9 Ways to Use an Avocado Pit

I have several avocado pits drying on my windowsill right now. I made a big batch of guacamole last weekend and decided to research if the pits had any uses. I found several ways the seeds from this fruit can be used. I'm drying them for use in #7 below, but I thought I'd share all of the ideas I found while I was researching.

1. Make Dye

Use both the skins and the pit to create a natural pink-hued dye for fabric. You’d think it would turn out green, but no, it turns out pink. Artist Ruth Singer offers her step-by-step technique and shows off her lovely results. You can also read about it in the New York Times, where the headline says, "Avocado Dye Is, Naturally, Millennial Pink." The shade of pink depends on the fabric or yarn you use.

2. Save Your Guacamole

Keep your guacamole from going brown by putting an avocado pit in the dip. Disclaimer: This is a debatable practice. Some people swear it works. Others say it does nothing. Other anti-browning suggestions including sprinkling guacamole with lemon juice or wrapping it tightly in foil.

3. Whip up a Facial Mask

Dry the pits, grind them up, and put them in a homemade facial mask as an exfoliant. Blend a seed with your choice of ingredients: olive oil and a banana, avocado and lemon juice, or any ready-made facial scrub. The avocado seed adds abrasion and helps the mask slough off dead skin, says Simply Jayy.

4. Eat It

You can grind up avocado pits in a smoothie. It contains several nutrients including calcium, magnesium and potassium. Blogger Elena Wilkins suggests splitting the pit with a heavy knife and cutting it up in pieces, then blending it while it's still wet. It's easier to mix that way, and easier on your blender, too.

Alternatively, slice the pits (very carefully) and bake in the oven until dried, then blitz in a blender until pulverized and powdered. Use the avocado pit powder in baked goods, oatmeal, protein shakes, grain dishes, and more.

5. Make Tea

Put chunks of avocado pit inside a tea infuser, put the infuser in a mug, and pour boiling water over it. Avocado seeds can be bitter, says EatThis, so you may need to add a little bit of honey or other sweetener.

6. Make Mole Sauce

Grate the pit and use it to whip up some tasty red mole sauce. This recipe from Pam's Tactical Kitchen call for just 1 tablespoon and points out that the grated pit will turn orange.

The Mazatlán Post says that this is a technique used to make a traditional north Mexican enchilada sauce: "Leave a clean avocado [pit] in a cool, dry place for 5-7 days, then grate it into small bits (a food processor really helps). Add this to your sauce before baking. About 1-1/2 teaspoons should do the trick—any more, and the dish may end up tasting too bitter!"

7. Grow an Avocado Plant

Growing an avocado from seed is simple. Start with three toothpicks, a glass of water, some sunlight and one avocado pit. You should see the roots and stem start to sprout in just a few weeks, though you might be waiting years for fruit. That's OK, though. You can still enjoy a cute little houseplant.

8. Be Creative

A chef who goes by the name of Triclaw says he goes through so many avocados in his restaurant that he felt bad tossing the seeds. He started carving them and said they were like dry clay. He's made faces, snails and all sorts of interesting shapes. You could also dry a bunch of pits and then turn them into wind chimes, inserting eye hooks into individual pits and suspending them at various heights; they'll make a hollow wood-like sound when they knock into each other.

9. Wash Your Hair

Get clean with some homemade avocado shampoo. This easy recipe from Bread with Honey uses three dried and grated avocado pits, six cups of water, and just a few ounces of your regular shampoo. The shampoo supposedly thickens and softens hair. While you're at it, hop in the bath with the leftover avocado peels and rub them all over your skin for added moisturizing; just think of all that natural avocado oil!