How many ways can you spell D-E-C-A-D-E-N-C-E? Because today we’re making a decadent dessert that’s sure to make you fall in love. Say hello to this Vegan Nutella Espresso Cheesecake Mousse. Featuring a layer of creamy, chocolatey homemade Nutella and another layer of an espresso-flavored cheesecake mousse, this treat is doubly indulgent. But, somehow, it’s still 100% vegan and gluten-free.
Even if you don’t make the full dessert, you’ll want to keep this Nutella recipe in your back pocket for when those serious chocolate cravings hit. I’ll keep this post short since I’ll let the video and recipe do all the talking!
Watch! How to make this recipe
VEGAN NUTELLA ESPRESSO CHEESECAKE MOUSSE
Big Vegan Flavor
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Vegan Nutella Espresso Cheesecake Mousse
This dessert features a layer of creamy, chocolatey homemade Nutella and another layer of an espresso-flavored cheesecake mousse. Which means it’s doubly indulgent, but it’s wholesome and 100% vegan and gluten-free!
Ingredients
Espresso Cheesecake Mousse
- 1 1/4 cups raw cashews, soaked for 8 hours or overnight and drained*
- 1/2 cup canned full-fat coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons coconut nectar or maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1.5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- A pinch of fine sea salt
Nutella
- 2 cups hazelnuts
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, to your taste
- 2/3 cup oat milk (or another creamy plant-based milk)
- 4 ounces 60% dark chocolate, chopped
Toppings (Optional)
- Ground cinnamon
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Prepare the Espresso Cheesecake Mousse: Add the soaked cashews to a food processor or high-powered blender and blend for 30 seconds until broken down. Add the remaining ingredients for the mousse and blend until the mixture is smooth, thick, and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. It will take a 2-3 minutes.
- Refrigerate the mousse while you prepare the Nutella. It will thicken slightly.
- Prepare the Nutella: Preheat the oven to 350°F/176°C. Place the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking tray and spread out evenly. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes or until lightly browned and very fragrant. Allow the hazelnuts to lightly cool.
- Place the hazelnuts on top of a clean kitchen towel and wrap into a bowl. Rub vigorously to remove the hazelnut skins. It’s not necessary to remove all the skins.
- Place the hazelnuts in a food processor or high-powered blender until it turns into nut butter. This can take up to 10 minutes depending on the quality of your food processor. Mine took only about 6-7 minutes.
- While the hazelnuts are blending, prepare a double boiler. Add a few inches of water to a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Nestle a heatproof glass bowl that sits on top of the saucepan without touching the water to create a double boiler. Add the chopped chocolate, oat milk, vanilla, and sea salt to the bowl on top of the double boiler. Allow the chocolate mixture to melt, whisking frequently until smooth and all the chocolate pieces have melted.
- Pour chocolate mixture into the food processor or blender with the hazelnut butter and briefly puree until smooth, creamy, and all the ingredients are incorporated.
- When ready to serve, spoon a little Nutella into a glass, then layer the refrigerated espresso cheesecake mousse on top. Top with cinnamon and flaky sea salt, if desired.
Notes
*If you forgot to soak your cashews overnight, you can soak them in boiling water for 1 hour.
Calories: 449kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 250mg | Potassium: 508mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 53IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 5mg
This sounds amazing, so I am planning to make this soon. But how would you adjust when using regular espresso rather than buying powder?
1 tablespoon espresso, and maybe half a tablespoon less lemon juice?
Hi Myra, I’d start with 1 tablespoon brewed espresso and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. After blending in step 1, taste, and add more espresso or lemon juice as needed. The more liquid you add, the thinner the mousse will get, but it will also thicken as it rests.
can i make it without the espesso , i don`t like coffee
Hi Maria- yes! If you omit the espresso, though, you may want to reduce the amount of sugar added depending on your preferences. Espresso balances out the sweet flavors in desserts so the omission of it may make the mousse a tad too sweet for your liking. Enjoy the recipe!
if i wanted to use cocoa powder instead of dark chocolate what quantity can I use?
Hey Nisha, great recipe (I’ve already made it a couple of times)! :)
How long would you say does the nutella last in the fridge?
Thanks!
For how many people is this recipe? Would love to make it! I only see ‘serves’, but not a number. Thank you!
Good typo catch :) It’s very rich so a little serving goes a long way. It can serve 8 people who really love dessert, or 12 people who want a smaller serving :)
This looks so delicious! Love the recipe <3Will try it soon! :-)
Thank you for stopping by, my friend :) Can never have enough Nutella!
This is seriously good. The mousse is the best I ever made, what a great recipe! I used 70% chocolate to make the Nutella but the taste is too strong in combination with the light mousse, so 60% is indeed the good cacao content.
Hi Patrizia! So happy you enjoyed this recipe. I am flattered that it’s the best mousse you’ve ever tried! Good to know that you think 60% dark chocolate is the best option for the nutella :)