Lebanese Avocado Cocktail

If you’ve never put avocado in a dessert before, I need you to trust me on this one. This Lebanese avocado and strawberry cocktail is one of Lebanon’s most beloved spring and summer street desserts. The good part is that there’s no alcohol in it. In Lebanon, these layered fruit and smoothies are often called cocktails.

Which Fruits To Use

Since the fruit is the whole point of this cocktail, buy the best you can find. Seasonal, ripe fruit makes an enormous difference to the final result. Cocktail bars in Lebanon stock whatever is in season, and you should do the same. In spring and summer, you’ll have the widest variety to work with – mango, banana, kiwi, peach, and strawberries are all perfect choices.

I also recommend keeping your fruits in the fridge overnight before making this. Blending warms everything up, and this cocktail is best served cold. If you forget, a few ice cubes in the blender will do the trick.

In addition, if you can find proper ashta, use it. If you can’t, good-quality ricotta mixed with a little rose water and orange blossom water is an excellent substitute. Don’t skip the floral waters if you can help it – they’re what give this dessert its soul.

What Goes Into a Lebanese Avocado Cocktail

Avocado: This forms the base smoothie layer, and it is my favourite part of the whole cocktail. Blended with milk and honey, it becomes impossibly creamy and rich without being heavy. Make sure your avocado is fully ripe – an underripe one will give you a bitter, lumpy smoothie.

Milk: Blended with the avocado to loosen the smoothie and add extra creaminess. Taste the smoothie before pouring it into the glass and adjust the amount of milk to your liking. For a vegan version, any plant-based milk works just as well.

Honey: Goes into both smoothie layers to sweeten them, and gets drizzled generously on top at the end. Taste as you go — you may want more or less depending on how sweet your fruit already is.

Strawberries: These do two jobs in this recipe. Some get chopped and layered in with the fruit chunks, and the rest get blended into a bright, sweet smoothie that gets poured over the top. The contrast between the green avocado layer and the red strawberry layer is half the visual appeal of this cocktail.

Seasonal fruits: Whatever looks best at the market. Mango, banana, kiwi, and extra strawberries are all great choices. Chop them into bite-sized pieces — not too small, you want them to hold their shape in the glass.

Ashta or ricotta: The crown of the cocktail. If you’re using ricotta, mix in a little rose water and orange blossom water to get that authentic floral flavour.

Almonds: Blanched almonds on top add a crunch that cuts through all that creaminess beautifully. I like to soak raw almonds overnight in water – it makes the skins slip right off and gives them a wonderfully fresh crunch. You can also buy them pre-blanched if you’re short on time.

How To Make Lebanese Avocado Cocktail

Prepare your fruits first: Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, and peel it. Trim the stems off the strawberries that you’ll be blending. Chop the rest of your seasonal fruits – mango, banana, kiwi, and any remaining strawberries – into bite-sized pieces and set them aside. If you’re using ricotta instead of ashta, mix in the rose water and orange blossom water now and set it aside in the fridge.

The avocado smoothie: Add the avocado, milk, and two tablespoons of honey to a blender and blend until completely smooth and creamy. Taste it before pouring – this is the time to adjust the honey or add a little more milk if you want it thinner. Pour the avocado smoothie equally into two large glasses, filling them about halfway. Pint glasses or large mugs work perfectly for this.

The fruit layer: Spoon the chopped fruits over the avocado smoothie layer, dividing them evenly between the two glasses. Don’t be shy with the fruit — this layer should be generous.

The strawberry smoothie: Blend the strawberries with water and one tablespoon of honey until completely smooth. Pour this over the fruit layer slowly, giving the glass a gentle shake so the smoothie settles down between the fruit pieces. Leave a little room at the top – you’ll need it for the cream and toppings.

The ashta or ricotta: Dollop half the cream mixture on top of each glass. Don’t worry about making it look perfect — a generous, rustic spoonful is exactly right.

The toppings: Finish with the blanched almonds and a drizzle of honey over each glass. Serve immediately with both a straw and a spoon. Use the straw for the smoothie layers and the spoon for the fruit and cream on top. Alternate between the two – that’s the best way to eat this.

Avocado Cocktail Lebanese Recipe​ Variations

You don’t have to stick to strawberry for the top smoothie layer every time. A mango smoothie works beautifully in its place, or you can make both layers avocado if you really love it – and you will. For a fully vegan version, swap the milk for a plant-based alternative, use maple syrup instead of honey, and find a plant-based ricotta that isn’t savoury.

Also, you can make a Lebanese fruit cocktail without the avocado. This version tends to go well with a Maakaroun.

Rose water and orange blossom water can be found at most Middle Eastern grocery stores or ordered online. If you really can’t find them, plain ricotta with a good drizzle of honey on top still makes a delicious topping — just know you’re missing a little of the magic.

Lebanese Avocado Cocktail Recipe​

This Lebanese avocado and strawberry cocktail is one of Lebanon’s most beloved spring and summer street desserts. The good part is that there’s no alcohol in it.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Servings: 2 glasses

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: lebanese

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 large ripe avocado halved, pit removed and peeled
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons honey divided, plus more for garnish
• 1½ cups mixed seasonal fruits such as mango banana, kiwi and strawberry, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1½ cups strawberries stems trimmed
• 2 tablespoons water
• ⅓ cup ashta or ricotta
• ½ teaspoon rose water optional, to taste
• ¼ teaspoon orange blossom water optional, to taste
• 2 tablespoons blanched almonds

Method

 

1. Place the avocado, milk, and 2 tablespoons of honey in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust honey to your liking. Pour equally into two large glasses, filling them about halfway.
2. Spoon the chopped fruits over the avocado layer, dividing evenly between the two glasses.
3. Blend the strawberries, water, and 1 tablespoon of honey until smooth. Pour over the fruit layer, giving the glass a gentle shake to let the smoothie settle between the fruits. Leave a little space at the top.
4. If using ricotta, mix in the rose water and orange blossom water. Dollop half the cream mixture on top of each glass.
5. Garnish with blanched almonds and a drizzle of honey. Serve immediately with a straw and a spoon.

Notes

Use a fully ripe avocado – an underripe one will give you a bitter smoothie. Keep your fruits in the fridge overnight before making this, so everything stays cold. Taste both smoothie layers before assembling and adjust the honey to your liking. Soaking raw almonds overnight in water makes the skins easy to remove and gives them a great crunch. Rose water and orange blossom water are available at Middle Eastern grocery stores or online – don’t skip them if you can help it.