Cherry Almond California Avocado Frappe

Spring always makes me think of cherry blossom season in Japan, which on a side note is one of the most spectacular sights. Thinking of cherry blossoms gets me craving cherries. 

One of my favorite ways to use cherries is in a frappe. A frappe is basically a fruit milkshake. But doesn’t frappe (“fraw-pay”) sound so much more sophisticated? Frappes usually fall into two different camps: those made with milk and ice cream for a super thick and creamy sweet drink and those made with just milk for a lighter, but slightly icier, sweet drink. I love them both, though I find that the version made with ice cream tends to sit a bit heavily in my stomach. My solution to this problem is to replace the ice cream with some California Avocado. The avocado adds that thick, rich creaminess that the ice cream would, but sits much lighter in your stomach and has the added benefit of slipping a bit of added fiber into your treat!

I love this version because it’s also easy to customize for those in your life with specialized diets or food allergies. Besides the frozen cherries and avocado, you will use milk, almond flavored simple syrup, vanilla extract, and ice cubes. That’s it!  Just throw everything into the blender and blend until you have smooth and creamy frappe.

So grab a glass and a straw (we can’t be drinking a fancy sounding drink without a straw, now can we?) and treat yourself to a cherry almond avocado frappe!

Cherry Almond California Avocado Frappe Recipe

Makes about 40 ounces

Ingredients
12 ounces frozen, pitted sweet cherries
1/2 ripe California Avocado
2 cups milk (or substitute unsweetened almond or soy milk)
1/4 cup almond flavored simple syrup (or substitute plain simple syrup, plus ½  – 1 teaspoon almond extract)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 ice cubes

Directions
Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend at high speed until creamy and smooth. Pour into glasses and enjoy immediately.