I came across this recipe while researching vegan desserts. At first it seems super weird and possibly disgusting. Then you try it. Then you realize its amazing and where has this been all your life?
A simple internet search will quickly reveal to you the many many… many healthy benefits of avocados, so I will spare you that here. What I want to say about this recipe is that it is so delicious. It tastes exactly like a pudding cup. And not only is it not bad for you, it is good for you. Great for you! (okay.. except for the caffeine in the chocolate***).
Easy Vegan Chocolate Mousse
(made with avocado, chocolate and maple syrup)
Ingredients:
- 1 large very ripe avocado (it HAS TO BE RIPE!!!*)
****Substitute 1 can of Organic Black Beans/strained (unflavored) - 1/4 c unsweetened chocolate powder (I recommend Trader Joe’s)
- 1t vanilla extract
- 1T maple syrup (or honey, but maple syrup tastes better – to me)
- 2T coconut creamer (also from Trader Joe’s)
- (optional) whipped cream**
Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a food mixer or mix with an immersion hand blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add more coconut creamer as needed to make it smooth. If it is smooth but still has a greenish brown color, add more chocolate and sweetener). It shold be a rich chocolaty brown.
Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes:
- You’ll also want to tweak the amounts of chocolate and syrup to your personal taste after you mix everything together. I’m not as big of a chocolate lover as I thought I was, so the full 1/4 cup was a bit too much for me. But I could see how some would like it that way. Also, I clearly don’t know how big of an avocado you started with here, so mix everything to taste!
- ****If you use the black beans, be aware that the texture is a little odd, but its super delicious, much less expensive than avocado, and much more predictable (the ripeness, or lack of, on the avocado changes the flavor.
- ***For a healthier option and to avoid the caffeine, use carob instead of chocolate and pureed raisins and/or dates to sweeten.
- This is a rich dessert, much like actual chocolate mousse, so you’ll want to do small servings. I got some snack sized storage containers to store it in the fridge so that I could enjoy them just like pudding cups. Mmmm Mmm. The kids love this snack, and they have no idea of how healthy it is.
- **If you’ve ever paid attention to the commercials, whipped cream is very low in fat and sugar, and it makes everything better. So I have allowed myself to indulge in topping my mousse with whipped cream. Its the simple things that make life great. Let’s all try to remember that!
- *I tried this with a not so ripe avocado just once, thinking “What could go wrong.” Oh boy was it wrong. So very wrong. It was still edible, but it really lacked the deliciousness that I’d come to expect from my secret weapon in desserts.
- Why not get creative? Add or substitute almond extract, honey, almonds or other nuts, chocolate chips, or crunchies. A healthy crunchy add is to put in some quinoa or granola. Raisins? Once you get your delicious mousse base, add anything that you’d love to eat with rich chocolate.
Photos:
Have you tried this recipe?
If so, please leave a comment to let us know how you liked it or any modifications that you made!