Vegan Chocolate Chilli Pepper Mousse
18Hello, my name is Tess, and I am a chocoholic. Well, I am a 70% Cocoa Organic Fairtrade Chocoholic. My sister Kara, has a saying, “A chocolate a day keeps the grouchies away”. That always makes me laugh. However, as we women well know -- too many spoons on the chocolate lips puts inches on the hips. Some time ago I suggested she switch her daily indulgence to dark chocolate so she could still enjoy the “mental health benefits” with less fat and sugar. She struggled at first, but embraced the dark side, and now, like me, only eats the good stuff. We soon converted her husband Leigh, and now, chocoholics far and wide are dancing to our weekly meetings. We’re looking into renting a bigger church hall!
However, switching to the dark bars is only step one in the twelve step program. In this post we are leaping ahead to step 10, which is:
“We accepted that we were powerless over chocolate mousse, but found that we could embrace a dairy free, sugar free, gluten free vegan alternative, that was quick, easy, and no less than sublime”. But proceed with caution. This vegan chocolate mousse recipe is deceptive, and will kick even the most sober cream and sugar addict back into denial. I have served this to many a cream dreamer and received rave reviews.
The key ingredient in this tofu chocolate mousse recipe is alkalized cocoa powder, which has a dark color, rich flavour, and is less acidic, making it more soluble and ideal for making this vegan chocolate mousse. I always use Green and Black’s Organic Fairtrade Cocoa Powder which sets the bench mark for depth of flavour, not to mention, ethical production standards. When I break the seal and open the can, the hairs in my nose start dancing and my taste buds rain love. Only the most adept Coloratura Soprano could do the experience justice. The intensity and depth makes me weak in the knees. Green and Black’s have a fantastic saying about their products, “unspoiled and spoiled rotten”. I couldn’t sum it up better. Founders Craig Sams and Josephine Fairley are my environmental, organic, fair trade warriors of choice in the chocolate world. They were leaders in the Fairtrade cocoa movement and earned the U.K’s first Fairtrade mark. Their company embodies the philosophy of green balance – respecting the earth by embracing green practices like organic farming and ethical trading, and then indulging in the offerings; which for them, is the best natural chocolate products. They maintain fierce standards of excellence resulting in exceptional taste and quality. They are an inspiration to food makers everywhere, not to mention, a life-line to green chocoholics all over the world.
Similarly, this vegan chocolate mousse is a beacon of hope for even the most self respecting 1000 calorie mousse devotee. Everything comes to the party to create the perfect blend of sweet and spicy. The tofu gives you some protein, and that lovely creamy texture that gets better when set. The cocoa adds that vital decadence that is a prerequisite in any great vegan chocolate mousse, and the nut butter and vanilla give it an added dimension that stops it from being flat. Just a touch of agave to sweeten the deal, and some chilli for a final kick. I am not really a peanut butter fan for many reasons and do not use it very often. But I can’t deny the flavour it brings to this. I prefer to use raw almond butter as a healthier option. Hazelnut butter is AMAZING as well. It is all a matter or personal preference. You can also make this tofu chocolate mousse without the chilli. It still tastes wonderful, but I find that the heat lifts the heaviness of the cocoa and just gives the whole taste sensation an extra burst. I have put ¼ tsp as a guide, but you can use less for a more subtle taste. I still have a vivid sense memory of my first chocolate chilli ice cream experience, and I have a sense of nostalgia paying homage to it here. Without the chilli -- what a great vegan sweet treat to sneak some tofu into your children!
Serve this vegan chocolate mousse with some raspberries, vegan cream, and nuts to make this experience complete. If you are looking for fantastic blender recipes and one of the best Vitamix recipes you will find, look no further. This tofu chocolate mousse is one of those great allergy free recipes you will be blending up again and again. It is gluten free, dairy free, egg free and refined sugar free. It just doesn’t get any easier and more rewarding than this simple recipe – throw, blend, chill, gobble, and celebrate. Enjoy the party! Sorry hips, you’re not invited.
Vegan Chocolate Chilli Pepper Mousse
- 1 packet (300gm/12oz) of organic firm silken tofu
- 1/3 cup Green and Black’s Organic Fairtrade Cocoa
- 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup agave nectar or coconut sugar depending on your taste
- 2 tsp natural vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp raw peanut butter or raw almond butter
- 1/4 tsp chilli pepper flakes
- Throw all ingredients in your blender (I like to use my Vitamix) and puree until smooth and well combined.
- You might have to stop and scrape the sides of your blender to make sure it is all mixed through.
- Spoon mixture into martini glasses or serving bowls, and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours to yield the best results. The mixture will thicken slightly and the flavor of the chilli will strengthen. However, I have scoffed this after half an hour and been more than satisfied.
- Like I always say, people take the first bite with their eyes. I like to serve this in gorgeous clear shallow cocktail glasses to elevate this into my “simple but special” file.
- Serve with fresh raspberries, a dollop of soy cream, and some crushed raw almonds.
Serves 6
The different textures and flavours make this a winner on every level.
**Please note – For those of you with severe wheat, gluten, and dairy allergies – The Green and Black’s cocoa (and a lot of others) is produced in a factory that also works with wheat, milk, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios and brazil nuts. It is not in contact with peanuts.
Green and Black make fantastic baking chocolate, bars and ice creams. Their products are widely available at health food stores and most conventional grocery stores now. If you have not tried them, do your taste buds a favour and partake!
Piggy Cooking Tips
the best way to clean your blender
After blending up something sticky, gooey or smelly, just place a few drops of soap in the carriage with some warm water and blend on high until all of the congealed food slips away from the blades and sides. Then repeat this process. Then rinse with water and presto! Clean carriage.
If you have smells or stains repeat this process with some bicarbonate of soda or lemon juice and water.
Check out the video on A No Hassle Way To Clean Your Blender that I did as part of the Chow Tips Series.
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Piggy Grunts!
Add Your GruntAAAGH…. Can’t find “hazelnut butter”, only “chocolate hazelnut butter”.... Where is “hazelnut butter” found [is it purchased or does one have to make it’... Also, have only found “chili pepper” but they are not listed as “flakes” and look to big [think it would be too hot/spicy in dish at that size] for blend with sweetness of dish; I’ve thought about grinding them but then it would be a “powder” and I still don’t know if I could grind all those little (but again not “flake-size”) pieces for the purpose of the recipe… regarding the cocoa, I cannot find it -in general- and have now looked on G/B’s site and only see it in “bar” form—where did you get yours—was it a bar? What brands did you use for the all the items in the recipe…. recipes only seem to work for me when I exactly mimic the original recipe. Want to make it today (only day available before potluck this Friday)—would really appreciate it if you could reply as soon as possible. Thank you in advance of your reply/assistance.
Hey Desert Mot,
I didn’t use hazelnut butter in this recipe, I used almond butter or peanut butter. You can buy this from health food stores or grocery stores. I use the small red pepper chili flakes you get in a jar at the grocery store. Just use a pinch and they will blend up finely in in the mixture. I use Green and Blacks cocoa powder. But you can use any raw cacao powder or cocoa powder from the health food store or grocery store. Just make sure it is unsweetened. You can make this recipe without the chili flakes and it is delicious. You just might want to taste the mixture and adjust the quantities of almond butter and sweetener. I hope this clears up any confusion.
I made this recipe for the first time yesterday, and I already feel that without it I would not be able to go on. I made the Raw Vegan Vanilla Cashew Cream to go on top and put it in cocktail glasses like in the recipe with some vegan chocolate shavings on top. So pretty!!! I am going to try it with some espresso powder instead of the chili pepper flakes and serve it in small coffee cups with the cashew cream and a sprinkle of cocoa on top. This is a fun recipe :)
Question: could you suggest a substitute for the silken tofu? I’m allergic to soy, but this recipe looks so yummy!
Yes. You can use avocado or fresh coconut as the base and it is DELISH!
This was the most s’blended treat I’ve had in a LONG time. I loved the slighly spicy-ness that the chili flakes add. A vegan chocoholic’s dream come true.
I made this over the week-end and it turned out…“gritty”. Was it the almond butter? Or perhaps the kind of tofu I used?
Hey piggy Maya
I have made this mousse with all kinds of nut butters and it is always smooth and creamy. It is probably the kind of tofu you used. This mousse turns out the best when you use silken tofu.
Tess,
I can’t wait to try this mousse! Maybe we could whip it up during the Christmas season!
Yes! We could definitely whip this up in 5 minutes at Christmas time! Looking forward to it xx
I love mousse…hence to say when I was pregnant and unable to have it…being introduced to this recipe was enough to bring tears to this chocoholics eyes. It really is amazing, and I still cannot believe it it is made out of tofu. It is divine!