I spent most of last week kicking back in Sunriver, Oregon. You guys, that place is incredible. The sky is vast, and so unmarred by big city light pollution and skyscrapers that at night, the stars look like powdered sugar dusted onto black velvet. And during the day, the sun warms the forests so that everywhere the air smells slightly of pine.

I’ve returned now to Seattle with remnants of many mosquito bites, a wicked farmer’s tan, and a hankering for these avocado paletas (or popsicles, if you will). Something about the high desert climate of Sunriver made me think of these. The hot, arid days there just demand something light and refreshing, but not overwhelmingly sweet like your traditional ice creams and sorbets. Enter the avocado.

I know. Avocado? In a dessert? But trust me, it makes sense. This won’t taste like you just froze some guacamole and put it on a stick. Think about the flavor of an avocado by itself — cool, kind of like a luxurious cucumber. Add in just a bit of simple syrup and lime for tang, and oh my. Summer treat heaven.

The trickiest thing about these is unmolding them. They’re not as icy as your typical popsicle (the creaminess of avocados make these a bit softer than an ice pop), so getting them out of the popsicle mold in one piece can involve some trial and error. I usually run the frozen molds under some hot water for about two seconds, and then attempt to pull each popsicle out in one motion. I’m also about as coordinated as a bear on rollerskates, so if I can pull this off, so can you.