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If you were steeped in the world of internet trends about four years ago, you may have seen something a little unusual: the avocado latte. What’s the surprising story behind this drink, and why did it turn out to be fake? We’ll walk you through everything you need to know about the creamy green vegetable and your favorite drink! Avocado lattes may not have been real, but there is a creamy, espresso-forward drink you’ll want to try! Keep reading to learn about avocado lattes (affectionately called avolattes) and find a recipe for the real version, a rich avocado and coffee milkshake.
The Avocado Latte Craze
This story begins back in 2017 when a barista at the Truman Cafe in Melbourne posted a short video on Instagram. In the video, he made latte art on top of a freshly pulled shot of espresso. Not very surprising content, right? The surprise was in the vessel he was using: instead of an espresso or latte cup, he made this latte in a scooped-out avocado shell. https://www.instagram.com/p/BT92e0cjJU-/ As everyone knows, hipsters love third-wave coffee shops almost as much as they love avocados. That is probably why this video went viral so fast, quickly garnering as many devotees as haters. The only problem? It wasn’t real! The Truman Cafe never intended to sell lattes inside avocados, and other coffee shops didn’t either.
The Real Deal
So the Australian avolatte wasn’t real, but the idea of combining avocados and coffee sure is. Enter: an Indonesian drink called “Jus alpukat.” This coffee drink combines milk, sweetened condensed milk, and fresh avocados with strong espresso or brewed coffee. Blend the ingredients with ice to make an extremely creamy, refreshing avocado milkshake!
Avocado Espresso Milkshake
Ready for the recipe? This creamy, rich drink has its origins in an Indonesian drink called Jus alpukat, or avocado juice. Blend milk, sweetened condensed milk, espresso, and avocados to make an unusual -- but delicious -- summer treat.
Prep time
5 min
Blend Time
4 min
Total time
9 min
Equipment
- High-speed blender
- 2 large glasses
Ingredients
- ½ large avocado
- 4 espresso shots (or 1 cup strong brewed coffee)
- ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 cups coffee ice cubes (or regular ice)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Chocolate syrup (optional)
- Sprinkle of brown sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Pull 4 shots of espresso or make 1 cup of strong coffee. Then the coffee or espresso cool down.
- Scoop the avocado into your blender and add the rest of the ingredients, except the garnishes.
- Blend on high until fully mixed.
- Divide the milkshake between two glasses. Drizzle on some chocolate syrup or a sprinkle of brown sugar if you’d like. Enjoy your unusual avocado coffee drink!
Notes
We like to use coffee ice cubes in this recipe because they produce a tastier drink with extra coffee flavor. Just freeze a trayful of leftover coffee ahead of time!
Final Thoughts
The avocado latte may have been merely an Instagram video gone viral, but the history of mixing avocados into coffee goes back a lot further than 2017. Look to the island nation of Indonesia for a particularly delicious recipe involving avocados, sweetened condensed milk, and maybe a dash of chocolate syrup. We hope you enjoyed this quick trip through the avolatte mystery -- and do not forget to try the surprisingly tasty Jus alpukat milkshake! SEE ALSO:
Featured Image Credit: iPrach, Shutterstock
