This Chocolate Avocado Mousse falls under the category of “friggin’ worth it treats”! To all you chocolate lovers, this is a “must have” recipe. This is something I made during a Rouxbe professional plant-based culinary course I took a while back. Sounds a little out there, I’m sure. But don’t let that stop you from trying it. It’s actually super-decadent! You will not miss the cream, I promise. I think I’ll be getting my creamy chocolate fix this way from now on.

It’s dairy-free and has a little something-something for our gut health too!

This is a great alternative for those sensitive to dairy, plus the avocado provides a nice addition of healthy fats to boot! I use coconut syrup because of its minimal processing and the fact that it contains the water-soluble fibre inulin. Inulin helps slow down digestion, and this includes carbohydrates. Slowing down the absorption of sugar is very helpful to prevent spikes in your blood-sugar levels. Combining this with avocado, a healthy fat, slows it down even more. One of many other great attributes of inulin is that it helps promote digestive health by feeding our friendly flora (healthy bacteria in our gut), which enables them to flourish. Now I’m not saying you should lose sight of the fact that coconut syrup is still a simple carbohydrate like other sugars, but it’s a more natural choice than refined sugars (table sugar, brown sugar). Homemade fruit paste is another great option. Or use a combo of the two.

Tips for buying chocolate:

When buying chocolate, the darker the better. Aim for at least 70% cacao. The bigger the number, the higher they’ll be in the health-promoting flavanoids/polyphenols, which are rich in antioxidants, inflammatory and anti-clotting properties. Read the labels to ensure it’s 100% organic and fair trade! If you find a brand you love, it’s a good idea to call the manufacture to find out if they run regular tests for heavy metals like lead and cadmium. But in the end, being realistic, the health benefits and pleasure of enjoying good quality chocolate in small amounts, in my mind, outweigh the negatives, especially if you eat natural foods most of the time.

Chocolate Avocado Mousse is also a really excellent vegan dessert that you can throw together in no time.

TIP: Discovered in 1804 by German scientist Valentin Rose, inulin is a prebiotic (food for our friendly gut bacteria). It is both produced and stored as energy by many plants, so enjoying a variety of plant-based foods daily like artichokes, asparagus, garlic, leeks and onions, among others, is a good way to go! 🙂