So, instead of vowing to cut out sugar completely (that tactic never works), I’ve decided to instead focus on having healthy treats on hand. This Healthy Chocolate Chia Mousse is just one of those treats. But with its creamy texture and richness, you’d never know it was made with healthy ingredients! Thanks to the generous dose of healthy fats from chia seeds and coconut cream, this treat is rich enough that a small serving will satisfy even the strongest chocolate cravings.
In addition to this being a rich yet healthy treat, it’s also an incredibly easy dessert to make. All you need is 5-10 minutes and a blender! Plus, it’s easy to customize. For instance, you can add a little melted dark chocolate to make this mousse even richer; can omit the espresso powder and add cinnamon instead; or give it a mint twist by substituting the vanilla extract with peppermint extract. Bonus: you can also make it in advance and store it in the fridge for several days so you can satisfy those nightly dessert cravings and still feel good about your diet.
Finally, you might be wondering why I call this a chia mousse, instead of a chia pudding. The answer is this dessert has a texture more similar to mousse than to standard chia pudding. And that’s because whenever I talk about chia pudding on Instagram, the biggest complaint I hear is related to the texture of chia pudding. For some people, the texture is too viscous or gelatinous, or worse yet, slimy.
Luckily, I have a secret to improving this controversial texture, a secret that has converted more than one chia pudding-hater into a chia pudding-fan. My secret is to simply blend the chia pudding in a blender! Blending breaks down the chia seeds and gives the pudding a uniform and creamy texture, more similar to a chocolate mousse than to a chia pudding.
If you try out this Healthy Chocolate Chia Mousse, drop a comment below with your feedback and tag me on Instagram!
Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
Healthy Vegan Chocolate Chia Mousse
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chia seeds
- 2 cups oat milk or other plant-based milk
- 1/2 cup coconut cream (from a 13.5-ounce can of full-fat coconut milk)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground espresso powder, optional but brings out the flavor of chocolate
- 1 teaspoon vanilla powder or vanilla extract
- Toppings: coconut whipped cream fresh fruit, shaved dark chocolate
Instructions
- Mix together the chia seeds and oat milk in a large bowl and stir well. Allow to rest for 5 minutes, and then whisk again to prevent clumping.
- Scoop out the solid white cream from the can of coconut milk (you should get about 1/2 cup, or slightly more, from a 13.5 ounce can of full-fat coconut milk). Reserve the liquid part for another use, such as smoothies or a curry.
- Pour the chia pudding into a high-powered blender and add the coconut cream, cocoa powder, maple syrup, espresso, and vanilla. Blend until all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined and the mixture is thick, creamy, and fairly smooth.
- Transfer the chia mousse to a jar and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve, add desired toppings and enjoy.
I’ve made this recipe before and loved it, but I made it again yesterday and ate some today… and honestly, I would have preferred the pain of childbirth over the discomfort from these chia seeds! I followed the recipe to the letter, so no fault of the creator, but just a word of caution, chia seeds can be tricky for some of us!
Nisha
In the video it uses pitted dates.
How many Dates do you use?
I would rather use the whole food date than the syrup.
Also there’s coconut cream in the recipe but not the video.
There’s also salt in the video abut not the recipe.
Is this two different recipes?
Do you use the coconut cream or not?
Hi Tracey, Nisha hasn’t tested this recipe in many years, so we’re not entirely sure about the differences. We recommend making our new and improved chocolate mousse recipe instead, which also uses dates. You can omit the maple syrup in that recipe for a less sweet mousse, or use a couple more dates for additional sweetness.
Thank you
I did try the recipe with 4 dates & the half cup coconut cream.
Next time & there will be a next time I will add 6 dates for my husbands sweet tooth.
Thanks for sharing, Tracey! We hope it turns out perfectly next time!
Nisha
In the video it uses pitted dates.
How many Dates do you use?
I would rather use the whole food date than the syrup.
Also there’s coconut cream in the recipe but not the video.
Is this two different recipes?
Easy, fast but so satisfying dessert. I have modified it to do other flavors like pumpkin pie and cinnamon vanilla. I take it to parties and everyone enjoys it. You do a high power blender. My ninja blender didn’t work well, but the vitamix worked wonderfully.
Thanks Nisha.
Thanks for sharing, Shalini!
Is there any way to make these without the coconut cream?
Hi Amy, you can try using thinned out cashew cream instead if you’d like – although it may not thicken as much as the coconut version.
The chia seeds gave this a super-bitter aftertaste which was unpleasant. I added some brown sugar and icing sugar in an attempt to override it, and sprinkled chopped chocolate on top but, alas, it could not be saved.
Hey! Check the date on your chai seeds or try grabbing a new bag. They shouldn’t be bitter at all.
Love this recipe…
But on You tube it uses pitted dates instead of Maple Syrup and it also uses salt.
How much Dates do you use and Salt ???
My son decided to be vegan a couple of days back. I tried several of your recipes, and enjoyed each one of them. I made the chia chocolate mousse second time, and I had to take a moment to thank you. Thank you soooo much Nisha for the videos and the recipes you share!!! Lots of blessings from the bottom of my heart!!!
This is SO delicious and SUPER easy to make! I make the whole recipie and then divide it up in jars so I have enough to last me a few days. Thanks Nisha!
Love these little vegan chocolate chia mousse pots!