DAKADO Avocado Oil
27 wonderful Uses for Avocado Oil
Avocado oil is so versatile, and to show you all the different ways you can use it, I’ve compiled a list of 27 different uses, tips, and tricks for you to try out.
I. Substitute Butter
1. In baking
That baked goods seem to contain the highest amount of ingredients that are bad for our health. Think: over processed white flour, sugar, butter, etc.
But if you’re a health conscious baker like me, you’re probably always on the hunt to find healthier substitutes to make decadent desserts less sinful.
That’s how I first learned about avocado oil.
When a recipe calls for butter, you can swap out the solid yellow stick for avocado oil without ruining the texture or taste of your treat. In fact, you may even find that your favorite recipes taste better without butter.
I decided to take this butter swap a step further – and I’m glad I did.
2. Over popcorn
When I get that salty potato chip craving, I like to reach for popcorn.
However, I quickly realized that some brands add unnecessary preservatives, trans fats, and hydrogenated oils, which have all been connected to increased risks of heart attacks as well as breathing issues.
You might not think that your health could be affected by something as simple as popcorn.
So I only buy the whole kernels now and I cook and season the popcorn myself.
That’s where avocado oil comes in.
It’s rich, buttery taste gives me just enough flavor so I don’t feel like I’m missing out on the good stuff, but using avocado oil keeps my health goals in check.
I don’t ever have to feel guilty about this one.
I do have to caution you that a little bit goes a long way with avocado oil. After all, it’s still an oil rich in fats, albeit healthy fats, but still fats nonetheless.
In addition to the oil, I also use a sprinkle of nutritional yeast, which is a common seasoning among vegans and vegetarians. I like to compare nutritional yeast to a lighter version of parmesan cheese.
3. Spread on toast
Avocado oil can be a great butter replacer for everyday things like toast.
Instead of piling on pats of butter or fruit flavored jams, which can be loaded with added sugars, I drizzle a bit of avocado oil on my toast with a side of eggs and I have a healthy breakfast in just a few minutes.
If I want something sweeter for breakfast, I’ll drizzle the oil on the toast and sprinkle on some cinnamon. The cinnamon also helps to give my morning metabolism a nice boost.
Similar to butter, avocado oil is also a perfect swap for both coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil.
II. Substitute for Cooking Oil
4. Substitute for Coconut oil
As much as I love coconut oil, I always feel like a strong coconut flavor permeates whatever I cook it with.
Sometimes this can be a good way to elevate a recipe, but other times it just adds a weird dimension that doesn’t always work well with my dish’s other flavors.
By swapping avocado oil in recipes that call for coconut oil, I’m able to keep the
heart healthy benefitswithout eating the extra saturated fats found in coconut oil. Though coconut oil contains short-medium saturated fat that is considered healthier, it can still stack on the pounds if you’re not too careful.
Avocado oil also works well as a replacement for extra virgin olive oil.
5. Substitute for Extra virgin olive oil
That olive oil can contain as much as three times the amount of saturated fat as chicken. That’s not really a problem because olive oil is mostly monounsaturated fat, which has been shown to have many health benefits, but it’s interesting don’t you think?
Of course, oils do have healthier forms of saturated fat compared to things like bacon and cheeseburgers, but they should still be consumed in moderation.
Like olive oil, avocado oil is high in monounsaturated fat and can be used as a replacement for olive oil in almost anything.
III. Dressings & Condiments
6. Salad dressings
Balsamic vinaigrette is one of my favorite salad dressings. However, sometimes I crave the flavor of a nice oil and vinegar.
When these cravings arise, I turn to avocado oil instead of extra virgin olive oil. I could not love it any more.
It balances out the tart balsamic flavor and I find it to be very light and delicious. And because oils all have different vitamins and minerals to offer, it’s great to vary the types you eat.
Speaking of cravings, how hard is it to give up mayonnaise?
Although I’ve done a pretty good job at avoiding this fatty condiment, there are rare times when I miss having the creamy texture and flavor of mayo in things like chicken salad or on sandwiches.
7. Mayo
I’ve tried substituting whole avocados for mayonnaise, and although it technically works, I prefer the flavor in this
Paleo mayo
recipe, which just so happens to call for avocado oil.
Many of the Paleo mayo recipes I’ve found require the use of an emulsifier and don’t work as well with a blender. This can be a complete hassle, so now I only use the recipe below from
Nom Nom Paleo, it’s simply much easier.
You won’t need a blender for this recipe, but you’ll still get that creamy mayo texture you’re jonesing for.
Combine the following ingredients in a bowl:
Next, slowly add ¾ cup of avocado oil while you whisk away.
Once I figured out how easy and tasty this avocado oil mayonnaise was, I decided to take it a step further and get creative by making an aioli dipping sauce.
8. Spiced aioli
Since it’s so simple I swear by
Avocado Amore’s aioli recipe as a good starting point. You probably have most of the fresh ingredients on hand, and if you don’t, they are easy to source on your next shopping trip.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 avocado
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
- A handful of basil leaves
- Salt and pepper
- ⅛ cup of avocado oil
Blend all of the ingredients together except the avocado oil. Just like the mayonnaise recipe, add the oil to the blended mixture slowly until you achieve a creamy texture.
You can dip almost anything in this delicious sauce. It also keeps well in the refrigerator for several days in case you need to make some ahead of time.
For an even easier dipping sauce, you should try infusing your avocado oil with herbs.
9. Herb infused oil
Here’s the simplest mix for herb infusing oil:
Combine a little balsamic vinegar with avocado oil, dried Italian herbs like oregano and basil, and finish off with some freshly cracked black pepper.
Dip your crusty bread in this oil or drizzle it over a nice piece of grilled fish.
Did you know you can also swap avocado oil for eggs in breaded and baked dishes?
IV. Cooking
10. Egg swap
If fried foods are your guilty pleasure, this swap will do wonders for you.
Let’s say you love fried chicken. Instead of dipping your chicken in an egg wash, flour, or breadcrumbs before frying it, you could use this healthier alternative instead.
First, give your chicken a dip in avocado oil. Then roll the chicken in breadcrumbs and bake in the oven. By baking the chicken instead of frying it, you won’t be consuming as much of the oil, yet you’ll still have that crunchy chicken taste.
Of course, you could always drop the breadcrumbs and use avocado oil as a marinade.
Thanks to the fact that avocado oil withstands high heat, it’s perfect for grilling, stir frying, or pan searing.
11. Marinade for grilling
Unless you use the right marinade, grilling at high temperatures can leave your meat dry and tasteless.
By using an oil that can take the heat, your delicious grilled dinner will retain its moisture while absorbing the juicy, buttery flavor from the avocado oil.
Before grilling, I’ll stick some fresh seafood or chicken in a Ziploc bag with some avocado oil and spices. I’ll let this baby marinate for about two hours in the refrigerator. Of course, if you’re short on time even leaving it for 5-10 minutes can make a big difference.
After marinating the meat, all I have to do is grill up the meat, discard the remaining oil marinade, and figure out what veggies to serve alongside my yummy meal.
12. Grilled veggies
Meats aren’t the only food that tastes better on the grill with avocado oil.
Believe me, there’s nothing better than drizzling avocado oil directly over grilled veggies. But trust me on this: marinating veggies in an avocado oil marinade before grilling them adds such a depth of flavor, I know you’ll like eating veggies this way even more.
When it’s all said and done, I only grill with avocado oil now because the end results are so healthy and taste unbelievable.
13. Stir fry
When I first learned how to make stir frys, I was told to use peanut oil since it can also withstand the high heat.
But the
Cleveland Clinic points out that peanut oil is even
higher in saturated fat than extra virgin olive oil.
Now that I know avocado oil is lower in saturated fat and works well with the stir frys’ high heat, it’s the only oil I use for them.
As much as I love stir frys, it can be a pain dealing with a huge wok and all the cleanup. When I’m only preparing dinner for two, I prefer to pan sear my meat.
And avocado oil works well when pan searing, too.
14. Pair with light meats
Since avocado oil is a lighter tasting oil, I like to pair it with meat like chicken and white fish like tilapia or scallops.
I’ll pan sear both sides of the meat so I have a golden or light brown color on the outside and a delicious buttery flavor inside.
This method gives me the feeling of eating a rich buttery sauce without all of the extra fat.
The last way I use avocado oil is as a drizzle on pizza, bread, fruit, and soups.
V. Use as a Drizzle.
15. Over pizza
When I say that I like to drizzle avocado oil on pizza, I’m not referring to a regular, heavily greased takeout pizza. If you’re in the mood for a lighter pizza, take a flatbread and load it up with fresh garlic, a sprinkle of part-skim mozzarella, and a drizzle of avocado oil.
The flavors mesh together really well and satisfy my pizza craving without derailing my healthy diet.
16. Fruit salad
You may be asking yourself, “Why would anyone drizzle oil on fruit?”
But trust me on this one. A drizzle of avocado oil on fruit is nothing short of awesome.
Skip the traditional fruit from your standard fruit salad here and stick to sweet fruit mixed with savory elements. The sweetness in fruit is complemented deliciously and sophisticatedly with avocado oil.
Here’s my favorite fruit salad:
Mix watermelon and low-fat feta cheese over a bed of spinach. Then drizzle your avocado oil over the top. This is the perfect summertime salad since it’s light and refreshing.
I also like to pair my salads with a hearty cup of soup so I’m filled up, and it’s a great way to sneak in a double dose of veggies at the same time.
17. Soups
To kick up your soup’s flavor a notch, drizzle a tiny bit of avocado oil right over the top. The buttery flavor starts seeping through the rest of the soup and creates a richness that keeps me from having to add pre-packaged crackers.
VI. For Your Skin
In addition to being so healthy for us nutritionally, one of the best features about avocado oil is that it also does wonders for our skin and bodies.
Avocado oil penetrates the skin much deeper than other natural moisturizers like olive oil, but since it’s much thicker than other oils, you’ll want to take it easy when applying and using it topically.
18. Reduce age spots and sun damage
Avocado oil has been used for years as a natural way to reduce sun spots and reverse the signs of sun damage. I’ve found that applying it topically twice a day, once in the morning and once before bed, yields the best results. Yes, guys do need to take care of their skin too
Although nothing is conclusive as of yet, there have been some preliminary studies showing that avocado oil may also help prevent skin cancer.
19. Eye makeup remover
From what I’ve researched, avocado oil poured on a cotton ball makes for a gentle and natural eye makeup remover. I can’t personally attest to this one, but I do trust my sources.
20. Leave-in conditioner
This is one of my close friends best kept hair secrets. I was talking to her recently and she shared her tips so I could pass them onto you.
She uses a dime-sized amount of avocado oil on freshly showered hair as a leave-in conditioner and she says she never has to deal with a dry, itchy scalp. Plus, she said it gives her hair just enough shine and feel super soft.
21. Dry scalp treatment
If you want to take your leave-in conditioner to the next level of spa treatment for your scalp, you can deep condition with avocado oil in the shower. Right after shampooing, rub the avocado oil into your scalp and let it sit for a few minutes before rinsing it out.
The heat and steam from the shower helps the avocado oil seep into your scalp for maximum penetration. The vitamins and minerals help to nourish the scalp and leaves your hair silky, shiny, and noticeably healthier looking.
22. Combat dry skin
The same can be said for using avocado oil directly on the skin as a moisturizer. You won’t want to slather this stuff on your face, but it does make for a nourishing body lotion that leaves your skin feeling soft and supple.
23. Helps heal wounds
One of the more interesting topical uses for avocado oil is to help heal wounds. According to
Advance Tissue, a company devoted to healing wounds, avocado oil helps heal wounds by:
- Helping the blood clot via vitamin K
- Helping to form and transfer cells via the potassium found in avocados
Plus, the collagen found in avocados helps the skin form protective scars until it properly heals.
24. Helps with diaper rash
Thanks to the anti-inflammatory properties found in avocado oil, you can also treat diaper rash naturally. Simply rub a small amount of avocado oil on the agitated area and the irritation should go away fairly quickly.
25. Treat eczema, psoriasis, and keratosis pilaris
Ever have itchy red skin or tiny white or red bumps on your skin?
Those same anti-inflammatory properties found in avocado oil help to provide relief to anyone facing skin irritations such as eczema, psoriasis, and keratosis pilaris.
First, the avocado oil calms down the irritation. Then a long-lasting moisture barrier is left behind to shield you from future itchiness and sensitivity.
For the Body
I also find it interesting that avocado oil can be used to alleviate the inflammation associated with arthritis in places like the hips and knees.
26. Arthritis
However, in order for the avocado oil to work on arthritis, it must be mixed with soybean oil.
According to the
Arthritis Foundation, this healthy combination blocks inflammatory responses and prevents cells from deteriorating in crucial synovial cells, which are located in our joints.
27. Periodontal disease
Avocado oil can be a natural way to prevent, or alleviate, the inflammation and tooth loss associated with periodontal disease. Simply gargle with the oil like you would with regular mouthwash and the antiseptic properties in avocado oil will keep your mouth germ-free and fresh.
From baking and grilling to lotions and leave-in conditioners, I hope I’ve opened you up to seeing just how versatile avocado oil really can be. It’s one of the healthiest oils I keep on hand. And I love surprising my friends and family with its delicious, unexpected flavor, and myriad of natural health uses.
Have you tried avocado oil yet? What’s your favorite way to use it?
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