These simple chili chocolate mousse pots are sooo delicious...dare I say one of the best things that's happened over here in dessert land recently (ok, maybe on par with this rasmalai... but chocolate is chocolate ;) ). This mousse is rich, decadent, super satisfying, and the little chili kick it's got going on gives it that extra special something.
Bonus: it only takes about 5 mins of active time to prepare, and let me just tell you what an awesome thing it is to have little chocolate pots awaiting you in the fridge at the end of the day.
Chili chocolate is hands down my favorite chocolate flavor. When I make raw chocolates at home, they're almost always Mexican chili chocolate (there's a recipe for that in Unconventional Treats), or if I'm at one of my favorite health food shops I'll always grab some Mexican chili chocolate to share with my husband (it's his favorite too). So naturally when someone asked me for a chili chocolate dessert on Instagram last week, I was on it in an instant :)
Now to be fair, they did ask for a chili chocolate cheesecake, but in my experiments this mousse happened and I loved it. Most of my love for cheesecake is the filling part anyways, so I figured why not make little pots to share with others for a change. The result was a hit.
But if you insist on cheesecake, you can totally "cheesecake" this recipe as well by adding a crust, but more about that another time -- for now, there's delicious chocolate mousse waiting to happen ;)
Chili Chocolate Mousse Pots
This rich and decadent vegan chocolate mousse recipe makes for a lovely treat to indulge in when the need for chocolate hits. This recipe is dairy-free, gluten & grain-free (naturally), refined sugar-free, and uses no added oils. Can easily be made raw by using a raw liquid sweetener of your choice and cacao powder.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 7 servings
- Category: Pudding
- Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
Mousse:
- 1 cup raw cashews, pre-soaked and strained*
- 1 ¼ cups coconut cream**
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
Optional Toppings:
- a light sprinkling of chili flakes
- cacao nibs (or shaved chocolate)
- a light sprinkling of chili powder
Instructions
- Blend all mousse ingredients in a high power blender until completely smooth. Divide between 7 ramekins (or any dishes /jars of your choice), tap lightly on the counter to flatten the top, and refrigerate overnight.
- When ready to eat, sprinkle with desired toppings and serve. Keep leftovers refrigerated or frozen.***
Notes
*To pre-soak cashews: place in a glass bowl, cover with water, and leave to soak for 4 hours (or overnight in the fridge). Then strain and discard the water. For a quick pre-soak, cover with boiled water and soak for 15 mins, then strain and discard water. (Note: this technique doesn’t preserve the nutrition of the recipe as well as the traditional soaking technique above). Note: the purpose of soaking the nuts is to re-hydrate them and plump them up for blending into a smooth, cheesecake-like consistency. Proper soaking techniques also maximize nutrition and digestibility. If you’re interested in learning more about nut soaking and other dessert prep tips and tricks, I delve into these subjects in detail in my book Unconventional Treats.
**The coconut cream used in this recipe is the firm white stuff gathered at the top of chilled cans of full-fat coconut milk. You'll need to chill the can in an upright position overnight for the cream to separate from the water and surface up to the top. For this recipe I used cream from just under 2 cans of of Thai Kitchen's 400 ml cans. Reserve the remaining water for other uses, only use the firm white cream for the mousse.
***This mousse can be kept refrigerated or frozen. Note that as this recipe uses no additional oils it's of a slightly softer consistency, so keep refrigerated just until serving (to avoid having it melt too fast) for the best texture. Or alternatively keep it frozen and thaw out lightly (10-15 mins) and enjoy.
Holly Aide says
Fabulous recipe! I love the Emile Henry ramekins, too. Would you be able to provide a link for the little round chocolate balls in the picture for topping? I've heard you eat with your eyes first and they just add so much. Thank you in advance.
Audrey says
Hi Holly. Thanks so much. I totally agree with that statement. And maybe you eat with your nose first sometimes too :) but that's another story..
I used to be able to purchase those dark chocolate covered quinoa or amaranth puffs at a local health food shop, but they've sort of disappeared off the map there for a while and I wasn't even able to find them online. This is the brand I used though (Elan organic): https://tootsi.com/en-GB/Product/Detail/09510 -- perhaps you can find it or something similar online or in the shops.. Good luck!
Holly Aide says
Thank you so much! I'll give it a go. Thank you for all the awesome recipes!
Audrey says
👍
Anjalina says
Could I replace the coconut cream with something?
Audrey says
Hi Anjalina, It's kind of a large component of the recipe here, giving it airiness and structure. You can try to substitute with some kind of a nut butter, but the flavor and texture will be different of course, depending on what you use. If you're interested, I have tons of coconut-free recipes on this website, which you can find on the recipes page here: (select the "coconut-free" tab at the top) https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/all-recipes/
Ramy says
Could I use raw honey instead of maple syrup? Thanks
Audrey says
Hi Ramy, I don't really use honey so haven't tried and can't say for sure what the outcome would be. From past experience and reader feedback I think it should work, though it will likely change the flavor and possibly the consistency somewhat.
Christine says
I made this and loved it more than words will ever know, thank you so so much I am grateful x 1000. I was wondering if you thought this could be pulled off as a cheesecake? Do you think I could just double the recipe, add in some coconut oil and lemon juice, and call it a day?
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Christine. I'm so glad you enjoyed these -- thanks so much. And yes, these will definitely work as a cheesecake filling. I actually made a cheesecake-like tart with it that I'll share a recipe for soon. You can go the coconut oil + lemon juice route, or just increase the amount of salt in place of the lemon juice. It's flexible for interpretation :)