I must confess that Valentine’s Day has never made a whole lot of sense to me. I mean, if you have a “true love,” then why set aside only one day to celebrate… CELEBRATE EVERY DAY, PEOPLE!! And if you don’t, then it seems like a sort of “in-your-face” holiday at best. I’ve long harbored a secret feeling that V-Day is probably just a big marketing scheme of Hallmark…
But before I sound too jaded, I will also confess that I’ve mostly enjoyed this maudlin holiday on the benefits of its chocolate-pushing alone. I know of no other single day that encourages as much giving, receiving, and consuming of chocolate as Valentine’s Day. And I have to admire that!
So in honour of this holiday that you may or may not love to celebrate, I shall give you a gift of chocolate in the form of this vegan chocolate mousse. It takes only 5 minutes and 5 main ingredients to whip up and is perfect whether you’re having a romantic date night at home or rushing out the door to meet your besties for a movie.
Many vegan chocolate mousse recipes call for soft tofu, and they’re good, but maybe you’ve already been-there-done-that in terms of vegan techniques. This recipe uses soaked raw cashews instead of tofu, with amazing results… rich, creamy, decadent mousse with the perfect silky texture in your mouth. I was also able to keep sugar to a minimum by using a flavourful combination of pure maple syrup and coconut sugar, and the only fat comes from the cashews and coconut milk. To keep it vegan, top it with coconut whipped cream, and dress it up with cacao nibs or fresh fruit.
No matter what your feelings are about Valentine’s Day, you’re going to be in love with this chocolate mousse, I promise.
Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!
Vegan Chocolate Mousse
Notes
The 3 hour prep time is the time it takes to soak the cashews. If you forgot to soak them ahead of time, no worries, just soak them for 30 minutes in hot water. Don't forget to drain them!
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews, soaked for 3 hours & drained
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 6 T. coconut sugar
- ½ cup coconut milk (I used full-fat)
- 2 t. vanilla
- 1/8 t. salt
Coconut whipped cream:
- 6 oz can coconut cream, chilled
- ½ t. vanilla
To garnish:
- cacao nibs
- coconut flakes
- fresh fruit
Instructions
- Place cashews, cocoa powder, maple syrup, coconut sugar, coconut milk, vanilla, and salt in a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until silky-smooth.
- Pour into small ramekins or espresso cups and chill for 3 hours to set.
- To make the coconut whipped cream, carefully scoop the thick layer of cream off the top of the coconut cream (there is a watery layer at the bottom) and place it into a medium mixing bowl. Add the vanilla and whisk until thick.
- Garnish with coconut whipped cream, cacao nibs, coconut flakes, fresh fruit, etc.
Looking forward to some vegan chocolate mousse after Valentines’ dinner tonight… Mmmmm!
Mmmm… I hope it was yummy!! xoxo