Smooth and creamy Paleo chocolate mousse, made with chocolate, coconut cream, cocoa powder, honey and vanilla. Just blend it and let it set for the easiest dairy free chocolate mousse you'll ever make!
What makes this dairy free chocolate mousse special?
This mousse is made with just a few simple ingredients: dark chopped chocolate, coconut cream, honey, cocoa powder, and vanilla. It just happens to be dairy-free, refined-sugar-free, gluten-free and grain-free.
That makes it Paleo. It also makes it free of eggs, which typically create the smooth, light texture of traditional chocolate mousse.
This recipe calls for canned, full-fat coconut milk. In its place would typically be heavy whipping cream, but of course that contains dairy. The honey we add also helps create a smooth texture while also helping to sweeten the mousse.
Do you need any special ingredients to make this mousse?
I specify Dutch-processed cocoa powder in the ingredients, but you don't absolutely have to use it. I do find that the chocolate mousse has a smoother, more pure chocolate taste if you do.
I've also used Hershey's extra dark cocoa powder with great results. It's a blend of natural and Dutch-processed cocoa powders, and it has a very, very dark, almost black color.
I've also tried replacing the honey with an equal amount, by weight, of maple syrup. The resulting mousse is softer and more pudding-like, as the syrup is thinner.
Using canned coconut cream in dairy free recipes
Remember that you must use coconut cream for this recipe, not light coconut milk which has a much higher water content. Coconut cream is the solid in a can of full-fat canned coconut.
In this recipe, we use only the cream. Thai Kitchen brand coconut milk and Whole Foods 365 brand coconut milk both work well consistently for this application.
So Delicious brand “Culinary Coconut Milk” also works great for the coconut cream portion. It comes in an 11 fluid ounce container and can be used as you would a 14-ounce can.
If you can find a can of coconut creme alone, that's best. That can, which my local Trader Joe's used to carry, contains significantly less liquid and doesn't need to be refrigerated for it to separate. There is usually a bit of liquid, though, that should be poured off.
I've tested the recipe with each type of coconut milk and/or cream I recommend. The So Delicious one was the thickest, and it was my favorite.
Every variation set up properly, though. Using another brand of canned coconut milk that doesn't reliably separate in the refrigerator is the only way you can really go wrong.
What about freezing the mousse?
I haven't tried transferring the Paleo chocolate mousse to popsicle molds and freezing it as fudge pops. We already have a recipe for healthy fudgesicles, which is a similar recipe. Those pops are also dairy-free and made with coconut cream—but also milk.
Whenever you freeze something into pops, keep in mind that water freezes solid, as ice. Fat and sugar, like from honey, coconut cream, and chopped melted chocolate, don't freeze solid.
The milk in the fudgesicle recipe makes them a bit icier, and freeze more solid. This Paleo chocolate mousse recipe, if frozen into pops, would likely be more pudding-like.
Paleo Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
14 fluid ounces ounces full-fat canned coconut, refrigerated for at least 24 hours*
1/3 cup (112 g) honey
1/2 cup (40 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-processed, but I prefer Dutched)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
*Coconut cream is the solid in a can of full-fat canned coconut. In this recipe, we will use only the cream. Thai Kitchen brand coconut milk and Whole Foods 365 brand coconut milk both work well consistently for this application. So Delicious brand “Culinary Coconut Milk” also works great for the coconut cream portion. It comes in an 11 fluid ounce container and can be used as you would a 14-ounce can. Trader Joe’s also sells coconut cream alone, which contains significantly less liquid and doesn’t need to be refrigerated for it to separate.
Instructions
In a double boiler or a medium-sized microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate until smooth. To melt the chocolate in the microwave, heat in 30-second increments at 70% power, stirring in between intervals, taking care not to burn the chocolate. Set the chocolate aside to cool briefly.
Once the coconut milk has been refrigerated, the thick white cream should separate from the liquid. Remove the can from the refrigerator carefully, taking care not to shake it. Scoop out only the solid white coconut cream and either reserve the liquid for another use or discard it. You will use only the cream in this recipe.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade (I love using my mini chop food processor here; so easy to clean!), place the coconut cream, honey, cocoa powder, vanilla, salt and melted chocolate. Cover the food processor and process the ingredients until they’re well-blended and very smooth. If your coconut cream was chilled, the mixture will be thicker than if it was at room temperature when you added it to the food processor.
Divide the mousse evenly among 4 small (I used my 7.4 fluid ounce Weck jars) containers. Cover each container and chill for at least 3 hours or until set. Serve chilled.
Victoria Donaldson says
Making this now for morning tea tomorrow, thanks again! Love choc mouse and am allergic to refined sugar. Can’t wait. For those of you in Oz Aldi coconut cream is the best for the thick white stuff. Don’t need to refrigerate and basically the whole can is solid!
mjm58 says
If the hole can is cream, how much of it would be used for one recipe of mouse?
LadyAnnick Lentacker says
Tried it at the Mannaz school today. We Loooooooove it!! We did use agave syrup instead of honey.
Heather G says
Can’t wait to try this for a dinner party. Because of some of your recipes I’ve shared with them, I have 2 good friends who have gone gluten-free and are benefitting from a lot less health issues. Not to mention they love the recipes. Thank you for your efforts and time to get us great tasting GOOD food.
Nicole Hunn says
How great is that, Heather? You’ve shown them the light! Thanks so much for taking the time to share that. :)
youngbaker2002 says
quick question- if we use a can of coconut cream how many ounces would we need? Thanks
Nicole Hunn says
If it’s just the cream, you’ll need 11 to 12 ounces.
Carly Krumins says
Do you think it would work if you used sweetened dark chocolate and left out the honey? I’ve never seen unsweetened chocolate here in Australia.
Deborah Vernon says
Do you think the honey does something to the thickening? By that I mean, do you think another sugar/substitute would work? Obviously it provides some liquid/moisture. I’m trying to think of a lower carb trade-out. LOVE your recipes! Thanks for all your hardwork – and to your family for being guinea pigs!! ;)
Nicole Hunn says
You need the honey, Deborah, or another liquid sweetener of similar viscosity. I don’t think there’s a substitute that you’d like. Sorry!
Jennifer S. says
again seriously – YUM!
Jaimie Hutman Chapman says
I’m dairy free-could I use unsweetened raw cacao powder in lieu of the cocoa and raw cacao nibs in place of the chocolate? If not, any suggestions to make it dairy free?
Nicole Hunn says
Jaimie, by definition, everything “Paleo” must be dairy free. Unsweetened chocolate is dairy free. You cannot use raw cacao nibs, no. Cocoa powder, likewise, is dairy free.
Jaimie Hutman Chapman says
Ok!! Thanks so much! I was just diagnosed with a dairy allergy and that rules out most of my favorite desserts–looking forward to trying this!!
Dalaine says
YUM!!! I cannot wait to try this one.
InterestedMom says
Is there a substitute for the coconut cream? My daughter is allergic to coconut in any and all forms, even as an oil in scented candles.
Nicole Hunn says
I recommend your trying the regular chocolate mousse recipe in this chocolate mousse cake. This recipe relies very heavily on coconut cream so if you can’t have it, it’s really just not for you!
youngbaker2002 says
thank you for another delicious looking paleo recipe Nicole! Getting so hot here…glad it’s no-bake!
youngbaker2002 says
Oh my gosh I just made this and everybody loves it, especially my Dad. I’ll probably have to make it again tomorrow Nicole, that’s how amazing the reviews are that I’m getting. Thank you so much for a fast and reliable Paleo dessert! :)
Nicole Hunn says
Sounds like a new staple, Mena!
roastedroot says
This looks perfect! I’ve made mousse using avocado but am itching to try the coconut milk version. It looks so silky smooth and rich! Definitely the perfect healthy treat for these hot days we’ve been having!