Avocado Crema

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Author:

Isabel

Published:

September 21, 2020

This post contains affiliate links. See disclosure policy.

This Avocado Crema blends avocado, sour cream, lime juice, cilantro, and garlic together to create a versatile and light sauce. Drizzle it on all of your favorite Mexican recipes, enjoy it as a dipping sauce, or use it as a salad dressing!

Avocado Crema - Isabel Eats {Easy Mexican Recipes} (1)

Perfectly balanced Avocado Crema has a velvety smooth texture and pairs well with almost every recipe. This creamy sauce is a light and refreshing replacement to sour cream or avocado slices. Lightly seasoned with garlic, cilantro, and lime, it adds zest and character to every bite!

All you need is a blender or food processor and 5 minutes to make a batch. Drizzle it on top of enchiladas or tacos, serve it on the side for a quesadilla dip, or use it as a creamy salad dressing. This crema recipe is so versatile, you’ll always want to have a batch ready in the fridge!

What is avocado crema?

This recipe is a play on traditional Mexican crema, which is a flavorful and zesty replacement for sour cream. Rather than using buttermilk and heavy cream, avocado makes this recipe naturally creamy and tastes much more light and fresh. To finish, the crema is lightly seasoned and balanced using fresh garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and sour cream.

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Ingredients You’ll Need

This sauce is so good, you’ll think it took more than a handful of ingredients to make it. Here’s what you need to make this recipe:

Avocados – This is what will make the crema super buttery, creamy, and smooth. After all, avocados are nature’s butter!
Cilantro – Optional if it’s not your thing.
Sour cream – This adds a nice tang that will help cool down the heat in spicy or zesty meals.
Kosher salt – To help bring out all of the flavors.
Lime juice – Use bottled or fresh. The citrus flavor will bring balance to the mix of sour cream and avocado.
Garlic – Because you can never have enough garlic. Fresh is best, but feel free to use garlic powder if that’s all you have.

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How to make it

Blend everything: Place all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Ready to serve: Transfer the crema to a jar or a squeeze bottle and serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.

Tips & Tricks

If the crema is too thick, mix in 1 tablespoon of water at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.
If the crema is too thin, blend in another half of an avocado, or a tablespoon of sour cream at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
You can let it sit for a few hours or overnight in the fridge to let all of the flavors mingle and get to know each other.
Not in the mood for avocado? You’ll love my creamy cilantro lime dressing as a substitute.

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What goes well with avocado crema?

Everything! This sauce goes well on every dish where you would usually use avocados or sour cream.

Avocado and lime crema is great on top of fish tacos, burrito bowls, nachos, and enchiladas, but can also be added to the inside of burritos or used as a burger sauce. Try it as your new go-to dipping sauce for taquitos, jicama fries, or Mexican potatoes. The options are truly endless!

Substitutions and Variations

To lighten it up and add some protein, use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
Want to make it vegan? Substitute the sour cream for a plant-based alternative or plain vegan yogurt.
Want to add more flavor? Feel free to include a ¼ to ½ a teaspoon of ground cumin or ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon of cayenne for a little heat.

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Storage

The leftover crema will last up to 5 days in the fridge. Keep it in a sealed jar, container, or squeeze bottle.

If making the crema way ahead of time, store it in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed directly to the surface to keep the avocado from browning (like the photo above).

More Recipes

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4.71 from 34 votes

servings: 12 servings

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Ingredients

▢ 2 avocados, peeled and pitted
▢ 1/4 cup cilantro, optional
▢ 1/2 cup sour cream
▢ 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
▢ 1 1/2 limes juiced (about 3 tbsp)
▢ 1 clove garlic

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, scraping sides down as needed.
Transfer to a jar or a squeeze bottle and serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

Makes 1 1/2 cups total.

If the crema is too thick, mix in 1 tablespoon of water at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.
If the crema is too thin, blend in another half of an avocado, or a tablespoon of sour cream at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
Storage: The leftover crema will last up to 5 days in the fridge. Keep it in a sealed jar, container, or squeeze bottle. If making the crema way ahead of time, store it in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed directly to the surface to keep the avocado from browning (see photo in blog post).

Nutrition Information

Serving: 2tablespoons, Calories: 70kcal (4%), Carbohydrates: 5g (2%), Protein: 1g (2%), Fat: 6g (9%), Saturated Fat: 1g (5%), Cholesterol: 3mg (1%), Sodium: 106mg (4%), Potassium: 191mg (5%), Fiber: 2g (8%), Sugar: 1g (1%), Vitamin A: 103IU (2%), Vitamin C: 6mg (7%), Calcium: 20mg (2%), Iron: 1mg (6%)

Author: Isabel Orozco-Moore

Category: Mexican

Nadine
January 26, 2024

I made guacamole then added sour cream just as good
Reply
AS
December 29, 2023

Really great addition to taco night! Mine came out thicker than I would have liked, but some added water did just the trick.
Reply
Marie
February 11, 2023

I skipped the cilantro and added jalapeños for an added kick, then put in on top our bruschetta and balsamic glaze. So good!
Reply
chloe
January 4, 2023

So delicious!! I added in a Jalepeno for an extra kick. So good on fish tacos.
Reply
Tamster
December 31, 2022

Ahhhmazing! I had to skip the cilantro but I added a few more cloves of garlic to make this delicious sauce. It went perfect with my Southwest Egg Rolls.
Reply
Therese
July 19, 2022

Delicious, easy and quick! I will absolutely make it again.I used basil not cilantro & sea salt. Also 4 cloves of garlic.
Reply
Nicole
July 9, 2022

Made 1/2 recipe added ground cummin and 3 drops Tabasco sauce and turned out great, also used sea salt in place of kosher salt, left out cilantro also.
Reply
1. Ana @ Isabel Eats
  July 11, 2022
  Hi Nicole! That sounds great! Thanks for sharing.
  Reply
Steve
February 3, 2022

Made this tonight. Used it as a dip with chicken quesadillas and also drizzled on black beans. It was quick and easy and it made a simple meal special! Thanks for the recipe!
Reply
Grace H.
January 9, 2022

So YUMMY & EASY!! Only a few ingredients, but it tastes so fancy. Makes a generous amount, I can’t wait to use it all week long on different meals!
Reply
Elizabeth Baker
August 2, 2021
what if I only have lemons in my fridge can I substitute for limes??
Reply
1. Ana @ Isabel Eats
  February 16, 2022
  Hi Elizabeth! It will have a slightly different flavor but you are welcome to use them!
  Reply
Karen
July 10, 2021
This avocado crema was super quick and easy to make, and tasted delicious! I made it to top shrimp tacos, and look forward to using the leftovers as a salad dressing for lunch tomorrow. Thank you for sharing your recipe, and your tips for success.
Reply
Glinda
October 3, 2020

Delicious sauce. This is a keeper!
Reply