Thick and Creamy Chocolate Mousse Recipe
This healthy chocolate mousse recipe calls for just four ingredients, and comes together in minutes! Try the creamy, dreamy mousse that’s fancy enough for a special occasion and easy enough for a weeknight.
There’s just something about a decadent, chocolatey mousse that makes everybody in the room fall silent. The sweetness and airiness. Those fluffy peaks rising high over a fancy glass. Listen: you won’t hear a THING except the happy clink of spoons against glass.
This chocolate mousse recipe is special not just because it’s airy, rich, and delicious. It’s also special because it’s FAST to make, and because it has an ingredient list that just about anybody can get behind.
If you’re looking for a delicious chocolate dessert that has NO egg, NO dairy, NO gelatin, NO sugar, and NO gluten, you’ve come to the right place.
But let’s get to the important part: this mousse tastes fantastic, and no one will know you were conscientious about the ingredient list. They’ll just know they want more!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Why We Love This Chocolate Mousse for Kids
Kids are probably going to love anything that comes their way that resembles a bowl full of chocolate. And this chocolate mousse recipe is no exception. What IS different about this dessert, is that the ingredients are simple, minimally-processed, and nutritious. Here’s the whole ingredient list (brace yourself.)
- Coconut cream (from a can)
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- honey
- vanilla extract
This recipe is allergy-friendly! With no dairy, eggs, wheat, or nuts, it’s safe and suitable for most kids in most settings.
We also love making this dessert for kids because it feels super fancy for them (despite the fact that it takes MINUTES to make.) So it’s a fun way to make kids feel special.
Tips for Making Excellent Mousse
Take note of a few best mousse practices so yours turns out just right!
- When you’re making your mousse, use just the thick coconut cream from the can of coconut milk. You might want to have two cans of coconut milk ready, so you’ll have enough cream. Or you can buy entire cans of coconut cream at some stores. (Trader Joe’s sells them!)
- Chill the coconut cream in the freezer for a couple of hours before you whip up the mousse. Don’t skip this step: it helps the mousse hold it’s shape!
- Get your beaters or stand-mixer ready. This mousse needs to be whipped vigorously to get that thick and airy texture. Once you turn the motor on, it’ll take about three minutes to turn into magical mousse.
- To get that pretty swirly shape, use a piping bag with a tip, like this one. If you don’t have one, you can snip he bottom corner off a zip-top bag and pipe your mousse into glasses that way. It works!
- Serve chocolate mousse in a clear glass or jar so you can admire the pretty swirls.
- Add a few berries on top for extra flavor, color, and nutrition. We used strawberries but you could also try cherries, pears, pineapples, or raspberries.
More Healthy Chocolate Desserts
- 15 Healthy Chocolate Desserts!
- Chocolate zucchini bundt cake
- Healthy chocolate mint mousse
- Chocolate peppermint mousse
- Double chocolate banana cake
- Chocolate fudge!
Thick and Creamy Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- 2 cup coconut milk
- 4 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoon cocoa powder, unsweetened
Instructions
- Place coconut milk (use full-fat coconut milk for best results) in the freezer for about an hour prior to making the mousse. NOTE: You need to 2 full cups of solid coconut cream. If one can of coconut milk doesn’t have enough solid coconut cream, then use more from another can.
- Spoon the thickened coconut milk (cream) out of the can and place in a large bowl or mixer.
- Add honey, vanilla, and cocoa powder.
- Beat until smooth and creamy.
- Serve with fruit.
Video
Nutrition
Natalie Monson
I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.
Learn More about Natalie
Did the mousse take like coconut? These look awesome, but I’m not much of a fan of coconut. Thanks for your time!
can you make this with cow’s milk?
I love finding vegan recipes with simple, recognizable ingredients and might have to go grab another can of coconut milk today. Thanks for a quick, easy vegan treat!
Once made, does this hold up well in the refridgerator? Thinking this would be a great treat at my sons daycare in little dixie cups…..thoughts?
That looks great, but did you know that honey is not vegan? However, you could easily veganize this by substituting a couple blended dates, or agave for the honey. Just wanted to kindly let you know about the honey! 🙂
It does have a hint of the coconut milk flavor. I personally think that coconut milk taste different than coconut. But if you don’t like the coconut flavor at all – then I would substitute regular cream.
If you made it with milk it wouldn’t get thick and creamy. You could make it with cream though and you would probably get the same effect. You would just need to whip it for longer.
Your welcome! Hope you enjoy.
Yes – I stored the leftover in the fridge and it actually stays nice and thick – in fact it actually gets thicker. You may want to let it sit out for a few minutes before serving it after taking it out of the refrigerator.
We thought about that and there actually isn’t a set line as to if honey is truly vegan or not. There is a big debate on the topic and we are on the side that honey is vegan. Thanks for the substitution suggestions though!
This looks amazing! Will definitely be on the menu on Thursday for my dairy-free husband! Thanks for earning me brownie points! (Assuming it tastes as good as it looks!)
This looks amazing! Will definitely be on the menu on Thursday for my dairy-free husband! Thanks for earning me brownie points! (Assuming it tastes as good as it looks!)
My husband had some last night – he dipped strawberries in it and said it was better than any candy he has eaten!
How many does this serve?
This would serve 4 adults OR probably 2 adults and 4 kids.
Yum! I just made this and it is so decadent! It has more of a dark chocolate flavor, but is just like you said, perfectly paired with fruit!!
This looks fantastic. I’ve used coconut milk cream before but not in a mousse. This sounds delicious and turned out beautiful!
Definitely more of a dark chocolate flavor. To make it less dark you can add less cocoa powder. It just depends on your taste preference!
Hi, how many MLs were your Tins of coconut cream & can you use vanilla bean paste? Thanks 🙂
Where do you get good vanilla extract/how can you tell it’s the good stuff. I wasn’t aware that I had choices other than not-so-great extracts and using the bean itself.
Each can was 14 ounces or about 400 MLs. And yes you could definitely use vanilla bean paste.
Imitation vanilla is just that, imitation, artificial. It, however, has more of the flavors that give vanilla the distinctive taste. Real vanilla is made from the real vanilla bean. It’s flavor is richer, more complex, and has more depth. Real vanilla typically uses alcohol to extract the vanilin compounds from the vanilla beans
Imitation vanilla uses chemical solvents to extract the vanillin. Look at labels and try different brands to see what you like best!
I didn’t really understand how to get the coconut cream….because you said we use coconut ‘MILK’.
how much cream should i use? i don’t want to assume it’s a 1:1 substitution
Great recipe, it looks really delicious. Should I put it in the fridge before eating?
If your coconut cream is cold enough you definitely don’t have to. In fact, I think it is better right after you make it. When you put it in the fridge, it hardens a bit and loses a little bit of that fluffy mousse quality. If you aren’t planning on serving it until later, put the entire recipe in the fridge and give it another quick whip before serving.
I actually don’t know the exact measurement because I have never made it with cream – but you could start with 1 1/2 cups and go from there. Good luck!
This was AMAZING! My girls loved making it with me for their daddy for valentines day desert. We 1/3 filled the glasses with chopped strawberries, put mouse on top & a choc heart (still wrapped in red foil) on top. Looked beautiful & tasted Devine 🙂 thanks so much
Yay! I’m so glad!! Love when recipes are like that!
Hi Natalie – Thanks for the awesome recipe! I LOVE it! I just wanted to let you and the readers know that I’ve heard that BPA is a factor to consider when buying coconut milk in a can. There are a few Coconut milk options in cans that don’t have BPA, but they are rare. My choice is to go straight to the coconut cream (besides, what do you do with all the extra ‘water’ at the bottom of the can?). Let’s Do Organic sells coconut cream in boxes. Organic, all cream, and BPA free – plus its cheaper per ounce of cream than I’ve found in the grocery store when you buy 2 of the 6-packs on Amazon.com and qualify for free shipping. win-win-win-WIN! P.S. Can you tell I’m hooked on this new treat that lets me eat chocolate in a healthy way?!?!
what do you do with all the coconut water left in the cans?
I put it in a tupperware in the fridge and then use it in smoothies.
Hello. So if we’re using 2 cups of coconut cream in the recipe, do you know approximately how many regular sized cans of coconut milk we’ll need? I’m guessing 3-4 , but I’m not sure… Thank you.
Looks amazing – excited to try it!
Correction: The Let’s Do Organic is actually blocks of Coconut Cream, not like what comes in the can. It has to be turned into homemade coconut milk and then the cream can be scraped off the top. I’m sorry for being so over-excited I posted too early on this one.
Mmmm… delicious!!! Thanks 🙂
This recipe looks amazing! I’m always looking for healthy treats for my son who is gluten and casein free. The only thing is, he doesn’t like chocolate. Have you ever tried this with just the vanilla extract flavor?
Is this gluten free as well? Sorry, I’m not sure what is and isn’t gluten free and I’d love to make this for a fried who adheres to a dairy and gluten free diet.
Could you use lite coconut milk instead of full fat?
It’s so yummy! Tried it right now. There are only 4 of us so only 1 can of Trader Joe coconut cream. Added the rest of the ingredients according to our taste. Thanks so much for the recipe!
I am trying to use trader joes coconut cream as well and my kitchenaid just pushes it around or flings it in to little balls. Did you add any liquid? Recipe seems so simple not sure what I’m doing wrong.
Yes you definitely could – not sure if it would turn out as thick, but probably worth a try!
Yes you definitely could try that. I would probably taste so good with just the coconut and vanilla flavor.
Yes definitely gluten free!
I couldn’t get it thick enough. But stilll yummy
This was amazing!! I used maple syrup instead of honey because that’s what I had but otherwise followed the recipe. A trick I read somewhere was to keep cans of coconut milk in the fridge upside down. Then you can just pour out the liquid from the top and scoop out the thick cream on the bottom. Worked like a charm. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I had high hopes for this and left it to the day of the celebration dinner with my kids and what a flop, just liquid and there was no way to fix it. All the recipe comments I have read appeared to be easy enough. Such a disappointment for my kids 🙁
Just made this and it flopped 🙁 turned out really runny. Ive just put into freezer to see if I can salvage the dessert. Any suggestions are welcome! Was really hoping this would be…. super easy to make and love the ingredients.
I used a hand mixer…would that be the issue? Pls say yes!! 🙂 then maybe my hubby will buy me one of those beautiful stand mixers.
What kind of coconut milk did you use? Did you chill the milk so that you only used the cream (solid) part? Did exclude the liquid part? Did you whip it for a full 5 minutes? A handmixer shouldn’t be that big of a problem, if you can get some good whipping action out of it. You may need to whip a little longer depending on the speed you can get out of it.
you made a very good point, no cans!
you could use avocado instead of coconut cream- there’s some great recipes out there that use avocado.
This sounds amazing! Could I just use a box of coconut cream? Sounds like I should be able to but I have never tried to use just the cream part of the milk in the cans so I’m cot sure if they would be different.
This looks divine! Can you share what device you used to get the beautiful texture of the mousse in your pictures? I know spooning it into a cup wouldn’t have the same presentation. Looks like a classic icing tip, perhaps?
What is the nutrition information on this? Would like to know calories, fats, protein, carb counts. Thanks!
Do you use coconut cream or milk for this recipe? I’m confused as yOu are mentioning the cream but using cans of milk???? Aren’t they 2 different things?
I had the same problem with it turning out really runny. Added some chia seeds, let it sit in the fridge for a bit, and called it a chocolate pudding. All’s well that ends well:)
I did make a fruit dip a few weeks ago using this same method of separating a can of coconut milk, and it worked beautifully. Difference was, this time I found coconut milk on sale, and it was a different brand. The first time I used Thai Kitchen brand. Will try this mousse again using TK, hopefully it will work better.
This recipe is amazing! It is simply decadent!!!! Two things l would like to know though is if it could be frozen after making it and eaten as a frozen treat? Second, the nutritional info on this delight would be great!
I just used a piping bag and a tip that has a jagged edge. If you scroll to the bottom of the post, there is a link to a great piping bag and tip starter kit.
Sorry about the confusion! It is coconut milk, but when it solidifies, the solid part is the cream. That part is what makes this mousse creamy.
I’ve never used boxed coconut cream, but it sounds like it should work just fine!
Thanks for that. Il def give it a try. Looks delicious and EASY!
I put the cans of coconut milk in the freezer for an hour but hardly got any cream. Most of it was milk. Am I missing something? Thanks
I was about to try this recipe, but even though I left my coconut milk in the freezer for over an hour, barely anything was solidified. Do I need to freeze it longer? About how much coconut water should be left behind?
I’m using canned coconut cream so since its all cream how much would you use in this recipe
I wonder if it was the brand you used? It should be at least an 85% solid to 15% liquid ratio after it is frozen that long. I’m not quite sure what could have gone wrong!
If folks are using “light” coconut milk, it won’t have nearly as much cream.
I would say about 2 – 2 1/2 cups
I had the same problem as a few others where the cream didn’t solidify. I used Goya brand and I noticed in your picture you show Thai kitchen. Maybe that’s the difference?
Definitely a possibility! If you try Thai kitchen – let me know if it turns out!
Great recipe, coconut and chocolate are two of my favorite flavors/foods. Putting a can in the freezer right now….
I’m assuming halving the recipe won’t be a problem?
Nope! I have halved the recipe before and it turns out just great.
I have made this many times before and i just want to clarify something for people that had trouble with it being too runny.
1. NOT ALL CANS OF COCONUT MILK WILL WORK!! IT CANNOT BE LITE, IT HAS TO BE FULL FAT COCONUT MILK.
2. A good tip of reference to know if your coconut milk can will work for this recipe is shake the can at the store. If it sloshes around, it is too liquidy, the can must be heavy and it should not make a sound when shaken.
3. Refrigerating or freezing only separates the cream from the water in the can, so if it didnt work after refrigerating, you have a bad can that will NOT work for this recipe.
4. I have tried MANY brands, the only brands i can say definitely work are Chaoko, Golden star, thai kitchen organic.
5. If the ingredient guar gum is listed, it probably wont work. Guar gum PREVENTS the coconut milk from separating.
I recently read that So delicious makes a culinary coconut milk that solidifies and works for this recipe, i cant vouch for it, but im going to try it soon.
This is an amazing recipe, it also works as a frosting on cakes and cupcakes. Definitely my top fave!
Thanks so much for the tips!
Can you use chocolate favouring the liquid kind as I’ve been given 3 bottles as a present and don’t know what to do with them..thanks in advance
I’m not familiar with the product you are referring to. Anything is worth a try once though. Good luck!
Ok so I put the can of cocoa nut milk in the freezer for the hour. When I opened them there was water stuff on top and at the bottom was the cocoanut stuff. (never used it before lol). I put the hole can in including the water. It came out liquidy.
1. should I have not put the watery part of the canned stuff in it?
2. What do you suggest I do to fix it lol?
thanks!!!
do not add the liquid
the only coconut milk I could find says unsweetened is that okay
Yep! That will work great.
Have made this a few times and won many brownie points from my wife :-).
I had some issues using the coconut milk as well even after being in the fridge and freezer, but still tasted good. Recently I was I’m my local health food store and found they had small containers of coconut cream. I had them cooling in the fridge a couple days and used them tonight. Worked Great! So if you are having issues with separating the milk and cream, I would suggest checking out a health food store, if they don’t have it they can probably order it for you. Oh other thing was cost. It cost about the same as 1 can of milk from the grocery store.
First time using coconut milk and I left the cans in the fridge for a day and a half before using. I got maybe 3/4ths of one can of the thick cream. So I had to alter the amount of the other ingredients. With that said, it still turned out amazing. I used slightly less cocoa so it’d be less of a dark chocolate flavor. And while it’s delicious plain, it’s so rich that I couldn’t get far without becoming full. Dipping strawberries in the mouse was the way to go. The tartness from the strawberries with the fluffy sweetness of the mouse? Perfection. Thank you so much for the recipe. I have food allergies and while I’m great at following recipes, I’m not great at creating recipes. I will be making, taking, and eating some of this as a chocolate mouse dip for fruit at my grandmother’s 80th birthday. And she just completed chemo so I hope it’s extra special for her. Thanks again!
P.s. Next time, I’ll follow the freezing of the coconut milk before hand!
Its me again. Someone above had mentioned using coconut cream. I just tried the same recipe but substituted coconut cream for coconut milk. Big mistake. I’ve never used either before this recipe. The cream has a strong coconut taste and texture. And there was nothing whipped about it. The coconut milk is dead on for your mousse and your whipped cream. The coconut cream is a flat tasting batter. I tried adding more honey, coconut and even water. It was disappointing. Coconut milk for the win!
Good to know! Thanks for the tip!
Hi.. With the ingredient measurements given, how much does it make? My milk allergy baby is having her 1st birthday party Sat & I wanted to make a load of these up, but not sure how much to do. There will be around 8-9 kids, & 15-18 adults, but I wanted to serve in plastic martini glasses so the portions are quite small, but look just as fancy as yours 🙂 thanks
It makes about 4 cups total. The martini glasses probably hold 1/4 cup 🙂
Would it work with a homemade coconut milk?
My son gets bloated with can milk even if it is organic.
He does well with homemade coconut milk made out of a fresh coconut.
I have never tried it or made my own coconut milk, so if you try it let us know how it turns out!
I’m confused as to how this is “guilt free”…. This is still a dessert with fat and calories that can cause weight gain – just like other non-vegan desserts. It must be eaten in moderation and calling it guilt-free is misleading.
I loved this as soon as I saw this, so I ran out and bought the cans of coconut milk, which I threw in the freezer as soon as I got home…. And then promptly got so busy with life that it’s been about a week that the cans have been in the freezer. Do I let it thaw out, or just use it as-is?
I would let them thaw just a bit. You don’t want totally frozen solid, but just cold like they have been refrigerated. Good luck!
So yummy!! I used a whole can of coconut cream, no separation required just use the whole can and beat it with the rest of the ingredients. I put it in the fridge for a couple of hours and it tasted even better!
My 22 month old is in love haha.
That is so great!
This recipe is very unclear if you do not read the entire blog post as well…I only watched the video and read the official recipe at the bottom. The coconut cream is confusing. Do you use the solid portion of one can of coconut cream, while throwing out the liquid? Or do you need multiple cans to get 2 cups of solid cream? It would be really nice to have exact directions regarding the coconut. Thanks!
Thanks for the feedback! We updated the recipe to make it a bit more clear.
Super easy to make and very tasty!
Can you make ahead and feeeze?
Do you take the coconut milk OUT of the can, place the cream part into a bowl then freeze it/chill it? I want to do this right for my daughters 1st bday! TIA
THIS RECIPE IS DIFFERENT THAN I EXPECTED. IT DID NOT THICKEN, UNLESS I AM SUPPOSED TO BEAT IT FOR TWO HOURS. HOW DID YOU GET IT TO THICKEN?
I really love this recipe!
Can i use a can of cream of coconut or does it have to be coconut milk?
After an hour my canned coconut milk was still liquid so the mousse never sat up. I would recommend 4 hours in the freezer to solidify the coconut. However, I just poured the mixture into a ice cream mixer and it made absolutely delicious ice cream instead.
WOW, this is delicious and ridiculously easy!
If I use coconut cream in a can, do I still need to chill?
Thank you
Hi Ella, if the can is purely coconut cream, chilling it shouldn’t be necessary. 🙂
loved this, but learned something the hard way. If you use coconut creme, be sure to read the label as some of them are sweetened!
Sadly followed Instructions used all coconut cream but sadly have a part runny part frozen liquid not thickening mousse,?
I have made this recipe more times than I can count. Sometimes I use Stevia instead of honey. I also add almond extract and top it with toasted slivered almonds. My husband loves to top his with a few chocolate chips. I prefer topping mine with sliced strawberries. Delish!!
Sounds so delicious, Sue! Thanks for sharing.
We made this one and forgot to take out the coconut water from the coconut cream in the can. So, it was very runny. We stirred in a lot of whipped cream and it saved it! It was more of a pudding consistency. My dad and I liked it but my kids didn’t like the coconut milk flavor in it.
Made this with my daughter today and it’s absolutely amazing! Only change I made was to add a 1/4 teaspoon of salt to counter the bitterness in the cocoa. Thank you for the awesome recipe!
Im confused. Do we need coconut milk, or coconut cream? in australia the products are different.
If you can get plain coconut cream that’d be great! If not it should be the thick, extra-creamy part of canned coconut milk.
Also are we supposed to open the can before or after putting it in the freezer? please clarify
You should freeze the cans before opening, just for an hour so they’re very chilled.
I followed the direction to a T, including putting in the freezer. I used Thai Kitchen coconut cream rather than the milk. It was the runniest chocolate soup ever. I’m pretty disappointed. Would love to know what I did wrong.
I tried using coconut milk from a carton instead and just placed it in a glass container. I waited one hour it was still liquid. I decided why not use evaporated milk? It worked 10 times better and was a big success! Loved it! Thank you
I haven’t made this but it looks good. And hopefully turns out good. Thanks for the recipe.
This recipe turned out awesome! It was super easy and my kids loved it! Served with strawberries and whip cream. Thanks for the great recipe 🙂
Wow! This is so amazing! I am twelve years old but this was simple and not hard to make at all. And this was great considering I’ve never tried mousse before. I will definitely be making this again. Yumm! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I made it and it is so good