Coconut Milk Chocolate Mousse with Whipped Cream Topping
I keep putting off posting this recipe because, truth be told, I have a bit of writer’s block about it. Why? Because every time I start to craft something sophisticated to say about the creamy milk chocolate flavor blended with rich coconut, I just feel this overwhelming need to simply confess that….
I ATE ALL OF THEM.
This was one of those dessert recipes that was just too good.
I don’t make a habit of eating a lot of nut-based high-fat raw vegan recipes anymore, but I am a chef and an educator, which means I am always developing new recipes to help people transition to a raw food diet. So sometimes I indulge in these occasional treats. In the words of Lana Del Rey, “It’s you, it’s you, it’s alllll for you, everything I do….” See? I’m just taking one for the team. Or in this case, I took more than one.
I put all these little chocolate mousse cups into a sealed plastic container in the fridge when I was done with the photo shoot, with every intention of gifting them to friends who stopped by. But no one is stopping by these days because I’ve been way too busy for a social life! So for the course of about a week, yep, I devoured them.
Did I gain weight? Nope.
Did I become bloated? Nope.
Did I feel guilty? Almost, but not really.
Did I ingest plant-based nutrition that was far superior to processed junk food? Absolutely!
Granted, a green smoothie would probably serve me better in terms of powering my body to perform for hours in the gym or out running on the track, but my point is that raw food desserts are not only simple to make, but also so good you’ll almost want to feel guilty for eating them. But don’t! Be PROUD that you are making the shift to raw vegan meals one day at a time.
Raw vegan desserts often utilize healthy fats like young coconut, avocado, nuts, and seeds as their base. They effectively replace animal-based ingredients like dairy cream, butter, milk, or eggs. That’s a huge win for you, because you can still enjoy delectable sweets without any of the health pitfalls animal products can cause.
Here is what young coconut meat looks like when you first scrape it out of its shell with a spoon. You’ll want to rinse off the little specks of pulpy debris to ensure the creamiest consistency when you blend it:
And let’s not forget about the magic of avocado in raw food sweets. Don’t be put off by the green color, or the fact that you’ve probably only used avocado in savory dishes before. Avocado is actually a fatty fruit, and it works beautifully in desserts. It is delicately neutral in flavor, thus it adopts whatever flavor profile you desire for your recipe. Here, it pairs exquisitely with chocolate for a quick and easy mousse filling.
These are fun, simple, easy little desserts that will also please even your pickiest non-raw or non-vegan friends and family.
Just be warned: These chocolate mousse cups are so good, you might not be able to resist eating them all by yourself!
Yours in delicious heath,
Raw Vegan Coconut Milk Chocolate Mousse with Whipped Cream Topping
Ingredients:
Chocolate Mousse:
1 cup of young Thai coconut meat (around 2 coconuts should do this, but be prepared with 3)
1 tsp organic vanilla (powder or liquid)
1/2 cup soaked, smashed/soft dates + 1/4 cup water (this can be date soak water, or coconut water, too)
4 tbsp cacao powder
2 tbsp coconut butter
1 pinch pink salt
Whipped Cream Topping:
3 tsp organic vanilla (powder or liquid)
1.5 cups raw cashews (ideally these will have been soaked for around 4 hours in cold water)
2 tbsp coconut butter
1/2 cup coconut water
Other:
Raw cacao nibs to sprinkle on top (optional)
Directions:
Open coconuts, pour water into a container, then scrape out the meat, clean off any debris, and set aside in a separate bowl.
Blend mousse ingredients in a high-speed blender, stopping to scrape down the sides if needed. Take care not to overblend the mousse, or any whole food fat, for that matter. When fats are overblended or processed, the oils can begin to separate, causing an undesirable texture. You want your mixture to remain thick and emulsified.
Spoon mousse into cups. You can use mini dessert mugs, mousse cups, bowls, whatever you like.
Next, rinse out your blender container and pat it dry. Blend whipped cream ingredients, also scraping down in between blending, as needed. It is always better to use less water at first, then add TINY amounts as you go so as not to make your raw food recipes turn out too runny.
Top your mousse cups with whipped cream and cacao nibs. Enjoy!
These will stay good in your fridge for about a week. Just store them in an airtight container.
