raw Seeds
8. Nut Butters
9. Stuffed Olives
10. Eggs
11. Soft Cheese
12. Pesto

Mashed Banana

Mashed bananas have a velvety and creamy consistency similar to avocados, but they’re also sweeter.

Mashed banana is perfect for making smoothies and desserts. You can add it to oatmeal to give it more texture and natural sweetness. Like avocados, bananas are rich in potassium and oleic acids.

Hummus

If you’re searching for a savory replacement for this crowd-favorite, look no further. Hummus is a creamy, satisfying, and delicious dip. Its ingredients include tahini, chickpeas, garlic, and lemon juice.

In terms of consistency, hummus and avocado are very similar. However, mashed avocado is milder, while hummus is more tangy, savory, and garlicky.

Mashed Pumpkin

Pumpkin puree is a brilliant orange mush that is made from roasted or boiled pumpkin. It can be made with a single type of winter squash or a combination of several varieties.

Pure pumpkin puree has a thickness similar to avocado puree. Avocado has a more subtle flavor, commonly described as earthy and nutty. Pumpkin has an earthy flavor as well, although it’s sweeter.

Carrot Mash

Carrot mash can be made with boiled or roasted carrots. It’s nutritious and somewhat sweeter than avocado. When it comes to consistency, avocados are more buttery and carrots are a little more watery.

Edamame Dip

Edamame puree is a great avocado replacement – you can use it instead of guacamole, for example.

It has a buttery consistency similar to avocado. It also has a similarly nutty flavor to avocado, but it’s a pinch sweeter.

If you don’t like avocado but still want to make guacamole, boil and purée edamame instead. After you’ve made the puree, squeeze in some lemon juice, dice some tomatoes, mince some garlic, sprinkle with cilantro, and drizzle with olive oil.

Avocado Substitutes: Low-Carb Alternatives

Avocados are loaded with healthy fats, fiber, and minerals — making them one of the finest low-carb, high-fat meals.

If you don’t have avocados or don’t like their flavor but want to get your nutrients in, here are some of your best options that are low in carbs and offer nearly the same amount of healthy fats.

Raw Nuts

Walnuts, almonds, and cashews are excellent low-carb, high-fat avocado alternatives when it comes to nutrition.

The chart below shows you the amount of nuts you need to consume to substitute half an avocado in terms of calories, fat, protein, and fiber.

Raw Seeds

Raw seeds like pumpkin, hemp, and chia seeds are also low-carb substitutes to avocados. The best thing about raw seeds is that they are higher in protein than avocados.

Chia seeds have a higher carb count than the other seeds we feature on the list, but they have a lot of fiber, making you feel full for hours. Try adding chia seeds to your smoothie if you want to replace avocado in your recipe with another healthy fat.

Nut Butters

When we mention nut butter, we don’t mean typical peanut butter with sugar and vegetable oils. Instead, we recommend using natural peanut or almond butter.

Stuffed Olives

Olives are rich in healthy fats and bursting with flavor. They’re fantastic for salads, purees, and a variety of other dishes.

Olives, especially filled ones, can also be eaten as a snack. Blue cheese-stuffed olives are a delicious alternative to avocados..

Eggs

Eggs are the go-to breakfast option and, luckily, a good avocado substitute in terms of nutrition.

Two hard-boiled eggs supply roughly the same amount of calories and fat as half a serving of avocado, but have no carbohydrates and boast a much greater protein content.

Soft Cheese

If you’re searching for a low-carb substitute with a comparable feel to avocado, soft cheese can be a good option.

2 oz of Feta cheese, for example, has roughly the same number of calories and fat as half an avocado. As is the case with eggs, you are losing some fiber while increasing the protein.

Pesto

Pesto has a delicious taste that complements lean meats and grilled veggies. It’s similar to avocado in many nutritional aspects, except that it lacks fiber.

Conclusion

There you have it — the best substitutes to avocado in terms of texture and nutrition.

If you like something to spread on your toast, crackers, or chips, then consider mashed banana, pumpkin, carrots, edamame dip, or hummus.

If you’re looking for something similar in nutrition (or even better), then raw nuts, seeds, nut butter, stuffed olives, eggs, soft cheese, and pesto are the top choices you should consider.

Everything on our list brings different flavors, so consider what ingredients you want to pair each substitute with. Bon appetit!