Here’s the Right Way to Eat an Avocado Pit (It Involves Chocolate)

When we first heard about people eating avocado pits, we were skeptical—but intrigued. It was at least worth our very own experiment.

And we discovered that they taste kind of like tree bark. But on digging further, we also found that sure enough, avocado pits—which are technically seeds—do pack loads of fiber and antioxidants, including phenolic compounds with anti-aging and disease-fighting power. Because of their heart-healthy benefits, some medications actually incorporate extracts from avocado seeds. They’ve shown potential to lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and treat inflammatory conditions—and they’re even antimicrobial.

So, it does seem that this weird food trend might actually be worth the hype. But like all things that skyrocket into popularity, avo pits already have their fair share of haters. Sure, some are worried about whether or not they’re safe to eat—after all, bitterness tends to be a plant’s way of saying, “Don’t eat me.” But so far, no tummy troubles over here at Thrive HQ. And hey, we kinda like the idea that we don’t have to chuck every single pit into the compost.

Since research is limited at this point, you’ll just have to decide for yourself if you’re willing to give it a shot. If you’re a food rebel itching to put avocado pits to the test, press play to see how to do it. Bonus: we add ours to the tastiest chocolate-pear smoothie to mask the bitterness and make it all go down easy. Good luck!

Chocolate-Pear Smoothie

Yield: 1 serving
Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

1 medium pear, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons cacao powder
2 teaspoons chia seeds
2 tablespoons almond butter
1 to 2 Medjool dates, pitted
1 cup almond milk
¼ to ½ cup avocado pit, chopped

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy.

Producer and Director: Liza Glucoft
Director of Photography: Naeem Munaf
Editor: Mark Parq