Chocolate Avocado Mousse
Published Feb 10, 2023
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Sinfully rich and healthful peacefully coexist in this refined sugar-free dessert! This Chocolate Avocado Mousse recipe is so simple to prepare you won’t believe it! Best of all, it’s Paleo-friendly with an option to make it a vegan chocolate mousse.
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
Looking for a healthier dessert because you want to avoid processed sugar or dairy? Look no further. Chocolate Avocado Mousse is perfect for you!
Although I don’t follow any specific diet, I love to make this healthy chocolate mousse when I’m craving chocolate but still want to feel good about what I’m enjoying.
A chocolate mousse with avocado blends the goodness and healthful properties of avocado, potassium-rich Medjool dates with chocolate for an easy dessert that is delicious and wholesome yet deceptively healthy.
This Chocolate Avocado Mousse recipe is:
- Easy! No complicated culinary steps.
- Super healthy! Every ingredient in this chocolate mousse with avocado is wholesome with no refined sugar or dairy. It’s gluten-free, Paleo-friendly and can be made vegan.
- Quick! Once the dates have been soaked and peeled, this healthy chocolate mousse comes together in minutes!
- Versatile! Chocolate avocado mousse can be used as a topping, fruit dip or even as a spread.
How to Make Chocolate Avocado Mousse:
Recipe Ingredients:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this Chocolate Avocado Mousse recipe. See the recipe card below for the exact quantities.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Medjool Dates: Medjool dates have a lovely sweet caramel flavor. They’re native to Morocco and are one of the hundreds of varieties of dates. They have been referred to as the “fruit of kings” because they were eaten by royalty to fend off fatigue. (WebMD has more information on the nutritional value of dates.) Dates are sold dried but not dehydrated to retain a delightfully chewy texture. Look for them near or in the produce department of your local grocery store. They’re available pitted and unpitted.
- Avocados: You’ll need two large avocados or three small to medium-sized avocados. The avocados should be ripe to the point where they will yield to gentle fingertip pressure.
- Cocoa Powder: I used Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder. You can also use carob powder.
- Honey: I used plain grocery-store honey but you may prefer raw honey. To make this a vegan chocolate mousse, use maple syrup.
- Vanilla Extract: To keep this healthy mousse recipe Paleo, use pure vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste or vanilla bean.
- Raspberries and Chocolate Shavings: For garnish. See the FAQs below for more garnish ideas.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Gather and prep all the ingredients.
- Heat 1 cup water in your microwave for 1 minute or run your tap water until it steams and fill a bowl with 1 cup steaming hot water.
- Soak the dates in the hot water for 1 hour.
- Drain the dates, remove as much skin as possible, check for pit fragments, then coarsely chop.
- Combine dates, avocados, cocoa powder, honey and vanilla extract in a food processor or blender.
- Process for 20-30 seconds, scrape down the sides and repeat 3 to 4 more times or until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.
- If any date “bits” won’t incorporate and smooth out, press the mousse mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. This can happen if the dates are older and dryer.
- MAKE AHEAD: This chocolate mousse with avocado can be made a day ahead of time but will keep in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. The color will deepen but it does not affect the taste–it just looks like dark chocolate.
- Serve in glasses with strawberries or raspberries and chocolate shavings.
Chef Tips and Tricks:
- If using pitted dates, be sure to check each one for pit fragments. I love dates, eat quite a few and have come across pit fragments. Those hidden fragments are detrimental to teeth.
- If you’re super-serious about the Paleo lifestyle, you’ll want to make sure the chocolate is as unprocessed as possible, use raw honey and use a vanilla bean or pure vanilla bean paste instead of the extract (which can contain sugar).
- Need a lot of small dessert glasses but don’t want to spend a lot of money? Head to the candle department and purchase votive candle holders. The ones shown hold a half-cup of the mousse. Because this healthy chocolate mousse is also so rich, a half-cup serving is often enough!
Recipe FAQs:
Yes! The mousse will turn slightly darker upon standing, however, it does not affect the flavor at all. If you don’t mind the color change, this can be made two days ahead. It just looks like you used dark chocolate!
–Avocados are a good source of healthy fats, fiber and various vitamins and minerals. The monounsaturated fats in avocados can help improve cholesterol levels.
–The creaminess of avocados combined with chocolate creates a rich and satisfying dessert so you won’t feel deprived if trying to eat healthier.
–Unlike many traditional chocolate desserts, chocolate avocado mousse is naturally sweetened.
Besides the raspberries shown above, use strawberries, blueberries, blackberries or cherries, unsweetened coconut flakes and nuts such as pistachios, hazelnuts or macadamia nuts.
Simply change out the honey for maple syrup.
Storage:
- Store in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
Serve with:
Perfect with any lovely French-inspired menu!
- Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs with Cauliflower Leek Puree
- Steak au Poivre and Broiled Lobster Tail
- 40 Clove Garlic Chicken
- Easy Chicken and Sausage Cassoulet
- Garlic Herb Butter Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables
- Mediterranean Fish en Papillote
More easy and elegant dessert recipes you’ll love!
- Classic Vanilla Creme Brulee for Two
- Spiced Red Wine Poached Pears with Vanilla Mascarpone Whipped Cream
- Grilled Pound Cake with Balsamic Strawberries and Mascarpone Cream
- Raspberry Ricotta Cake with Almonds
Get all my dessert recipes at: Desserts – From A Chef’s Kitchen
Chocolate Avocado Mousse
Ingredients
- 6 pitted Medjool dates
- 2 large avocados or 3 medium avocados, peeled and pitted
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons honey, or to taste
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Pinch sea salt, (or two)
- Fresh raspberries or strawberries, for garnish
- Chocolate shavings
Instructions
- Heat 1 cup water in your microwave for 1 minute or run your tap water until it steams and fill a bowl with 1 cup hot water.
- Soak the dates in hot tap water for 1 hour.
- Drain the dates and remove as much skin as possible then coarsely chop.
- Combine dates, avocados, cocoa powder, honey and vanilla extract in a food processor or blender.
- Process for 20-30 seconds, scrape down the sides and repeat 3-4 more times or until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.
- If any date "bits" won’t incorporate and smooth out, press mousse mixture through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Serve in glasses with strawberries or raspberries and chocolate shavings.
Notes
- You can use carob powder instead of cocoa powder.
- To make this a vegan chocolate mousse, use maple syrup.
- If using pitted dates, be sure to check each one for pit fragments.
- Need a lot of small dessert glasses but don’t want to spend a lot of money? Head to the candle department and purchase votive candle holders. The ones shown hold a half-cup of the mousse. Because this healthy chocolate mousse is also so rich, a half-cup serving is often enough!
- The mousse will turn slightly darker upon standing. However, it does not affect the flavor at all. If you don’t mind the color change, this can be made two days ahead.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Hi Carol. Just wondering if this mousse can be frozen?
Hi, Angela, Thanks so much for your question. I have not tested it to freeze, but I don’t see why it couldn’t be. I make and freeze guacamole all the time because I’ve purchased too many avocados. I think it would be okay. Just give it a stir after thawing (do so in the refrigerator). If you do freeze it, please let me know how it goes. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!