Vegan Chocolate Avocado Mousse Cups (Printer version)

Luscious dairy-free chocolate mousse made creamy with ripe avocados, topped with crisp salty cacao nib crunch for a perfect sweet-salty contrast.

# What You'll Need:

→ Mousse

01 - 2 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
02 - 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 1/4 cup maple syrup
04 - 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
06 - 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Sea Salt Crunch

07 - 1/4 cup raw cacao nibs
08 - 2 tablespoons chopped roasted almonds
09 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup
10 - Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

# Directions:

01 - In a food processor or high-powered blender, combine avocados, cocoa powder, maple syrup, almond milk, vanilla extract, and fine sea salt. Blend until completely smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.
02 - Taste and adjust sweetness or chocolate intensity if desired by adding more maple syrup or cocoa powder.
03 - Divide the mousse evenly among 4 small serving cups or ramekins.
04 - In a small bowl, mix cacao nibs, chopped almonds, and 1 tablespoon maple syrup until coated.
05 - Sprinkle the cacao nib mixture over each mousse cup. Finish with a generous pinch of flaky sea salt on top.
06 - Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving for optimal texture.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes decadent and creamy without a trace of that telltale avocado flavor sneaking through.
  • Ready in 15 minutes if you skip the chilling, but honestly, that hour in the fridge is when the magic happens and the texture becomes impossibly smooth.
  • Naturally vegan and gluten-free, so it works for almost any dietary preference without feeling like a compromise dessert.
02 -
  • Overblending this mousse can actually deflate it and make it grainy instead of silky, so stop as soon as you see smooth texture and don't overthink it.
  • The cacao nib crunch goes soggy if it sits on the mousse too long before serving, so add it just before eating or save it in a separate bowl for people to sprinkle on themselves.
03 -
  • Let your avocados come to perfect ripeness the day before, because underripe ones won't blend smoothly and overripe ones taste slightly soapy and dark.
  • The flaky sea salt on top isn't decoration, it's actually the key to making people say wow, because that salt hits your tongue first and makes your taste buds wake up before the mousse softens them again.
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