Bravocado!

What’s better than bulletproof? Avocajoe is your indestructible, unbeatable, ironclad warrior in a sleek aluminum can. We’ve met this caffeinated champion before almost a year ago, before his greatness was fully realized. Answering the cries for truly upgraded coffee, without saturated animal fats, Avocajoe has finally arrived to save the day!

Forget the costly morning coffee run; this amber elixir delivers a lush latte experience at home, at work, or on the go. Velvety smooth and lightly sweetened with monk fruit, each sip lingers pleasantly, like a gentle, loving kiss. Easy to drink down in seconds, savor the moment before getting back to work, buoyed by the focused, slow burning energy that can only come from balanced nutrition. While a straight shot of espresso will send me flying at first and crashing later, this is one smooth trip, not a wild roller coaster ride to endure.

Available in three flavors, the Dark Roast could be considered the original; naturally sweetened coffee enhanced by whole avocado goodness, the flavor is straightforward but far from simple. Bold, woodsy, dark, and slightly mysterious, layers of flavor set this blend apart from the pack.

Taking that lustrous base note and adding bright, floral hints, Vanilla is the sweet, milky latte of third wave coffee shop dreams. Intensely flavored yet soft in texture, the experience is akin to a gentle wake up call for all the senses. Imagine using a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream as your coffee creamer, and you’d come pretty close to the luxurious taste contained in each slim aluminum can.

Saving what I think is the best for last, Mocha is my personal favorite of the trio. Leading with a creamy cocoa flavor, it reminds me of leftover hot chocolate that’s been chilled overnight, allowed to mature and deepen in complexity, then spiked with a concentrated shot of espresso.

Bolstered by avocado rather than typical alt-milks, Avocajoe is completely allergen-free; no nuts, seeds, dairy, or gluten to speak of. If you’re keto, diabetic, or just want a damn good iced coffee, it’s one-stop shopping here.

If you’re expecting drinkable guacamole blended with cold brew, you’ll be relieved to know that the green fruit only manifests as a rich, but not thick texture, leaving any objectionable savory notes out of the can. Served properly chilled, poured into a tall glass, you’d never guess the secret ingredient, but you can tell from the first taste that this is not your average Joe.

This post was made possible as a collaboration with Avocajoe. My opinions can not be bought and all content is original. This page may contain affiliate links; thank you for supporting my blog!

Avo-Coffee Advocate

The two most essential components of my daily diet, the staples that are always on the grocery list, are avocados and coffee. A house is not a home unless there are at least a half dozen of the green fruit ripening on the counter and freshly roasted coffee beans in the pantry. Everyday, without fail, avocados and coffee are what get me out of bed. They’re two great tastes that… Taste great together?

Do me a a favor and suspend disbelief for a minute. Offended at the thought of ruining nature’s most perfect foods, I had the same knee-jerk reaction when I first came across the concept for Avocajoe. My thoughts immediately went to the hipster trend of avolattes, which are really just espresso drinks poured into empty avocado shells; a perfect representation of the hollow promises they leave unfulfilled. Avocado coffee, on the other hand, does the fatty fruits proper justice in equal measure, blending both together in a rich, creamy concoction that edges dangerously close into the realm of milkshakes, while remaining light and highly drinkable.

Inspired by es alpukat, hailing from Indonesia, it’s best described as a plant-based alternative to “bulletproof” or butter coffee. Known for their abundance of monounsaturated fats and oleic acid, avocados are essential brain-boosting treats. Blend in the perks of caffeine and all the flavor of premium coffee, and this unlikely union starts to look like the perfect marriage that was meant to be. Even better, this contemporary reincarnation has zero sugar for sustained energy, without the usual midday crash.

While Avocajoe is still in funding mode, you can back their Kickstarter campaign to get in on the ground floor and be one of the first to get a taste! Until then, try blending up your own avo-coffee drink at home.

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Happy Camper

Only once in my life have I attempted any form of overnight camping. At five or six years old, eyes full of stars and head full of dreams, my parents pitched a tent right in the backyard, no more than a few feet from our back door. Safe from the true elements but still firmly planted in the “great” outdoors, it was an ideal way of testing the waters.

It was all perfect. My sister and I made shadow puppets after the sun fell, giggling long into the night. We rolled around in sleeping bags, despite the balmy summer air. As soon as the flashlights switched off, however, I was inconsolable. The ground was too hard, there were ants and mosquitoes and (maybe!) spiders, it was too dark, too cramped, too breezy, too… Outdoors. After about 15 minutes, I hightailed it back inside to my bed.

To this day, my idea of “roughing it” still involves WIFI and running water, but no matter. I would gladly build a campfire to roast marshmallows and make s’mores any day. After all, that’s really the only reason anyone would bother with camping, right?

Starbucks knows this and capitalizes on the concept. Their seasonal S’mores Crème Frappuccino makes all the glory of camping accessible without pulling out of the drive-through line. It is, sadly, one of the few concoctions that can’t be veganized.

Save yourself the trouble, heartache, and money by just making your own at home. Instead of marshmallow-infused whipped cream, my copycat recipe is crowned by a plume of aquafaba marshmallow fluff, homemade chocolate syrup, and a crunchy sprinkle of crushed graham crackers. The base is a simple blended iced mocha, made from frozen coffee cubes, so the mixture isn’t watered down by plain ice.

Raise a glass to the goodness of summer, without having to hike into the woods and set up camp.

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Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice

One week into autumn, and I already feel like I’ve overdosed on pumpkin spice lattes. Granted, my tolerance for the intensely sweet, largely over-hyped drink is far lower than the average enthusiast, but it doesn’t help that it’s already been perking up coffee shop menus while summer was still in full swing. Is it just me, or has the #PSL craze died down a bit this time around? Fewer rants, fewer raves; love it or hate it, I fear we may have collectively reached peak pumpkin spice.

I tease about the fervor every year, but I do still enjoy a strong cuppa myself. The trouble comes when it transforms into other foods and products that should never bear the orange hue. Please, just keep it out of my lip balm, cough drops, and… pet shampoo, at least! Is that really so much to ask?

Still, the overall attraction is undeniable. It’s hard to beat the comfortingly familiar, creamy espresso eye-opener adored worldwide to begin with. Add in an extra dose of sweetness, a touch of nostalgic spice, and the health halo associated with pumpkin itself, to say nothing of the beautiful latte art possibilities, and you’ve got yourself a viral social media hit. When the hype starts to wear a bit thin, though, I have a small tweak that will revive your enthusiasm over the usual brew.

Chai spice, bearing a brighter, bolder palate emphasizing ginger, cardamom, and a pinch of black pepper, makes a strong argument for skipping the one-note cinnamon seasoning typically on standard order. While the most popular (and some would argue original) purveyor of pumpkin spice lattes doesn’t even offer a dairy free option, it’s effortless to whip up a big batch of this spicy pumpkin sauce to flavor not only coffee, but drizzle over ice cream, swirl into cheesecake, and dip into with crisp apples all season long.

Happily, you’ll have plenty to play with, as this recipe does make a big batch indeed. Halve quantities if you must, but once you take your first sweet, invigorating sip, you’ll end up just going back in the kitchen to make more later.

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