My dairy-free Mocha Mousse is an easy dessert recipe made with just 7 ingredients. You can whip up this paleo-friendly chocolate Mocha Mousse in just a few minutes. All you need to do is throw your ingredients into a food processor and voila, you have an incredibly rich and creamy dairy-free dessert. I like to serve Mocha Mousse in individual cups for an elegant presentation.
Dairy-free Mocha Mousse is wonderful all year round, but is a particularly fantastic when served as a healthy New Year’s Eve dessert. When we entertain we generally have people with a variety of food allergies and food restrictions. I make my Everything-Free Brownies, for those who are on an egg-free diet. For the unlucky folks who cannot eat chocolate, I make my paleo Gingersnaps. I make sure to have something for everyone at all of our gatherings!
Mocha Mousse
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup palm shortening
- 1 tablespoon organic decaf coffee beans, espresso grind
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
Instructions
- Pulse eggs in food processor for 3 minutes until fluffy
- Pulse in chocolate chips for 2 minutes, until well ground
- Pulse in shortening, espresso, cinnamon, vanilla, and coconut sugar
- Process until mixture is consistency of mousse
- Spoon into 6 half-cup ramekins or dessert cups
- Serve
A call to all the experts out there on the paleo and primal diets. Would you eat this dairy-free mousse? Do you think it’s a paleo dessert, or is that term an oxymoron? How do you define paleo and what are your paleo health goals overall? Leave a comment and let us know!
For those of you that are on an egg-free diet, here are some of my paleo egg-free dessert recipes for you!
Chrissy says
This mousse looks AMAZING; I can’t wait to make it!
I agree that it is definitely more on the Primal side. The way I see Paleo vs. Primal is Primal allows grass-fed dairy, dark chocolate, & natural sweeteners, like coconut sugar.
Paleo, in my opinion, is best defined by Whole 30 – which includes none of the above. So, like the others said, it really just depends on how strict you want to be. I’m more on the Primal side, so I’d happily eat it! But, if I decided to be stricter with Paleo, I wouldn’t. I hope that makes sense.
My goals for this year are to eat more meat and veggies and get most of my sugar from fruits, instead of sweeteners. To drink more green tea and get used to black coffee again. To STICK to Paleo/Primal in the challenging times (like when I forgot to bring my food at work and there’s NOTHING Paleo-friendly within 10 miles)…and to get more sleep. I think those are good baseline goals. And, of course, to go down another pants/dress size. :)
EZ says
I agree, this seems primal to me! I haven’t found coconut sugar yet to try but I often sub honey in your recipes. I will make this soon I am sure, I feel like all of this is a journey of discovery with our bodies and people need to chill out and figure out which version of primal/paleo/ancestral eating works best for them! I often use a touch of honey in my recipes but many times they aren’t for everyday consumption. It’s not like I will keep this mousse on hand everyday-likely I will make it when friends come over or for a special occasion….lol otherwise I might eat it everyday :)
J says
I love using honey in recipes! I, fortunately, have access to unlimited local honey which theoretically helps with local allergies…one can wish at least; so I use greatly! Not sparingly. The most awesome part, I need at least a 1/3 to 1/2 of what any recipes calls for: 1 cup sugar = 1/3-1-2cup honey. It’s sooo much sweeter!!
Anna aspnes says
I would expect source and quality of eggs would determine their safety. I have slowly been reducing my grain intake and am looking forward to pursuing the Paleo diet further in 2012.
Amanda M says
It’s definitely on the border line for non-paleo… Also depending on how strict you are. For a special treat once in a blue moon, sure.
Nenah Sylver says
Raw eggs are are loaded with vital nutrients and are definitely part of the Paleo diet–an essential part, in fact! I try to get eggs from local farmers who pasture their chickens. This means that the chickens roam free and eat their natural diet of bugs, food scraps, etc. Free range eggs are the best–the whites are thick and the yolk is an intense gold-orange color, standing high and firm. If I can’t find locally raised eggs from clean pastured chickens, I buy organic eggs from the health food store. I am willing to pay more for organically raised eggs because otherwise, the chickens are fed GE (genetically engineered) grains, which cause serious health problems. I discuss GE foods in depth in my Rife Handbook (www.rifehandbook.com).
Opinions vary within the Paleo community about eating raw egg whites. The website http://paleodietlifestyle.com/an-egg-yolk-a-day-keeps-the-doctor-away/ makes some interesting points about the wisdom of eating egg yolks raw but not the whites. However, for myself, I don’t think an occasional raw mousse can hurt. This recipe looks yummy.
Jennifer says
How are the ‘grains’ Genetically modified? Can one say that about any and all eggs coming from chickens which don’t suggest on the packaging that they are ‘organic’? I as well prefer, upmost prefer, that my eggs are local and fresh (as in getting from someone I know) but those sold in the store, yes can be ‘bad’ and come from chickens raised in horrid environments and fed horrible ingredients to sustain BUT not all stating ‘organic’ are or can be better. It’s the hormones…pesticides on the foods or scraps they are fed….or grains as suggested. But GE may or may not be bad. GE to add nutrients to a plant I don’t think is bad. Or plants GE’d to sustain resistance to disease I don’t think are bad. GE’d doesn’t necessarily say BAD!
EH says
I would classify this as paleo-ish. The sugar is what puts it into the “ish” category. Some paleo folks accept dark chocolate (very dark, high %) as paleo. Some paleo folks don’t. And don’t forget the coconut palm sugar too.
It is simply a matter of opinion… ask 10 paleo experts and you will most likely get 10 answers. And, yes, there is the matter of can a dessert dish even be considered as paleo?
If there is one thing I have learned in my paleo lifestyle (18 months in), the rules are varied based on the expert you consult.
At the end of the day, eat makes you happy. Paleo, paleo-ish, gluten free only, raw eggs in recipes, etc. I would treat this recipe as a “special occasion” food and happily eat it on those occasions — much like Michael Pollan’s rule, eat special occasion foods on special occasions.
Lori S. says
I am no Paleo expert, though I do follow the Paleo diet. I would eat this in a heartbeat, though I cannot due to interstitial cystitis, and the chocolate would irritate the bladder. I scour your recipes and change them up to fit my “situation”. But, if I didn’t have this issue, I’d make this mousse, definitely! Wonder if there’s a way to eliminate the chocolate and make it a white mousse??
I love your gingersnap recipe, but as ginger, arrowroot, and cinnamon have starch (I avoid starch due to arthritis), I have been able to remove the arrowroot and cinnamon, reduce the ginger, switch the shortening to GHEE and they’re still delicious. I am SO grateful to find your website, keep up the good work!!!
Sophie says
Hi Elana! I am far from a Paleo expert, but I do eat paleo. However, I don’t eat any kind of sugar or sweetner, so I would not eat this. I think that there are Paleo people who do eat “desserts” such as yours occasionally, but from what I have read- it is advised by many paleo experts to avoid any and all sugars. Yet, this looks yummy and I might consider making this for my family- who don’t eat paleo all the time.
Linda says
Sophie – I have ankylosing spondylitis so I avoid starch too. I wanted to try the ginger cookies but shied away from the arrowroot too. what did you substitute for it?
brite says
This looks fabulous! I have been making your recipes for about a year, and I have never been disappointed. I think I’ll try this recipe for our Sunday dinner- thanks again!
We have chickens, too, and I have no problem eating raw eggs, and I’m pregnant. We know what our chickens eat and how healthy they are; that said, I would probably refrain from eating raw eggs if they came from the grocery store. Another great reason to find someone who raises chickens and buy your eggs from them: it opens up a world of delicious food! I’m about to go make some dairy-free eggnog now!
JoAnn Whitley says
Your recipes are top notch and even though I don’t have gluten allergies, I use them all the time. However, eating raw eggs is not going to happen. We are cautioned over and over not to eat them…I am surprised by this recipe???????
liz says
mousse at any restaurant is made from raw eggs! they are far from dangerous. most americans are afraid of eating them, just as they are eating unpasteurized milk, too much meat or not enough “whole grain”.
other things that are made from raw egg include salad dressings, pudding, and ice cream. if eggs are coming from a factory farm, i’d always be afraid of them cooked or raw. -though i know elana, as do i, raises her own backyard chickens!
don’t be afraid of raw eggs!
Danneca says
exactly.
Niki says
…and raw eggs usually don’t bother those with “egg allergies” *as* much, unlike cooked counterparts.
jane says
when I was a kid growing up in Denmark my mom would sometimes give us a treat…. an egg yoke and sugar, for me to stir and stir and stir until it was creamy and yummy ;)
Netty says
The possibility of getting salmonella from raw eggs is extremely rare. Conceptually it doesn’t appeal to me but from a statistical stand point it’s totally fine….and it’s how chocolate mouse is always made. Mayo too….some Caesar salad dressings…sometimes it’s best not to think about it and just enjoy the tastes! :)
sherry crowe says
I totaly agree!
Beatrice says
Actually eating raw eggs is great for you! I only eat farm fresh raw eggs because I think they are much healthier..
But think about it, resturant mouse has raw eggs, and I am sure you have eaten something with raw eggs and may not have even known!
I think this recipe is great!!
Patricia L. Williams Johnson says
i have my own backyard chickens so I know what they eat and how they are raised..i eat raw egg recipes…
Louise says
Elana, I would definitely eat this if it were put in front of me, it looks NOMMY!! :-D
I just have trouble sourcing some of the ingredients you use as they are either very expensive here in the UK, or we simply do not have them. Even ground almonds/almond flour is expensive here. :-(
I managed to get hold of coconut flour, but it was about £7 for a 500g bag which is ridiculous! Coconut oil is about the same, often more – I think as the suppliers/manufacturers are finding out the health benefits they are putting a premium on the price.
I saw a 500g jar of coconut oil at over £16 in one UK online health food shop!! Thankfully I managed to get some from a world foods stall on a market for 1.99, but he said it’s getting harder to get hold of cooking grade oil – probably because it’s all being sold off at a premium elsewhere!
I am trying so hard to eat more healthily but it’s proving too expensive and I don’t know how I can improve my health if I can’t afford to improve my diet?!
I will still keep looking at your recipes till I find ones I can get the ingredients for though because they are awesome. :-D
Diana says
Have you tried purchasing from iherb.com? I know they ship internationally, and their prices are great, at least here in America. They carry a lot of the items mentioned in these recipes.