Want to know my favorite Filipino childhood treat? It's this creamy Filipino avocado shake that my Lola (grandmother) used to make. While everyone else is spreading avocados on toast these days, we Filipinos have been blending them into sweet, icy drinks for generations.
Every time I make this 4-ingredient shake, it takes me back to hot Bataan afternoons when Lola would whip this up for our merienda (afternoon snack). It only takes 7 minutes to make, and you probably have all the ingredients in your kitchen right now.
After trying this shake, you'll understand why Filipino kids always get excited when they see ripe avocados at home. It's creamy, refreshing, and perfectly sweet - just like a healthy milkshake.
This recipe is exactly how we make it in Filipino homes, no fancy ingredients needed.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- 🥑 Uses just 4 simple ingredients
- ⏱️ Ready in under 10 minutes
- 🌱 Naturally creamy without cream
- 💚 Customizable sweetness
- 🧊 Perfectly refreshing for hot days
- 👨👩👧👦 Kid-friendly and nutritious
Ingredients
These four simple ingredients create magic in your glass. The ripe avocado provides a creamy, velvety base with healthy fats that blend perfectly with cold milk for a smooth, silky texture. Honey adds just the right natural sweetness without overpowering the subtle avocado flavor, while crushed ice chills everything to refreshing perfection and creates that signature thick milkshake consistency.
This minimalist combination, perfected over generations in Filipino kitchens, lets each ingredient shine while creating something greater than the sum of its parts.
- 1 large ripe avocado (about 200-250g)
- 2 cups crushed ice
- 1 cup cold milk
- 2 tablespoons honey (adjust to taste)
Equipment
- Blender: Essential for creating the smooth, creamy texture that makes this shake special. A high-powered blender works best, but any standard blender will do.
- Measuring cups: For accurate ingredient portions to ensure perfect consistency.
- Sharp knife: Needed for safely and cleanly halving the avocado.
- Spoon: For scooping out the avocado flesh completely without waste.
- Glass measuring cup: For measuring liquid ingredients precisely.
- Ice crusher or plastic bag with rolling pin (optional): If your blender struggles with ice, crushing it beforehand helps achieve a smoother blend.
- Chilled glasses: Not required but enhances the experience by keeping the shake colder longer.
How To Make
- Select and prepare your avocado: Choose a ripe avocado that yields slightly when pressed. Cut it in half lengthwise around the pit, twist to separate the halves, remove the pit, and scoop all the flesh into your blender.
- Add remaining ingredients: Pour in one cup of cold milk and add two tablespoons of honey. Top everything with two cups of crushed ice.
- Blend properly: Start blending on low speed for about 30 seconds to break down the avocado, then increase to high speed and blend for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is completely smooth with no chunks remaining.
- Adjust consistency if needed: If your shake is too thick, add a little more milk, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.
- Serve immediately: Pour the shake into two chilled glasses and enjoy right away. The sooner you drink it, the brighter green it will stay.
Tips from Lola's Kitchen
- Avocado selection matters: The perfect avocado should yield slightly to gentle pressure, not too soft (overripe) and not too hard (underripe).
- Temperature tricks: Chill your glasses in the freezer for 5-10 minutes before serving for an extra refreshing experience.
- Use cold ingredients: Starting with very cold milk helps achieve the ideal temperature without diluting the shake with too much ice.
- Blender strategy: Add ice gradually if your blender isn't powerful enough to handle all the ice at once.
- Natural preservation: When making the shake ahead of time, keep the avocado pit in the mixture—it helps slow down browning.
- Sweetness balance: Taste before serving—avocados vary in natural sweetness, so you might need to adjust the honey.
- Blending technique: Pulse a few times before continuous blending to help break down the avocado and ice more effectively.
- Serving suggestion: A wide straw works best for this thick shake—standard thin straws might be too narrow.
Substitutions
- Milk alternatives: Evaporated milk, coconut milk, almond milk, or oat milk all work well. Each brings a unique flavor profile.
- Sweetener options: Condensed milk (reduces need for additional sweetener), granulated sugar, stevia, or maple syrup can replace honey.
- Ice variations: Try freezing milk in ice cube trays to use instead of water ice—this prevents dilution and adds extra creaminess.
- Flavor enhancers: A drop of vanilla extract, a tablespoon of coconut cream, or a teaspoon of chia seeds can add interesting dimensions.
- Creamy additions: For an extra indulgent version, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream (though this makes it more of a dessert than a traditional shake).
Troubleshooting
- Problem: Shake is too thick
- Cause: Not enough liquid or avocado is very ripe
- Solution: Add milk gradually, 2 tablespoons at a time, until desired consistency is reached
- Problem: Shake is too thin
- Cause: Too much ice/milk or avocado wasn't ripe enough
- Solution: Add more avocado if available, or freeze briefly to thicken
- Problem: Shake turns brown quickly
- Cause: Natural oxidation of avocado when exposed to air
- Solution: Add a teaspoon of lemon or lime juice (won't affect flavor significantly) or serve immediately
- Problem: Not sweet enough
- Cause: Avocado may not be fully ripe or personal preference
- Solution: Add more honey or try condensed milk for richer sweetness
- Problem: Shake has lumps
- Cause: Insufficient blending or avocado wasn't ripe enough
- Solution: Blend longer on high speed until completely smooth
Storage & Reheating
While Filipino Avocado Shake is best consumed immediately after preparation, there are ways to store it:
- Short-term storage (up to 4 hours):
- Pour into an airtight container or mason jar, filling it completely to minimize air contact
- Add a teaspoon of lemon or lime juice and stir gently
- Cover tightly and refrigerate
- Expect some color change and separation—simply shake or stir before serving
- Freezing options:
- Popsicle method: Pour into popsicle molds for a frozen treat
- Ice cream cups: Freeze in small cups with popsicle sticks for mini frozen desserts
- Shake cubes: Freeze in ice cube trays, then blend frozen cubes with a splash of milk for a quick shake later
- Note: This shake is not meant to be reheated as heat will change both flavor and texture dramatically.
FAQ
Can I make this ahead of time for a party?
While best served fresh, you can prepare it up to 2 hours ahead by adding a teaspoon of lemon juice, storing in airtight containers filled to the top, and refrigerating. Stir before serving as some separation may occur.
Why is my shake turning brown so quickly?
Avocado oxidizes when exposed to air, this is normal and doesn't affect taste. Serve immediately or add citrus juice to slow browning. Using very cold ingredients also helps maintain color longer.
Can I use frozen avocado for this recipe?
Yes, commercially frozen or self-frozen avocado works well. Thaw slightly before blending and reduce ice quantity by about half since the frozen avocado adds coldness.
Is this drink healthy?
Yes! Avocados provide healthy fats, potassium, and vitamins, while milk adds calcium and protein. Control added sweeteners for a healthier version. It's much more nutritious than traditional milkshakes or sodas.
How do I know if my avocado is ripe enough?
The perfect avocado for this shake should yield gently when pressed but not feel mushy. The skin should be dark (usually dark green to almost black depending on variety). When you remove the stem cap, the area underneath should be green, not brown.
Can I use this recipe for a larger group?
Absolutely! The recipe scales up easily, simply multiply all ingredients proportionally. For best results, blend in batches rather than overcrowding your blender.
My family doesn't like avocado in savory dishes, will they like this?
Most likely yes! The flavor of avocado in this shake is quite subtle and transformed by the sweetness. Many people who don't enjoy avocado in savory applications love it in this sweet form.
What makes Filipino avocado shake different from a regular avocado smoothie?
Filipino avocado shake specifically uses a simple combination of avocado, milk, sweetener and ice — without additional fruits, vegetables, or supplements common in modern smoothies. The focus is on highlighting the natural creaminess of avocado in a sweet application.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Filipino Avocado Shake Recipe
Equipment
- Blender For creating the smooth, creamy texture
- Measuring cups For accurate ingredient portions
- Sharp knife [Matalas na kutsilyo] For halving the avocado
- Spoon (Kutsara) For scooping out avocado flesh
- Glass measuring cup For liquid ingredients
- Ice crusher or plastic bag with rolling pin (optional) For crushing ice
Ingredients
- Large Avocado about 200-250g
- 2 Cups Crushed Ice Dinurog na yelo
- 1 Cup Milk Gatas
- 2 Tablespoons Honey Pulot
Instructions
- Start by choosing a ripe avocado that yields slightly when pressed. Cut it in half lengthwise, remove the pit, and scoop out all the flesh into your blender.
- Pour in one cup of cold milk and add two tablespoons of honey. Top everything with two cups of crushed ice.
- Begin blending on low speed for about 30 seconds to break down the avocado, then increase to high speed and blend for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is completely smooth with no chunks remaining.
- If your shake is too thick, add a little more milk, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.
- Pour the shake immediately into two chilled glasses and serve right away. The sooner you drink it, the brighter green it will stay.
- You can add a fresh mint leaf on top if you'd like, but it's perfectly delicious as is. The whole process takes about 7 minutes from start to finish, and you'll know you've done it right when the shake is silky smooth, pale green, and has a creamy, milkshake-like texture.
Tips from Lola's Kitchen
- Choose avocados that yield slightly when pressed - not too soft, not too hard
- Chill glasses beforehand for an extra cold drink
- Use very cold milk for best results
- Add ice gradually if your blender struggles
- Save the pit if making ahead - it helps prevent browning
Nutrition
The Story Behind Filipino Avocado Shake
The story of Filipino Avocado Shake is a delicious journey that starts in many Filipino backyards. Long before avocados became famous on toast or in guacamole, Filipino families were turning them into sweet, creamy drinks. This tradition began in the early 1900s when avocado trees became common in Filipino home gardens, offering families a steady supply of this nutritious fruit through the hot summer months.
Unlike other countries that treat avocados as a savory ingredient, Filipinos discovered that the fruit's creamy texture made it perfect for desserts and drinks. Our grandparents knew that combining ripe avocados with sweet milk created something magical - a drink that was both refreshing and filling. This shake became a favorite merienda (afternoon snack) across the Philippines, from busy Manila neighborhoods to quiet provincial homes.
The genius of Filipino Avocado Shake lies in its simplicity. While modern smoothie shops now add dozens of ingredients to their drinks, the traditional Filipino version sticks to just four: ripe avocados, crushed ice, milk, and a sweetener. This basic recipe hasn't changed much over generations because, as any Filipino will tell you, when something's already perfect, why complicate it?
Today, as more people worldwide discover the health benefits of avocados, this humble Filipino drink is gaining international attention. What makes it special isn't just its taste, but how it represents Filipino food culture - taking simple ingredients and transforming them into something extraordinary. Whether you're enjoying it on a hot afternoon in Manila or making it in your kitchen halfway across the world, each sip of Avocado Shake carries a bit of Filipino food history.
In many Filipino homes, seeing a ripe avocado still triggers the same response: "Time to make a shake!" It's more than just a beverage - it's a tradition passed down through generations, a sweet reminder of childhood afternoons, and proof that sometimes the simplest recipes are the most memorable.
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