Nourishing 5-Minute Avocado Chocolate Mousse (Vegan) 

10/08/16

(Updated 12/11/23)

Meet avocado chocolate mousse - a nutritional and culinary wonder. Blend five ingredients in a food processor, and you're left with a delicious plant-based and dairy-free creamy avocado chocolate pudding. Whizzed up in minutes, this no-fail base recipe has endless flavour combinations to spring off to.

Chocolate mousse made from avocado is 100% something you could roll your eyes at. It feels a step too far down the healthy dessert rabbit hole. I mean, avocado…masquerading as chocolate mousse…? Get out of here.

However, ripe avocados make a great base for vegan chocolate mousse.  Being a fruit rich in fat (a rarity!) they have a buttery mouthfeel, which blends beautifully smooth, reminiscent of chocolate mousse texture – not an identical match, but deserving of a gold star.

As a Registered Nutritionist, I’m all about healthy dessert recipes, and (as a chocolate fiend) love recipes using cacao powder. This avocado chocolate pudding is deliciously decadent, while also being nourishing-to-boot. A win-win.

Gather Ingredients

  • Ripe avocados. The star of the show. We’re after two perfectly ripe fruit.
  • Cacao powder. The heavy lifter when it comes to masking the avocado. Use an unsweetened variety for a rich, chocolatey flavour. Cocoa powder works as a substitute but, as it’s not as bold, you may need to add more to taste.
  • Pure maple syrup. Sweetens the deal. You could substitute in runny honey (not vegan friendly) or stevia, to taste.
  • Coconut milk. Provides richness and helps achieve the perfect consistency (more on this food science below). Coconut cream can also be used.
  • Pinch of salt. To enhance the overall flavour, salt will help balance the sweetness and intensify the chocolatey richness.

Step-by-Step: Chocolate Mousse made with Avocado

Cut avocado in half, carefully remove pit, and discard the skin and pit. Quarter the creamy green flesh.
Add the avocado quarters, cacao powder, coconut milk, maple syrup and salt into a food processor.
Blend until smooth – when finished it should look thick and creamy, particularly when swirled with a spoon (pictured).
Spoon into 2-4 serving bowls. Enjoy immediately or chill in the fridge for a firmer mousse-like consistency.

Kitchen Tips

Here are tips and tricks to help your kitchen skills grow while improving the outcome of this dish:

  • Use ripe fruit only. Ripeness is crucial to achieve that silky-smooth texture – a hard avocado is a no-go. Choose fruit with flesh that yields to gentle pressure when pressed. It should give, but not feel mushy.
  • Play around with the flavour. Cacao powder can vary in richness, so don’t be afraid to add more or less to taste. You are the master of your tastebuds.
  • Chill in the fridge for the perfect consistency (thanks food science!). The saturated fat in coconut milk solidifies at cool temperatures, like when chilled. This natural firming effect will give your dessert a more mousse-like texture. If you prefer a pudding-like consistency, skip the chilling.

Do you taste the avocado in this chocolate mousse?🥑 They’re only mildly detectable. Once blended with the other ingredients, especially the cacao powder, you get a rich chocolate flavour hitting your tastebuds – even more so when adding one of the below flavour combinations into the mix.

Serving & Storing

This avocado chocolate mousse will last a few days in the fridge, and is best enjoyed the day of or day after your make it.

It is delicious as is, or jazz it up with one of the flavour combinations below:

  • Peanut butter cup. Calling all Reese’s lovers! Blend in PB to taste or drizzle a spoonful overtop. Wildly good (but you know this already).
  • Toasted coconut. Toast shredded coconut over a hot pan until golden, and sprinkle overtop. Adds crunch and lovely nutty, caramelised notes.
  • Jaffa. Blend in freshly squeezed orange or mandarin juice and zest, to taste. Bright and zingy against the rich chocolate.
  • After-dinner mint. Blend in peppermint essence to taste, then garnish with finely chopped mint. Such a tastebud vibe.
  • Rose & pistachio. Infuse with the delicate essence of rose water, then top with dried edible petals and chopped nuts *swoon*.
  • Black forest. Mix in cherries and chopped dark chocolate, then crown with yoghurt, more fruit and additional chocolate.
  • Chilli chocolate. Add a teeny pinch of chilli powder for a subtle spicy kick.
  • Coffee cream. Mix in finely ground coffee or espresso powder for a mocha-inspired mousse. Dollop with coconut yoghurt.
Peanut Butter Cup
Toasted Coconut
Jaffa
After Dinner Mint

Nutrition Q&A

What are the nutritional benefits of avocado? Nutritious, delicious and surpassingly versatile (i.e. chocolate mousse!), avocados are a kitchen go-to for many. Here are a few of their nutrition perks:

  • They’re a rich source of dietary fibre, offering around 14g per avocado. If you split this dessert between two, a serving will provide a smidge less than half the recommended daily fibre intake.
  • They’re nutrient-rich. Avocados are a treasure trove of essential vitamins and minerals. They contain generous amounts of vitamin K, E, and C, and several B vitamins. They surpass bananas in potassium content, a vital nutrient for maintaining healthy blood pressure and optimal muscle function.
  • They’re a fabulous source of monounsaturated fats. These healthy fats are associated with numerous health benefits, including helping to lower bad cholesterol levels and improving overall heart health (1).

Fun fact: the fats in avocado help us absorb certain nutrients better, such as vitamin A, D, E, and K, which are know as being ‘fat-soluble’ – i.e. they need fat to be absorbed.

Beyond this vegan chocolate mousse, avocados are surprisingly versatile in the dessert department. Their creaminess lends well to plant-based desserts, whether ice creams, cheesecakes, lime tarts (that green colour!), and even cupcake or cake frosting. A quick Google search will enlighten.

Thanks for reading. Looking for more sweet recipes that hero avocado? Try this acai smoothie bowl🍇.

Nourishing 5-Minute Avocado Chocolate Mousse (Vegan)

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Serving Size: 4
Rating:

Ingredients:  

  • 2 ripe avocados
  • ⅓  cup cacao or cocoa powder
  • ¼ cup coconut milk
  • ¼ cup maple syrup, or more or less to taste
  • A pinch of salt

Method:

  • Peel avocado, discard stone and place green flesh into a food processor.
  • Add other ingredients and blend until smooth.
  • Taste test and adjust to your preferences – add more cacao if you want a deeper chocolate flavour or add a touch more sweetener if you want to sweeten it further. Blend again.
  • Enjoy immediately for a pudding texture, or for a thicker mousse-like texture place in the fridge for an hour to firm.

Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe

If you enjoyed this dish, please consider giving it a star rating when you post a comment. Star ratings help others discover my recipes online (and your reviews make my day! 🙂 ). Happy cooking and baking. Danijela x

Recipe Rating




    8 Comments

  1. Made this today, I didn’t add any sweetner but it was sweet enough without it. Lovely recipe I will make this again.

  2. 5 stars
    I was tinkering with creating it on my own and already started with the same ingredients. Your measurements helped it turn out great. I did add about 1 tsp chia seeds per serving. These plump up and help stiffen the mouse, it can take a while for them to go completely soft, I find the perceived size of the seeds changes with more time left to set.

  3. 5 stars
    The ingredient ratios worked well. We did the peanut butter version and it was delicious. Thank you for the recipe 🙂