This Vegan Ice Cream Is Made Out Of Avocados

A dairy-free ice cream company is capitalizing on the growing trend of plant-based foods and people adding avocados to everything. Cado has even used it in their very own frozen treat, and has successfully mixed it with a variety of flavors. It’s a combination that looks unusual from the outside, but it makes complete sense in this day and age.

Cado’s ice cream base is made of mashed-up, ripened avocados. For anybody that’s ever had the fruit -- and let’s be honest, it’s likely been in everybody’s meal at this point -- there’s a natural, sweet taste to the product. We’ve already seen the addition of avocados in other desserts like brownies and pudding.

The idea was created by the Dowd family back in 2015 -- Meghan, her brother, Jack, and her mother, Deb. They believed it was a natural transition for avocados since they’ve been included in other sweet treat recipes.

"Avocados, because of the quality of the fat and creaminess, had found their way into our smoothies and pies, and so using them to craft ice cream was a natural next step," Meghan told Refinery29. “...The avocado-base offers more nutrition and a superior fat, doesn't compete with the flavor, has a really creamy quality, just like ice cream.”

While just having the avocados as a creamy ice cream base can be a little dull, Cado has added various flavors into the mix. As of now, there’s Deep Dark Chocolate, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Simply Lemon. Others coming up are various traditional favorites like Cherry Amaretto, Java Chip, Salted Caramel Swirl, and Vanilla Bean.

To repeat, there’s no dairy in the product to create the ice cream -- its base is simply avocados. There’s also no nuts included, no soy, it's gluten-free, and non-GMO. Instead of artificial flavors and sweeteners, it’s nothing but fresh, organic ingredients, a low-calorie intake, and it’s safe for those allergic to dairy and peanuts.

The first-ever avocado-based ice cream has made headlines in recent years. It was listed as the healthiest ice cream brand by Rodale’s Organic Life. Tom Brady also celebrated his 40th birthday last August with the New England Patriots when preparing for the upcoming season, and Cado was served.

Want to give the frozen avocado dessert a try? Luckily, it’s distributed in many locations across the United States. They’re widely available in store chains like Whole Foods, ShopRite, and Fresh Market. It wouldn’t hurt to check healthy and organic sections at local grocery stores if those places aren’t available. If it’s not around, you can always request a local shop to carry it.