Vegan Chocolate Chickpea Mousse Recipe
This Vegan Chocolate Chickpea Mousse is a real treat. It’s light and airy in texture with a delicious dark chocolate flavour. You would never know it’s vegan, it’s so similar to the non-vegan version! I topped mine with some lightly whipped coconut milk and a sprinkle of cocoa powder but you could serve it with fresh berries, nuts or crushed vegan biscuits. This recipe uses the juice of canned chickpeas (also known as aquafaba) to aerate the mousse. It is based off a recipe provided by My Vegan Minimalist, but has been tweaked a little.
First, what is aquafaba?
Aquafaba is the liquid that comes in canned beans, in this case, chickpeas. While this might sound strange to those who don’t regularly bake with vegan ingredients, it’s very common in vegan recipes. It is generally used to replace egg whites. Similarly to egg whites, make sure all your utensils are clean and free from any grease. According to America’s Test Kitchen “The starchy liquid is a great binder directly from the can, but what really makes it magical is that it whips and creates a foam. Aquafaba is therefore able to trap air, giving items structure at the same time it delivers a fluffy crumb and lift.” Although aquafaba can smell quite strong of chickpeas, only whipped and incorporated into other things, it really doesn’t taste anything like chickpeas. So don’t worry that your desserts will end up tasting like chickpeas, they won’t!
So how do I make this Vegan Chocolate Chickpea Mousse from scratch?
While this recipe does need a fair bit of whisking, it is pretty simple to make.
Begin by adding the dark chocolate and solid part of the coconut milk to a microwave safe bowl. Melt together the dark chocolate and solid coconut milk in the microwave by heating on medium heat for 45 seconds. Remove it from the microwave and whisk together. If the chocolate hasn’t fully melted, return it to the microwave for 10 second bursts until smooth. Leave to one side while you weigh and prepare the other ingredients.
In a mixing bowl, add the chickpea liquid, or aquafaba. Whisk on a medium speed for 2-3 minutes until it starts to foam and double in size. Gradually add the icing sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue to whisk well in between additions. Once all the icing sugar has been added, turn the whisk up to high and continue whisking for another 5-6 minutes until stiff and thick.
Take a large spoonful of the whipped aquafaba and add to the melted chocolate. Whisk together to make sure the chocolate mix is nice and loose. This helps to incorporate it into the mousse without having to over mix it. Carefully pour the chocolate mix into the mixing bowl with the whipped aquafaba.
Once everything has been combined, gently pour into your serving glasses or ramekins. Leave the mousse to set for at least 2 hours in the fridge. If you are storing them for longer than the recommended 2 hours, I would advise everyone to cover with some cling film or beeswax wrap to prevent them from taking on any unwanted fridge flavours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, gently fold everything together. To “fold” simply means you gently scrape the sides of the bowl with the rubber spatula or wooden spoon and then drag it through the center. To a visual explanation, you can check out this YouTube video by ExpertVillage Leaf Group.
To get the solid part of coconut milk, place a full fat can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight or somewhere cool. If you live somewhere with mild weather like I do in Ireland, it’s likely you can use the can straight off the shelf. To separate the solid part, carefully open the can and scoop off the top part, which should be solid.
This mousse, if properly stored can keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Absolutely you can. Pour into airtight containers and freeze for at least 4 hours until solid. Vegan chocolate mousse can keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. Defrost in the fridge for 1-2 hours before serving.
It’s possible that you didn’t whip the aquafaba for long enough. The aquafaba should be very thick and resemble fully whipped egg whites. It won’t be quite as thick, but it will be close. You should also ensure your bowl and whisks are clean and free from any grease as this might effect how well your aquafaba whips.
It’s possible that you allowed the chocolate to cool for too long. You want it cool enough that it won’t melt the whipped aquafaba but not so cool that it starts to solidify. If it starts to go solid, you may end up with small lumps of chocolate.
Want more Gluten Free Recipes? Why not check out my Gluten Free Category, here.
Maybe you’re interested in more No Bake Recipes? My No Bake Category is here to explore.
Vegan Chocolate Chickpea Mousse
Equipment
- 1 Microwave safe bowl
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Electric whisk or stand mixer with whisk attachment
- 1 Wooden Spoon or Rubber Spatula
- 4 serving glasses or ramekins
Ingredients
- 75 grams dark chocolate
- 75 grams coconut milk the solid part
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 55 grams juice from canned chickpeas, (aquafaba)
- 50 grams icing sugar
Topping (Optional)
- 50 grams coconut milk the solid part
- 10 grams icing sugar
- 1 tsp cocoa powder
Instructions
- In a microwave safe bowl, add the dark chocolate, solid part of the coconut milk and vanilla.
- Melt in the microwave, starting with 45 seconds. Remove and mix, then heat on 10 second bursts until completely melted and smooth. Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate in a heat safe bowl over a saucepan half filled with water set on medium heat. Leave the melted chocolate and coconut milk to one side to cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- In a mixing bowl, add the chickpea juice(aquafaba). Whisk on high for 2-3 minutes until the aquafaba has become frothy and thick.
- Add in the icing sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time and whisking well between additions. Once all the icing sugar has been added, whisk on high for a further 4-5 minutes until thick and stiff.
- Take a large spoonful of the whipped aquafaba and add to the cooled chocolate mix. Whisk together and gently pour over the remaining whipped aquafaba.
- Gently fold the ingredients together using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. To "fold" the ingredients, gently mix things together by scraing the sides of the bowl and lift the spoon or spatula up through the middle. Repeat until there are very little lumps of white left.
- Gently pour the mousse into the serving glasses or ramekins.
- Place into the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
Topping (Optional)
- To decorate, add the solid part of coconut milk and icing sugar to a mixing bowl. Whisk together until thick.
- Add a big spoonful of the whipped coconut on top of each mousse. Using a small sieve or tea strainer, lightly dust the tops with cocoa powder.
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