Recipe: Date Night Chocolate Mousse
This dessert brings together a few versatile ingredients in ways you may not have considered but won’t soon forget! Coconut milk is a wonderful alternative to heavy cream in recipes to add some richness and creamy consistency. Bonus that this swap makes the recipe dairy-free!
Dates are a fabulous way to sweeten desserts in place of more refined sugar alternatives. They are one of the sweetest fruits, aka nature’s candy, making them a perfect whole food sweetener in recipes. The third unique ingredient in this recipe is avocados. When ripe, avocado flesh blends up beautifully to create a thick and smooth mousse or pudding consistency. Add vanilla and cocoa powder and you’ve got a truly delicious chocolate treat!
Pro tip – if your dates are chilled or dry, pop them in the microwave for 10-20 seconds to soften and they’ll blend up much easier with the coconut milk.
Date Night Chocolate Mousse
Serves 4
Ingredients
- ½ C canned coconut milk
- 1 C pitted Medjool dates (about 6 oz)
- 3 ripe avocados, pitted
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- ½ C unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
Toppings (Optional)
- Sliced strawberries or bananas, halved cherries, or raspberries
- Honey, to taste
- Fresh mint
- Chocolate shavings
Directions
- In a food processor or blender, add the coconut milk and dates. Puree the mixture on high until smooth.
- Add the flesh of the avocado and remaining ingredients to the food processor or blender. Start to blend on low, and increase speed gradually, until a smooth consistency is reached. Add more milk and optional honey (to taste) to reach consistency and sweetness preferences.
- Serve in bowls or glasses, with optional toppings.
Swaps
- For the coconut milk: any unsweetened milk of choice
- For the pitted dates: ¼ C honey or ¼ C maple syrup
- For the honey: maple syrup or agave
Recipe modified from: Prep Dish