Calling all chocolate lovers! Let me introduce you to your new favorite dessert. This Silken Tofu Chocolate Mousse is so creamy and decadent, you’ll be hooked. And the best part? It’s ridiculously easy to make.
First, the backstory: A few months ago I came across a YouTube video by Mina Rome featuring some of her favorite innovative tofu recipes, one of which was a peanut butter mousse made with silken tofu. I was so intrigued by the recipe, I had to try it out right away. Let me tell you — it blew me away! I was honestly shocked that I couldn’t taste even a hint of the tofu.
I decided immediately I needed to make a version to satisfy my inner chocolate fiend, and thus this recipe was born. If you’re skeptical about the inclusion of tofu in a dessert, I get it, but I promise you won’t regret giving this one a try.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love this Vegan Chocolate Mousse Recipe
- Ingredients for Vegan Chocolate Mousse
- How to Make Silken Tofu Chocolate Mousse
- 👩🍳 Sarah’s Recipe Notes 📝
- How to Serve Silken Tofu Chocolate Mousse
- Recipe FAQ
- Storage Instructions
- More Chocolatey Vegan Recipes
- More Silken Tofu Recipes
- Silken Tofu Chocolate Mousse
Why You’ll Love this Vegan Chocolate Mousse Recipe
- This silken tofu chocolate mousse is quick and easy to whip up, requiring just a few simple ingredients you can find at any grocery store and under 10 minutes of prep time.
- It’s delicious! This vegan chocolate mousse boasts a creamy, dreamy whipped texture and a rich chocolate flavor. Nobody will guess it contains an entire block of tofu! It’s one of my new favorite vegan desserts.
- It contains no eggs, dairy, gelatin, or coconut. It’s also gluten-free!
- This creamy chocolate mousse is also a bit higher in protein and lower in fat than traditional chocolate mousse. A 16 ounce block of silken tofu contains 20 grams of protein! You don’t usually find that much (if any) protein in such a decadent dessert.
Ingredients for Vegan Chocolate Mousse
- Silken tofu. With a rich and custardy texture and a mild flavor, silken tofu blends beautifully to create a thick and creamy base for the chocolate mousse. It’s essentially taking the place of heavy whipping cream, which is used in traditional recipes. (I recommend the silken tofu found in the refrigerated section, not the kind stored at room temperature in the aseptic carton.)
- Semi-sweet chocolate. I typically use semi-sweet baking chocolate, but you can use any nondairy chocolate bar or chocolate chips you enjoy. If using a bar of chocolate, give it a coarse chop prior to melting. My favorite nondairy chocolate chips are the semisweet ones from Trader Joe’s, Enjoy Life, or Guittard. You can play around with a different blend of chocolates, like a dark chocolate bar or dark chocolate chips, if you prefer something darker.
- Vanilla extract. A splash of vanilla is heavenly in this silken tofu chocolate mousse! If you have vanilla bean paste in your pantry, even better. You can substitute in equal parts.
- Cocoa powder. Cocoa powder will give your mousse an even more intense chocolate flavor. I love to use Dutched cocoa for a smoother flavor, but natural will work too.
- Powdered sugar. Adds extra sweetness to balance out the cocoa powder. Feel free to sub in a different sweetener, such as maple syrup or agave.
- Salt. A little pinch of salt balances out the flavor profile so the chocolate can really shine.
- Optionally, you can add in about 1 teaspoon of instant coffee to intensify the flavor of the chocolate and add a little bitterness to round everything out.
How to Make Silken Tofu Chocolate Mousse
- Melt the chocolate. Pour the chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate bar) into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring each time, until the chocolate is evenly melted. If you don’t have a microwave or prefer not to use one, you can melt your chocolate using a double boiler.
- Combine the ingredients. To a blender or food processor, add in your block of silken tofu, melted chocolate, vanilla extract, salt, and instant coffee (if using).
- Sift the cocoa powder and powdered sugar. To prevent any clumps from winding up in your finished mousse, use a fine mesh sieve to sift these two ingredients into the mixture.
- Blend everything up. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender/food processor as needed to make sure everything is incorporated.
- Chill the vegan chocolate mousse. Transfer the mousse to a container (or containers) of choice. I like to divide mine up between little half pint mason jars so it’s easy to grab individual servings! Plus it’s super cute. Seal them and pop them in the fridge for at least 4 hours, allowing the texture to firm up. (It can actually be eaten right after blending if you don’t mind more of a vegan chocolate pudding vibe. But I think the flavor and texture both improve when chilled.)
- Dig in! This simple vegan dessert is seriously heavenly! The first time I tried it, I was shocked that I couldn’t taste a hint of the tofu flavor. The texture is thick and creamy yet fluffy. I love serving it with fresh berries.
👩🍳 Sarah’s Recipe Notes 📝
- Let your tofu come to room temperature first. Very important! The melted chocolate will harden if added to cold tofu, resulting in a grainy mousse. For a perfectly smooth and creamy texture, either let the tofu come up to room temp by setting it out on the counter for a few hours, OR pop it in the microwave in 10-15 second bursts until it’s lukewarm (not hot).
- Let it chill before enjoying. The chocolate flavor improves a lot once the mousse is fully chilled. I know it’s tempting to dig in right away, but I promise it’s worth the wait!
How to Serve Silken Tofu Chocolate Mousse
You can top this vegan chocolate treat with a variety of different things! A few great options are:
- Fresh fruit, such as fresh raspberries or strawberries. Maybe a sprig of mint (if we’re being fancy)?
- A drizzle of creamy peanut butter or almond butter.
- A pinch of flaky sea salt and some chocolate shavings.
- A scoop of coconut whipped cream.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, either soft or silken tofu can work for this chocolate mousse. But if your food processor isn’t very powerful, I recommend looking specifically for silken tofu — it will be easier to blend to a perfectly smooth and creamy consistency.
I wouldn’t recommend it, personally! It can be really difficult to blend firm or extra-firm tofu to a perfectly smooth consistency, due to its higher protein content. It’ll come out grainy.
If you have a very powerful high-speed blender (such as a Vitamix or Blendtec) that also has a tamper attachment, you might be able to get away with using firmer varieties of tofu…but I can’t promise it will be very tasty.
This isn’t recommended. The texture of the mousse will not set in the same way without the melted chocolate (which firms up when chilled). If you use cocoa powder, you will end up with a much thinner, more pudding-like consistency. It might still taste good but you’ll have to adjust the sugar as well.
Storage Instructions
Dairy-free chocolate mousse keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container (or multiple containers).
Don’t freeze it! The texture doesn’t hold up well to freezing and defrosting. It’ll be the best texture if you keep all of your leftovers in the fridge.
More Chocolatey Vegan Recipes
More Silken Tofu Recipes
Did You Make This Recipe?
If you’ve made this recipe and loved it, please leave a 5-star rating and review below! Also, if you post a picture on Instagram and tag me @sarahsvegankitchen_, I’d love to see your work.
Silken Tofu Chocolate Mousse
Video
Ingredients
- 16 ounces silken tofu room temperature or slightly warm
- 6 ounces good semisweet chocolate I use Guittard semisweet baking wafers
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar or 2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder I prefer Dutched cocoa, but natural works too
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee (optional but recommended)
- pinch sea salt
Optional Toppings
- coconut whipped cream
- fresh berries
- fresh mint leaves
- chocolate shavings
Instructions
- Important note: To make sure your mousse is smooth, the silken tofu should be at room temperature or slightly warm when blended with the chocolate. Cold tofu may result in a grainy mousse. If you're in a hurry, you can place the silken tofu in a microwave-safe bowl and pop it in the microwave for a minute or so to warm it up a little.
- Melt chocolate: Add the semisweet chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl. (If using a chocolate bar, give it a coarse chop first to help it melt evenly.) Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until completely melted. Set aside to cool slightly while you blend the other ingredients.
- Blend tofu: Add the silken tofu to your food processor. Sift in the powdered sugar and cocoa powder to ensure no lumps. Then add the vanilla bean paste, instant coffee (if using), and pinch of salt. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the food processor as needed.
- Add in chocolate: Add the melted chocolate into the blended tofu mixture and blend until incorporated and smooth, scraping down the sides of the food processor as needed.
- Adjust to taste: Give the mousse a taste and add more sweetener or salt if you like.
- Chill: Transfer the mousse into a sealable container, or into a few containers with lids for individual portions). Refrigerate for at least 2 hours — but preferably overnight — to allow it to set. The flavor will also improve as the mousse chills, so please be patient!
- Enjoy: I love serving this mousse with a dollop of coconut whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and a handful of fresh berries. For special occasions, I will garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided on Sarah’s Vegan Kitchen is an estimate and is offered for general informational purposes only. Values will vary depending on the specific brands and amounts used.
Delicious, thank you 🙏
Worked great!!!!! Thank u
Tastes great! Not sure if I did something wrong (followed all direction except coffee) but mine firmed up in the fridge quite a lot not soft “mousse”, almost like a ganache to make truffles (not quite as thick as that but you get it lol)
Will be trying again
This is delicious!! I never realized that silken tofu has the PERFECT consistency for mousse and custard. I think the espresso really elevates it, and I added a bit of cinnamon, too. Seriously, this is as good as any mousse I’ve ever had but way easier to make (and vegan, of course!) Awesome.
SO GOOD- Tastes just like chocolate jello cups, but WAY BETTER
Incredible recipe!! I made a half batch in a small smoothie blender and it was so easy to do. I was worried it would taste tofu-y but it doesn’t at all. I used maple syrup and it came out great.
Not a fan of sugar, so I substituted 2 level scoops of Orgain Organic chocolate pea protein powder. Outrageously delicious and a little extra protein as well.
INSANELY Delicious!!! Can’t believe this is made with Tofu. It is too addicting. 🙂
It calmed down a bit with some more time in the fridge. I still would probably either not add the sugar, or would go with a higher percentage cacao. Might also be worth mentioning that some brands of chocolate chips don’t really melt when heated because they’re designed for putting in things like brownies and cookies. FWIW I’m not vegan – I just wanted to have some fun with silken tofu. I like tofu.
I found it to be extremely sweet, personally. I don’t know if I used the wrong brand of semi-sweet chocolate (I used the one from Trader Joe’s) or what. I’d probably nix the maple syrup or use less of the chocolate. Maybe use a chocolate with a higher percentage of cacao.
Do you dissolve the instant coffee in water?
This recipe is really something. The texture, flavor, everything–a work of art. I liked it with sliced almonds and cinnamon on top. My non-vegan family wasn’t as enamored with the recipe as me, so it’s hard to say if other non-vegans will love it too. I think my tastes are different as I’ve been vegan for 30 years. I am looking for higher calcium and protein recipes for bone health, and this has a good bit of both. Though after I ran the recipe through Cronometer, I realized it’s fairly high in calories and sugar, so it truly is a dessert, friends. I was over here devouring it for “breakfast” like it was health food. LOL! Tip: it definitely needs time in the fridge for the flavors to meld.
Thanks Sarah for a fab and fun recipe!
I made this recipe for the first time a little over a week ago… And as soon as it ran out I immediately made it again. Let’s just say I am OBSESSED.
I made the recipe as written, then poured the mousse into a pie crust and topped with flaky sea salt. I served the slices topped with Coco whip from So Delicious. This is heavenly and it will be a regular rotation for me. I can’t believe I waited this long to try sweet tofu. If you’re skeptical, just trust the process.