Guacamole

Last Updated on April 26, 2024 by Annie

This quick and easy homemade guacamole recipe is packed with the fresh flavors of avocado, lime, cilantro, and garlic. Made with just 7 ingredients, this vegan guacamole recipe is sure to hit the spot.

A small white bowl topped with guacamole on a white counter.

2024 Update:  This recipe was originally shared in September 2019. This post has been updated to include new photos, detailed directions, and additional dairy-free tips. I hope you enjoy this vegan guacamole recipe!

Guacamole has long been a staple in Tex-Mex cuisine. This creamy avocado based dip filled the nearly Texas-sized void in my life vacated by queso when I went dairy-free. By no means am I saying guac is queso. They are not the same and that is OK.

What I am saying is that if I want chips and dip, I make guacamole. If I want to add something to a taco, I add guacamole. And if I want something to top a taco salad, you guessed it, I use guac.

A bowl of guacamole is basically only as delicious as the ingredients you put in it. The most important part about making a delicious bowl of guacamole is using fresh ingredients.

A small white bowl filled with vegan guacamole inside a larger white bowl filled with tortilla chips on a white counter.

How to Make Vegan Guacamole

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Avocados– Those perfectly ripe, slightly soft to the touch avocados will do the trick.
  • Red onion– Finely diced and feel free to omit if you are not a fan of onion.
  • Jalapeño– Small seeded and diced jalapeños add a little heat to the guac.
  • Garlic– Grated on a microplane or finely diced.
  • Lime– Fresh squeezed lime juice works best, but you can also use bottled lime.
  • Cilantro– Rinsed and finely chopped.
  • Salt and Pepper– To taste.
Ingredients for homemade guacamole on a white counter.

Step-by-Step Directions for Guacamole

  • Slice avocados vertically around the seed. Twist the two sides and pull the avocados apart.
  • Remove the seed and slice the avocados horizontally and vertically across the inside.
  • Scoop the avocado out from inside the shell and put into a medium sized mixing bowl.
  • Add remaining ingredients: Add diced red onion, jalapeño, garlic, lime juice, and cilantro into the mixing bowl.
A white bowl with the ingredients for homemade guacamole before mixing together.
  • Mash guacamole together: Using a fork, lightly mash the ingredients together in the bowl.
  • Season with salt and pepper and taste test with a tortilla chip. Add additional lime, cilantro, jalapeño, or garlic to taste.

Pro Tips to Make Guacamole

As someone who makes guacamole on the regular, here are a few things to keep in mind:

  • WAIT FOR THE AVOCADOS TO BE READY! Nothing ruins guacamole more than a hard avocado.
  • Test the salt level of the guacamole with tortilla chips. The tortilla chips add their own level of salt to the guacamole so test with the chips to avoid over-salting the guac.
  • For spicier guacamole, leave the ribs on the jalapeño when you are slicing it.
  • For a milder guac, be sure to remove the ribs and seeds of the jalapeño.
  • Use fresh lime juice, but if you don’t have a lime on hand, lime juice from the bottle works just fine.

Helpful Kitchen Tools

When it comes to making a batch of vegan guacamole, here are some tools you might find helpful in the kitchen.

  • Glass mixing bowls– Used for mashing and mixing up the homemade guacamole.
  • Lime juicer– Great for juicing a fresh lime.
  • Kitchen knives– For slicing and dicing the various ingredients in this guacamole recipe.

What to Serve with Guacamole

You can honestly eat guacamole at any time of day for just about any reason. Here are some dishes that love a good dollop of guacamole:

A close up of a swirl of fresh guacamole.

Storing Guacamole

The hardest part about keeping guacamole fresh is minimizing the exposure of the avocado with the air. When you store guacamole you need to be sure you are using an air-tight container that prevents the top layer of the guac from being exposed to the air.

Another method for keeping the guacamole fresh is to place a layer of plastic wrap on the top of the guacamole.

We have recently started using a storage container that keeps the guacamole fresh up to 5 days after making it and I don’t think I will go back.

More Vegan Dips to Make Next

A hand holding a tortilla chip dipped in guacamole from a small white bowl.

Guacamole

A fresh bowl of homemade guacamole whipped up in 15 minutes! This guac will have everyone reaching for another bite!

Course Appetizer
Cuisine Tex-Mex
Keyword Avocado, Chip Dip, Dairy-Free, Taco, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Author Annie

Ingredients

  • 3 Avocados Ripe
  • ¼ Red Onion Diced
  • 2 Jalapeños Diced
  • 1 clove Garlic Microplaned or diced
  • 2 teaspoons Lime Juice Fresh
  • ¼ cup Cilantro chopped
  • ½ teaspoon Salt + more to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon Pepper + more to taste

Instructions

  1. Slice 3 ripe avocados vertically around the seed. Twist the two sides and pull the avocados apart. Remove the seed and slice the avocados horizontally and vertically across the inside. Scoop the avocado out from inside the shell and put into a medium sized mixing bowl.

  2. Add ¼ cup diced red onion, 2 small diced jalapeño, 1 clove garlic, 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, and ¼cup cilantro into the mixing bowl.

  3. Using a fork, lightly mash the ingredients together in the bowl. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and taste test with a tortilla chip. Add additional lime, cilantro, jalapeño, or garlic to taste.