You'll never guess the key ingredient that makes this vegan chocolate mousse so light and fluffy. And no, it's not avocado or coconut cream! This delicious 3-ingredient, easy chocolate mousse is dairy-free, gluten-free and nut free!
This post was sponsored by Sweet William chocolate.
I've tried more than a few vegan mousse recipes in my time. I've tried recipes that use avocado and those that use coconut cream. I've even tried vegan chocolate mousse made with tofu.
But none of them really had that light, cloud-like quality that a good chocolate mousse should have.
Making Vegan Chocolate Mousse Fluffy
This mousse though is light, airy, and fluffy. Spoonfuls melt on the tongue.
And the key ingredient that makes this magic happen might seem bizarre, but believe me, it really does work.
The secret ingredient in this vegan mousse is... aquafaba. So what is aquafaba? It's the liquid drained from a can of chickpeas.
Yes, you read that correctly: chickpea water!
Chickpea water can make vegan mousse, you ask? Well, aquafaba, has been hitting the news of late, and I've spent the last few weeks playing with it to see what it can do.
And I have to admit, I've been pretty impressed. It's even one of the star ingredients in my popular vegan puff pastry recipe.
For more easy ways to vegan-ize your favorite recipes, be sure to grab a free copy of this vegan substitution cheat sheet!
So, when I was asked by Sweet William, to develop a recipe using their gluten-free, nut free and dairy-free chocolate, I knew I had to incorporate the magical ingredient of aquafaba.
The result is this gorgeous decadent 3-ingredient vegan chocolate mousse that can be quickly and easily made with ingredients you already have in your pantry!
I know the idea of whisking chickpea water for this vegan mousse sounds bizarre. Believe me, I've been there! The minute I read about the idea, I had to try it for myself, and I found out it really, truly does work.
And, in case you are wondering if you can taste the chickpea flavors in the final product, you can't.
Something magical seems to happen when the water is whisked. And despite a definite chickpea aroma during the whisking process, all of that seems to disappear and is undetectable in the final product.
Preparing Vegan Chocolate Mousse
First, you start by chopping up your chocolate and melting it in a heat-proof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Just keep stirring the chocolate until it is melted.
Then you'll put the chickpea water in a bowl and whisk it for five minutes until it is fluffy, at which point you'll add the sugar and whisk for another three minutes.
Then while your chocolate is still warm, add a third of your fluffy chickpea water fluff to the chocolate and fold in.
Once you've done that, add your mixture to the rest of the chickpea foam and fold it again.
Then, just spoon your vegan chocolate mousse into small serving glasses and refrigerate for two hours before serving. You can garnish it with whatever you like!
If you're not sure what to do with the leftover chickpeas after making this vegan mousse, try making this divinely-spiced roasted Moroccan carrot salad or a vegan chickpea tomato soup.
Don't forget to grab a copy of this free vegan cheat sheet! It's packed with my favorite substitutions to vegan-ize just about any recipe.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 oz Sweet William original chocolate, or your favorite vegan chocolate
- ¾ cup aquafaba (chickpea water) , 2 tablespoon additional
- 3 teaspoon caster sugar, super fine
Instructions
- Prepare 4 glasses, or bowls, to serve your mousse and set aside.
- Roughly chop the chocolate and place into a large heatproof bowl, over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir with a spatula until almost melted. Remove from the heat and keep stirring until all of the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Place the chickpea water in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix for 5 minutes, until light, fluffy and cloudlike. You should be able to clearly see trails from the whisk in the mixture. Gradually add the sugar and whisk for another 3 minutes, or until it has very firm peaks.
- Take ⅓ of the mixture and add it to the chocolate, and use a spatula to fold it through the chocolate until fully incorporated. You need to do this quickly while the chocolate is still warm, otherwise the chocolate could seize up, resulting a grainy mousse.
- Add the chocolate mixture to the remaining chickpea foam and fold until combined, making sure not to knock too much of the air out of the mixture.
- Divide the mixture between your serving glasses or bowls, and cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
- Serve with your favorite accompaniments - like raspberries, figs or chocolate chips for a bit of crunch.
Notes
Nutrition (estimated per serving)
Sophie says
I'm intrigued by this... does it work with soaked chickpea water, or just from water from the can...? What makes it do the magic??!
Nicole @ Delicious Everyday says
It does supposedly work from chickpeas you cook at home, but I haven't tried it yet so can't comment on the water to chickpea ratio that you would need. I plan to try it soon though. First I wanted to get a feel for how the tinned version behaves 😀 If you try it let me know how it turns out.
Jacqui says
I just made it while I was whipping up some Hummus for the kids - AMAZING! I used icing sugar (instead of caster), and just added cocoa (instead of chocolate). I could eat all of it! Thanks for sharing!
Nicole @ Delicious Everyday says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it Jacqui!! It's amazing to think that only 3 ingredients make something so delicious. And thank you for taking the time to make it and leave a comment 🙂
Tania| My Kitchen Storiees says
Ha it is incredible and fabulous and you and I have been buying up chickpeas.
Nicole @ Delicious Everyday says
Haha it seems everyone is fascinated by this stuff! It's amazing though isn't it? The possibilities are endless.
Sonya says
I am intrigued! We love a good chocolate mousse in this house, and will definitely be trying this.
Nicole @ Delicious Everyday says
I hope you enjoy it Sonya 🙂 You might need to play with the sugar ratio depending on the chocolate you use.
Sonya says
I FINALLY made this - although all I had was dark chocolate, and it came out VERY rich. I'll have to try it with milk chocolate next time, because there will be a next time. And now I've seen the way the chickpea water whips up like egg whites, I'm sure I'll be experimenting with it further. This household's occupants thank you :o)
Nicole @ Delicious Everyday says
Yes, the chocolate I used was a milk chocolate, so the resulting mousse wasn't overly rich. I've made this with 70% cocoa dark chocolate and use 140g of chocolate in that case. Isn't it amazing how the chickpea water whips up? I've also made this with cannellini bean water, and it whips up just as beautifully, and is a little creamier in texture than the chickpea water. Happy experimenting 🙂
Jane says
And I've been throwing my chickpea water away all this time!
Nicole @ Delicious Everyday says
Me too! I love it when you can make something delicious from food that would otherwise be wasted! 🙂
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
I've read about using chickpea water to make vegan meringue, so I can see why it would give this mousse such a nice texture. I have to try it myself!
Veena says
wow! this looks yum and creamy
Nicole @ Delicious Everyday says
Thanks Veena 🙂
shay says
This is so clever and simple! I would have never thought to use chickpea water for anything, especially desserts.
Bec says
Ooooo I am intrigued!!! It sounds delicious x
Gena says
I have to try chickpea water! I'm seeing recipes all over the place, and I'm so curious. Thanks for this delicious and unconventional pudding, Jennifer!
Rachel says
I swear I have just sat her for about 10 minutes staring at these photos in complete amazement; how is this level of deliciousness even possible?! What a wonderful recipe! I have had some really unsuccessful experiments in the kitchen with making avocado chocolate mousse, so I am so excited to see a recipe using aquafaba instead; I cannot wait to wait these instead!
Nicole @ Delicious Everyday says
Thanks Rachel! I hope you enjoy it 😀
Monica says
This sounds wonderful but is there a sugar alternative you'd suggest?
Nicole @ Delicious Everyday says
I haven't tried it, but I'd suggest perhaps brown rice syrup or maple syrup. If you decide to give it a go with a sugar substitute Monica I'd love to hear how it turns out 😀
Karen says
Ive made meringues with this and took them to work, no one knew the difference! Looking forward to trying this too! Looks gorgeous! On the subject of sugar substitutes I have been using Sukrin Melis icing sugar which is a calorie free natural sweetener using a mix of plant based substitutes erythritol and stevia. Sukrin also do a brown sugar which is a brilliant sub called Sukrin Gold which I use in flapjacks, the golden syrup is substituted with rice malt syrup! Hope this helps!
Nicole says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! And thank you for the tips on the sugar substitutes - I will try those out.
Kelli Haynes says
I want to make these for a fete - would they maintain their taste and integrity being out of the fridge for a few hours?
Nicole says
I expect it would be fine for a couple hours. But honestly, it's never lasted that long in my house, so I can't be 100% sure!
Lynn says
Delicious and so easy to prepare! I used oat milk chocolate bars & it was delicious.
Janet says
I am amazed at the wonders of this liquid - having just mastered vegan mayo, I was keen to try this recipe too. I did it according to your recipe, using a Thermomix as one of your other reviewers did, and I was totally fascinated how it whisked up into a creamy white fluff in next to no time. I am not really a "sweet tooth" and found it a little on the sweet side with both sugar and milk chocolate so am wondering if the sugar is a necessary part of the process. I am thinking maybe it is, in order to stiffen up the mixture - would that be correct? However, I might try using cacao powder instead of chocolate and wonder if anyone has tried this, and if so, how much would be used to give that chocolate flavour? Great to keep getting these recipes. Thank you.