Fluffy vegan chocolate mousse with aquafaba

Fluffy vegan chocolate mousse with aquafaba

vegan chocolate mousse aquafaba close up

I’m so excited to bring this simple yet indulgent vegan chocolate mousse with aquafaba recipe to you, guys. As I’ve already mentioned in my previous posts, ever since I’ve read about the brilliant invention of aquafaba ‘egg whites’, I’ve been massively obsessed with it.

I’m part of an inspiring Facebook group solely dedicated to making things with aquafaba and I can tell you that every single person who tries to whip chickpea water like egg whites has the same reaction – that of amazement mixed in with excitement.

It’s because it’s a blooming genius invention. It opens up so many possibilities, not only for vegans, but also for people with egg allergies.

Who would have thought that something as basic as whipped chickpeas (most beans, in fact) cooking water can yield such amazing results. To make sure I have not gone mad and this thing doesn’t, in fact, taste vile, I made this mousse twice while a couple of our omnivorous friends were staying with us. Not only did they LOVE the dessert, but when I was making it the second time, they watched me whip up the chickpea water into stiff peaks as they couldn’t quite believe that it is as simple as it sounds. They were so impressed and vowed to make this dessert once they get home. It’s the best compliment I could have wished for. 

For the sceptics amongst you, let me re-assure you, this dessert DOES NOT taste of chickpeas at all. If I hadn’t just told you what’s in it, you would have thought that it’s an indulgent chocolate mousse, just like your grandma used to make. Go on, try it for yourself – you’ll want to shout from the rooftops about it.

PS: you may also like one of these aquafaba-based mousses instead:

vegan chocolate mousse with aquafaba for two

vegan chocolate mousse with aquafaba side view

vegan chocolate mousse texture

makes
4 portions
PREP
20 min
COOKING
0 min
makes
4 portions
PREPARATION
20 min
COOKING
0 min
INGREDIENTS
  • ¾ cup / 180 ml (room temp) aquafaba (from low-sodium canned chickpeas OR home cooked)
  • 1 tsp lemon/lime juice or scant ½ tsp cream of tartar
  • 140 g / 5 oz dark 70% cacao vegan chocolate
  • 10 g / 2 tsp coconut oil (to help with chocolate seizing)
  • 25 g / 2 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar (optional, adjust to taste)

GARNISH (optional)

  • 1 tbsp chocolate shavings
  • a handful of pomegranate seeds
  • a handful of chopped pistachios
METHOD
    This recipe contains a step-by-step VIDEO (see above).

  1. Place broken up chocolate and coconut oil in a glass or metal bowl suspended over a water bath. Make sure the bowl with chocolate does not touch the water underneath. The key to success is not to overheat the chocolate and to be gentle with it – it’s a temperamental ingredient.
  2. Allow the water to come to a simmer slowly. Once it does, turn the heat off and allow the chocolate to melt in the residual heat.
  3. Once chocolate looks melted, give it a slow and gentle stir. Take the bowl with chocolate off the heat and allow it to cool down – you want it as cool as possible but still liquid.
  4. Once chocolate is almost cool, drain room temperature chickpea water (aquafaba) into large glass bowl. The bowl and the utensils you’ll use to whip aquafaba need to be completely grease-free as even the tiniest grease residue can prevent aquafaba from reaching stiff peaks.
  5. Add acid (lemon/ lime juice or cream of tartar) to the chickpea water to stablise the aquafaba – it helps to reach stiff peaks.
  6. Using an electric egg whisk, whip chickpea water into stiff peaks – this is SUPER important as otherwise your mousse will deflate completely once the chocolate has been added. The best way to check if you have achieved stiff peaks is to invert the bowl with whipped aquafaba. If aquafaba slides down even a tiny bit, you are not there yet – keep on whipping until it does not move at all. I use an old, hand-held whisk and it takes me about 8 minutes to get stiff peaks. If you are a lucky owner of a stand mixer, it will happen quicker. The good news is that (as opposed to egg whites) aquafaba cannot be overwhipped.
  7. Once you reach stiff peaks, start adding sugar, bit by bit, whipping the whole time. If sugar has caused the stiff peaks to perish, whip the mixture until you get stiff peaks again. Caster (also known as superfine) sugar or icing sugar work well, other sugars are known to make aquafaba deflate.
  8. Check that the chocolate has cooled down sufficiently – it should not be warm to the touch or else chocolate is likely to seize and you will end up with grainy mousse.
  9. Gently and gradually fold a portion (approx. a third) of melted chocolate into whipped aquafaba – using a silicone spatula and a gentle folding motion. Continue adding the chocolate to the aquafaba in two-three more batches until all of it has been incorporated. Do not worry if your fluffy mixture deflates a bit once all of the chocolate has been added – that’s perfectly normal – but you should still see plenty small bubbles in the mixture. By the time you’ve added all of your melted chocolate, the mousse MAY have more of a pourable than spoonable consistency – that’s ok.
  10. Divide the mixture between 4 glasses. Gently stir the mixture between putting it into individual glasses as a bit of melted chocolate tends to drop to the bottom sometimes. Once in glass, give the mousses a gentle stir with a toothpick to ensure the mixture sets evenly.
  11. Put glasses into the fridge overnight for the mousse to set.

NOTES
SEIZED CHOCOLATE – dark chocolate isn’t an easy to work with ingredient as it is prone to seizing (i.e. it turns grainy and oily). I know that it frustrating, but it’s something that may happen regardless of whether you make a chocolate mousse with aquafaba or whether you make it in a traditional French way (using eggs). Like with most things, it takes some practice to be able to avoid it.

Here are some common reasons WHY CHOCOLATE TENDS TO SEIZE:
– being exposed to heat for too long
– being exposed to too intense heat (I therefore do not recommend using microwave to melt it)
– stirring too much or too quickly
– due to coming into contact with even a drop of water
– due to a thermic shock between ingredients (aquafaba needs to be as close in temperature to the chocolate as possible)
– sometimes it seizes for to apparent no reason at all…

To minimise the risk of CHOCOLATE SEIZING:
– melt the chocolate slowly and using as little heat as possible (switch the heat off once the water barely starts to simmer)
– stir gently and as little as you can get away with
– make sure aquafaba and melted chocolate are at similar temperatures
– you could add a splash of plant milk or plant creamer (like Oatly or full fat coconut milk) to the bowl with unmelted chocolate and allow them to come to temperature together, then mix gently to create a ganache prior to incorporating into whipped aquafaba. This will ensure that the chocolate does not seize when it comes into contact with aquafaba, BUT it does sometimes seize when plant milk/creamer is being stirred into the chocolate and the only way to rescue a mixture like that is to stir in some boiling water, which will make the mousse less stiff and more watery.

PS: you may also like one of these aquafaba-based mousses instead:

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NUTRITIONAL INFO
calories
252
13%
sugars
28 g
31%
fats
15 g
21%
saturates
7 g
34%
proteins
5 g
11%
carbs
32 g
12%
*per mousse
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4.9
92 reviews, 276 comments
REVIEWS & QUESTIONS
Brianna:
how long does it last? would it have to be consumed within 2 days or can it last up to 4?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Brianna,
    I would not make it four days in advance - I mean it will be okay to eat (provided your aquafaba was fresh when you made it) but it will dry out by day 4 I imagine, 2 days would be better. Hope this helps. Ania
Cat:
Hello,
Would I be able to make this using allulose/BochaSweet as my sweetener and keto chocolate chips melted with avocado oil? Also, I would like to make a filling for a Swiss chocolate roll, would this work or do I have to add gelatin? Thank you for any advice.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi,
    Unfortunately, I have no experience of using the sweeteners you mention or keto chocolate chips but it's worth a try. I think it may be too liquid initially (it starts off quite liquid and then it sets) to use in a Swiss roll. You could set it first and then pipe in I suppose but it still may need a bit more fat (melted vegan butter or coconut oil added to the melted chocolate before combining with aquafaba) to be the correct consistency. Hope this helps. Ania
David:
Worked perfectly. Thank you
    Ania
    Ania:
    Delighted to hear that, David. Thank you for letting me know. x Ania
Suzy:
Thanks, I wish I had read your recipe tips before trying a similar one. My chocolate seized when I added it to the aquafava! I rescued the ingredients by blending the seized mix with a hand blender, adding some flour, baking powder, peanut butter, chopped peanuts and chocolate chips to make super decadent cookies. I will have to try your tips for next time.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Good save, Suzy! Now that you know about seizing and how to remedy it, I hope it goes better next time. x Ania
Josephine Attard:
I've followed your detailed recipe and the mousse came out so light, airy and so delicious !!! I'm sure going to try the other yummy recipes using aquafaba !!! Experimenting and learning in the kitchen gives you a lot of satisfaction !!! Thank you so much from Malta 🇲🇹
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you Josephine, I'm really happy to hear that this mousse came out so well and that you found the recipe easy to follow. Thank you for taking the time to review, I really appreciate it and if you feel like giving aquafaba more attention, I have a plethora of recipes using this ingredient and I am big fan of it too. Here are some of them: https://www.lazycatkitchen.com/tag/aquafaba/. x Ania
Coral:
This is amazing! Just made a batch and really loved the light texture. I followed the recipe exactly, other than reducing the sugar to 15g and it was really rich, sweet enough for us and light and fluffy. Thank you so much for creating this recipe.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you Coral, I am delighted to hear that you enjoyed the texture of this mousse so much! And thanks for taking the time to review - I really appreciate it. x Ania
Kim:
Thank you! 🙏 such a delicious and easy recipe! It’s my first mousse with Aquafaba and your directions couldn’t have been easier. I will be making this many times in the future. 😊
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Kim, I am so happy to hear that this recipe was such a hit with you and that you found the instructions easy to follow. Thank you for taking the time to review, much appreciated. x Ania
Nicole:
This is the 3rd recipe for aquafaba mousse I tried and the first that worked given my lack of experience. I even made it with my summer camp class of middle schoolers and it work 12 out of 12 batches we made.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you Nicole, I am delighted to hear that this recipe was such a success with your and your middle schoolers and that it worked for everyone! That's fantastic to hear - thank you. x Ania
Anisha:
Tried this. It worked perfectly! No seizing. Excited to try the variations :)
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Anisha, I am delighted to hear that it came out well and that you enjoyed it. And thanks for taking the time to review, I appreciate it. x Ania
Luke:
i would like to try this recipe, however it uses low sodium aquafaba and all i have at the moment is regular, and i’m not sure if it would be too salty. do you think adding some extra sweetener would offset the salt enough, or would you recommend only using low sodium as intended? thanks :)
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Luke,
    I stipulate low-sodium aquafaba as some people are super senstive to salt or try to avoid it, but to be completely honest salt and chocolate are a great pairing. A bit of salt is often added to chocolate desserts to dial up their 'chocolateness' so I would not worry. I think you will barely be able to detect it in the finished product. Hope this is reassuring and thank you will enjoy this mousse. Ania
Alma:
Tried this recipe a while ago and everyone loved it!
A question for next time: can I cool the finished mousse in a box / large bowl in the fridge instead of the personal containers, to make it easier to transport later if not serving it in my own kitchen? thanks!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Alma, I am delighted to hear that this recipe was such a success with you and your loved ones. Yes, you can absolutely set it in a big box, but it may take longer to set. When it comes to portioning it, it will be stiff so presentation-wise, not as neat as when you pour it into glasses and then let it set. x Ania
Karen:
This is the first time I've used aquafaba successfully, and I'm delighted with the result. It's delicious, and impossible to tell it doesn't have egg white in it. Adding lemon juice makes all the difference, and I'll be happily substituting aquafaba in many more recipes.
    Ania
    Ania:
    I'm delighted to hear that it worked for you and that you are on board :) Now an entire world of wonderful plant based options awaits. Here are some more aquafaba recipes if you want to explore further. Ania
Jules (@loveagoodgarnish):
Absolutely amazing and easy recipe and makes a fun guessing game for unassuming guests, they NEVER guess the secret ingredient. Keep up the amazing inspiration!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks so much, Jules! I'm so happy that this dessert has gone down so well with your guests and I really appreciate you coming back to review. x Ania
Andra:
Recipe seems great and really easy. Succeeded on my first attempt, but second and first were a fail. Even after whipping for 30 min couldn’t get the Aquafaba not to slide, despite having used completely grease free utensils? So I gave up on it. After folding the chocolate in, The mix deflated and I got a soupy consistency:(
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Andra,
    It does sound like the issue isn't with the recipe itself, as like you say you succeeded on your first attempt, but rather with either the quality of your aquafaba (perhaps it was too weak/too watered down) or there was some hidden grease somewhere - even a trace amount stops aquafaba from foaming sufficiently so please do not give up - it really does work, I've done hunderds of recipes using this magic ingredient and never had any issues with reaching stiff peaks so you were really unlucky. Ania
Alexa:
Great recipe, thank you for sharing! I used my to go to water ganache recipe for the melted chocolate and had no issues with seizing! Taste great after 4 hours in the fridge looking forward to trying it tomorrow. :)
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Alexa, great to hear that you've had no issues. Yes, using ganache as a base is one sure fire way to make sure that seizing does not happen. Cheers, Anna
Petr Chutny:
Thanks a lot Lazy cat! I've made those for my friend's wedding and everybody loved it :) And I've enjoyed making them and am similarly excited about aquafaba! I love to use it in baked things too - banana bread or sticky ginger bread :)
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Petr! I'm delighted to hear that they were such a success, especially given the occasion! Yes, aquafaba is a fantastic ingredient, I use it in a lot of different recipes - happy experimenting! Ania
Fern:
Truly amazing! You need to make this recipe. It’s surprising and so delicious.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Oh and thanks so much for taking the time to rate and review, I really appreciate it. x Ania
Fern:
I made the 2-ingredient mousse recipe in the video featured on this page. It was astounding to see bean juice become what looked like stiff egg whites 🤯 I never imagined that I’d be getting protein from beans in my chocolate mousse, but this stuff is good! Like I’d serve this to other people.. good! If you want to do a quick fun cooking experiment some evening, get yourself some chocolate and a can of garbanzo beans. You’ll amaze your friends and family. For sure! 😋💚
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks so much, Fern! I am delighted that you enjoyed it and what a great discovery, right? I've created countless recipes with aquafaba, but I still cannot get over the magic of it - such a fantastic, waste-free ingredient. x Ania
Krishna:
Amazingly simple and looks and tastes so delicious. The first time I made this I skipped the sugar but when making it for others who wanted a sweeter mousse and my chocolate had very little sugar, I added a tbsp more sugar. It tasted great topped with chopped mango.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Aw, thanks Krishna! I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe and I really appreciate you taking the time to review. Mango sounds like a great addition too! x Ania
Andrea:
Tried this recipe for the first time as was curious to see how it would turn out, and never having used chick pea juice as a substitute for egg whites. What a revelation! I had the aquafaba cool, not chilled and not exactly at room temperature. I used ordinary dark chocolate however I boiled the water in the kettle first, put it in the pan then placed the bowl of chocolate over it so melted it slowly. I found by doing it this way I didn't overheat the chocolate. I then let stand for about five minutes before adding it to the whisked aquafaba. I used a silicone spatula and folded it in slowly. The result....... a delicious mousse that my husband has declared the best! Win win all round.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you, Andrea! I am so pleased to hear that this recipe worked well for you. I love your idea of melting the chocolate over a pot of steaming water, rather than simmering water - I think I might steal it if that's okay and incorporate into the recipe as I suspect that most people are having issues with seizing due tpo overheating the chocolate. Thanks for taking the time to leave this lovely review – I really appreciate it! Ania
Hilary:
I made this with 90% cocoa chocolate and despite my best efforts it seized. But this has happened before with other similar recipes and I have found that carefully stirring in a few glugs of avocado oil loosens it enough to enable it to blend perfectly with the aqua faba. End result is a fabulously smooth, darkly chocolaty, velvety mouse.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Hilary,
    It's definitely possible without it - I have made it many times without any issues - but that's a great work around, for sure. Thanks for sharing! x Ania
Susanna:
My family goes crazy for this mousse! Thank you so much
Ciao from your fan from Torino!
Susanna
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks so much, Susanna! I'm so happy to hear that! I love Torino - such a vibrant city - we were seriously thinking of moving there at some point :) x Ania
Ambra:
Hi, can I freeze this mousse? I accidentally made too much of it😅.
Many thanks ;-)
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Ambra,
    I've never tried freezing and defrosting it, but I've frozen it and eaten as a vegan ice-cream and it was lovely. x Ania
Kelly:
I made this recipe for a New Years dessert with close friends and followed the recipe to a tee. It looked fine when it was placed into the fridge, but upon taking it out a little while later, the chocolate had seized and the texture was terrible (fluffy Aquafaba, firm dark chocolate bits). It tasted good, but there is no way I would serve this to friends. Very disappointing.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Kelly,
    I'm sorry to hear that but as I've explained in my instructions and notes, seizing is something that happens when working with dark chocolate. It takes some practice (I've detailed all my tips as well as I could) to be able to avoid it. Perhaps you want to try one of easier aquafaba mousses first to get the hang of it, like this peanut mousse or Nutella inspired one or this easier chocolate version as none of them will seize for sure. Ania
Ashleigh:
This is the second year i have made this for a Christmas treat and it is delicious! I use 70% dark choc from my local bulk foods, i found that it worked better than the block stuff from the supermarket. Super easy and quick to make
    Ania
    Ania:
    Great to hear that you enjoyed it, Ashleigh. Yes, quality chocolate is quite key given that that's the only ingredient here that contributes flavour. x Ania
Kathleen:
This looks delicious and I would like to try it. Is it possible to substitute cocoa powder for the chocolate?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Kathleen,
    Cocoa powder is not going to work on its own, I'm afraid, as you some fat to stabilise the foam and give it body. Perhaps this recipe is more up your street. Hope this helps! x Ania
Annaliese:
Mine went all grainy when I added the chocolate, I used room temp aquafaba and the chocolate was definitely cool. I did use half 85% eating chocolate and then half 40% cooking chocolate, could that have been the problem?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Annaliese,
    I'm sorry to hear that and don't worry, it happens. Chocolate is a very sensitive ingredient and it takes some practice to get this right sometimes. It could have been overheated, for example. x Ania
Sophia:
Fabulous. I’ve recently become terribly lactose intolerant, and I couldn’t even tell that this was dairy free. Used 72% percent chocolate chips, and held the chili. Came together quickly and deliciously! Served it with coconut whipped cream. Will make again and check out more of your recipes! Thanks!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Sophia, I'm really glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! x Ania
Joli:
I made this and it turned out grainy. I let the chocolate cool down, but maybe not enough? I see some other comments of people adding plant based milk to their chocolate but I don’t see that in the recipe. Should I try adding milk with my chocolate or just let it cool even more before adding it to the whip next time? Thanks :) I really want this recipe to work for me
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Joli,
    I found that it just takes a bit of practise to nail this. Yes, you can do that but sometimes it does seize anyway and if you add too much, it may affect the final texture. I would try to make sure aquafaba is room temperature (not from the fridge) next time. Ania
Angela:
Absolutely fantastic! Followed all instructions and ended up with gorgeous vegan dessert! Chilli flakes gave it special zing!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Angela, I'm so happy to hear that you've had no issues and that you enjoyed this recipe. Many thanks for taking the time to let me know - much appreciated. x Ania
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