This four-ingredient vegan tofu chocolate mousse is incredibly easy to make. It has a velvety texture and a rich taste. It's the perfect dessert for chocolate lovers!
Table of Contents
Traditional chocolate mousse is made with egg whites and cream, making it far from vegan-friendly. But luckily there are many ways to make vegan chocolate mousse.
Some vegan chocolate mousse recipes use aquafaba (the liquid from chickpeas) which is whipped for a long time to produce a more light and airy texture.
This mousse however has a velvety and full-bodied texture that comes from using silken tofu. Using silken tofu also has the added bonus of bringing a protein and nutrient boost!
I must confess I used to be suspicious of vegan desserts that used tofu, until I discovered how creamy, versatile and neutral in taste it could be. Now we use it all the time in recipes like our Easy Vegan Tiramisu and this vegan chocolate mousse recipe.
Ingredient tips
You only need four simple ingredients to make this chocolate tofu mousse:
- A bar of dark or bittersweet chocolate. We like to use organic chocolate with around 70% cocoa content. If you only have dark chocolate chips then you can use these, but for best results, we like to use a bar of really tasty chocolate.
- Silken tofu - This is a softer type of tofu, which has a custard-like texture that works perfectly for desserts. Find out more about the differences between silken and regular tofu here.
- Maple syrup - To balance the flavour and sweeten the mousse.
- Vanilla extract - Just a little vanilla extract boosts the flavour.
Step by step pictures
Here's a visual overview of how to make this vegan and dairy-free chocolate mousse. The full printable and scalable recipe can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Step 1 - Drain excess water from the silken tofu, then blend the tofu in a food processor or blender.
Step 2 - Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of boiling water, or in the microwave.
Step 3 - While blending, pour the melted chocolate into the blender with the silken tofu.
Step 4 - Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract and blend again until completely smooth.
Step 5 - Split the chocolate mixture between four small dishes. Chill for 1 hour before serving.
Top tip!
Make sure your silken tofu is at room temperature. I once used cold tofu and didn't blend immediately and the chocolate started to set resulting in a grainy texture.
Variations and substitutions
If you prefer a sweeter or less dark mousse, you can use semi-sweet chocolate chips or a bar of dairy-free milk chocolate as an alternative. You could even try vegan white chocolate. You can create a beautiful dessert by layering two different colours of mousse.
Instead of maple syrup, you can use another sweetener of your choice, such as agave syrup, coconut sugar or vegan powdered sugar/icing sugar.
For a nutty chocolate mousse, add a spoonful of peanut butter, almond butter, hazelnut butter...
Chocolate orange mousse is one of my favourite variations. Add two tablespoons of freshly squeezed orange juice and the zest of one orange to the mousse mixture with the maple syrup. You can leave the vanilla extract out.
Serving
Serve with chocolate shavings and some fresh fruit on top.
Fresh raspberries, strawberries, redcurrants and other seasonal berries are delicious. Soft fruits such as peach, mango and pear also pair beautifully with dark chocolate.
Cocoa nibs or caramelised hazelnuts are a decadent addition.
A dusting of cocoa powder or a dollop of vegan whipped cream is also a welcome topping.
Storage
Leftover mousse can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
For meal prep, 4 oz wide mouth jars with lids work great.
FAQs
Silken tofu is often sold in shelf-stable cartons so you may find it in the Asian aisle at the grocery store. It's sometimes also sold fresh, so look for it with the regular firm tofu in the refrigerated produce section.
You can also easily buy silken tofu online and in Japanese and Asian supermarkets.
No, don't substitute firm tofu for silken tofu. Silken tofu is specifically used in puddings and desserts for its creamy, smooth texture. The more common, firm type of tofu wouldn't blend in the same way, and therefore, won't work.
More vegan chocolate recipes
We hope you enjoy this silken tofu chocolate mousse! Try these other recipes for satisfying your chocolate cravings.
No Bake Chocolate Tart (another of our favourite silken tofu recipes)
Chocolate Orange Truffles (perfect for the holiday season)
Vegan Chocolate Fondue (a chocolate lover's must-have recipe!)
Vegan Chocolate Pudding (another lovely dessert!)
📖 Recipe
Tofu Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- 100 g (3.5 oz) vegan dark chocolate
- 350 g (12 oz) silken tofu
- 2 tbsp (40 g) maple syrup
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Drain the excess liquid from the pack of silken tofu.
- In a food processor or blender, blend the tofu until smooth.
- Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a simmering pan of water (a double boiler) or in the microwave in 30 second intervals until smooth.
- Add the melted chocolate to the blender and blend again.
- Scrape down the sides using a spatula, add the maple syrup and vanilla extract and blend again until you have a creamy and smooth chocolate mixture.
- Split the chocolate mousse between 4 small glasses or dishes (about 115ml or ½ cup per portion) and chill for 1 hour before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
This information is calculated per serving and is an estimate only.
Loved our recipe? Have a question we can answer? We'd love to hear from you! Sophie and Paul 💚