Let me give you an idea of how excited I am to share this recipe with you. I made this TODAY. Literally, I ate this for dessert after lunch and sat down to post it immediately. YOU NEED IT.
This chocolate mousse is luscious, airy, chocolatey, fluffy...absolutely dreamy. It's one of the best chocolate mousses I've ever eaten. By the way, it does not taste like coconut - just rich chocolate!
Why "Abracadabra?" Welllllllll, because aquafaba just doesn't have the same ring to it. If you've never heard of aquafaba, I hesitate to tell you what it is for fear of scaring you off, but I will. Aquafaba is the liquid from a can of chickpeas. I. KNOW.
The magical, abracadabra part of this is that the aquafaba combined with a bit of coconut cream makes this mousse practically dairy-free! (The chocolate has a bit of milk in it.) Really though, chocolate mousse without cream? My tummy is in heaven right about now.
(Side note: when will "Abracadabra" by the Steve Miller Band stop playing in my head???)
You start with coconut cream. Not cream of coconut, not coconut milk. You'll want to chill it for 24 hours and hope that the cream layer separates from the liquid. If it doesn't, that's ok. I have a work-around.
Open the chilled cans without shaking and scoop the cream from the top into a bowl. Pour the liquid into another bowl. The funny thing is, one of my cans separated, the other did not. I tried a few brands...the others didn't separate at all. This will not affect the mousse at all, just the whipped coconut cream. Keep reading.
Alright, so you'll melt chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water along with some of the coconut cream and coconut liquid. If yours didn't separate, you'll just use the same amount of coconut cream from a well-shaken can. (Details in the recipe.) Don't panic if your chocolate looks a little grainy melted with the coconut. It'll smooth out.
Next up, you'll whip the liquid from the chickpeas...aquafaba, let's not call it bean juice...with a little cream of tartar, salt, and coconut sugar. I love coconut sugar for its toasty taste, but you can also use light brown sugar here. For more coconut sugar goodness, try these: peachy blueberry muffins and pumpkin chocolate chip baked oatmeal.
The whipped aquafaba mixture gets gently folded into the chocolate.
Spoon the mousse into ramekins and then chill for at least two hours.
Before serving, whip up the reserved coconut cream with some sugar and a pinch of salt. OR, remember this whipped topping option.
If your cream has not separated, skip whipping the coconut cream at the end and use a whipped topping. I happen to LOVE this non-dairy whipped topping. I like it more than Cool Whip (and I really like Cool Whip) and more than real whipped cream. (This photo was from when I made Angel Food Cake.)
Abracadabra Coconut Chocolate Mousse
2 (5.4-ounce) or 1 (15-ounce) can of coconut cream (not milk or cream of coconut), chilled 24 hours
7 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate, 64% or less (I used Ghirardelli 60%)
1/2 cup aquafaba, strained from a 15-ounce can of chickpeas
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
kosher salt
3 tablespoons coconut sugar (or light brown sugar)
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
(or, optional whipped topping)
[If the cream did not separate, stir the coconut cream well.]
Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl with 2 tablespoons of the coconut liquid and 2 tablespoons of the cream. Refrigerate the remaining cream. (If the coconut cream did not separate, add 4 tablespoons total from the stirred contents.) Melt the chocolate over a pot of barely simmering water. Once melted, set aside.
Using the whisk attachment of a mixer, whip the 1/2 cup aquafaba with the cream of tartar and pinch salt. Whip until stiff peaks form and about tripled in volume. Add in the coconut sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating well and scraping the bowl after each addition.
Gently fold the whipped aquafaba into the chocolate mixture in four additions. Fold in large circles, scraping the bottom often. Once combined and no streaks remain, spoon into six 4-ounce ramekins, or similar. Chill for at least two hours.
Before serving, whip the reserved coconut cream with two tablespoons powdered sugar and a pinch kosher salt. Whip until soft peaks form and spoon over the mousse. Serve. (If the cream did not separate for you, skip the whipped coconut cream or dollop with whipped topping. I like dairy-free So Delicious Coco Whip.)
*adapted from Bon Appetit Chocolate
MAKE THESE...and don't tell your guests or your family that they're having "bean juice mousse." They'll only think it's the best chocolate mousse they've ever had! ♥
