Rich and creamy vegan chocolate mousse made with a secret ingredient...aquafaba! There’s NO coconut, NO avocado, NO tofu, NO eggs, and definitely NO dairy in this four-ingredient decadent treat that will impress everyone you serve it to. And the best part about this recipe? NO ONE will know this aquafaba chocolate mousse is made with chickpea water! (Unless you tell them!)
Place chocolate in a bowl and place the bowl in the microwave and set for 30 seconds. When the time is up, remove the bowl and stir the chocolate. Scrape down the sides and repeat until just a few lumps remain. At this point, don’t put the bowl back in the microwave, just stir until all of the chocolate has melted and is completely smooth, set aside to cool. (The double boiler method can also be used to melt the chocolate, see notes below.)
Once the chocolate has cooled down and is no longer warm, add aquafaba and apple cider vinegar to a clean metal or glass bowl and begin whipping at high speed.
When you reach the soft peaks stage, add the vanilla extract. Keep whipping until you get to the stiff peaks stage. This can take anywhere from 2.5 minutes or more, depending on your mixer and your aquafaba. Once you reach the stiff peaks stage, mix for another 2 minutes.
Add the cooled chocolate and continue whipping with your mixer. After adding the chocolate, the mixture will deflate and become runny and then it will start to become thick. Once it starts to get thick, stop whipping.
Divide the mousse into separate serving bowls and serve immediately or place in the refrigerator to chill.
Serve with the topping you like such as coconut whipped cream and/or fresh berries.
Cherry Sauce (Optional)
Add water, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice to a small pot. Whisk until all ingredients have been incorporated.
Place pot over medium heat and whisk mixture continuously until it starts to thicken.
Add frozen cherries and stir. When mixture starts to bubble, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Stir occasionally so the mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pot.
After the time has passed, remove the pot from the stove and allow the sauce to cool completely in the pot. Once cooled, place the cherry sauce in a jar and refrigerate. You will end up with ¾ cup of cherry sauce.
When separating chocolate mousse into bowls, add a layer of cherry sauce in between two layers of mousse. See images above.
Notes
Aquafaba can be tricky to work with, so before making this recipe, please read all of the expert tips and troubleshooting info above, as well as the notes below to ensure the recipe result is successful for you.
It is important that all tools you will be using be free from any oil and oil residue. Oil will prevent your aquafaba from whipping.
Chopped chocolate can be used in place of chocolate chips, but I recommend that you weigh it using a scale since using cup measurements for chopped chocolate is not reliable, an inaccurate amount can ruin your recipe.
If using the double boiler method to melt your chocolate, fill a medium pot ⅓ of the way with water and place it on the stove over medium-low heat. Place a tempered glass or stainless steel bowl on top of the pot and stir until the chocolate has fully melted. Be sure that no water makes its way into the bowl or your chocolate will seize. Click this link to see this method in action.
Fresh lemon juice or white vinegar can be used in place of apple cider vinegar.
If making the cherry sauce, I like to use just 2 tablespoons of sugar which makes it not very sweet, but if you prefer it to be sweeter, add 3 tablespoons.
Recipe timing above is based on the plain version without making the optional cherry sauce.
The recipe makes 4-6 servings, depending on how large or small you make each serving.
Nutrition info is for one ½ cup serving of the plain chocolate mousse with no toppings or cherry sauce and is to be used only as a rough guide. Click here to learn how nutrition on info is calculated on this website.