Chef notes
You don’t have to sacrifice anything to make this dairy and egg-free chocolate mousse. This plant-based dessert rivals the classic non-vegan version in terms of both flavor and texture, and it’s all thanks to one secret ingredient — aquafaba.
Aquafaba is the thick liquid from a can of chickpeas. Normally, you’d throw this away after draining the beans, but it can actually replicate the texture of egg whites for vegan baking. When you mix the aquafaba in a stand mixer, it reaches an almost identical consistency to whipped egg whites. And it doesn’t just look the same — it behaves similarly as well. Some recipes use whipped aquafaba as a plant-based replacement for the egg whites in other meringue-based treats like macarons or pavlova. Aquafaba does tend to take a bit more time to achieve those stiff, glossy peaks than egg whites — to help speed up the process, whip the liquid in a chilled mixing bowl. We also recommend using canned chickpeas labeled “reduced sodium” or “no salt added.” This way, the sodium in the liquid won’t affect the overall flavor of the mousse.
Aside from aquafaba, there are a few other ingredients that make this chocolate mousse special. The usual dairy is replaced with a can of condensed coconut milk. When melted with the chocolate chips, the two create a ganache-like base for the mousse. A generous splash of sweet amaretto liquor and a bit of almond extract add plenty of genuine almond flavor to the mixture. Once it has had some time to chill in the refrigerator, we like to serve this chocolate mousse with fresh fruits such as cherries or strawberries when they’re in season.
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Ingredients
- 4 ounces vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup coconut condensed milk
- 1 ounce amaretto liquor
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can no-salt-added can chickpeas
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- fresh cherries or strawberries, to garnish
Preparation
1.Place the bowl from your stand mixer in the fridge. Let chill until ready to use.
2.While the bowl is chilling out, set up a double boiler. Once water is slightly simmering, add the chocolate and mix with a silicone spatula. Once melted, add in the coconut condensed milk, liquor, almond and vanilla extracts and continue mixing with a spatula until smooth and glossy. Remove and allow to come to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
3.While the chocolate is coming to room temperature, attach the chilled bowl to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Pour in the aquafaba and cream of tartar and begin whipping until stiff peaks form, 5 to 10 minutes.
4.Gently fold whipped aquafaba, about 1 cup at a time, into the lightened chocolate mixture until the streaks disappear.
5.Gently spoon it into glass serving bowls, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight until set.
6.Remove and garnish with toppings. Serve chilled.
