This dairy-free avocado crema is vegan, Whole30 and ready in minutes! Use on tacos, bowls, salads and more as a way to add a blast of flavor!
Avocado Crema is something you need to know how to make. It is the perfect accessory for tacos, salads, rice bowls and pretty much anything else that has even a hint of Mexican flavor.
Plus, it is ridiculously easy to make, less than 5 ingredients and takes all of about 2 minutes in the blender or food processor.
What more could you ask for in a recipe right? It takes almost no time or effort to throw together, and extensively livens up any Mexican night or taco Tuesday!
What is Avocado Crema?
Traditionally, avocado crema is made with Mexican crema (similar to sour cream but a touch sourer). You will also see it commonly made with both American style sour cream and even greek yogurt.
Since I try to avoid dairy as much as possible, I started making a Vegan, Dairy Free avocado crema a couple of years ago. I use it a lot, especially when I don’t feel like taking 15 minutes to whip up a batch of guacamole and plain avocado isn’t going to cut it.
How To Make Avocado Crema
I mean it when I say that you could be a complete novice in the kitchen and still have no problems getting a perfect result with this recipe.
Just gather a few ingredients, and throw them all together, and that’s about it! It’s really that simple.
- Avocado
- Canned, full-fat coconut milk
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Lime juice
- Sea salt
Place all ingredients in a bowl of the food processor or jar of the blender (FYI: you will usually get a thicker sauce in the food processor), process until smooth and creamy.
Recipe Tips
Since its pretty common knowledge that avocados will start to brown and go bad pretty quick once removed from the skin, you do have to act fast with this recipe.
- You’ll want to use immediately so, don’t make the sauce ahead of when you want to actually use it.
- You can store any leftovers in an air-tight container but know that the color may darken slightly over time as the avocado oxidizes. I recommend pouring into a squeeze bottle and serving from there.
- I tend to prefer this sauce on the thicker side. If you want it a bit thinner, I suggest adding a bit more olive oil. If you decide to add additional coconut milk, you will need to adjust the salt and lime juice.
- Oh, and yes, I have made this with Avocado Oil and it’s just as good.
Recipes that use Avocado Crema
This dairy-free avocado crema pairs well with a long list of dishes. Anything from a topping for your tacos, a dressing for your salad, a dip for your veggies, to a sauce for your chicken.
The possibilities are truly endless with what you can do with this recipe. I love having it set out on the table for a make your own taco bar. It really turns your run of the mill taco station into a trendy taco experience.
Since you can make a small batch, it’s also great to whip up for your every night dinners and use it in any of the ways mentioned above.
I highly suggest trying out the crema on top of this Taco Meat Stuffed Delicata Squash, so good! It’s also great as a topping for Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork, Fajita Frittata, and our go-to Mexican Breakfast Bowl.
Check Out Even More Avocado Recipes
There’s pretty much never a bad time for avocado right? It can go in/with almost anything making it the perfect addition to so many recipes.
Whether you’re craving something sweet, looking for a new salad recipe, or a dish to bring to your next event, I have you covered with some of my favorite avocado recipes.
Double Chocolate Avocado Cookies
Taco Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms
If you really want to wow your party guests, friends, or family then you have to make this avocado crema stat! It’s a sure-fire crowd pleaser, so much so that everyone will be begging you for the recipe.
I know you’re going to love this recipe as much as I do, and I can’t wait for you to try it out! Once you do be sure to leave a comment below and tell me what you think.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
This dairy-free avocado crema is vegan, Whole30 and ready in minutes! Use on tacos, bowls, salads and more as a way to add a blast of flavor!
- 1 large avocado approximately 6 ounces of avocado meat after removing skin and pit
- 1/4 cup canned full fat coconut milk
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
-
Place all ingredients in bowl of food processor of jar of blender (FYI: you will usually get a thicker sauce in the food processor), process until smooth and creamy.
-
Use immediately. I recommend pouring into a squeeze bottle and serving from there. Enjoy!
STORAGE TIPS:
You can store any leftovers in an air-tight container but know that the color may darken slightly over time as the avocado oxidizes.
A very small amount of avocado oil or olive oil poured over the top of the crema can help preserve it for an extra day in the fridge.
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
UPDATE NOTES: This post was originally published in October 2015 and updated in June 2019 with updated photos, better instructions, and more helpful information.
THANKYOU for this recipe. I’m always looking for dairy free options for the hubby. I put half the coconut cream in and added apple cider vinegar and cayenne pepper. It came up really similar to sour cream and was delicious on our tacos.
Yay! Love it Wendy – thanks for taking the time to let me know 🙂
I used this to top a quinoa, black bean, and corn stuffed sweet potato. It rounded out the flavors perfectly. Thanks!
That sounds amazing Kasi!
Would this work for a Cesar salad dressing or would it be too heavy?
Thinking of alternatives with no dairy and this recipe sounds yummy and easy!
Totally different flavor profile Teresa – I wouldn’t recommend subbing this for Caesar.
Please tell me what you use with!
how important is the full fat coconut milk….. what does it do to the consistency? flavor?
Pretty important for consistency. It makes it into a thick and creamy sauce!
Love this! I searched high and low for a dairy free avocado dressing for my quinoa salad. I have shared it on my blog 🙂
Hi Nicole! So glad you liked it and thank you so much for sharing the link 🙂
Wonderful recipe. Just wondering if it can be kept a day or two in the fridge. Does the line prevent the avocado from oxidation?
Thanks so much Marina! I keep this for up to two days but store in an airtight container with very little “air” on top to avoid oxidation!
You could work a piece of plastic wrap over the surface of the left-over dip from center to edges. Work out all air as you go. Run the edge of a spoon or finger around the edge to be sure it is firmly in place without air leaks. Gently fold excess wrap back on itself being careful not to poll on the edges, This is how I keep my icing for cakes from getting crusty. Works like a charm.
Great tip Janet!
A local Korean Fruit/Vegatable store makes their own Guacamole and to keep it from getting brown so quickly they put the avocado seed IN the Guacamole…
That may help a little but the main source of browning is air. For guac you can tap the container down on counter to get all air bubbles out and then put a little water on top of guac. Pour off water when ready to eat. Will stay longer
Here is a great tip… spray the top of the guacamole or in this case crema with a light mist of Pam (or similar) cooking spray ( I love the olive oil one) and then cover with plastic wrap or seal in an are tight container. The spray coats the surface with a protective barrier and keeps it from doing that awful oxidation.
Please note – I have not had left overs of my crema to try this tip on this to see if it works for the recipe but it sure does a fantastic job on guacamole. If someone tries it please let us know the results
Happy November! Just letting you know that I featured this recipe in my October 2015 round-up of Deliciously Healthy Low-Carb Recipes. Hope a lot of my readers will click over here and try it!
Thank you so much Kalyn! I hope so too. Heading over to check out your round-up and share it now. Hope you had a great weekend 🙂
This crema is amazing! Had planned to make this last night for the first time, when my husband offered to prep dinner. So I sent him this recipe for our taco dinner. He mentioned it was easy and when I asked if he tasted it he said – “yay, but things always taste better when you make them.” My response “I’ve never made this, it was just something different I wanted to test out.” The look on his face was priceless – a little shock and a touch of pride. It was delicious and we decided that next time we would like to toss in some chopped jalapeno for a little heat. Thanks for sharing.
Oh and we used grapeseed oil, I can’t enjoy olive oil.
Thank you so much LeAna! Love the idea of adding in some jalapeno – yum!!! Hope you are well 🙂
This sounds so good! I am not vegan, but the flavors in this crema sound better than the regular stuff.
Thanks Kate! It is really smooth and adds a nice balance to spicy food!
Wow, such a great idea! Bet the flavor of this is terrific. Very creative — thanks so much.
Thank you John!