Easy Avocado Sushi Roll Recipe
April 2022
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Created by experts, Kids Eat in Color is the leading resource for families seeking evidence-based information and strategies on child nutrition and feeding.
This easy-to-follow avocado sushi roll recipe is a great way to introduce the dish to your child. And for parents managing different allergies, this kid-approved sushi in particular is very allergy friendly!
Avocado sushi rolls
Sushi is one of Japan’s most famous dishes and is typically made with a variety of different seafood. However, it can be prepared in so many ways to satisfy different palates.
Veggie sushi rolls have become very popular, especially in the vegan and vegetarian communities, so many sushi restaurants offer varieties of sushi rolls without seafood. This version is filled with avocado, carrots and cucumbers. You can add additional ingredients as desired, like chopped bacon or bacon bits, if you don’t need a dish that is entirely plant based.
Note: For more easy meal ideas, check out our guide to healthy toddler lunches.
Kids’ sushi recipe
While you’re probably more accustomed to ordering sushi from your favorite restaurant rather than making it yourself, you can actually recreate this popular dish at home with minimal ingredients! It’s truly a great way to introduce sushi to your family or kids who are not yet eating cooked or raw fish.
These avocado sushi rolls are the best kids’ sushi recipe. For one thing, they are allergy-friendly, so that can be a huge help for some parents, even if your kid doesn’t have allergies themselves but goes to an allergy-friendly school.
Related: Find more allergy-friendly recipes in the Real Easy Weekdays meal plan.
Easy sushi recipe for beginners
Grab these ingredients and enjoy a make-your-own-sushi night at home! Display all the ingredients for your little one and follow the instructions below. If rolling is too much for your child, you could turn them into hand rolls where the nori takes on a cone shape. You can also make the complete roll as described in the recipe and leave it uncut–call them sushi burritos!
If you are a parent managing different allergies, these avocado sushi rolls are kid-friendly with all the fun shapes and color, but they are also allergy-friendly.
When making your own rolls, the filling combinations can be endless. You can have fun incorporating your child’s favorite veggies into them. While not traditional, it can be fun.
Related: For a different kind of roll-up, try these healthy fruit roll-ups.
Sushi for picky eaters
If you have a picky eater, a little novelty can go a long way in helping them try new foods. Presenting foods in a fun sushi roll could be just the trick! Getting kids in the kitchen, and having them help you prepare these rolls, may help encourage them to want to try them.
If they are still a little skeptical about eating everything in one handheld bite, try serving all the components separately. Deconstructed meals are one way to let your picky eater get comfortable with the individual ingredients in a dish with mixed foods.
Nori on its own has a salty, satisfying crisp – it’s lighter than a potato chip. Let us know what your kids think in the comments below!
Related: Get expert tips for preventing and overcoming picky eating.
Simple avocado sushi ingredients
To make these simple sushi rolls, the ingredients you need include rice, nori (seaweed) sheets, avocado, other fillings or add-ins, and seasonings. Get the full list of sushi ingredients here:
- Sushi rice
- Avocado
- Cucumber
- Carrots
- Nori sheets
- Avocado oil or other cooking oil
- Mirin
- Dulse flakes
- Sea salt
- Water
- Optional: cooked bacon or bacon bits
Related: Does your child love Asian cuisine? Next up, try these Korean bulgogi beef meatballs.
How to make easy sushi rolls
To assemble these rolls, spread cooked sushi rice all over a nori sheet. Mix an avocado with salt and spread some over the rice, then add a sliced cucumber and a sliced carrot to one edge of the sheet. Starting on the side with the veggies, roll up the nori tightly and carefully. To seal, run a touch of water along the edge of the sheet.
What to serve with avocado sushi rolls
Sushi is often served with soy sauce to dip. If your child is allergic to soy, you’ll want to avoid it. For those avoiding wheat and gluten, tamari, which is also made from soy, is a good substitute for soy sauce.
If your child is not allergic to soy sauce and you’re including it as a dip in their lunchbox, make sure to use an ice pack as well to keep everything fresh.
Easy Avocado Sushi Rolls for Kids
This easy-to-follow, allergy-friendly avocado sushi recipe is a great way to introduce the classic Japanese dish to your child.
Ingredients
Rice Ingredients
- 2 Tbs. cooking oil we used avocado oil
- 44 oz. cooked sushi rice about 1 lb. / 448 g measured dry then cooked
- 2-2½ tsp. sea salt
- 2 tsp. dulse flakes
- 2 Tbs. mirin
Sushi Ingredients
- 11 oz. avocado flesh 2-3 ripe avocados (W)
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- 1 large cucumber sliced into long, thin strips (W)
- 2-3 medium carrots sliced into long, thin strips (W)
- Cooked bacon or bacon bits optional
- 6-8 nori sheets
- 1-2 Tbs. water
Instructions
Rice Directions
- In a large non-stick pan on medium-high heat (7/10 for us), add cooking oil.
- Once the oil is hot, add the rice, sea salt, dulse and mirin. Mix everything together very well and cook for 8 minutes. Note: If you’re using cold/leftover rice, your cook time may be a bit longer.
Assembly Directions
- Cut open your avocados, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Add the 1/2 teaspoon of salt, then mix well with a fork.
- To assemble sushi rolls, place a piece of nori down on a flat surface. Additionally, place water into a small bowl to use for sealing.
- Onto the nori sheet, scoop your cooked rice. We used 170 g of cooked rice for each roll. Spread the rice over 95% of the nori sheet. You want to leave a little of one edge empty which will make sealing easier.
- Add avocado and spread it all over your rice. We used 65 g of avocado per roll.
- When looking down at your nori sheet, the empty edge should be furthest away from you. Place your cucumber and carrot on the side closest to you. We used 30 g of cucumber and 15 g of carrot for each roll. If you’re using bacon as well, add it too.
- Roll your nori sheet towards the empty edge. Try to make the roll tight so it doesn’t fall apart later. When you get to the open edge, dip your fingers in the water, then run along the empty edge. Think of this as glue.
- Complete the roll and press down to ensure you have a good seal.
Notes
- This recipe makes 6-8 sushi rolls.
- To cut roll into small rounds, use a very sharp knife to ensure you have clean cuts.
- You can use a bamboo mat to make rolling easier and more authentic. You can also invest in inexpensive tools such as a sushi bazooka. We have one and for little kids, it’s a lot of fun.
- Include an ice pack when packing in a lunch box.
- To cook sushi rice, prepare it according to the instructions on the package. This can be done same-day, or in advance. We often make double the rice needed each time we make it, then use leftover rice for these types of recipes.
- Ingredients with a “W” next to them are WIC-eligible items. WIC is the supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children in the United States. It provides food to families with pregnant or postpartum women and young children. WIC-eligible items will vary based on location.
- Allergy Status (does not include optional bacon)
Free from: wheat/gluten, dairy, egg, soy, tree nut (including coconut), peanut, fish, shellfish, top 8 allergens, sesame, alliums, apple, banana, beans & lentils, berries, buckwheat, cane/refined sugar, celery, cinnamon, citrus, cruciferous, garlic, legume, lupin, mushroom, mustard, nightshade, oat, onion, pea & pea protein, potato (nightshade variety), poultry, red meat, seeds, stone fruits, strawberry, sweet potato & yam, tapioca/cassava/yuca/manioc, tomato, yeast - Friendly to: diabetic, EOE, vegetarian
Nutrition
Sodium: 904mgCalcium: 26mgVitamin C: 8mgVitamin A: 3119IUSugar: 3gFiber: 6gPotassium: 356mgCalories: 303kcalTrans Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gFat: 11gProtein: 5gCarbohydrates: 47gIron: 1mg
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About Kids Eat in Color
Created by experts, Kids Eat in Color is the leading resource for families seeking evidence-based information and strategies on child nutrition and feeding.
