I know Valentines Day was so last month… but my birthday is coming up and I wanted to indulge in a chocolatey dessert that was somewhat healthy. This is the most delectable, rich, vegan mousse tart and it’s easy to put together! This weather is already warming up (yesterday was 80 degrees!!) so it’s no-bake which is ideal.
Three layers of creamy chocolate, from the raw walnut, cacao, sea salt crust to the creamy cashew coconut mousse to the sweet dark chocolate peanut butter topping - I can’t get enough!!
All of these ingredients were sourced from Pacific Health Foods (except the dates which were purchased at our local farmers market). There’s only a few ingredients needed for this recipe and they are all clean without sacrificing any richness or flavor.
Let’s start with the crust! There’s quite a bit of blending in this recipe… you could use a food processor or a high powered blender (I used my kitchen aid which I love). It tastes just like a brownie, so good. Throw the following into the blender:
- walnuts
- dates
- cacao powder
- coconut flakes
- flaky sea salt
Blend/pulse until it’s fairly fine but not super fine. I liked a little texture in the mix. Cover an 8 inch or 12 inch spring form pan (depending on how thick you want the cake) with parchment and press the crust firmly around the base. Stick in the fridge until you’re ready to fill it with the mousse.
Now for the mousse! You’ll soak the cashews ahead of time. I did this only a few hours before but you could soak them overnight if you think of it. To speed up the process, you can bring water to a boil and toss the raw cashews in and boil for 2 minutes and let them soak for at least 30 minutes. Blend the following ingredients:
- soaked cashews
- coconut milk
*Get a can of full fat coconut milk and do not shake. Open with a can opener and scrape out the thick creamy top but do not use the milk. This should be approximately 1 cup.
- unsweetened cacao
- finely ground coffee or esspresso
- vanilla extract or paste
- real maple syrup
- dark chocolate
- cinnamon
- creamy peanut butter
This consistency should resemble mousse so blend for at least 4-5 minutes until all of the chunks are completely pureed.
Once you’ve poured the mousse mixture onto the crust layer, chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Melt the dark chocolate chips with creamy peanut butter, I used the fresh ground peanut butter from the shop which is my favorite. I would add a teaspoon of coconut oil to this mixture to make it more playable and easier to work with. Melt it slowly on the stove, double boiler or microwave until melted and pour over the top of the chilled mousse and return to the fridge.
I can’t wait to share this with family and friends! It satisfies that sweet tooth of mine without the guilt. I love that it’s naturally gluten free, vegan and uses no refined sugars. Keep it stored in the fridge - I almost think it tastes better the second day when everything is set but you can also serve and eat the same day. I hope you enjoy!
Ingredients
CRUST
1 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup raw unsweetened coconut flakes
1 1/2 cups pitted dates
1/2 cup unsweetened cacao powder
1 pinch flaky sea salt
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
2 cups raw cashews (soaked)
1 cup full fat coconut milk (scoop the thick cream off of the top, don’t use the liquid underneath)
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon finely ground coffee or espresso
1 teaspoon cinnamon
8 ounces dark chocolate
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
Print Friendly