Avocado chocolate mousse

All about avocados

Avocados have been enjoying their time in the limelight for the past few years. However, humans were tucking into them long before millennials made them popular through avocado toast and avocado chocolate mousse recipes.

Evidence suggests that people in Mesoamerica may have been eating them as far back as 10,000 years ago.(1) The word itself comes from the Nahuatl word ‘ahuacatl’, which also means ‘testicle’! Experts think this is because of the appearance of the fruit while it’s growing, and its traditional use as an aphrodisiac.(2)

It wasn’t until the 16^th century that avocados made it to Europe, when Spanish colonists started exporting what they called aguacate. In the late 19^th century, farmers began cultivating the crop in North America, calling them ‘alligator pears’. This name came from both their shape and their thick, bumpy skin. Interestingly, avocados are technically single-seeded berries!

However, at first, the fruit failed to sell. To remedy this, the California Avocado Society took out adverts in Vogue and The New Yorker. These rebranded avocados as the “aristocrat of salad fruits”, thus starting their rise to luxury status.(3)

From adding them to a salad or making guacamole to blending them in smoothies or avocado chocolate mousse, there are a multitude of ways to consume this fruit. In fact, they’re so popular that you can even get cuddly toy avocados! But why exactly do people love them so much? It’s not only their deliciously creamy taste and texture. It’s also because avocados offer us an impressive array of health benefits. Let’s take a closer look at some of the reasons why this fruit is so good for you.

The amazing health benefits of avocado

Happily, when it comes to health benefits, the science suggests that avocados definitely live up to the hype. The fruit is abundant in many key nutrients, including potassium, copper, vitamin C, vitamin E, and several B vitamins. These each have an important role to play in keeping us fit and well. For instance, vitamin C supports the immune system, while potassium helps to regulate blood pressure.

The fruit’s potassium content isn’t the only reason why tucking into an avocado chocolate mousse might benefit heart health. Avocados are also rich in monounsaturated fats, such as oleic acid. These help to increase levels of ‘good’ HDL cholesterol and decrease levels of ‘bad’ oxidized LDL cholesterol.(4) This reduces the risk of plaque building up in the arteries and leading to atherosclerosis.

Avocados are additionally high in fiber, which is beneficial for both the cardiovascular system and gut health. It encourages the growth of good bacteria in your digestive system, plus increases the diversity of the gut microbiome.(5) This is crucial because the gut microbiome affects everything from immunity and heart health to brain health.

What’s more, the high fiber content of avocados means they can be useful for healthy weight management too. Evidence indicates that avocados increase feelings of satiety, plus links the fruit with increased weight loss and decreased abdominal fat.(6) That’s a great excuse for having avocado chocolate mousse for dessert!

As if these benefits weren’t enough, an avocado chocolate mousse is also bursting with antioxidants. These help to protect our cells against the damage caused by free radicals. In particular, avocados are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin. Studies show these carotenoids support eye health and reduce the risk of conditions such as age-related macular degeneration.(7)

Cocoa: a dream ingredient

Of course, there’s another key component in this chocolate avocado mousse – the cocoa powder. And it will please you to know that this ingredient does far more than taste delicious! Just like the avocado, it brings a wealth of health benefits of its own to the dish.

Cocoa is impressively rich in polyphenols such as flavanols, which can boost wellbeing in an array of different ways. For instance, they have both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, helping to lower the risk of chronic disease. This is because both oxidative stress and chronic inflammation may raise the chances of developing conditions like diabetes and cancer.

Getting more specific, the cocoa in an avocado chocolate mousse can support the health of your heart. One reason for this is that the flavanols it contains may improve nitric oxide levels in the blood. This helps to relax the arteries, increase blood flow, and lower blood pressure – all of which reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke.(8)

Excitingly, improving blood flow is good for more than just the heart. It may also benefit the brain. Studies show that consuming cocoa flavanols boosts the blood supply to your brain, which can enhance cognitive performance.(9) As such, there’s a possibility that cocoa could have a positive impact on neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s. However, further research is necessary to confirm this.

Finally, it will come as no surprise that studies suggest cocoa has a positive effect on mood and can ease symptoms of depression.(10) That makes this vegan chocolate avocado mousse perfect on days when you need a little pick-me-up! Time to look at how to make it.

Nourishing and indulgent: our avocado chocolate mousse recipe

Not only is this dessert bursting with healthy ingredients, but it’s also quick and easy to make. And on top of that, it tastes fantastic! Here’s how to whip up our recipe for avocado chocolate mousse.

Start by scooping out the flesh of one avocado and popping it in a blender. Then sprinkle four tablespoons of coconut sugar and one or two tablespoons of cocoa powder on top. If you prefer, you can use cacao powder instead of cocoa. This is slightly lighter in color, and usually has a more bitter taste but even greater health benefits.

Next, add two tablespoons of coconut whipped cream and two teaspoons of vanilla extract. The combination of avocado and coconut whipped cream gives the dessert a beautifully light and silky texture that you’ll love! However, it’s the final ingredients that really set this recipe apart: the mushroom extracts. Use a third of a teaspoon of both lion’s mane and red reishi dual extract powders (or your preferred alternatives). We’ll talk more about the benefits of these below. Then blend the mixture until it’s velvety smooth and an even, glossy brown.

Once complete, spoon your vegan avocado chocolate mousse into a serving dish. To make your dessert extra indulgent, add a dollop of coconut whipped cream on top. Lastly, sprinkle a teaspoon of cacao nibs and a tablespoon of your favorite berries over the cream. Raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries are all fabulous choices. This is a brilliant way to add a splash of color and some different textures to the pudding. Plus, of course, they’re good for you! And with that, you’re ready to tuck in.

Why you should add mushrooms to your avocado chocolate mousse

Ok, we admit it – adding mushrooms to avocado chocolate mousse sounds a little strange! But these aren’t just any old mushrooms. These are medicinal mushrooms, which means they can take the health benefits of this dessert to the next level.

For example, functional fungi like those in this recipe are rich in potent polysaccharides called beta-glucans. These act as a prebiotic, nourishing the good bacteria in your gut. As we mentioned above, this supports your wellbeing in all kinds of different ways. What’s more, beta-glucans help to improve cardiovascular health and stimulate the immune system.(11)

In addition, medicinal mushrooms function as adaptogens. That means they enable the mind and body to cope with mental and physical stress more effectively.(12) This is hugely beneficial because chronic stress weakens immunity and contributes to several harmful conditions, from insomnia to hypertension.

For this avocado chocolate mousse recipe, we’ve chosen to include lion’s mane and red reishi. These each bring their own unique advantages to the dish.

Looking first at lion’s mane mushroom, this is particularly beneficial for our cognitive health. Studies suggest it can stimulate the growth of specific types of brain cells and protect against neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s.(13) Moreover, it may work to balance mood by easing symptoms of conditions such as depression and anxiety.(14)

Moving on to reishi, this fungus is rich in anti-inflammatory triterpenes and supports our natural immune defences. What’s more, evidence suggests it can help you relax and even improve the duration and quality of your sleep.(15) That makes this avocado chocolate mousse ideal for enjoying before you go to bed!

Of course, feel free to swap these medicinal mushroom powders for other varieties that better suit your needs.

Introducing our dual mushroom extracts

We’ve created this avocado chocolate mousse recipe using our new dual mushroom extracts. We grow both our reishi and our lion’s mane on organic lignocellulosic substrates under carefully controlled conditions in Europe. Once mature, our team of expert mycologists dries the fungi and grinds them into a fine powder.

We then take this powder and separate out certain beneficial compounds to make a more concentrated product. It’s a dual extraction process, which means we steep the mushroom in both water and alcohol. The water extract contains water-soluble compounds, such as polysaccharides. Meanwhile, the alcohol extract contains alcohol-soluble compounds like terpenoids. We combine the two to give you the widest range of valuable beta-glucans and secondary metabolites in one powder.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that mushroom extracts are better than whole mushroom powders. Some nutrients, for example vitamins and minerals, are lost or reduced during the extraction process. As such, the best choice for you will depend on your personal needs and preferences. If you prefer, you could make this avocado chocolate mousse with whole mushroom powders instead.

Whichever you choose, you can rest assured that our medicinal mushroom products are of the highest quality. We have all our functional fungi tested by independent and accredited quality checkers to confirm they’re rich in beta-glucans. Our dual extracts are therefore among the most concentrated on the market.

You’ll find that the mildly bitter and earthy taste of medicinal mushrooms perfectly complements the cocoa in our avocado chocolate mousse. However, this is far from the only way to take them. You could also try making traditional mushroom tea, or using them in dishes such as soups, stews, and risottos. So experiment a little and see which recipes you enjoy your fungi in the most!

Serving tips for this avocado chocolate mousse

One easy way to make this avocado chocolate mousse recipe your own is to switch up the toppings. Some fantastic options include nuts for a bit of crunch, fresh mint leaves, or curly chocolate shavings. You can also add orange zest or a dusting of cinnamon to change the flavor profile of the dessert. If you’re feeling decadent, you could try crumbled cookies, a drizzle of caramel sauce, or a dollop of ice cream.

Alternatively, you might like to serve this avocado chocolate mousse in smaller portions as an accompaniment to other desserts. For example, it could form part of a parfait, sit on top of a tart, or even be a filling between layers of cake. This allows you to create a sweet treat that’s as light or as rich as you want it to be!

Either way, this avocado chocolate mousse makes a fabulous dinner party dessert. That’s especially true when you serve it in glass cups so guests can see the contrast between the dark and white layers. Not to mention the pop of red from the berries! Yet because it’s so quick and easy to make, it’s also an ideal option for a simple and spontaneous pudding. Plus, with avocado chocolate mousse, you don’t need to feel guilty about indulging your sweet tooth! It doesn’t get much better than that.