Feathery light and full of flavor, this vegan strawberry mousse is 100% plant based and free from refined sugars. Yet it is perfectly sweet thanks to the natural sweetness of the berries and a bit of added palm sugar.
Another feature of this recipe is my use of aquafaba. Aqua what? you may think… What on earth is that? Aquafaba is the secret to making feathery light plant-based desserts. It is a perfect substitute for the beaten egg whites traditionally used in mousses.
Aquafaba is the viscous liquid left over from cooking various legumes such as chickpeas. So next time you make hummus don’t ditch the liquid inside the can. It is as good as liquid gold in the plant-based kitchen. If you will not be using it right away, transfer this liquid to a new sealed container and keep it refrigerated for a couple of days or store it longer in the freezer.
Theoretically, you can also use the liquid from various other types of canned beans but I fear those other types will have a bit of a “beany” aftertaste. The liquid from chickpeas, on the other hand, has zero taste once mixed into a dessert.
This recipe also works really well with raspberries instead of strawberries. Just be aware of the added crunch from the raspberry seeds which some people might not be too keen on. I personally love the added texture of the raspberry kind but you be the judge. Make it with strawberries tonight and raspberries next week. Gotta love guilt-free pleasures!
For a slightly different take on a mousse-style dessert, check out my recipe for Mango Mousse.
Vegan Strawberry Mousse
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup raw cashew nuts
- 240 grams defrosted frozen strawberries
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
- 2 tbsp palm/coconut sugar, date sugar, maple syrup or sweetener of your choice
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 4 tbsp aquafaba
- Fresh berries to serve optional
- Dark chocolate to serve, optional I use 85% dark
Instructions
- Soak the cashew nuts in boiling water for 20 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a blender.
- Add the defrosted strawberries, coconut cream, lemon juice, sugar, and vanilla essence and blend until completely smooth. You will want all of the crunch of the nuts gone before proceeding. You may need to start and stop a few times.
- With the blender running add the xanthan gum and keep blending for another 30 seconds to make sure the gum is completely incorporated.
- In a large bowl whip the aquafaba as you would egg whites until completely white and stiff. Add the blended strawberry mixture to the aquafaba and carefully mix it into the foam. Use a rubber spatula for this and gently turn it over and over until completely mixed. Be gentle.
- Divide the mixture into four individual servings (or leave it in one big bowl) and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Before serving, decorate with chocolate shavings and fresh berries.
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