Avocado Lime Cream
This is a blended avocado sauce, looser and brighter than guacamole, built for spooning over grilled fish, roasted beans, or anything that wants a little richness and acid. Florida avocados bring a buttery, mild base that takes lime and a touch of garlic really well. It comes together in about ten minutes and keeps its color better than you'd expect.
Spoonable, bright, and ready in minutes, this avocado lime cream belongs on everything.
Florida avocado season runs through summer into early fall, and the big smooth-skinned fruit shows up at farm stands and Latin markets all over Southwest Florida right when you need something cool and fast for the table. This cream is what we reach for when grilled fish or a pot of beans needs something to tie it together. It takes ten minutes, uses one piece of equipment, and it's exactly as good as it sounds.
The Florida avocado has a lighter fat content than the Hass most people are used to, which means it blends into a sauce that actually pours rather than sitting in a lump. Lime and garlic do the rest. Keep a squeeze bottle of this in the fridge on fish nights and you'll use it faster than you made it. You can read how we raise them here.
Ingredients
Method
- 1
Scoop the avocado flesh into a blender. A Florida avocado is bigger and higher in water content than a Hass, so you'll have plenty to work with. Don't worry if it looks like a lot.
- 2
Add the lime juice, garlic, salt, cilantro, and jalapeño if you're using it. Pour in the cold water.
- 3
Blend on high until completely smooth, about 45 seconds to 1 minute. Stop and scrape down the sides once if needed.
- 4
Check the consistency. It should pour slowly off a spoon, thinner than guacamole but not watery. Add water a tablespoon at a time and blend again until it moves the way you want.
- 5
Taste and adjust: more lime for brightness, more salt to lift everything. Pour into a bowl or a squeeze bottle and serve right away, or press plastic wrap directly against the surface and refrigerate for up to a few hours before serving.
Notes from our kitchen
- Florida avocados are the big, smooth-skinned ones you see at farm stands and Latin markets in summer. Their flesh is lighter in fat than Hass, which is exactly why this sauce stays pourable and doesn't turn dense.
- Pressing plastic wrap or a sheet of parchment directly against the surface of the cream slows browning considerably. A little extra lime juice stirred in before storing also helps.
- This sauce is excellent over grilled snapper, spooned onto black beans and rice, drizzled over shrimp tacos, or used as a dip for plantain chips.
Common questions
Can I use a Hass avocado instead of a Florida avocado?
Yes, but the sauce will come out richer and thicker. You may need an extra tablespoon or two of water to get the right consistency, and the flavor will be a little more buttery and less mild. Either way it works.
How long does avocado lime cream keep?
It's best the day you make it. Stored with plastic wrap pressed against the surface and refrigerated, it holds its color and flavor for about 4 to 6 hours. After that it starts to oxidize and the flavor gets a bit flat.
Can I make this without a blender?
A food processor gets you close. A fork and a lot of elbow grease will give you something more like a thinned guacamole, which still tastes great but won't be as silky.