Fudgesicles

I was never a huge fan of popsicles as a kid, but one summertime treat I did love was fudgesicles. These were my preferred treat of choice from the ice cream man. A few years ago when I was pregnant, I had this random craving for fudgesicles, however this was after my food conversion to whole foods, so I attempted a few "all natural" fudgesicle products that I found at my local co-op, and they definitely hit the spot. This random fudgesicle phase did indeed pass with time and the birth of my first son and I haven't really thought about it much since. But the other day as I was blog rolling, Ali from The Whole Life Kitchen posted a recipe for avocado fudgesicles, and I was thus inspired to create my own version (I'm now in a huge popsicle phase since my son and I picked up some popsicle molds at Target the other day).

I love that Ali used avocado as her base; this wonderful fruit (or vegetable depending on who you talk to) is full of almost 20 essential nutrients and it's been said that humans can live on them exclusively for periods of time. Ali's recipe is intended to "hide" the avocado, so you're eating it without knowing it, and turning a not-so-healthy treat from your grocer's freezer aisle to an absolutely healthy treat! Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious cookbook also has some fun uses for "hiding" the avocado in recipes you wouldn't normally think they would be in.

Before my food conversion, I was never a big avocado fan. In fact, I don't know that I had ever eaten one until I was in my early twenties, as we never ate them at home growing up (it was a lot of boxed meals thanks to mom and Betty Crocker... mac n' cheese, Rice a Roni, and Hamburger Helper, etc.). When I did discover them (and learned that they are not, in fact, as exotic as one midwestern girl might think), I was so elated I started buying them at the grocery store every week and making guacamole like crazy. (The first time I made guacamole for my mom, she exclaimed, "Oh, you made that green stuff!")

I also consumed a lot of avocados in my raw food days a year or so back, as this is considered a staple of that eating lifestyle due to it's high fat and nutrient content. Raw foodies use them in dressings and salads, on top of "main" courses, and always in lots of dessert recipes. This is where I first learned that it pairs so well with carob or cocoa for a delicious vegan chocolate pudding. 

So... needless to say... we nearly always have them on hand. And when my son asked me about making popsicles the other morning, a fudgesicle recipe started brewing in my brain. This is what I came up with; the best part is that you (or your kids or your spouse) will never know you're eating your fruit (again, or vegetables) with this recipe.

Fudgesicles

1 avocado

2 bananas

3/4 cup almond milk

2 tablespoons agave nectar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

pinch salt

Blend all ingredients in Vitamix or other high powered blender. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for 6 or more hours.

Makes 6-8 fudgesicles.

(Hubby never even knew avocados were in theses!)