Rich and Velvety Vegan Chocolate Mousse

|Updated Jul 26, 2022

This chocolate mousse is thick, rich, and velvety, and uses silken tofu, a stellar ingredient in desserts as it gives a creamy and luscious texture. Its mild flavor also allows for other ingredients to shine — in this recipe, chocolate! This is one of my husband, Mitch’s, all-time favorite desserts and one that convinced him, in those early transition days, that we could still enjoy our favorite recipes on a plant-based diet.

Before You Make the Vegan Chocolate Mousse

The chocolate mousse can be made up to one week in advance. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Tips on How to Make Vegan Chocolate Mousse

Squeezing the tofu to remove excess water will result in a thicker mousse.
You might have to squeeze the tofu in two batches, especially if using a
kitchen towel.
You can make this mousse in a high-speed blender instead of a food processor.
It might require more almond milk for blending. Use the tamper while blending on medium speed for the best result.
If you do not have a tamper, stop the blender from time to time and stir with a wooden spoon to help the blending process.

How to Make Oil-Free Chocolate Mousse

Omit the coconut oil when melting the chocolate. The mousse will not be quite as silky smooth, but it will still be near perfect!

Vegan Chocolate Mousse

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

2 bars (7 ounces/200 g each), 70% dark chocolate, broken into chunks
teaspoon coconut oil
2 blocks (12 ounces/340 g each) of silken tofu
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
¼ cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
4 to 6 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk, more as needed
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Instructions

In a small saucepan, bring 2 inches of water to a low simmer over low heat. Place a small heatproof glass bowl on top of the pot, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water.
Add the dark chocolate and coconut oil and melt the chocolate, stirring often, until completely smooth. Keep over low heat until ready to use. (Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second intervals. Optional to reserve a chunk of the chocolate and cut it into 1 to 2 tablespoons of fine shavings for garnish.)
Transfer the silken tofu to a nut milk bag (or a thin kitchen towel, gathering the corners to form a small sack). Squeeze the bag with your hands to remove most of the water. (You should not have to squeeze too hard to release the water. Once it becomes difficult to squeeze, you can stop.)
Transfer the squeezed tofu to a food processor. Add the maple syrup, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, salt, and melted chocolate. Pour in 4 tablespoons of the almond milk and blend together until smooth. Add more almond milk, a little at a time, if the consistency is too thick. It should be puddingy. It will thicken slightly as it chills.
Scoop the mousse into a medium bowl and cover with reusable wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. To serve, scoop into small bowls or glass cups and sprinkle with flaky sea salt and reserved chocolate shavings if desired.

Nutritionals