Let me just start off by saying that chocolate mousse is probably one of my favorite desserts. And passion fruit mousse. I like mousses. The flavor options are endless and its like eating a cloud. Smooth, fluffy, melts in your mouth. I like mousse so much to the point the only cakes I will ever eat are mousse cakes. I am just not a fan of the pound cake part of the cake. Even as a child I would just eat the frosting (not mousse, but similar consistency) and leave behind the cake. So to me chocolate mousse is like one giant bowl of frosting to my 5 year old self. Mousse is such a delicate dessert. Simple. But for such a simple dessert it is hard to come by a really good chocolate mousse.
Lucky for you all, I have a very simple recipe that is paleo, vegan, gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free. I pair the cacao with the flavors of cardamom and espresso. So this is not your average chocolate mousse. It has a touch of familiarity and simplicity, while still having an exotic kick to it. This chocolate mousse is perfect for any special occasion. I will be making it for NYE this year! I made it last year as well.
Both coconut milk and cacao have a huge amount of health benefits. Make sure to buy organic fair trade cacao that is not processed with alkali as that reduces the nutritional content of the cacao.
Maple Syrup, Red Currants, Orange
The base of the mousse is whipped coconut milk. It’s as simple as that!
Next the cacao is folded in.
Once all ingredients are combined. Refrigerate the mousse for it to firm. Then decorate as you please! I used orange peel and red currants, which added a wonderful citrus and sweet aroma to contrast with the bitter cacao and coffee.
Recipe: (25 servings)
Ingredients:
4.5 cups of Full Fat Coconut Milk (equivalent to three 13.5 oz cans)
1 cup of Unsweetened Cacao (I buy Organic Fair trade cacao and make sure it is not processed with alkali as that reduces the nutritional content of the cacao)
1 cup Maple Syrup or other sweetener (this year I will be using Lakanto Erythitrol and Monk Fruit Sweetener for a ketogenic/sugar free version)
1 shot of espresso
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1.5 teaspoons Cardamom
Preparation:
Place the cans of coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight or in the freezer for 1 hour. (I prefer the freezer method). Flip the can. Open it and discard the liquid. The coconut cream should have separated from the water. You can save the water for a smoothie later. Beat the thick coconut cream with the whisk attachment of a stand up mixer or hand held mixer until firm peaks form. Slowly, add the vanilla, espresso, cardamom, and the maple syrup while still beating. The maple syrup will make the mousse more liquid, but it will firm up again in the refrigerator. If using the Lakanto sweetener, dissolve the sweetener in 1/4 cup of water over low heat before adding to the coconut milk. Once, the wet ingredients have been mixed, fold in the cacao in parts with a spatula, until you have folded it all in. The cacao needs to be folded in so as to not flatten the mousse. Once done, place in the fridge to allow the mousse to firm again. Add any garnishes as you please. I used orange peel and red currants.