Light but also rich and creamy, you won’t find a better chocolatey dessert than this decadent Vegan Chocolate Mousse. Easy to make with only 5 ingredients!
Anyone can make Vegan Chocolate Mousse! A chocolate lovers’ dream, this lighter-than-air dessert is made in only a few easy steps using a handful of ingredients. If you want another popular chocolate recipe, go make The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake.
My vegan chocolate mousse recipe is made by whipping aquafaba and cream of tartar together before melted dark chocolate is carefully added. The end result is a light, airy, and silky chocolate dessert that pairs so nicely with vegan whipped cream on top. Similar to my Chocolate Cheesecake and Hot Chocolate, every bite of this easy mousse is smooth and rich with dark chocolate.
This is why you should make vegan mousse for every special occasion:
- It’s perfectly balanced and not too sweet
- Guaranteed to satisfy every chocolate lover
- All you need are 5 simple ingredients
- You don’t need to turn on the oven, so perfect for summer!
- It’s freezer friendly!
What is chocolate mousse?
Traditional chocolate mousse is a French dessert made with chocolate, egg whites, and cream. Incorporating lots of air into the mix is what separates mousse from pudding and provides the classic light and airy texture. While vegan mousse can be made with several replacements, aquafaba (canned chickpea water) is the way to go when you want it to be as airy as possible. Don’t worry, you can’t taste it!
Because there are so few ingredients, I recommend using a high quality dark chocolate so the flavors can stand out. I loved the results I got from using Theo brand 70% dark chocolate bars.
How to make chocolate mousse with aquafaba
Begin by melting the dark chocolate or chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second intervals. Set it aside to cool completely.
In a large bowl, combine the aquafaba and cream of tartar. Beat them together until stiff peaks form. Slowly add in the sugar and vanilla. It’s ready when the mixture is very fluffy and has stiff peaks.
Use a spatula to carefully fold in the melted, cooled chocolate. Gently fold the creamy aquafaba mixture around the chocolate until it’s incorporated fully (without over mixing). It should feel light as air, have a light chocolate color, and no white streaks left.
Divide the mousse into four portions. Enjoy it right away or chill in the fridge (it will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.)
Serving
This delicate dessert is best served in small ramekins or dessert glasses with simple decorations. You can add a dollop of vegan whipped cream or coconut whip on top along with chocolate shavings or chocolate chips. To make your own shavings, use a vegetable peeler to shave thin strips from a chocolate bar.
To dress it up even more, feel free to add coconut shavings, freeze-dried berries, edible flowers, or sprinkles to the mousse.
Variations
- To make it without cream of tartar – Simply leave it out of the recipe. I find it helps to stabilize the aquafaba and forms the stiff peaks sooner.
- For a less sweet mousse – Omit the sugar entirely or replace it with coconut sugar.
- Unsweetened chocolate – Add some extra sugar if you’re making the mousse with dark chocolate with a higher cacao percentage than 70%.
Can you freeze chocolate mousse?
You can! To freeze, place the vegan chocolate mousse in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months.
Don’t heat it up when it’s time to eat. Leave it in the fridge to thaw completely, then dig in.
Want more chocolate vegan desserts?
Vegan Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- 6 ounces vegan dark chocolate* 70% chocolate bars, or chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup aquafaba liquid from a can of chickpeas
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4-1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Optional, for serving
- Coconut Whipped Cream
- or Vegan Whipped Cream made with aquafaba
- chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Break the chocolate bars into small pieces (or use chocolate chips) and melt in a microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each time, until melted. It took me 1 1/2 minutes. Set aside to cool completely. If the chocolate is still warm when you add it to the aquafaba, it will seize and become very grainy.
- Drain the aquafaba from a can of chickpeas, measure 3/4 cup and add to a large bowl. Add the cream of tartar and beat for about 5 minutes, until stiff peaks form. I use my stand mixer with whisk attachment. Slowly add in the sugar (more or less to desired sweetness, I like 1/2 cup) and vanilla and continue to beat for another few minutes. It should be very fluffy and have very stiff peaks by this point.
- Carefully and gently fold the melted, cooled chocolate into the aquafaba mixture, using a spatula in a circular motion until it's incorporated well. Don't over mix – we are just incorporating the two, not roughly mixing as you don't want to lose all the lightness of the aquafaba mixture, this is what makes the mousse light. Continue mixing until there are no white streaks left, and it's a light chocolate color.
- Divide the mixture into 4 small ramekins or little dessert glasses. You can enjoy it right away, or chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. It will keep for about 3 days in the refrigerator.
- Top with vegan whipped cream, if desired, and chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips. Enjoy!
- The mousse will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, and can also be frozen.
Notes
- I used Theo chocolate bars (70%), but you can use any quality chocolate that is vegan friendly. Use something that tastes good because your mousse will get nearly all it’s flavor from the chocolate you use.
- This can be made without the cream of tartar, but it helps stabilize the aquafaba and makes it have stiff peaks sooner.
- Leave out the sugar for a less sweet mousse, or add more if you are using unsweetened chocolate. Could use coconut sugar instead, if desired.
Hi Nora! I’m a big big fan. I have a question. Do you think it would be possible to sub in caramel instead of chocolate or would that just not work? Thanks so much!
Hi Rachel! 🙂 Gosh I’m not sure! I think it’s possible it could work, but I’ve never tried it. Certainly sounds delicious! If you do try it, let me know how it goes. Thank you!
This was delicious! We ate it with strawberries and it was the perfect dessert without feeling overly sweet. Several of my family members have celiacs so I am excited to find something everyone can enjoy!
Easy, I just followed the recipe and tada I feel like a rock star!
SUPERGREAT!
Thanks for your awesome review, Rock Star! I’m thrilled you loved the recipe!
Love how simple this recipe is without the use of coconut cream. Do you have any suggestions if I wanted to make a mango mousse for a cake instead? TIA
I haven’t tried it, but replacing the melted chocolate with mango puree might work for a mango mousse.
This was perhaps the easiest recipe I’ve ever made. Literally three ingredients (if you don’t count the cream of tartar and vanilla). It was light and delicious. It will be my go-to holiday dessert from now on. Thanks SO much, Nora!
Hi Annette. You are welcome! I’m glad you found the mousse easy and delicious. Thank you for your fantastic feedback and review!
can I replace the sugar with maple syrup or honey if I do not want to use refine sugar?
I haven’t tried this recipe with anything other than granulated sugar, so I can’t say for sure if maple syrup would work as well. It’s definitely worth a try!
Hey I just tried to Moose it was kind of loose I put it in the fridge to see if moose stiffens up
Could this be used as a cake layer? Thanks
Sure!
It came out so grainy. Why? I did cool the chocolate but perhaps not enough? This is the very first recipe of yours that didn’t work. All the others were absolutely fantastic!! Your chocolate cake and zucchini bread were a couple of favorites even among my non-vegan friends!!
Hi Mary! Yes, the trick here is to really make sure the chocolate is completely cooled, it makes a huge difference. I have made it so many times now, and cooling the chocolate is key to avoid that grainy texture. Hope that helps! And I’m glad you enjoy my other recipes, thank you.
Absolutely delicious! ?
Hi Nora! You have the BEST vegan recipes anywhere!
I’m so excited to try this recipe! Can I use cocoa powder in place of vegan chocolate and omit the cream of tartar or substitute it with an alternative?
Thank you!
Thank you so much, what a compliment!! 🙂 About this recipe, I honestly don’t know because the entire recipe is based on using real melted chocolate. Using cocoa powder instead of chocolate will result in chocolate whipped cream, not mousse. You can leave out the cream of tartar but your meringue won’t be as stable. Hope that helps!
Another winner, thank you!
I have tried many of your recipes and all have turned out great! I really appreciate you sharing vegan dessert recipes for those of us that can’t have dairy and or egg,
Thanks Deanna! I’m so glad that you are enjoying the desserts. I know it can feel challenging to bake without eggs or dairy, whether for ethical reasons or allergies/intolerances. 🙂
What can be used as a substitute for aquafaba?
Nothing here, sorry! The whole recipe is based on using it.
Hi,
Would this work with powdered sugar?
And can I keep the aquafaba in the fridge for a day, before using? I would like to make your meatloaf ahead of time, and use the aquafaba the next day. Or would it be better to make the mousse the day before too?
Hi Susanne, I haven’t tried making this with anything other than granulated sugar so I’m not sure if powdered sugar will work. And yes, you can definitely keep the aquafaba in the fridge for a day! You can enjoy the mousse right after it’s made or keep it in the fridge for 3-4 days – it’s still good either way!
Hi Nora! I am looking forward to making this but am curious as to why the calories are so high. Which ingredient has so many calories?
Thanks,
~ K
The chocolate is very calorie dense. That said, it could easily make 8 servings instead of 4. The servings are large and very rich. Hope that helps!
this looks amazing Nora. i am going to try this. What vegan chocolate do you use? I need to avoid palm and coconut oils and I find that some have that in them
thanks
Hi Grace. I used Theo brand 70% dark chocolate bars for this recipe.