This light & fluffy 4-ingredient vegan chocolate mousse is a plant-based recipe in disguise. Going on taste, texture, and decadence, you’d never believe this dessert is 100% vegan. It will have you swooning within its luxuriously chocolaty embrace upon first bite. Seriously. Naysayers beware, this chocolaty delight isn’t playing games.
I have another vegan chocolate mousse recipe on the blog and not to knock that one, but there is really no comparison. That one is delicious in its own right but a bit more pudding-like because of the avocado. This one, on the other hand, is light, fluffy, air-bubbly, and pillowy. It’s the kind of dessert that will have you all “Okay, just one bite” but then one bite turns into two, two turns into the entire serving, and the entire serving turns into you me trying to lick the glass. I don’t care how classy you are, with this dessert, all bets are off.
Plus, this is the easiest chocolate mousse ever. To make it, you’ll simply combine coconut cream, raw cacao, pure maple syrup, and melted dark chocolate in a bowl. Whisk it for 3-4 minutes to fluff. it. up. Pour it into serving glasses. Refrigerate it for an hour to set. Grab your spoon and dive in for one, two, three… all the bites.
Fluffy 4-Ingredient Vegan Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups canned coconut cream
- 1/4 cup raw cacao powder or cocoa powder*
- 2-3 tablespoons pure maple syrup, to taste (I use 3)
- 1/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- Fresh berries (optional)
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate chips over a double boiler or in the microwave. If you melt them in the microwave, I suggest whisking in 1 tablespoon water to thin the chocolate.
- Add the coconut cream, cacao powder, maple syrup, melted dark chocolate, and vanilla extract (if desired) to a large mixing bowl.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachments in place, whisk the mixture on high for 3-4 minutes or until all ingredients are incorporated and the mousse is light and fluffy.
- Pour the mixture into 4 serving dishes or glasses.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to set.
- Top with fresh berries, if desired, and serve.
Notes
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I love the idea of using coconut cream in lieu of a silken tofu. Looks delicious!
Thank you! Yes, I love that this one comes out fluffier and lighter than the tofu versions!
This looks great! Where do you find coconut cream?
Thanks, Sophie! I usually get it from Trader Joe’s but you can also open a can of full-fat coconut milk, refrigerate it overnight (uncovered), and scoop off the thick cream on top (discard the watery liquid at the bottom of the can).
Technically, it’s not just four ingredients if one of the ingredients is processed vegan chocolate chips. Still, it looks easy and delicious but would prefer completely natural and non-processed. Thanks.
Hi Rachel! You can use unprocessed dark chocolate chips/bar or you can omit that part altogether and just use the coconut cream, cacao and pure maple syrup. It will setup a little softer with the latter option but still be delicious. Thank you for your insight!
You could sprinkle with nuts, cacao nibs instead or toasted coconut.
Yum! This looks so delicious and your photos are gorgeous!
Thanks so much, Liz!
I actually made something similar to this last week by accident whilst I was trying to come up with a hot chocolate recipe. I used dates instead of maple syrup though & I completely know what you mean about wanting to lick the bowl clean. I literally did. :)
Thanks for commenting, Melanie! What a happy accident that must have been :) I’ll have to try sweetening this recipe with dates; I bet they add a nice caramel flavor.
My parents are in town so I just made this for our dessert tonight :) I took a little taste before putting it in the fridge and ohhhh my – it took my strongest efforts not to eat the entire thing!!! I keep thinking about it sitting there all lonely in the fridge… can’t wait to dive in! :D
Hi Kaitlin! I’m so honored that you picked this dessert recipe to make while your parents were in town; what an honor! I hope they (and you) enjoyed it! :)
Just had to come back and tell you how much we enjoyed it! So rich and decadent – truly delicious. Thanks for the recipe! Such a huge fan of your site :)
Thanks for taking the time to report back, Kaitlin! It means so much to me, and I’m so, so happy that you and your parents enjoyed the chocolate mousse. I’m a huge fan of your site, too! I’m so glad that we’ve connected through this crazy food blogging world :)
This was so easy to make. I was worried about it tasting more like coconut, but it really doesn’t. I was also worried mine was never going to set but it did after about 1 hour and 1/2 and it was great. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome, Kitty! Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback, and I’m so happy you enjoyed it! The cacao really overpowers the coconut, doesn’t it? I love that rich, chocolaty flavor!
Just finished making this for a dinner party tonight. Definitely licked the bowl and whisk! I had cocoa powder lumps that wouldn’t come out so next time I will sift, otherwise it looks delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Always a good sign when the bowl AND whisk are being licked! Great idea to sift the cacao powder beforehand — I’ll add a note into the recipe. Thanks for sharing your feedback, and I hope it was a hit at the dinner party!
These look amazing!! I cant wait to make these for my daughters high tea 1st birthday party next week. I was wondering, how far in advance do you think i could make these? Thankyou!
Hi, Lyndsay! I would say you can make them up to two days in advance. I haven’t tried it myself because we tend to devour this mousse within 24 hours in our house, but I don’t think another day would negatively affect flavor or freshness. I hope it’s a hit at your daughter’s first birthday party — happy birthday to her! :)
Made this again for a dinner party last night…forgot how quick and easy it is to make and delicious it is! A guest favorite!
So glad it was a hit at your dinner party! This is a favorite of mine too!
Wow!…Delicious..Thx for the recipe.
So glad you’re enjoying it, Angel!
Thanks so much for this quick and easy recipe! I have shared this with my FB page ‘Super Quick Plant-Based Recipes’ and I think my gang will love it AND your site! If you have any other super quick and easy recipes, feel free to send them to me and I’ll promote your site again.
Thanks for sharing with your community, Shanasy! Means so much.
This did not work for me, or my friend whom I sent the recipe. We both bought coconut cream, but it did not seem thick enough. No one else mentioned that so i wasn’t concerned. It was very liquidy in my stand mixer and never “got fluffy”. Mine had small coconut fat pieces after being in the fridge and it was just not good at all. never thickened in the fridge much either. I’ll turn mine into hot cocoa.
Hi, Allie! I’m so sorry to hear the recipe didn’t turn out for you or your friend. Question: What type of coconut cream did you use? Unfortunately, since writing this recipe years ago, many brands have resorted to adding gums and stabilizers that create all sorts of problems (including too-thin cream, curdling, etc.). Because of this, the only brand I currently recommend using is Trader Joe’s Organic Coconut Cream. Also, did you use coconut cream (per the recipe) or canned coconut milk? There’s a big difference between the two. If you used canned coconut milk, you’d need to chill the cans for 24 hours in the refrigerator and then scoop off the thick cream at the top, and discard the watery liquid at the bottom of the can. Skipping these steps would result in a mousse that doesn’t set as you only want to use the thick coconut cream for this recipe. I hope this helps problem solve a bit!