Avocado chocolate mousse, made with just a handful of ingredients and only 5 minutes of prep-time. Rich, creamy and oh-so-chocolatey, this luscious vegan mousse is perfect for entertaining or a decadent dessert. It’s gluten-free and egg-free too!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Quick and easy – with just 5 ingredients, it’s so easy to make in your food processor in less than 5 minutes!
- Silky smooth texture – avocado mousse has a smooth, luxurious texture like any chocolate mousse; silky, glossy and light.
- Intensely chocolatey – made with dark chocolate and cocoa powder, it is rich with an intense chocolate flavour.
- No avocado flavour – you won’t taste it in the final result, I promise!
- On the healthier side – made with avocado, dark chocolate and no refined sugars, it is a healthier option compared to regular chocolate mousse made with cream and sugar. It’s also vegan friendly, gluten-free and egg-free.
- Versatile – use it to impress your guests, serve it for a Valentine’s dinner topped with fresh raspberries, a quick 5-minute dessert when you’re craving something chocolatey or pack it into lunchboxes with some slices of fresh fruit for dipping.
For some more sweet avocado recipes, check out these chocolate avocado muffins and ABC muffins!
Ingredients you will need
* This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. The photo above is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!
- Avocado – the star ingredient. It adds richness, creaminess and gives the mousse its structure and smooth texture, as well as providing healthy fats, fibre and vitamins. Choose avocados that are ripe and on the softer side, with bright green flesh. You will need about 3 medium avocados for this recipe. And don’t worry about the mousse tasting like avocado, the cocoa and chocolate mask any avocado flavour.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – Dutch processed cocoa powder is best, as it has a smoother, less acidic flavour. But regular unsweetened cocoa powder can also be used, or even cacao powder. Be sure to sift the cocoa powder first, to ensure no lumps remain.
- Maple syrup – for sweetness. Use a refined-sugar-free sweetener to balance the richness and bitterness from the cocoa powder. While I use maple syrup, rice malt syrup, agave syrup or honey can also be used.
- Dark chocolate – melted chocolate is added for intense chocolate flavour. Choose a good quality brand with 70% or higher cocoa. It can be melted in the microwave or on the stovetop. Make sure it is dairy-free, if required for vegans or dietary needs.
- Vanilla – enhances the chocolate flavour. Pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste is recommended, for the best flavour.
Step by step instructions
**Full ingredient list and detailed step-by-step instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
Step 1 – Mash the avocado;
Using a fork, mash the avocado until smooth.
Step 2 – Blend the ingredients;
* A high-powered food processor or blender is required to attain a completely smooth consistency.
Add all of the ingredients, including the mashed avocado, to a food processor or blender and blend until completely smooth.
Step 3 – Chill;
Transfer the mousse into a bowl or individual glasses and refrigerate for around 30 minutes. Chilling the mousse allows it to cool and firm up slightly. Serve with fresh fruit, chopped nuts, shaved chocolate, whipped cream or your choice of toppings.
Expert tips
- Mash the avocado before blending the mousse ingredients. If you add whole chunks of avocado, lumps will remain in the mousse.
- Add peppermint essence or orange essence for a choc mint or choc orange twist.
- Chill the mousse for at least 30 minutes, it tastes better cold and will firm up slightly.
- Use ripe, soft avocados for best results. Hard or unripe avocados won’t blend as nicely into the mixture and will leave lumps. It also won’t be as creamy.
- Add extra maple syrup to taste, if you prefer it a little sweeter.
- Serve it with anything you like! Add some whipped cream, coconut yoghurt, fresh berries or fruit, chopped nuts, a dusting of cocoa or shavings of dark chocolate.
- Serve the mousse as a chocolate dip on a healthy fruit and snack platter.
- This recipe can be easily doubled to feed more, or halved for a smaller batch.
FAQs
Avocado mousse can be frozen for up to 2 months. Place it into freezer-safe, airtight containers (whole or in individual serves), ready to thaw when you feel like a decadent dessert. Thaw in the fridge overnight, or at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before eating.
You can’t taste the avocados in this mousse! Avocado provides the smooth, silky texture and structure to the mousse, but the dark chocolate, cocoa powder, vanilla and sweetener are what you will taste in the final result; it is a rich and decadent chocolate mousse with no hint of avocado!
While it is best eaten fresh on the day that it is made, this mousse will keep tightly covered in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Related recipes
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Avocado Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- 3 avocados 520 grams of avocado flesh (weighed when peel and seeds removed). Use ripe, soft avocados.
- ยฝ cup Dutch process cocoa powder unsweetened cocoa powder. Or cacao.
- โ cup maple syrup or more, to taste.
- 3 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 80 grams dark chocolate broken into pieces and melted
Instructions
- Mash the avocado in a bowl until smooth.
- Melt the chocolate and add all of the ingredients (including the avocado) into a food processor. Blend until combined and completely smooth.
- Taste, and adjust the sweetness by adding a little more maple syrup, if required.
- It can be eaten immediately, but is best when chilled in the fridge for 30 minutes. Serve with your favourite toppings.
Notes
- Mash the avocado before blending the mousse ingredients. If you add whole pieces of avocado, lumps will remain in the mousse.
- Add peppermint essence or orange essence for a choc mint or choc orange twist.
- Chill the mousse for at least 30 minutes, it tastes better cold and will firm up slightly.
- Use ripe, soft avocados for best results. Hard or unripe avocados won’t blend as nicely into the mixture and will leave lumps. It also won’t be as creamy.
- Add extra maple syrup to taste if you prefer it a little sweeter.
- Serve it with anything you like! Add some whipped cream, coconut yoghurt, fresh berries or fruit, chopped nuts, a dusting of cocoa or shavings of dark chocolate.
- Serve the mousse as a chocolate dip on a healthy fruit and snack platter.
- Freezing; Avocado mousse can be frozen for up to 2 months. Place it into freezer-safe, airtight containers (whole or in individual serves), ready to thaw when you feel like a decadent dessert. Thaw in the fridge overnight, or at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before eating.
- Storage; While it is best eaten fresh on the day that it is made, this mousse will keep tightly covered in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Please note that the nutrition information is based on the mousse being divided into 6 individual serves. You can make the servings smaller or larger, if preferred. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional toppings served with the mousse.
- This recipe is made using Australian cups and spoon measurements. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.
Nutrition
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Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in April 2019, but was re-published with new information, helpful tips and photos in November 2022.
Jaimie says
Can’t wait to fool my kids with some hidden avocado! AND I just checked and have a full bag of cacao in the pantry. The stars have aligned!
TheCookingCollective says
Perfect Jaimie! They will never suspect ๐
Robyn says
This is perfect timing! My son is always asking hopefully to make something with chocolate, so this is great to have a healthy recipe to indulge him with!
TheCookingCollective says
Hi Robyn! My boys are the same, but they get sick with too much sugar or additives. This is the perfect treat for them- and although they love avocado, they will never guess that it has healthy ingredients!
Sylvie says
I absolutely love Chocolate and Avocado Mousse, but havent made some in so long! I have two very ripe avocados in my kitchen right now – looks like I have found the perfect way to use them!
TheCookingCollective says
Thanks Sylvie! It is the perfect use for soft avocados. The only problem is, it disappears too quickly! ๐
Gavin says
This looks AMAZING – the smoothness of the choc has me drooling. I am doing some bananas on skewers later for my daughter to dip in choc. Now I’m going to add avo to the mix. Hide a few healthy ingredients in there too for her!!
TheCookingCollective says
That’s a perfect idea Gavin! My kids love this choc avo dip on a fruit platter.
Megan says
I am a bit of an avocado mousse lover and I whip this up with alulose for a sugar free low carb version and it still tastes amazing. Thanks for another winning recipe Andrea.
TheCookingCollective says
That’s a great idea Megan, thanks for the sugar free/low carb suggestion and for taking the time to comment. I’ll have to give that a try too! Andrea x