Rich and velvety avocado chocolate mousse is incredibly delicious, easy to make in your food processor, and no, you can’t actually taste the avocado!
The concept of this mousse sounds suspicious, for sure. A few months ago, I happened upon a photo of a rich, sumptuous-looking chocolate dessert on Pinterest. When I found out it was made with avocado, I shrugged it off as a gimmick. “That would never work!”
But that photo, so rich and dark and decadent, kept haunting me. And every time I bought a ripe Haas avocado, I did not think about guacamole, avocado fries or baked avocado eggs. Instead, I thought about chocolate mousse.
It’s surprisingly good!
Until I finally broke down, sat at my computer and started researching. I found several recipes for avocado chocolate mousse that looked promising. After mixing and matching a few of them, I settled on the recipe below.
Boy, is it good! Super rich and creamy, thick and chocolatey. The kind of dessert that you can’t help but vocally ooh and aah over with each delicious spoonful.
In fact, this is one of the best chocolate desserts I have ever had (this paleo chocolate pudding is another good one). I have made this recipe several times in the past few months, and each and every time it amazes me.
The ingredients you’ll need
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty dessert. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need:
Avocado: It’s best to use very rips Haas avocado in this recipe.
Pure maple syrup: The syrup adds not just flavor but also the moisture needed for achieving the perfect texture.
Vanilla extract: Try to use the real thing – pure vanilla extract – and not the artificially flavored stuff.
Kosher salt: Just a dash.
Unsweetened cocoa powder: Either natural or Dutch-processed. Although Dutch-processed is milder and less acidic, so probably tastier.
How to make avocado chocolate mousse
It’s so easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
1. Start by placing the avocado, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt in your food processor.
2. Process until smooth.
3. Sift in the cocoa powder and process until very creamy.
Can you taste the avocado??
Surprisingly, no! You can’t taste the avocado. It gives this dish texture, not flavor. Phew.
Choose high-quality ingredients
Obviously, with a simple recipe such as this, each of the ingredients must be top-quality.
So the avocado must be ripe and creamy, not fibrous or watery. The cocoa powder should be of high quality too. And you should use real maple syrup and good vanilla extract.
Haas avocado is best in this recipe
It shouldn’t be too difficult to find Haas avocado – it’s the most popular avocado variety. It’s high in fat and its flesh is creamier than that of other varieties. Fibrous, watery avocado will obviously not work here.
Is this a make-ahead recipe?
Because it contains raw avocado, I suggest you make this avocado chocolate mousse on the day you plan on eating it. You can make it a few hours in advance and refrigerate, covered. But I wouldn’t try to keep it any longer than that.
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Avocado Chocolate Mousse
INGREDIENTS
- 1 Haas avocado, large, very ripe (1 cup mashed, 200 grams)
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Dash kosher salt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the avocado, maple syrup, vanilla and salt in food processor bowl. Process until smooth, about 30 seconds, stopping once to scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
- Add the cocoa powder, sifting it with a mesh strainer to prevent lumps. Process about 1 more minute, stopping once to scrape the sides and bottom with a spatula (some maple syrup might remain unblended at the bottom), until very smooth and creamy.
- Divide the avocado mousse between four individual dessert bowls. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Or make in advance and refrigerate until ready to eat, but remove the avocado chocolate mousse from the fridge 30 minutes before enjoying, to allow to return to room temperature. Chocolate always tastes better at room temperature.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, Reader's Digest, and Better Homes and Gardens.