This easy creamy avocado dip is terrific for parties and get together's, afternoon snacks, or a healthy nibble while watching the big game. Use it as a creamy avocado sauce too! It's great for avocado toast and alongside fish, chicken and shrimp. Make it in a minute. It's addictive and full of healthy fats.
Jump to:
Why You'll Like This Recipe
- Super quick and easy to make.
- Use a food processor or make it by hand.
- This versatile avocado dip works as a sauce too.
- The creamy texture melts in your mouth.
- Do you love guacamole? Try this recipe.
Recipe Ingredients
Simple, basic ingredients. For measurements please see the recipe card.
- Avocados: Be sure they are ripe by gently pressing with your fingers at the top and sides of the avocado. You want them soft but not squishy (over-ripe).
- Yogurt: Buy plain Greek yogurt, which gives the dip the rich creaminess and a nice tang. Don't buy flavored yogurt like vanilla.
- Fresh herbs: Basil is my first choice, but you can use other mint-family herbs. See the substitutions section. Use just the leaves and not the stems for the dip.
- Citrus juice: Preferably fresh lime juice or fresh lemon juice, for fresh bright flavor.
- Garlic: Use garlic powder or fresh garlic. With fresh garlic, chop it very fine and smear it into a paste with the back of your knife so no one bites into a piece of raw garlic. Garlic powder blends in and rehydrates quickly.
- Pepper: I prefer white pepper for this healthy dip recipe but ground black pepper works too.
Chef's tip: How to make avocados ripen faster? Place them in a brown paper bag with a banana. Bananas contain ethylene, a natural plant hormone. It triggers ripening in fruit. The paper bag traps the ethylene gas that's produced and speeds up the ripening process. Apples and tomatoes work too. Read here about how avocados ripen.
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- To make this vegan: Use my go-to mayonnaise, or other vegan mayonnaise as a substitute for the yogurt.
- Replace the yogurt with sour cream.
- Herbs: Instead of basil (or in addition to it) use fresh cilantro, fresh flat leaf (Italian) parsley, or fresh feathery dill. Use a combination of herbs if desired. A mild mint is refreshing too. No herbs? Use fresh baby spinach leaves.
- For heat: Add a finely chopped jalapeno pepper, a pinch of red pepper flakes, a pinch of cayenne pepper, or a splash of liquid hot sauce.
- Add a little ground cumin or ground coriander for even more flavor.
Recipe Instructions
How to make avocado dip:
Food Processor
Add all ingredients to the workbowl of a food processor and process smooth. Taste and adjust with any additional citrus, yogurt or salt. So easy!
By Hand
Mash the avocados as smoothly as possible with a fork in a medium bowl then use a whisk to make it creamy. Chop the basil leaves fine, then add the rest of the ingredients and continue whisking until it is as smooth as possible.
Depending on how ripe your avocados are, it could be creamy or a little more chunky like traditional guacamole. Either way it will taste great.
For another terrific avocado appetizer or snack, try my guacamole with pomegranate seeds.
How to Serve
Build a veggies and cracker snack board or a crudite platter.
For serving, scoop the dip into a bowl and place in the center of a plate, platter, or board and add what you like. Here is what I serve with the dip:
- Bell peppers: Red, orange, or yellow, cut into strips.
- Zucchini: Raw zucchini sliced into "chips" or strips, or the baby ones, split in half lengthwise.
- Carrots: Any color you can find, cut into sticks, or use the baby ones.
- Broccoli: Broken into bite-sized florets.
- Endive leaves: My favorite! These crisp, pale green or red leaves make terrific scoopers. Trim the root end and peel off leaves.
- Radishes: Halve then for easier eating, leaving on a little stem for the color and as a handle.
- Sugar snap peas: Drop them in boiling salted water for 30 seconds, then into ice water. They are much nicer to eat than totally raw. It's called blanching. Still crisp and crunchy, softens them just a tad.
- Cucumbers: Slice into "chips" on the diagonal or crosswise into rounds.
- Your favorite crackers, corn chips or pita chips.
Other Ways to Use
As a creamy dipping sauce:
- Make avocado toast for breakfast or a snack.
- Use avocado dip instead of cocktail sauce with cooked shrimp, chicken skewers, pork or beef kabobs.
- A dollop on top of grilled, baked or sauteed fish, like salmon, halibut, cod or flounder is delicious.
- Use to garnish deviled eggs, or skip the egg filling and use this, then garnish with bacon crumbles.
- Use in burgers, as a sandwich spread, or with quesadillas and turkey wraps.
- Thin with milk and use as a creamy salad dressing for romaine or study lettuces.
- Top Mexican dishes like enchiladas with this avocado crema.
How to Store
Avocado dip is best enjoyed the same day. Leftover dip keeps a day or two refrigerated in an airtight container. To reduce browning (oxidation), squeeze lemon juice over the top.
Some avocado fans recommend placing a piece of plastic wrap smoothed over the top to reduce oxidation, but it still happens. If it gets brown on top, scrape off the brown and stir. It still tastes good. A little fresh lime juice is good too.
The market is filled with gadgets to help keep avocados, guacamole and avocado dip fresh, like this one and this one. I am currently testing both. If you try something that works, please leave me a comment.
Recipe FAQ's
Both start with avocado but vary in ingredients and texture. Guacamole is usually chunky and adds lime, onion or shallot, garlic, and maybe tomato and cilantro. Avocado dip adds yogurt, sour cream, or mayonnaise to give it a creamy smooth consistency.
Very! Avocados are full of healthy monounsaturated fat and many important vitamins and minerals, and believe it or not, fiber. Here's a great article on avocado nutrition. Greek yogurt is high in protein and healthy as long as you are not dairy-sensitive. It's also a fermented food which is great for your gut. For an alternative to yogurt see the substitution section.
More Recipes to Try
Here's another nice appetizer for parties and gatherings, Endive leaves with herbed cream cheese. And for another veggie appetizer, make some rainbow vegetable spring rolls.
⭐️Did you Make This?
If you make this recipe, please comment and let me know. If you loved it, please give it a 5 star rating! They really help other readers. Questions, comment and I will answer.
📖 Recipe
Easy Creamy Avocado Dip
Equipment
- Food Processor or make by hand, notes below.
Ingredients
One Step Dip
- 2 large ripe avocados peeled and seeded
- 1 5 ounce container plain unsweetened Greek yogurt or Vegenaise for DF
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed see swaps below
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves fresh, chopped fine and smeared smooth
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper substitute black pepper
- 1 half lime, juiced or half a lemon
Instructions
Food processor directions
- For the dip, place all ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth, about 1 minute. Adjust the creaminess with more yogurt or a little more citrus, either lemon, lime or both. Adjust seasoning to your preferred taste.
By hand directions
- If you don't have a food processor, make it by hand. Mash the avocados as smoothly as possible in a large bowl and use a whisk to make it creamy. Chop the basil leaves fine then add the rest of the ingredients and continue whisking until smooth as possible. Adjust seasoning to your preferred taste.Depending on how ripe your avocados are, it could be creamy or a little more chunky.
Tricia says
I made this for a Labor Day pool party appetizer. It was a hit! Very quick and easy to prepare.
Sally Cameron says
Thanks for reporting back Tricia! Glad it was a hit!
Kelly says
What a beautiful presentation! I'm making this for a Christmas Day healthy appetizer.