Cool, creamy and full of rich chocolate flavor, you won’t miss the added fat and calories in this lightened up chocolate mousse recipe. Perfect for Valentine’s Day but healthy enough to eat any day of the year.
When it comes to dessert, I almost always gravitate towards chocolate. In fact, my daily splurge is usually a square or two (or three) of high quality, dark chocolate. Despite the name of this blog, I’m actually not a huge fan of lemony desserts and I rarely make crisps, cobblers or crumbles unless I have a bunch of fruit to use up after apple picking or a day at the blueberry patch.
That being said, when my friends at Circulon challenged me to create a healthy and delicious dessert for Valentine’s Day, I knew immediately that I was going to create a lighter version of the classic chocolate mousse. In fact, just recently I splurged and made Bobby Flay’s Dark Chocolate Mousse for New Year’s Eve. While completely delicious and decadent, my body is not used to such rich, heavy sweets so I was eager to make a healthier version.
My chocolate espresso mousse is a nod to my mother who always adds espresso powder to chocolate desserts. Every year on our birthdays she bakes a giant yellow duck cake topped with a chocolate espresso frosting. It is to die for and coffee simply heightens the natural chocolate flavors.
This version also happens to be naturally gluten free and can easily be made dairy free by using Enjoy Life semi-sweet chocolate chips.
How will you be celebrating Valentine’s Day this year?? Are you hitting the town or making a cozy meal at home?
Your loved ones are waiting.
- 1 (12.3 ounce) package silken tofu
- ⅓ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- pinch sea salt
- chocolate shavings – optional garnish
- Remove the silken tofu from the package and drain out any excess liquid. Place in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
- Melt the chocolate chips over a double boiler by simply heating them in a heat-proof bowl placed on top of a small pan with simmering hot water. Stir continuously with a rubber spatula until chocolate chips have completely melted being careful not to let the chocolate burn. Remove bowl of melted chocolate from the heat.
- Stir the vanilla extract, espresso powder and salt into the melted chocolate until combined. Add chocolate mixture to the tofu in the food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy.
- Divide chocolate mousse between two glasses or serving bowls and refrigerate until chilled - 2 hours or overnight. Garnish with chocolate shavings.
Ooh–I love the addition of espresso powder here. I’ll bet that just takes this to the next level. For Valentine’s Day, my husband and I are heading out to dinner with some friends while Nana and Poppy babysit.
I add espresso powder to almost everything chocolate! Just takes it to the next level.
So…….this ruins the whole point of Valentine’s day, but do I have to share it with my boo? Or maybe I’ll just make it while he’s at work. Evil laugh.
ahaha I won’t tell if you don’t want to share.
I’ve never heard of yellow cake being referred to as “duck cake” before but I’m happy to give this pairing a try. It’s amazing how many delicious desserts can be made with Tofu!
Oh I’m laughing – the cake pan is the shape of a giant duck..like a mommy duck.
ahahaha
This sounds delicious!!!
My picky husband LOVES it this way – I don’t lie!
Looks absolutely luscious, Liz!
Thank you Anna!! It was so good!
Chocolate mousse is one of my FAVORITE splurge desserts…but I definitely love that with your version is doesn’t HAVE to be a splurge!! And is high protein. I mean…this is basically breakfast-worthy health food!
Seriously!!! I am going to call this breakfast too.
YES! I have totally been waiting for this since you mentioned it a few weeks ago. Pinned and trying it for sure!
It was so good!! I’m pretty sure it will be a repeat occurrence in our house! xo
Chocolate mousse is usually just a little bit too rich for me, but this lightened version sounds just perfect, especially for V-Day. And that cake with espresso frosting your Mom makes sounds to-die-for!
Yes this is much lighter and so freaking good!! Enjoy!
Oh, this is a perfect V-day dessert! And, since my husband doesn’t like chocolate, I can have more!
He doesn’t like chocolate?! You lucky girl!
Espresso powder with chocolate is an absolute must. I love that you mentioned Enjoy Life chocolate chips–they’re a staple in our nut-free house!
I have a ton of coupons for tofu burning a whole in my pocket — sounds like a delicious way to use one!
This is perfect for those coupons!!
This looks really inviting. And like you Liz I allow myself a few squares of dark chocolate a day
Me too.
Thanks Mariana!
Gimme gimme gimme! Not going to share!!
Sharing is for the birds!
Yum! This looks delicious lady.
Thank you Brittany!
Oh, this looks heavenly!
Thank you friend!
I am with you Liz. A couple of squares of dark chocolate is my thing as well. We are staying local and having a romantic dinner at home together. What about you guys?
We booked a sitter and are going to a local Italian trattoria!
We normally stay home but with a 3 month old and a 2 year old, it’s not exactly relaxing. 
I am swooning over this! Looks gorgeous
what a perfect recipe!
Thanks friend!
Does the tofu effect the texture at all? This sounds delicious but I am not a tofu fan. I just cannot get into it. But this looks amazing!
The tofu becomes creamy and smooth just like yogurt or pudding. My husband would NEVER know it was tofu!!
Do you know if this would work if you added kahlua to it?
I haven’t tried it with kahlua but it *should* work when you add the vanilla.
I hesitate for the tofu, but I am thinking it would lend itself well to any flavor and just add texture, So I may give this a shot.
Trust me – my husband would never eat tofu but he now requests this mousse!! I hope you try it!
Chocolate and espresso are one of my very favorite combos and this mousse sounds super amazing and perfect for Valentine’s Day!
Thanks Gaby!
What brand of espresso powder do you get? I use espresso made from espresso beans.
It’s *instant* espresso powder but instant coffee works too. Cheap brand is perfect for this!
Just made this! Yummy!!! I swapped lite silken tofu and only used 2 Tbsp of chocolate chips. That made the whole recipe 300 calories, so each serving is only 150!! I also added splenda because I have a sweet tooth
That sounds PERFECT! So glad you enjoyed and made it your own!
This is right up my alley! I love that it is on the lighter side!
Thanks Paula! Super creamy and good!
I’m trying to add up the carbs of the ingredients, and I only get about 13 for the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Everything else is negligible. Yet the nutrition facts gives ~30g carbs per serving (2 servings in recipe)?
Anybody?
Hi Chris- There are 47.5 total grams of carbs from the chocolate chips in this recipe alone so when you add in the other carbs and divide by two you get around 30. Let me know if that helps explain!