Easy Tofu Chocolate Mousse

This decadent treat is super smooth and even more satisfying!

Our gluten-free, dairy-free, tofu chocolate mousse is so easy, it practically makes itself in the blender. And the best part? There’s no cooking required! Unlike traditional mousse recipes, there aren’t any egg yolks to cook in a double boiler with full-fat heavy cream under a watchful eye. I must admit that heavy whipping cream holds a special place in my heart, but the lifetime on my hips just isn’t worth it. So, rest assured, this vegan dessert will quickly satisfy your chocolate cravings while keeping the fat and calories to the bare minimum. That is if you can wait for it to chill, which you definitely should!

Tofu Chocolate Mousse Discovery

This vegan dessert has been my loyal, non-changing friend for over twenty years, and I suspect the original recipe may be even older than that. This is wonderful news since nearly everyone’s got a vegan or lactose intolerant loved one in their life. Cutting dairy makes us miss the undeniably smooth and creamy texture of chocolate mousse, pudding, or ice cream. This dairy-free treat provides that beloved mouthfeel and so much more.

Besides identifying as vegan and lactose-free, tofu is a powerhouse of nutrients. It’s high in protein, and it also provides all nine of our essential amino acids. In their function as the building blocks of protein, amino acids are essentially what helps us build and maintain muscle.

That’s good news for newcomers to a plant-based diet! Tofu provides similar benefits as dairy, with a lot fewer calories and grams of fat. Comparatively, the minimum amount of fat in tofu is the “good” kind (polyunsaturated, to be exact).

The Flip Side Of Tofu

Conversely, tofu gets a bad rap for containing phytoestrogen plant compounds. What this means is they act like estrogen in the body and are linked to breast cancer in some women. If this is a concern for your health, a conversation about the pros and cons of phytoestrogens in tofu should be taken up with your doctor. 

Like a lot of food produced in America, the soy in tofu could have origins as a genetically modified organism (GMO). GMOs are plants or animals that have been altered in a way that can’t be reproduced naturally. On account of the non-GMO movement, there are many non-GMO tofu brands readily available in supermarkets and labeled as such.

How to Make this Dairy Free Dessert

Honestly, the hardest part of making this easy tofu chocolate mousse is melting the chocolate. Start with a bag of semi-sweet or bittersweet dark chocolate. Since dark chocolate doesn’t contain dairy, we usually go with that. For not so strict vegans, milk chocolate also works well with this recipe, but the calories go up from there. For this particular recipe, we used with Nestle’s Artisan semi-sweet chocolate. 

Most recipes tell you to melt chocolate using a double boiler on the stove, and that’s important if you don’t have heavy-bottomed saucepans. Some saucepans don’t require a water bath if a stove has the Melt function (the lowest setting on a range). Microwaving can also be done at a low setting in short bursts. 

While the chocolate is melting, open the box of tofu and dump it into the blender with your dairy-free milk of choice, two tablespoons of maple syrup or agave, and one teaspoon flavored extract of your choice. We use vanilla because it’s what most home chefs have readily on hand. However, this recipe lends itself to depth, and chocolate loves orange extract and/or booze. We’ve had great luck with rum, amaretto liqueur, and macadamia nut liqueur. Adding a teaspoon at a time during the second step and tasting to preference will prevent overpowering the mousse with boozy flavor.

Dairy-Free Treat Choices

We tested two kinds of tofu for this easy vegan dessert, and both stood up well. They both absorbed flavor from ingredients they were blended with. We preferred the soft/silken tofu because of the silky texture it gives to sauces and desserts. Hard tofu typically works best as a chicken or fish replacement in stir fries and rice bowls. Don’t rule out using the hard tofu, though, if that’s what you have on hand. The resulting taste is still very good and more fudge-like.

There was a time when almond milk wasn’t easy to find, while soy milk was. During that time, soy milk was called for in this recipe. We find that almond milk tastes sweeter than soy, and it’s also lower in calories, a huge swaying point. However, any dairy-free milk will work in this easy tofu chocolate mousse.

Now, back to the goods. The hardest part about making this recipe is waiting for the mousse to chill to the right temperature. The other hard part is getting that blender clean and ensuring you get every last bit when transferring it to the bowl! We love using individual serving bowls, like ramekins or tall shooters, to create a gorgeous appearance.

When the tofu chocolate mousse is at room temperature, the texture should resemble chocolate pudding. As it firms up in the refrigerator, it will create more of an airy, light texture that doesn’t run. The best part of this recipe is that it’s impossible to get wrong! The flavor combinations are endless. Try adding chili and cinnamon for some warmth. Go with raspberry for additional tartness. It’s great every single time, probably because it’s so easy to make.

For a truly decadent experience, try making this coconut Clean Eating Whipped Topping which is out-of-this-world-delicious! This is truly a case of being able to have your mousse and eat it, too!

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