I’ve always loved guacamole but my consumption this summer has been off the charts.
So much so that creating my own guac bar is only fitting.
If you’re like me, you don’t have to throw a party to set out a spread like this. I can down this by myself on a random Monday.
I’ve made more meals out of The Best Peach Mango Salsa and guacamole than I can count. I don’t even need chips, just a spoon.
After the avocado is mashed in a bowl with a squirt of lime juice and dash of salt, it’s time for the add-in’s. I love the textures and flavors of veggies in guac and they really help to stretch one avocado. I try to limit myself to one avocado per day, but sometimes that’s impossible.
A big tip if you just need a few tablespoons of various veggies is to buy a ‘fajita mix’ or ‘stir fry mix’ in the refrigerated case of the produce department. It’s an easy and more cost-effective way to incorporate a wide variety of veggies without having to buy a whole one of each.
For pops of color and nice texture I like tomatoes, bell peppers (any color), corn, black beans, or olives.
If you’re a heat seeker like I am, add diced jalepenos, green chili peppers, poblano peppers, ground cayenne pepper, or cumin. Stirring in a couple tablespoons of spicy salsa works, too.
For bold flavor, add onions, garlic, salsa, or pico de gallo. And I love cilantro and always go overboard with it because it adds big flavor and for me it’s what makes guac taste authentic.
Get creative and if you think crumbled goat cheese, char-grilled corn, pickled jalepenos, mango or pineapple sound good, add them.
Serve your DIY guac with chips, flatbread, toasted pita bread or baguette slices. To keep carbs down and veggie intake up, sometimes I use speared bell peppers as my dippers. Sometimes I just use a spoon and shovel.
If you plan to do a guac bar for an event, only mash about half the avocados you think you’ll need in the beginning (I budget 1 avocado per person), and as time passes, mash as needed. Even if it doesn’t turn brown, guac turns darker and looks less appealing over time.
Whatever you add to your guac, I highly recommend washing it down with a couple of The Best Homemade Margaritas or a non-alcoholic 5-Calorie Lime-Raspgberry Margarita Fizz.
Just remember avocados are loaded with healthy fats. That’s what I keep telling myself anyway.
Pin This Recipe
Enjoy AverieCooks.com Without Ads! 🆕
Go Ad Free
Do-It-Yourself Guacamole Bar
Ingredients
Essential
- 1 medium ripe avocado, mashed
- juice of 1/2 lime, or to taste
- pinch salt, to taste
Optional Add-Ins
- bell peppers, any color
- tomatoes
- onions, red, white, yellow, Vidalia, green, scallions, etc.
- garlic
- cilantro
- pico de gallo
- jalepeno peppers, fresh, canned, pickled, etc.
- green chili peppers, fresh, canned, fire-roasted, etc.
- poblano peppers
- serrano peppers
- ground cayenne pepper
- red pepper flakes
- cumin
- salsa
- corn, fresh, frozen, char-grilled, etc.
- black beans
- olives
- cheese, crumbled Cotija, feta, goat, blue, etc.
- mango
- pineapple
- anything else you love
- Serve With, optional
- sour cream
- salsa
- pico de gallo
- margaritas
Serve With (optional)
- sour cream
- salsa
- pico de gallo
- margaritas
- Serve On
- tortilla chips
- flatbread
- toasted pita bread
- baguette slices
- crackers
- speared bell peppers
Serve On
- tortilla chips
- flatbread
- toasted pita bread
- baguette slices
- crackers
- speared bell peppers
Instructions
- Peel and de-seed the avocado. Scoop out and mash the flesh in a medium bowl.
- Add the lime juice, salt to taste, and stir to combine.
- Add as many add-ins, to taste, as desired and stir to combine.
- Serve with optional ‘serve with’ items (sour cream, etc.) and serve on chips or alternate dippers. Guacamole is best enjoyed fresh.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Related Recipes
Avocado, Cream Cheese, and Salsa-Stuffed Puff Pastries – One of my most popular recipes to date
The Best Peach Mango Salsa (vegan, GF)
Sweet Potato, Corn, and Black Bean Enchiladas
Cheese, Black Beans, and Corn-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Avocado Crema (vegan, GF)
Lightened Up Corn and Bean Quesadillas with Avocado-Mango-Chipotle Salsa – (vegetarian/vegan, GF)
Loaded BBQ Chicken Nugget Nachos (with vegan option)
The Best Homemade Margaritas:All Natural, 3-Ingredients
5-Calorie Lime-Raspgberry Margarita Fizz
Okay so seriously, you have no idea how much guac I eat. Between guac and hummus, I have no need for dinner, hehe!! I LOVE the idea of a guac bar. We do taco bars all the time and it never occurred to me to do a guac bar. SO fun!!! PINNED :)
Between guac and hummus, I have no need for dinner = ME TOO! Except it’s usually salsa rather than hummus for me. And then with the drinks, truly don’t need dinner. Thanks for pinning, Aimee :)
I have been craving guacamole for days. This just sealed the deal!!
It can be a struggle to limit oneself to one avocado a day especially if you start the day with avocado toast or this glorious guac. I love to add fruit to mine like mango or peach to offset the red onion it is so good and I’m with you I could easily eat this whole bar no chips needed!!!
mango or peach to offset the red onion = exactly! I actually don’t add onions to my own guac if I’m making it just for me because they are so overpowering for me personally. And that’s why I made that Peach Mango Salsa I linked to; I love fruity salsas with a kick! And no chips necessary for that, either :)
I love that you start off your day with avo toast!
LOVE this idea so much!! Who wouldn’t want to come to a guacamole party?!!
What a fabulous idea to create a guacamole bar, Averie! My favorite kind! So great for all of the upcoming summer parties. Gorgeous pictures, too!
Thanks, Gayle, for the compliments!
This post is a party for the eyes! Love all these eye-popping colors and close-up shots of the guac laden chips.
Thanks for the compliments! :)
How cool is that?!? So pretty too.
Love the photos.
Have a marvelous week Averie!
These photos are beautiful, Averie! So bright and colourful. Chips with salsa and guacamole are such perfect summertime eats. I’ve actually never thought to add corn into the mix but I will definitely be doing that next time around. Totally pinning this recipe!
Thanks for the compliments and pinning! Grilled corn especially adds tons of smokey flavor but any corn adds a nice, bright texture and juiciness!
Ummm yea, just hand me the spoon! I mean, I love tortilla chips too (especially a chia quinoa variety we just found), but I’d rather leave all the room for guac!
I just drank a chia seed and almond milk smoothie. LOVE chia seeds! Those chips sound great, although I really just need a spoon :)
This is something all my co-workers would absolutely love!! They frequently bring in chips, salsa, guacamole on Fridays (though I don’t work that day) so I should surprise them and bring it in! Customizing is always fun –and one co-worker is just as nuts for cilantro as I am!!
I thought you may like this one! I still have a cilantro recipe coming. Gosh sometimes I forget about certain recipes and that I told you about cilantro and a recipe I have with it (I make things 4 to 8 weeks in advance of posting them and write out 1-2 months ahead what I’m making or planning to make so that I don’t post a choc cake and choc muffins and then choc cookies all in the same week…it happens otherwise!)
LOVE this idea! I am powerless before guacamole and would have so much fun making my own. This is perfect for parties!
What a fun idea! I could definitely down the entire bar by myself though – with NO SHAME. Pinning!
Thanks for pinning and glad you can relate to downing the whole thing, solo :) Me too!
This looks like so much fun! Perfect for my next party :)
This is a great idea! Especially because I like way too much onion for other people’s liking haha.
Simply fab!!
Gorgeous! It’s almost to eat man. And if you lived any closer, I’d seriously eat ALL OF THIS, no joke.