Jan 17, 2023 by Liz Douglas

Vegan Chocolate Mousse

This vegan chocolate mousse is so rich you would never guess it was made using silken tofu! It only takes five minutes to prepare and has just five ingredients.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Mousse with Silken Tofu
Expert Tip
Storage
Substitutions and Variations
FAQs
Serving Suggestions and More Dessert Recipes
Video – Watch Me Make This Recipe
Vegan Chocolate Mousse
Author

If you’re on TikTok, you’ve likely seen this tofu chocolate mousse recipe making the rounds. It has gone viral so many times in lots of different iterations – sometimes it is made with olive oil, other times with sugar instead of maple syrup. I love this version because it includes peanut butter for creaminess, but surprisingly it doesn’t impart too much flavor.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Rich and Decadent: This mousse has the perfect whipped consistency and delivers all the richness of a traditional chocolate mousse, but with a surprisingly light and airy texture.
Perfect Tofu Base: Silken tofu creates a smooth, creamy foundation without the strong flavors of other vegan mousse bases like avocado or aquafaba. You won’t taste the tofu at all—it’s completely masked by the chocolate and peanut butter.
Quick and Easy: This egg and dairy-free dessert requires no folding or tricky techniques—just blend everything together in 5 minutes.
Vegan and Make-Ahead: Ideal for entertaining, this vegan mousse can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance, giving you more time to enjoy your meal.

A spoon being dipped into a jar of chocolate mousse topped with whipped cream.

Ingredients

This vegan chocolate mousse recipe is so simple – it only has six ingredients. Five if you don’t count salt 😉 Silken tofu is the secret to achieving a smooth, creamy texture without any overpowering flavor. It also whips beautifully in the blender, creating that lovely, light mousse consistency. The rich flavors of dark chocolate, maple syrup and peanut butter mask any soy flavor from the tofu. Chocolate is the dominant flavor of this recipe, with just a hint of peanut butter. The role of the peanut butter is primarily to add some fat to the mousse, as tofu has almost none. The peanut butter really is the finishing touch that makes this mousse melt in mouth. Here’s a shopping list of everything you’ll need to make your own batch of vegan chocolate mousse:

Dark chocolate
Silken tofu
Maple syrup
Smooth peanut butter
Vanilla extract
Salt (optional)

Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact measurements of each ingredient.

How to Make Vegan Chocolate Mousse with Silken Tofu

The best part about this recipe is that it is SO easy. Unlike conventional chocolate mousse with separating the egg whites and yolks, beating them to the perfect consistency and the terribly vague art of folding, this vegan mousse is simplicity at its finest. Also, side note, but I never could master the technique for folding chocolate into eggs, no matter how hard my French host mother tried to teach me. Maybe it was an early sign I should go vegan 😉

Step one: Melt dark chocolate and add to a blender along with silken tofu.

Melted chocolate, silken tofu and maple syrup in a blender.

Step two: Add maple syrup, peanut butter and vanilla to the blender, plus optional salt if using.

Step three: Blend on high for around 1 minute, or until the mixture is completely smooth. It should have a thick but pourable consistency, similar to chocolate custard.

Chocolate mousse being poured into a small glass jar.

Step four: Transfer the chocolate mousse into individual glasses or jars. This is how you will serve the dessert, so choose accordingly. Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 2 hours or up to 24 hours. Don’t go over this time as the mousse can begin to separate and a little bit of water will pool.

Two small jars of chocolate mousse topped with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.

Step five: The chilling process is where the magic happens and the mixture transforms from a custard like consistency to a light, aerated mousse. It’s now ready to serve. You can serve as is or top with some whipped cream and shaved chocolate, berries or any other toppings you’d like.

Expert Tip

Normally for my recipes I suggest using natural peanut butter as it’s less processed, but for dessert taste is king. You can use any kind of smooth peanut butter in this recipe and it will be delicious.

Storage

Store the mousse in an airtight container or cover individual servings with wrap in the fridge. It will keep well for up to 3 days, however after 24 hours, you might notice some separation in the mousse. This is completely safe to eat and doesn’t affect the flavor, but it can be stirred back in to restore the smooth texture before serving. This is why I recommend not preparing the mousse more than 24 hours in advance.

I do not recommend freezing.

Substitutions and Variations

Peanut butter can be substituted for almond, cashew butter or hulled tahini. Tahini has a slightly more bitter flavor profile, so you may want add a little extra maple syrup to compensate. Alternatively, you can replace the peanut butter with 1 tablespoon of a light extra virgin olive oil to give the mousse that fatty melt-in-mouth consistency. Avoid using a robust strength olive oil though as the flavor could be too peppery and overpowering.
I like to use 70% dark chocolate, as it is quite balanced, typically vegan and not too bitter, but any dark chocolate will work well. For a sweeter mousse, try using a 60% dark chocolate, or for an intense flavor, opt for 85%.
Maple syrup is quite fragrant and works really well to mask any soy flavor from the tofu, but in a pinch you could substitute it with agave or brown rice syrup.
If you love coffee, try adding a splash of espresso or a teaspoon of instant coffee powder to the mousse for a mocha-inspired twist.
If you prefer a more dense, fudgier mousse, you can reduce the amount of silken tofu slightly or add an extra tablespoon of peanut butter.

FAQs

Can I use a different type of tofu?

No, silken tofu is essential for this recipe due to its smooth texture. Regular or firm tofu won’t blend smoothly and will result in a thick, gluggy and potentially grainy mousse. Don’t do it!

What percentage of dark chocolate should I use?

I recommend using 70% dark chocolate for the right balance of richness without being too bitter. It’s also typically plant-based.

Can I substitute the peanut butter?

Yes, you can use almond butter or cashew butter in place of peanut butter. Or, to make it nut-free, try replacing the peanut butter with hulled tahini or 1 tablespoon of light extra virgin olive oil to add some richness to the mousse.

How long does the mousse need to chill?

For the best texture, let the mousse chill for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. This allows it to set properly and develop its rich, creamy consistency. If you don’t mind a runnier consistency, of course you can eat it sooner.

Can the mousse be made ahead of time?

Yes, the mousse can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Don’t go over this time as it you will notice some separation. This is perfectly safe to eat (just stir it back in) but doesn’t look especially appetizing, especially if serving to guests., Just store it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

Does it taste like tofu?

No, the tofu taste is completely masked by the chocolate and peanut butter, making it rich and chocolatey without any soy flavor.

Two small jars of chocolate mousse topped with whipped cream, shaved chocolate and a spoon.

Serving Suggestions and More Dessert Recipes

If I’m making this mousse for myself, I rarely take the time to add any extra toppings because it is so decadent and delicious as-is. However, if I’m making this for guests, it is very pretty topped with some grated dark chocolate, raspberries and whipped cream (canned coconut cream works well – check out this helpful how-to guide on Minimalist Baker).

If you’re looking for more vegan friendly dessert ideas, then make sure to try my nostalgic Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding – it was one of my first recipes to go viral on Instagram. Another classic dessert option is my Sticky Date Pudding or for a bite-size treat, try Oreo Truffles.

Video – Watch Me Make This Recipe