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The Moroccan Avocado Milkshake is a creamy and nutritious avocado smoothie traditionally blended with milk, avocado and sugar.
It is a very common drink in Morocco, especially during the month of Ramadan, when juices and smoothies of all kinds can be served during the breaking of the fast.
During other times of the year, Moroccans might offer an avocado milkshake to family or guests as a refreshment along with nuts, dates and dried fruit. You will also find it in restaurants, snack shops, bakeries and juice stands.
Avocado smoothies are healthy and delicious
If you’re only familiar with using avocado in salads or dips, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the smooth texture and delicious flavor of an avocado smoothie. Even people who don’t normally like avocados on their own tend to enjoy this smoothie.
Avocado smoothies are also healthy and nutritious, as avocados are rich in fiber, potassium, and monounsaturated fatty acids.
Additionally, avocados can help lower cholesterol and are a good source of vitamins E, C, B6, and K.
Tips and variations
For additional health benefits, texture and flavor, dried fruit such as dates or figs are sometimes mixed into Moroccan avocado smoothies.
And although it is not so popular in Morocco, you can also add fruits such as bananas, apples or mangoes. Or, consider mixing in a little vanilla to complement the creamy flavor of the drink.
Be sure to select fresh, ripe avocados for your smoothie. I find that ripe avocados that are a little too soft to use in the salad provide the best flavor.
Avoid avocados that are too hard or overripe. Both can impart an unpleasant flavor to the smoothie.
How large and ripe your avocado is will determine how much milk and sugar you add. For a medium avocado, plan to use about 2 cups or more of milk or a non-dairy substitute like almond milk.
The recipe reflects the fact that many Moroccans tend to prefer their drinks on the sweet side. I recommend sweetening to taste, adding sugar or honey in small increments.
Leave to cool or blend a few ice cubes to serve immediately.
For another tasty and healthy drink, try a Moroccan almond milkshake.
Frequent questions
It depends on your palate. Some people describe avocados as having a delicate nutty and buttery flavor. Others say they taste slightly eggy or grassy. Ripe avocados tend to have a slightly sweet aroma.
Ripe avocados will give slightly to light pressure. However, they should not be soft or mushy. If your avocados are quite hard, you can speed up their ripening by placing them in a paper bag with a banana or apple for a day or two.
Whole milk will give the richest, creamiest flavor, but you can use any dairy or non-dairy milk to make an avocado smoothie or smoothie.
To open an avocado, cut the circumference of the avocado lengthwise, making sure the knife reaches the pit. Rotate or separate the halves. Remove the pit, then use a spoon to scoop out the avocado pulp or pulp from the skin.
Moroccan avocado milkshake
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- 2 to 3 cups milk – or vegetable milk
- 1 medium ripe avocado
- 2 spoons sugar or honey – or to taste
Remove the pulp from the avocado
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Place the avocado on a cutting board and cut it in half lengthwise. This can easily be done by cutting the avocado lengthwise down the center until you feel the knife touch the pit, then rotate the avocado to continue cutting around the circumference of the pit. Rotate or separate the avocado halves.
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Remove the pit. If it’s a little stubborn, try poking the nub with the knife blade until it pops in. Raise the knife with the nub on the blade.
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Using a spoon, scoop the avocado pulp out of the skin of both halves. Remove any stains that show discoloration.
Blend the Milkshake
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Pour 1 to 1 1/2 cups milk into a blender. Add avocado and sugar (or honey) to taste. Blend the ingredients until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.
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Continue adding milk gradually until the milkshake has the consistency you prefer. The ripeness of the avocado and its size will determine how much milk you need.
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Taste the sweetness, stirring in more sugar or honey to taste.
Serve the avocado shake
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Avocado smoothie is best served cold. If serving immediately, you may want to blend in a few ice cubes.
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Pour your milkshake into glasses, garnish if you prefer and serve.
- Almond milk or other non-dairy products can be used instead of dairy milk.
- Use honey instead of sugar for a natural sweetener.
- Add dried fruit, figs or dates for a naturally sweet flavor.
- You can add banana, apple or mango for a fruity blend.
- Add a sprig of mint and one or two chopped almonds to the surface.
- Chopped pecans can also be used to garnish the top and add a nutty flavor.
- An avocado spoils very quickly once peeled, so if you don’t use the whole avocado, wrap the other half in plastic and store in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. You can also store it in the freezer for 6 months.
Serving: 3portionsCalories: 237kcalCarbohydrates: 22GProtein: 6GFat: 15GSaturated fats: 4GCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 75mgPotassium: 540mgFiber: 4GSugar: 17GVitamin A: 361UIC vitamin: 7mgSoccer: 192mgIron: 1mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate obtained from online calculators. Optional ingredients may not be included in nutritional information.
Christine Benlafquih is the founding editor of Taste of Maroc and owner of Taste of Casablanca, a food tour and culinary activities business in Casablanca. A long-time resident of Morocco, she has written extensively about Moroccan cuisine and culture. She was a Moroccan cuisine expert for The Spruce Eats (formerly About.com) from 2008 to 2016.
