Salted Vegan Chocolate Mousse with Olive Oil & Nuts
This vegan chocolate mousse offers a delicious alternative to egg-based mousse. Fancy something decadent ? Here’s an astonishingly tasty, easy-to-make vegan take on a classic!
If you’ve never considered the possibility of creating a chocolate mousse, or thought it’s perhaps too challenging, you’re in for a very pleasant surprise. This handy vegan recipe offers you a simple, step-by-step process, saves time, and introduces a really practical way to cut down on wastage – making it with left-over ingredients that you’d ordinarily throw away. And, it tastes just like regular chocolate mousse, but is absolutely egg free!
Vegan Chocolate Mousse: Taste Without the Waste
Vegan chocolate mousse? Oh, yes. Firstly, it’s incredibly tasty. It’s also a great answer to periodic price increases and product shortages – like eggs, in this case. But more than that, it’s seriously delicious, while offering some truly surprising health benefits.
Chick, Peas
If you’re not entirely familiar with aquafaba, here’s a quick introduction. Essentially, it’s chickpea water. And, because of its protein rich composition, it forms a stable foam when whipped. That means it’s perfect for creating lovely structure, fluffiness, and lift just like an egg white would.
What makes it so versatile is its subtle taste and refined texture. Aquafaba can be used as a perfect egg substitute binder. It’s great for baking biscuits, creating creamy egg-free mayo, and of course, stiffly whipped creations like mousses and meringues.
Remember to Check Your Oil
Olive oil choice is really important here. Look for a really good quality ‘fruity’ extra virgin olive oil. These tend to be olive oils that are cold pressed and minimally processed, so they retain their individual characteristic fruity olive flavour. The fruity spiciness is a refreshing counter to the richness of the dark chocolate, adding another layer of intrigue to this vegan chocolate mousse. Olive oil is also known to enhance the flavour of chocolate, nuts, fruits, and spices.
When It’s Just Meant to Be
Olive oil is rich in polyphenols, amino acids, and heart healthy monounsaturated fats. Dark chocolate contains flavonols, which have incredible health benefits.
And when olive oil and dark chocolate are combined, they create a kind of synergy that makes it easier for your body to absorb and use both the polyphenols and the flavonols. Studies show that taken together, they actually result in a marked reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Which goes to prove what we’ve always suspected: chocolate is basically a health food.
Salt of the Earth
You’ll notice this recipe calls for flaked sea salt. This is because salt acts as a natural flavour enhancer, accentuating sweetness and reducing bitterness. It balances the flavours present in chocolate and brings out subtle nuances in the taste.
Come on Over to the Dark Side
We have chocolate!
Dark chocolate has long been touted for its health benefits. Specifically, dark chocolate, with at least 70% cocoa solids, offers you the benefits of the flavonols and theobromine. Not to mention that rich, decadent cocoa flavour!
The (Chocolate) Fountain of Youth
In addition, dark chocolate contains antioxidants that neutralises free radicals, preventing oxidative stress which contributes to the aging process. It lowers blood pressure, increases blood flow, lowers ‘bad’ cholesterol and reduces inflammation and insulin sensitivity.
But perhaps one of the most fascinating benefits is the way it improves your brain’s ability to make new connections between neurons.
If you’re curious to know more about the health benefits of dark chocolate, you should check out this article
We’re Not All Nuts Around Here
I’ve topped this vegan chocolate mousse with pistachios. They add a gorgeous pop of green to the decadently dark velvety vegan chocolate mousse. But the term ‘pistachio nut’ is a misnomer. It’s actually not a nut – it’s a ‘drupe’ and is closely related to the cashew (also not a nut).
According to archaeologists, people have been happily munching on pistachios since 6750 BCE. And for good reason. They’re a good source of fibre, antioxidants, and protein. They also contain essential nutrients thought to aid weight loss as well as heart and gut health.
Rate this Vegan Chocolate Mousse
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Check out the recipe video too!
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an egg-free substitute really work for a mousse?
Provided you reduce the water ratio (outlined in the steps below), it works really well. Whipping it into frothy peaks takes slightly longer, and an electric mixer will make the process that much easier. Once it’s whipped up, though, you’ll be hard pressed to tell the difference!
Does aquafaba taste like chickpeas?
Surprisingly, not as much as you’d think. In fact, it has an almost neutral taste, and once you whip it up with the castor sugar and dark chocolate, it’s absolutely delectable.
Is this recipe gluten free?
Yes, it is. And if you’d like a sugar-free version, you may want to use a small quantity of Stevia or similar sweetener and sugar-free dark chocolate.
Salted Vegan Chocolate Mousse with Olive Oil & Nuts
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: Serves 4-6
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This vegan chocolate mousse offers a convenient alternative to traditional egg-based mousse. Fancy something exotic? Here’s an astonishingly tasty, easy-to-make vegan take on a classically decadent, chocolatey dessert!
Ingredients
Mousse
- 320g Tinned chickpea liquid (aquafaba), from 2 tins drained chickpeas
- 53g Castor sugar
- 1/2 tsp white vinegar (Apple Cider or White Wine Vinegar)
- 220g 70% dark chocolate (if vegan select a vegan-friendly brand)
- 2g Flaked sea salt
For Serving
- Chopped pistachios, seeds or nuts
- A fruity extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
**Before starting, read our footnote on cooking successfully with aquafaba or chickpea liquid
- Use the drained liquid from 2 tins of chickpeas, and reduce over medium heat until you have 230g of liquid. This will concentrate the protein in your chickpea liquid, helping it form more stable, egg white-like foam when whisked.
- Once the aquafaba is reduced, pour it into a jug and place it into a clean metal or glass bowl in the freezer to cool to room temperature for 5 minutes.
- Roughly chop the chocolate and place into a glass, ceramic or metal bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of boiling water, to create a Bain Marie. Make sure the base of the bowl isn’t touching the water. Gradually melt the chocolate. Then add a generous pinch of salt to the chocolate and stir. Or microwave the chopped chocolate in a microwave safe bowl until melted. Be sure to watch the chocolate to ensure it doesn’t catch and burn.
- Remove the chickpea liquid from the freezer. Add the vinegar and whisk with an electric mixer or by hand until the mixture foams and forms soft peaks. This means when the whisk is removed from the whipped chickpea liquid it forms a semi-stable peak that will flop over. Slowly add the sugar, whisking on high or by hand until you have a meringue-like consistency. Rub a little of the mixture between your fingers. If you can feel any grains of sugar keep whisking.
- Add ¼ of your whipped chickpea liquid into the warm melted chocolate, and quickly whisk the two together by hand until well combined. Once well combined, fold through the remaining whipped chickpea mixture.
- Add the mixture to a serving bowl and place into the fridge for at least 2 hours or until set.
- Portion into bowls, drizzle with very good olive oil, and top with chopped pistachios, hazelnuts, or any crispy bits you fancy. You can also serve in shot glasses.
Notes
**When using the aquafaba or tinned chickpea liquid bear in mind that like egg whites, aquafaba won’t whip and form stiff peaks if any oil or fat is present. Your utensils and bowls need to be squeaky clean. Use only ceramic, metal or glass. No plastic utensils or bowls, because plastics tend to hold on to fats.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: Chill up to 2 hrs
- Category: Sweet Treats
Nutrition
- Calories: 297.01kcal
- Sugar: 21.12g
- Sodium: 147.76mg
- Fat: 19.93g
- Saturated Fat: 9.92g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5.16g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 29.45g
- Fiber: 6.02g
- Protein: 5.74g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
2 Responses
This sounds like an amazing chocolate mouse… I am going to replace pistachios with roasted crushed cashew nuts or crushed nougat …
sounds delicious! Anything crunchy will work great