This is a little recipe I turn to often when I’m looking for a dessert everyone can eat. I’ve shared a similar mousse before that I used in this Easter Cake, but this is a little version without the setting agent you can whip up in a hurry. Especially if you are serving this to someone who is vegetarian and don’t have the time to be trying to find agar-agar.

Now, while this recipe is great for handling dietary requirements, its also a great recipe if you’re looking for a healthier alternative. It is texturally different from standard chocolate mousse; without the whipped egg whites its going to be denser. But avocado does a wonderful job of bringing that light, creamy texture to the mousse. And no, it doesn’t taste like avocado!

This dessert was to be one amongst a few at a birthday celebration. I planned to serve it in little domes so I wanted it to give it a sturdy base on which to rest on. One of the guests has coeliac disease, so it was important it was also gluten free. This is my go to gluten free base, which uses nuts, coconut and dates in place of biscuit crumbs and butter.

Once everything was ground up I flattened it between two sheets of baking paper. It could go right into a mould if you were using it, but as I was planning on unmoulding the mousses I left it in the fridge to be cut up later.

While that’s chilling I set about making the chocolate avocado mousse. This is a very forgiving recipe. All you need to do, really, is blend avocado and chocolate together. Everything else is there to add flavours and texture. Chocolate that is dark enough to be dairy free is very bitter to my taste, so additions like maple syrup and peanut butter lighten it a little and bring more sweetness back.

I’m using a small hemisphere mould for these desserts. If you don’t have and don’t want one, you can use literally anything you have.

I used round cookie cutters to cut rounds from the base exactly large enough to fit in the bottom of the mould.

Then squooshed them securely into place.

I topped them with these little wafer daisies. Literally no flower decorations I could think of making were both vegan and gluten free, so I was glad to find these little guys when shopping.

This mousse is very rich. A really good argument can be made for serving them in smaller doses for a gathering where there’s going to be lots of other desserts. Here’s how to get started:

Chocolate Avocado Mousse

• Servings: 40
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

A dairy free, gluten free dessert that'll make everyone happy

If making this recipe for someone with coeliac disease, rather than just gluten intolerance, double check the cocoa powder. Some brands will say it may contain traces of gluten. In my shopping experience, dutch processed powder is usually okay.

Ingredients

Almond Base • 1/2 cup ground almonds • 1/2 cup shredded or dessicated coconut • 2/3 cup medjool dates, pitted • 3 tbsp coconut oil Avocado Mousse • 2 ripe avocados • 1/3 cup peanut butter • 1/3 cup dutch processed cocoa powder • 1/3 cup maple syrup • 1/2 tsp salt • 150g dark chocolate (min 70% cocoa), melted • 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted

Directions

Almond Base

1. Combine ingredients in a food processor; pulse until ingredients are blended to a course meal and adhere when pressed down on
2. Use a rolling pin to flatten the mixture between two sheets of rolling paper. Refrigerate until needed.

Avocado Mousse

1. Combine avocados, peanut butter, cocoa powder, maple syrup and salt in you food processor. Blend until well combined, light and creamy.
2. Add the melted chocolate and coconut and blend until smooth and well combined.

Assembly: Divide the mousse between the moulds, leaving 5mm or so from the top for the base. Using a cutter the same diameter as the mould, cut rounds from the chilled base. Press firmly into the bottom of the mould, then refrigerate for 4-6 hours or until set. Remove from moulds and serve.