If you’re looking for a rich and creamy dessert that’s super easy to make, this silken tofu chocolate mousse is for you! It takes just a few ingredients and only minutes to blend together. You don’t need any fancy tools or baking skills—just a blender and a sweet tooth. It’s perfect for a quick treat, a dinner party dessert, or even a make-ahead snack.
The secret to the mousse’s smooth and airy texture is silken tofu. It blends right into the chocolate and gives the mousse a soft, pudding-like feel without using eggs or cream. Plus, it’s dairy-free and packed with plant-based protein. Top it with fresh chopped fruit, whipped topping, or a sprinkle of sea salt, and you’ve got yourself a dessert that feels fancy but is super easy to make.
If you’re puddings are your preferred dessert, don’t miss out on this dairy-free tapioca pudding, peanut butter and jelly pudding parfait, and zesty citrus custard!
A classic mousse usually starts with a smooth puree. Then it’s mixed with whipped egg whites or cream to make it light and fluffy. This vegan version uses silken tofu instead of eggs or cream. It still gives you that soft, airy texture—just without any animal ingredients.
Do you want to know the number one reason why this silken tofu mousse recipe is worth making? It’s absolutely delicious! But, since we’re slightly biased about this brilliant recipe, here are a few more reasons why this plant-based dessert is so awesome:
With such few ingredients, the quality of each certainly counts. If you’re able to splurge on a high-quality vegan chocolate, it’s totally worth it. Adding a pinch of salt seems unnecessary, but it truly gives a deeper dimension to the silken tofu mousse and enhances the sweetness.
What is the difference between silken and regular tofu? Silken tofu is a type of tofu with the softest consistency. The texture is silky and smooth, so it’s perfect for making creams, puddings, dessert fillings, smoothies, or (in this case) vegan chocolate mousses! If you have a nut allergy, you can use it as a versatile substitute for cashew cream.
You can always check out our silken tofu guide for more information!
Make sure to use shelf-stable silken tofu stored in aseptic containers. You can easily find these in the Asian food aisle in the grocery store. Beware—if you use silken tofu stored in water from the refrigerated section, your melted chocolate chips will immediately harden once blended in. You won’t get that silky smooth consistency of mousse and it will end up a chocolate-y, chunky mess (though a very tasty one)!
The most popular brand of shelf-stable tofu is Mori-Nu. Don’t worry too much about which type of silken tofu you purchase. As long as it’s room temperature and is “silken,” you should be all set.
Melting vegan chocolate chips can seem daunting, but it’s actually pretty easy. There are two simple methods you can choose. We’ve used both with great results. If you have more time and aren’t in a rush, we recommend the double boiler method. On the other hand, if you’re dying to taste this sweet and creamy dessert, use the microwave!
Place your chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe container (a glass measuring cup works well!) and heat in 20-30 second intervals (depending on the power of your microwave). After each heating, stir well before continuing the process. Sometimes, a good stir can make the softened chips melt into the rest. A small rubber or silicone spatula can be really helpful with this step.
Even though this sounds a bit old-fashioned, it’s actually a more foolproof method. If you don’t have a double boiler (two saucepans that stack on top of each other), a regular saucepan and a heat-proof bowl (glass or ceramic) can also work.
Pour a couple of cups of water into the bottom saucepan and add the bowl on top. Make sure the bowl is larger than the opening of the saucepan. You want the bowl to sit above the water in the saucepan beneath. Add the chocolate chips to the bowl and turn the burner to medium high. As the water simmers, frequently stir the chocolate chips in the bowl until they are completely melted. This might take a little longer than the microwave method, but there is much less chance of the chocolate chips burning or hardening.
Turn off the burner, take the pan off the heat, and use your melted chocolate right away.
Ooh, the fun part!! The list of ingredients you can add in (or on!) is endless. It’s all up to you and your taste buds. Here is a list of our all-time favorites:
Just pop the mousse into an airtight container. Keep it in the fridge, and it’ll stay good for about 3 to 4 days. When you’re ready to eat it, give it a quick stir and enjoy!
You can make a vegan mousse of any type using silken tofu, aquafaba, or canned coconut cream. All three are thick, creamy bases for a plant-based, whipped mousse.
Traditionally, mousse contains either whipped egg whites or heavy cream. The heavy cream version will have dairy. You can easily substitute both ingredients for plant-based alternatives like silken tofu, aquafaba, coconut cream, or plant-based milk bases.
Yes! Simply omit the melted chocolate chips and blend with the same amount of pureed fruit, canned pumpkin, lemon jelly, or even a margarita mix with lime juice!
Print me! Did you know you can easily print our recipes? Just tap the “Print Recipe” button in the recipe card. You can keep a stack of new recipes to try in your kitchen—or better yet—create a recipe binder where you keep all your favorites!
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Love how silky this choco vegan treat turned out!
Yum! This vegan chocolate mousse is so silky and delicious. A perfect light dessert!
So incredibly smooth and delicious! I love it!
I absolutely love this chocolate mousse. I’ve made it for dinner parties and guest are super impressed with the richness and flavor.
Crazy how you can’t even taste the tofu. So good!