Ever have one of those days were you just crave chocolate? I think we all do and if you for some bizarre reason don't then please just leave now :) Well, not completely...but check out something like cucumber hummus instead :)
Usually, a piece of chocolate will suffice but on other days I just want a huge airy chocolaty spoonful of pure happiness. Please tell me I'm not the only one!
I tried looking for a vegan chocolate mousse recipe but only found ones that I thought were overly complicated. Some chocolate mousse recipes used avocado and though that is super healthy and delicious, I couldn't bring myself to use my last avocado in a chocolate recipe. Other recipes used a ton of tofu and I'm just really not a fan.
So I figured coconut milk and coconut cream work well in vegan cheesecakes so it must work well in a chocolate mousse. If you get enough air into it then it will get nice and airy as well when it sets. The trick is really to beat the life out of the coconut milk. There's no other way to describe it :) You want there to be so many air bubbles on top that it just looks silly. If you can't whisk that much or don't have one on hand then you can even use an immersion blender to froth up the coconut milk.
Once it looks like it does above, then simple pour the mixture into ramekins, bowls, or another form that will hold it.
Then let it set in the fridge for at least 4 hours. I like to wait overnight...I know it is incredibly hard but it is worth the wait.
Oh, and how exactly do you make a delicious mint chocolate mousse even better? Duh! Chocolate chips!
I didn't add a sweetener to this chocolate mousse (if you want to, check the notes) so adding chocolate chips on top gives the mousse a bit of sweetness, not to mention an extremely satisfying crunch :)
Now dig in! You deserve it after waiting that long :) Though if you make enough of these in advance, there's no wait at all!
Vegan Mint Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Coconut Milk
- 6 tablespoon Cocoa powder unsweetened
- ¼ teaspoon Peppermint Extract
- Vegan Chocolate Chips optional
Instructions
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Whisk together all three ingredients until air bubbles appear.
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Pour into 2 large ramekins and allow to set in fridge for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
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Once set, chocolate mousse is ready to be eaten! Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
1) If you like your chocolate mousse very minty add up to ½ a teaspoon of Peppermint extract.2) This chocolate mousse isn't very sweet. If you like a sweeter mousse, add a bit of stevia, agave, maple syrup, or powdered sugar. I find that powdered sugar works best.3) This mousse works best if your fridge is at least 40F (4C). 4) Because this recipe uses coconut milk and not coconut cream, it will separate a bit. About ¾ of the mousse will be airy and fluffy. The last ¼ will be like a light pudding in texture.
Interested in the ingredients I like to use? Have a look...
Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (Vegan & Gluten-free!)
The Vegan 8 says
Haha! I make this same exact recipe, except I use dark cocoa! I agree with you too, big NO on the tofu and avocado...yuck, lol!! Yours looks gorgeous! Here is mine
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
Love how simple and delicious this recipe is! Mint is so great with chocolate :)
Maria G. says
Wow! I didn't know just coconut milk would set up like that! (By the way, I noticed you changed the look of your blog!!!)
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
chocolate and mint is such an amazing combo, isn't it. We make something similar, but with some avocado in it, because, ya know, we are avocado obsessed haha
Cara's Healthy Cravings says
I am certain this would satisfy any chocolate craving!! Mmmm!
Jacquie says
Did you use the entire can of coconut milk, o or just the cream from the b top of the can?
Vanessa says
Hi Jacquie, You use coconut milk (not just the coconut cream layer on top). This let's it get super airy and light. Unless you want a thicker, whipped-butter-like texture, then just use the coconut cream :)
Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen says
Vanessa, this chocolate mousse is so simple - it looks absolutely PERFECT! Like all your recipes, I can't wait to try this chocolate mousse! I feel like it makes the perfect dessert for when guests are coming over because it's so pretty! I might not be able to wait until then though, my boyfriend and I have a big soft spot for all things chocolate!
Gingi says
While I don't adhere to a strict vegan diet, I LOVE vegan and vegetarian dishes!! And this looks amazing, thank you for sharing!
Anyhoo, I found your blog through a fellow blogger and thought I would stop by and say hi! It would totally make my day if you did the same... or better yet, keep in touch!! <3 - http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com
Deryn @ Running on Real Food says
Oh, wow, that looks awesome! I was expecting the ingredient list to be a lot longer - I love how simple it is!! I'm out of town this weekend but this will have to be a treat for next weekend! Thanks!
Terje says
The texture looks absolutely amazing! I had been craving a mousse for ages, but couldn't figure out how to make one without any animal products. This is definitely going to my to-make list. Perhaps I'll make it once I've managed to devour my batch of homemade ice cream - it might be dangerous to have too many delicious desserts around at the same time.
Lydia says
So I tried this as described, with the addition of some powdered sugar to give it some sweetness. I left it in the fridge for 24 hours waiting for it to set but it never did. When we finally tried it my husband described it as "cold, bitter, coconut water." Any ideas as to what went wrong?
Vanessa says
Sorry, I didn't work out. Did you accidentally use the entire can of coconut milk? What is maybe low-fat coconut milk? It will only work with full fat.
Becky says
Question: I've made this three times, all without the mint (simply because I don't have any on hand). The first time I made it, it set up immediately, no refrigeration needed. The second time it did take the overnight set in the fridge and was delicious! Even my non-healthy family members liked it! This last time it didn't set at all! What happened? Putting it back in the blender and hoping for a successful redo!
Vanessa says
Hi Becky, Did you use the same brand of coconut milk each time?
Becky says
Yes, if I remember correctly! It's weird! The first time and third time the coconut milk had set open in the fridge for a few days. The second time I made it I opened a new box.
Rebecca says
Hi, I thought this sounded amazing and tried it. I beat it to death but it never set up for me - even over night. I used oval tine for my chocolate, was that my mistake? Please let me know cuz I am thrilled to be able to make a non dairy mousse (without avocado, yuck). I am using this concoction as a coffee creamer instead, tastes great anyway.
Thanks!
Vanessa says
Hi Rebecca, I've never tried it using ovaltine before so I can't say for sure if that was the issue. Did you use full fat Coconut milk? I've found it doesn't work at all with reduced fat.
Jen L. says
hi! Just wondering how sweet this mousse is, and could you add some sweetener to it? Thanks!
Vanessa says
Hi Jen, you can add a bit of sweetener to it. Either a bit of maple syrup, agave, or a tiny bit of powdered sugar. I feel that when you add too much powdered sugar it doesn't set as well. I like to omit any sweetener in the mousse and just add lots of chocolate chips on top.
Annie says
I noticed that there is no sweetener in it. Is it sweet at all? Also have you tried omitting the mint? I'd like a straight up chocolate mousse. Looks beautiful.
Vanessa Croessmann says
Hi Annie, In the notes section I mention that you can add some sweetener(maple syrup, agave, powdered sugar, etc. ) if you like. Without it's definitely more like dark chocolate. I have made it without the mint and it work perfectly. It actually more airy without the mint added.
zoe says
did you use only coconut milk? without the thick layer?
Vanessa Croessmann says
Hi, YOu need to use regular coconut milk which is both the coconut water and cream. So yes, you'll need the thick layer :)
zoe says
Hi, I don't have Peppermint Extract . can I use fresh mint? and how?
Vanessa Croessmann says
Hi Zoe, I would make the chocolate mousse without the mint extract and then when it has set just sprinkle some finely chopped fresh mint on top :)
SeaFooD Recipes says
Love how simple and delicious this recipe is! Mint is so great with chocolate :)
SeaFooD Recipes says
Wow! I didn’t know just coconut milk would set up like that!
Marla says
I added a bit of liquid Stevia and it was so yummy! Thank you!
Vanessa Croessmann says
That sounds lovely :) Glad you liked it!
Brenda says
Hello! In terms of your coconut milk...is this of the normal canned variety? Where the cream sits on the top and the liquid below. Or is it like other milk substitutes that come in a carton? My brother has become vegan and I'm determined to make some sweet yummyness!
Vanessa Croessmann says
Hi Brenda, yes, I use the canned variety. Make sure the can of coconut milk is warm so that the coconut cream and water don't separate for this recipe.
Tara says
My husband hates coconut, but I really want to try this! Any suggestions on what would have a high enough fat content to substitute for the coconut milk?
Vanessa Croessmann says
Hi Tara, I tried to figuring something else out to use in place of the coconut milk but unfortunately I don't think there is a real substitute. Sorry!
marvelous.max says
I used a can of straight-up coconut milk, no stabilisers.....it worked so well! Like magical whipping cream! I used xylitol and stevia to sweeten it, and my mousse actually went pretty thick and dollop-able while I was beating it....so basically, this is one mean life hack :D
Vanessa Croessmann says
Right?!?! It's so good! I'm so glad you liked it ;)
Celine says
Hi
I used this exact recipe full fat canned coconut milk and added Little bit of powdered sugar. I used a stand mixer for 20 plus minutes and still never got the consistency of bubbles as shown the picture. Its been in the fridge for a few hours now and still is like liquidy pudding consistency. Did i beat too long? Not long enough? Is there a way to thicken it?
Vanessa Croessmann says
Hi Celine, Did you add enough cocoa? I would also whisk it by hand and not with a stand mixer. It might seem like more work but it's really hard to overmix it by hand. I wish I was there to help you out and see exactly where you went wrong. You could try adding some coconut cream (not milk) to help thicken it.
Savannah says
Oh wow, this looks absolutely delightful. My chocolate cravings come WAY more often than I'd like to admit, haha, but being soy-free makes chocolate a tough game. These are perfect, and I know one bite would satisfy my craving. Thanks so much, I'm making these tonight!