Avocado chocolate mousse
Reviewed by Dr Namrata Bagaria, MBBS, MPH (Harvard)Last reviewed
A ripe avocado blended with cocoa tastes of chocolate and not at all of avocado, which surprises people every time. It comes out thick and glossy, like a set pudding.
It is still a dessert. What it is not is a bowl of cream and refined sugar, and for anyone who wants something sweet after dinner without it undoing the meal, that is the useful difference.
Ingredients
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 1 tbsp sugar, honey or a few soft dates
- 1/2 tsp coconut oil, optional
- A pinch of salt
- A splash of milk, if it needs loosening
Method
- 1
Use an avocado that gives slightly when you press it. A hard one will not blend smooth and a black one tastes bitter.
- 2
Scoop the flesh into a food processor or small mixer jar.
- 3
Add the cocoa, the sugar or dates, the coconut oil if using, and the pinch of salt.
- 4
Blend until completely smooth, stopping to scrape the sides down. It should look like set chocolate pudding.
- 5
If it is too stiff, add a splash of milk and blend again.
- 6
Spoon into two small bowls and chill for half an hour before eating.
Good to know
- Start with one tablespoon of cocoa and taste. More makes it darker and more bitter, which some people prefer.
- A couple of spoons of thick curd blended in makes it lighter and adds some protein, and it will not keep as long.
- Coconut oil is largely saturated fat, so half a teaspoon for gloss is the right amount rather than a spoonful.
- It browns on the surface within a day, as cut avocado does. Press cling film onto the top, and eat it the same day.
- Avocado is high in potassium. If you have kidney disease and have been told to watch potassium, ask before adding this in.