This 4-ingredient guacamole is packed with chunky, superfood avocados and offers a ton of flavor. If you’re looking for a deliciously zingy and easy-to-make snack or appetizer, then look no further!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Not only is this easy guacamole recipe super tasty, it is also quick to prepare, and healthy!
- If you have 5 minutes of time, then you have time to whip up this heart-healthy, nutritious snack!
- The ripe avocados which star in this guacamole recipe are a pregnancy superfood that contains monounsaturated fats, folate, potassium, as well as lutein.
What is 4-Ingredient Guacamole?
Guacamole is a classic staple of Mexican cuisine. Traditional guacamole typically contains cilantro, chopped tomatoes, and sliced jalapeno peppers, but with this 4-ingredient guacamole we keep it simple, tasty, and fast!
My four ingredient guacamole recipe is a blend of, you guessed it, four ingredients! Ripe avocados, fresh red onion, fresh lime juice, and granulated garlic powder. That's all! I add both kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper for extra flavor, but use of these pantry staples is certainly optional.
Is 4-Ingredient Guacamole Healthy For You?
Yes, this 4-ingredient guacamole recipe is healthy! Easy guacamole is a super easy, healthy pregnancy snack. If you are practicing gluten-free eating, this recipe also happens to be gluten free. First, let’s take a closer look at the nutritional highlights of the main ingredients used in this pregnancy recipe.
Avocados
Avocado is a phenomenal pregnancy superfood and is an excellent source of healthy monounsaturated fats. It is one of the fattiest fruits available: 77% of the calories in an avocado are from fat!
One half of a medium-sized avocado has 160 calories and 15 grams of unsaturated fat. Research has actually shown that the healthy unsaturated fat in avocados helps our bodies to absorb more of the important antioxidants it contains!
Avocados also contain very high amounts of key nutrients folate and potassium. The avocado fruit contains a good amount of dietary fiber and is also a source of magnesium. Notably, avocados also offer lutein, a nutrient which is important for development of baby’s eye and brain function during pregnancy.
Avocados are also a source of vitamins C and E. Vitamin C helps baby’s bones, gums, teeth and muscles develop properly but also helps mama to absorb iron more easily. Vitamin E is a powerful fat-soluble antioxidant which helps to reduce inflammation and also improve blood circulation during pregnancy. Proper consumption of vitamin E also helps lower the chance of type 2 diabetes in a pregnant woman. Importantly, antioxidants can also prevent baby, post-birth, from developing allergies or asthma.
Key Ingredients
When making this easy guacamole recipe, you want to select fresh, ripe avocados. High quality avocados are essential to a good final dish. You will need:
- Avocados – 2 medium avocados, flesh scooped out and pits discarded.
- Red onion – 1/3 cup chopped (19 g).
- Fresh Lime – freshly squeezed lime juice from one half. Alternatively, lemon juice can be substituted.
- Granulated Garlic Powder – 1 teaspoon
- Salt and pepper – 1/2 teaspoon each
- Crushed red pepper flakes (optional) – 1/2 teaspoon
How to Make 4-Ingredient Guacamole
Step 1: Rinse the avocados and lime
Before proceeding, first rinse the avocados and lime under cold water.
Step 2: Combine the ingredients
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the chopped red onion, ripe avocado flesh, fresh lime juice, and granulated garlic powder. If you are having trouble extracting the ripe avocado flesh from the fruit, this slicer is absolutely amazing!
Another useful tool is this 2-in-1 lemon lime squeezer. I just love how there are seven bright retro colors to choose from!
After collecting all of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, use a simple dinner fork to roughly mash the ingredients together. Do not overmix, mash until just combined.
Step 3: Salt and pepper to taste
Taste the guacamole and add both sea salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed. Finally, spoon the guacamole into a serving dish and serve immediately! Trust me, it will taste amazing!
I love this adorable ceramic guacamole serving set for entertaining. “It’s five o’ guac somewhere.” Pretty punny!
Serving Suggestions
4-ingredient guacamole can be served as a party snack or just as a healthy afternoon treat for your pregnant self. Not gonna lie, I sometimes just eat it with a spoon but you might opt to serve this easy 4-ingredient guacamole as/with:
- An appetizer with black tortilla chips, yellow tortilla chips, red corn chips, blue corn chips (I like a colorful mix of all four!).
- A dip for unsalted pretzel rods.
- A dip for raw veggies such as carrot sticks, zucchini sticks, celery sticks, or sliced yellow or red bell pepper.
- A topping on a small soft tortilla. Spread the guacamole topping on half of it and fold.
- A zesty condiment topping on a turkey club sandwich.
Recipe Variations
Some ideas on variations for this easy guacamole include:
- Adding sliced jalapenos or chilies (or even chopped habaneros) for some extra spice and flavoring.
- Mixing in some chopped tomatoes for more acidic flavor and beautiful color.
- Stirring a small scoop of plain Greek yogurt into the mixture for added protein, creaminess, and tart flavor.
Make Ahead and Storage
Can you refrigerate 4-ingredient guacamole?
Yes, you can prepare this basic guacamole one day in advance and refrigerate overnight. However, we want to prevent the guacamole from browning while in the fridge.
To prevent browning, three steps are involved: first, scoop the freshly prepared guacamole into a glass airtight container or small shallow bowl. Second, squeeze a bit of lime juice or lemon juice to cover the surface of the guacamole. Finally, place a layer of plastic wrap directly on top of the guacamole surface and gently pat it down using the back of a spoon in order to eliminate any air bubbles. You want to ensure that the guacamole has zero contact with the air because oxygen causes the exposed surface of the guacamole to turn brown and unappetizing. After applying the plastic wrap, seal the container with the cover to make it fully airtight.
Follow the same procedure for any leftover guacamole but be sure that the guacamole hasn’t been sitting outside of the fridge for more than one hour. If it has, then discard the leftovers.
To refresh the guacamole, use a fork to fluff it up gently and add a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
However, I think it is best to eat this guacamole fresh.
**STORAGE HACK** I recommend this adorable little “guacamole keeper” which gets amazing ratings and purports to keep homemade guacamole fresh for a really long time!
Can you freeze guacamole?
I don’t recommend freezing this guacamole as it will eventually turn an unsightly brown color.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What goes with guacamole instead of chips?
If you are not into guacamole served with chips, then there are a variety of alternative options, including unsalted pretzel rods, saltine crackers, celery sticks, baby carrots, zucchini coins, sliced bell pepper, various fresh veggies, or even toasted bread rounds.
What is the difference between avocado dip and guacamole?
Avocado dip is much silkier and smoother and is usually prepared using a blender of some sort to completely pulverize all of the recipe ingredients. Avocado dip has a texture similar to hummus and you can dip your veggies or chips into an avocado dip. Classic guacamole on the other hand, is usually made by hand (no pun intended) and retains a chunky quality that has plenty of different textures that get scooped up by your chips. Both avocado dip and guacamole are best made from scratch!
What other recipes require avocados?
If you find yourself with a surplus of avocados, then why not try my super delicious peanut butter avocado toast!
You'll Also Love These Other Pregnancy Snack Recipes
4-Ingredient Guacamole Recipe
Author:Ingredients
- 2 medium, ripe avocados
- 1/3 cup chopped red onion
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp granulated garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt (optional)
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper (optional)
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Thoroughly rinse the avocados and lime under cold water.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the chopped red onion, ripe avocado flesh, fresh lime juice, and granulated garlic powder.
- Use a dinner fork to roughly mash the ingredients together. Do not overmix, mash until just combined.
- Taste the guacamole and add both sea salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.
- Spoon the guacamole into a serving dish and serve immediately!
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