You’d never know this Vegan Chocolate Mousse is dairy-free. It’s rich, silky, creamy and chocolate-y, and comes together in just 10 minutes! 

You really can’t go wrong with chocolate dessert, and especially not with this vegan chocolate mousse recipe. 

My go-to’s tend to be my no bake chocolate pie and my almond flour chocolate cake because they’re tried and true and I know guests will adore them. Well, I’m about to add this mousse to that list as well because it’s ready in under 10 minutes! 

Recipe features

• A rich and creamy mousse recipe that’s both vegan and gluten free.
• Made with only 8 ingredients and requires just 10 minutes of prep work.
• The perfect dessert for chocolate lovers, and easy to make ahead of time.
• An excellent way to trick people into eating tofu 😉 

Ingredients

Chocolate – Preferably dark chocolate, around 70% cacao content or higher; I chopped up a chocolate bar, but dark chocolate chips are ok too. 

Tofu – Don’t freak out! Tofu is what gives this mousse its creamy, silky texture. And no, you can’t taste it at all (I promise!). Make sure to use silken tofu; firm or extra firm tofu won’t work in this recipe.

Espresso – A little bit goes a long way. Espresso powder is a good pantry staple to have on hand, and you can usually find some in the baking aisle at the grocery store. 

Sugar – A combination of maple syrup and cane sugar works well here. I tested it only using maple syrup and didn’t think it was quite sweet enough. If you want something lighter than cane sugar, try coconut sugar instead.

Cocoa powder – I currently have a box of cocoa powder from Trader Joe’s, so that’s what I used, but if you have Dutch processed cocoa powder, that would be even more delicious.

Vanilla extract – No substitution. 

Instructions

Step 1: Melt the chocolate. Start by adding the chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips) to a microwave-safe bowl, along with the coconut oil, ad microwave in 30-second increments until it’s melted and smooth. 

Step 2: Blend the tofu. Next, scoop the tofu out and into a food processor, then pulse until smooth. 

Step 3: Add remaining ingredients. Add the cocoa powder, maple syrup, sugar, espresso powder, vanilla, and salt to the food processor and blend for about 30 seconds. Last, pour in the melted chocolate and blend until the mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.

Step 4: Refrigerate. Pour the mixture into ramekins or small jars and place into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours so the mousse can chill and solidify.

Tips and FAQs

• If you only have semi-sweet chocolate on hand, omit the cane sugar from this recipe, then do a quick taste test to see if you think it needs to be sweeter. Semi-sweet chocolate has a higher sugar content than dark chocolate, so it may not need the additional sweetener.
• Silken tofu is the only tofu you should use in this recipe. The texture is completely different than that of other types of tofu because it contains more moisture, and therefore will result in a creamier mousse.
• If you don’t own a food processor, a high-power blender should do thee trick, though you may need to add 1-2 tablespoons of milk (any kind) to help everything come together.
• When you first scoop the mixture out of the food processor, it’s going to look more like pudding, but it will turn into a nice mousse-like consistency once it chills in the fridge.
• Top mousse with your favorite dairy-free whipped cream, with additional chopped chocolate and/or with fresh berries. 

Do I have to use tofu? 

For this recipe, yes. If you really don’t want to use tofu, you may want to find a different recipe because this is the only way I tested it. I know it may seem strange to use tofu in dessert, but it’s incredibly versatile and essentially has no flavor, so you can’t taste the tofu at all. 

Can this be made ahead of time? 

This vegan mousse is truly the best make-ahead dessert! Blend it up, then refrigerate it until you’re ready to serve it. 

Storage

Refrigerator: Store mousse in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you’re planning on serving the next day, keeping it in the ramekins is just fine. If you made this ahead of time, scoop mousse into a sealed container and store it there, then transfer to ramekins before serving.

More vegan dessert recipes

• Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Cake
• Chickpea Brownies
• Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!