Yields:  about 2 cups             Prep Time:  10 minutes       Total Time:  10 minutes

Rich and full of deep chocolate flavor, this frosting is made with half the butter, bringing in healthy fats and vitamin rich avocado to fill the other half.

Ingredients

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1/2 cup good quality cocoa powder

5 tablespoons softened butter

1/2 medium avocado

1 tablespoon whole milk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until combined and smooth.  Be careful to not over process.

2. Use frosting immediately, as it is the best time it is soft and easy to spread.  If using sprinkles, use right away, again before frosting hardens.

Fall is our time of birthdays.  It is a great time of cakes, cupcakes, and best of all – frosting!  With that being said, all of this scrumptious cake and frosting can get to a girl.  So, by cutting the butter in half and replacing it with avocado, not only does it give my body a break, but it also adds some nutrition back in!

The thing is, avocado and chocolate seem to work well together.  The proof is in the brownies, so to speak (check out a fantastic Black Bean and Avocado Brownies here)!  Using just avocados is also an option.  We’ve done that a few times, and it works.  However, when I serve to company, I sometimes bring my love of nutritionally dense foods together with the traditional, yet not so nutritious, foods.  For that reason, I like to keep some of the butter in, to give the it the buttery rich flavor on which the reputation of frosting hangs.

Additionally, I have substituted water for the milk in the recipe above.  There wasn’t a huge difference, yet I swear there was a hint more creaminess with the milk.  Lastly, the salt.  When I served these a second time, I actually sprinkled a little pure granulated cane sugar on top with a few crystals (seriously) of salt on each cupcake.  First, it just looked pretty.  Second, it gave somewhat of a ‘chocolate and sea salt’ note to the frosting.

All in all, I love this recipe to cut the heaviness of traditional all butter frosting.  It still has sugar and some butter, yet really does a great job replacing half the butter with nutrition rich avocados.

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*This delectable frosting is on a vanilla gluten free cupcake, recipe here.