Creating plant-based recipes that satisfy the taste buds of everyone around us is not an easy task. With many processed foods manufactured to be hyperpalatable it’s easy to understand why a recipe made from whole plant foods may not initiate the same pleasure responses on the taste buds and in the brain. This dish however is sure to please even the toughest critic. Low in saturated fat and doesn’t contain any dairy, your health, the planet and the animals will thank you.

The health benefits

The chocolate mousse is sweetened by medjool dates which contain fibre, enabling the sugars to be released into the bloodstream much slower than with other processed sweeteners. They are an excellent source of phytonutrients and antioxidants. Chia seeds act as the thickening agent, much like whipped cream, but are low in saturated fat. They have often been referred to as a “superfood” as they are a great source of omega 3s, essential to brain health. And the cashews in the vanilla cream contain iron which is essential to our health.

The ingredients

This chocolate mousse only contains a few simple ingredients, most of these you’ll probably already have in your fridge or your pantry. When choosing medjool dates try and buy the ones that are really soft and squishy, otherwise they won’t have the same sweetness and won’t blend up so well.  Black or white chia seeds work the same in this recipe and don’t really differ in their nutritional content.  Use a plant milk that you like most – I prefer soy as it’s creamy and delicious. The vanilla cream is equally simple, just cashews, pure vanilla extract and a dash of maple syrup.If you are allergic to nuts, the cashews can be substituted with silken tofu.

For this recipe you are going to need a high speed blender. If you don’t have one you can soak the chia seeds in the plant milk for a couple of hours or overnight. The cashew nuts can also be soaked in a little water overnight (Hot tip: boiling the cashews for about 5 minutes does the same thing as soaking overnight).

The method

This recipe is as simple as putting everything in the blender. Remember to  remove the hard seeds from the dates otherwise they will ruin your blender (and your mousse). Be sure to blend the ingredients until they are very creamy. Chia seeds will be slightly gritty if you don’t blend them  for long enough. Add a splash more plant milk if the mixture is too thick and difficult to blend. You will find the texture of the chocolate mousse is amazing, it’s super thick and creamy. The longer you leave it in the fridge the thicker it will become. It’s also really delicious as a chocolate spread on toast!

Similarly, the vanilla cream is as easy as putting all of the ingredients in the blender with some water. After it’s blended for a minute or so, give it a taste, and add a touch more sweetness if you think it needs it. If it’s not smooth and creamy, give it a minute longer in the blender.

To make this dessert look a little bit fancy, serve it in a glass or individual serving dish.  Spoon a large dollop of mousse in the centre and add a little bit of the vanilla cream on top. To garnish, place some gorgeous dried rose petals and some cocoa nibs on top.

The verdict

The most important thing is the taste! It tastes delicious, with the vanilla from the vanilla cream, just a touch of sweetness from the dates, and a hint of sea salt in the chocolate mousse.

The easiest chocolate mousse you could ever make. It contains omega 3s and protein from the chia seeds, iron in cashews and fibre in the dates. It’s got everything you could possibly need, it tastes delicious. Most importantly, it’s completely plant-based. Try it out on your friends and let me know what they think.