Avocado Chocolate Mousse

Avocado chocolate mousse is not as strange as it sounds.  It just tastes rich and chocolatey—you would never guess that avocado is the primary ingredient!  However, if you start to experiment with the whole avocado mousse concept, there are good and not so good versions.  Just be warned.  The first avocado mousse I tried was decidedly a flop and I thought people were crazy for saying that the avocado was undetectable.

I was drawn to this mousse recipe because of its magic ingredient: balsamic vinegar.  This helps mask the avocado and add depth of flavor.  I made a few tweaks to the original recipe that made the mousse even better.  My previous go-to avocado mousse was one made with coconut cream, dates, and unsweetened chocolate.  It is  delicious, but requires a little more work. 

The inherent buttery-creamy texture of the avocado makes this dessert a rich, sensory pleasure. It's tempting to buy lots of unhealthy sweets for loved ones on Valentine's Day, but this dessert lets you show your love without the guilt-factor.

Nutrition Highlight: Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is a trendy fat, but there hasn't been a lot of research validating all of the health claims that proliferate on the internet. 

Metabolic Boost

 Though coconut oil is high in saturated fat, it's primarily made of medium chain fatty acids, not long chain fatty acids.  This means it's digested faster than butter or olive oil because the medium chain fatty acids go directly from the intestinal tract to the liver and are then metabolized.  Being metabolized faster means that fewer of the fatty acids will be deposited in fat stores.

Plant Properties

Researchers in Thailand, Malaysia, and India have found coconut oil to be a good source of polyphenols, the antioxidants touted in dark chocolate, red wine, and tea.  Coconut oil may help decrease the risk of Alzheimer's disease due to the polyphenols' anti-inflammatory properties.  

Bottom Line

Don't go overboard with coconut oil thinking that it's a wonder food.  Moderation, not more, is best in terms of anything regarding your health.  Coconut oil is a better choice than butter because of its medium chain fatty acids and it has higher levels of polyphenols than some other oils. Also, since it's so flavorful, you can get away with less of it in your cooking—try it with sautéed greens or as a topping on roasted sweet potatoes.

Just be sure to buy virgin, not refined, coconut oil.  Refined coconut oil is often partially hydrogenated, and thus has harmful trans-fatty acids.

I have two containers of coconut oil because its consistency is temperature dependent.  Since it's solid during the winter months, I keep some in a short jar, which facilitates easier scooping.  My jar is nested in a plastic container to prevent grease transfer.  In the summer, coconut oil transforms to a liquid fat making a bottle more ideal for storage.

Avocado Chocolate Mousse

Printable Recipe

Notes

If you don't want to wait at least 2 hours before consuming, the texture will be like a pudding.  Refrigeration causes it to firm up into a moussey texture and is important for flavor melding.

Balsamic vinegar helps cut the creaminess of the avocado and adds an intriguing fruity background flavor.  This would be a great time to use a flavored balsamic vinegar like fig or blackberry.

Maple syrup is a must.  I tried doing the mousse a second time with honey, which just doesn't mesh well with avocado. My tasters noticed that the avocado was much more pronounced and strongly preferred the original version.

Coconut oil is necessary for masking the avocado flavor with its subtle tropical properties and helps make the texture thicker like a mousse.

Orange Variation: I also made a version with no coconut oil, 1 tsp orange zest, and 6 T of strong Earl Grey tea.  Its texture was more pudding-like.

Ingredients

1 large avocado or 1 1/2 small avocados

Avocado specifics: 8-9 oz with pit, 7-8 oz of plain flesh, or ~ 1 c of flesh.  Zutano avocados are ideal because they have zero avocado flavor.

2 T coconut oil 

2 T maple syrup (don't substitute)

1/3 c (1 oz) cocoa powder

1-2 tsp balsamic vinegar (depends on vinegar's acidity)

*try fig, blackberry, blood orange or raspberry vinegar

splash of vanilla extract

1/2 tsp espresso powder (optional, just deepens chocolate flavor)

Process everything in mini food processor until smooth.  Pour into decorative ramekins or a sealed container and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight to firm up and let the flavors meld.  Serve with fresh berries. Fresh mint, cacao nibs, or a sprinkle of cocoa powder would also be nice touches.  Makes 4 petite servings and keeps well for several days.

Adapted from this recipe. Printable Recipe