Vegan Chocolate Cherry Mousse. Incredibly decadent and made without any eggs, nuts or oil! Made from dried cherries, dark chocolate and coconut cream. Just 8 ingredients for this rich, creamy, perfectly textured dairy-free mousse!
VEGAN CHOCOLATE CHERRY MOUSSE
One of the most delicious combos out there is cherries and chocolate. This recipe was inspired from a trip to Paris my husband and I took back in 2008. The photo background used in these photos is actually a photo I took of the Eiffel tower that is hanging in our house and I thought it would be a great idea to incorporate it into these photos.
Forgive the poor photo quality…these were taken with an old, crappy camera back in 2008. Here I am eating that mousse that inspired this recipe, but I gave it my own little twist. Yes, I know I look pretty awful in that photo….that was 2 days with NO sleep and total jetlag. I was totally exhausted and it took me weeks to recover. I have had no desire to leave the country since then, lol.
The greatest highlight for me by a mile was visiting the Louvre Museum and getting to see the Mona Lisa. It was a dream of mine and I was overwhelmed with excitement and practically trembling once I arrived to see it. The MASSIVE amount of people surrounding the area to see it was amazing and impressive. Seeing the painting by Leonardo da Vinci that is 500 years old is an experience that I really can’t just put into words. If you have no interest in art, then you probably don’t care, but I personally LOVE art, love museums and it is a happy place for me. I have been creating my own acrylic and oil paintings in my spare time since I was 18 and fulfilling my dream to see this painting was magical to me. I must have taken 50 pictures just of this painting and I really didn’t want to leave the area.
It is spectacularly protected too after it was stolen in the early 1900’s (later retrieved of course) and after many attempts to damage it by visitors, it is now set behind bulletproof glass (hence the fuzzy photo). Seeing it up close was awesome because you could see how truly old it was, peeling paint and such fascinating detail.
Nobody is getting to that sucker now. People were literally pushing and shoving to get up close, including ME.
This is me in front of the Arc de Triomphe. Super cool monument. I really only had 2 things I wanted to do when going to Paris…seeing the Eiffel Tower and the Mona Lisa. Paris is a very beautiful city, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d hoped, so the tourist sites were the saving grace.
Have you ever had traditional mousse…you know, the egg kind? It is like eating clouds; the texture is straight perfection. Well, I have to say, I nailed this vegan Chocolate Cherry Parisian Mousse! This perfect blend of ingredients resulted in one of the most amazingly, delicious creations I’ve come up with. So indulgent, yet so light. It is creamy and airy even though it is totally egg-free.
This vegan chocolate egg-free mousse is only 6 ingredients (+ a tiny amount of salt)! So easy and such simple ingredients and to die for.
VEGAN CHOCOLATE MOUSSE WITH CHERRIES
Ummmm, would you just look at that texture??
I used an ingredient not probably used before in mousse…..dried cherries. It is THE dried cherries that once soaked completely overnight, give stability and texture to this mousse and a richer, deeper chocolate flavor. When combined with the lots of cocoa powder, a whole dark chocolate bar and 100% coconut cream, it becomes just like the Parisian style egg-filled mousse. Holy cow…tastebuds were dancing! I only use 2 tablespoons of sweetener to keep the rich, chocolate taste and it not be overly sweet.
You have to follow the directions properly to reach this heaven in a glass.
Make these for a party, gathering, your friends, or just for yourself! Then, you have to come back and leave me feedback and tell me what you think. You can also tag me on Instagram with a photo with my tag #thevegan8, I seriously love that too, your photos of my recipes are super duper cool.
Other Vegan Chocolate Desserts to try:
Vegan Chocolate Cherry Mousse
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut cream (I got exactly one cup from a chilled 13.6 oz can full-fat coconut milk, chilled overnight at least (1-2 days is best)
- 1/2 packed cup (75g) unsweetened dried tart cherries, soaked in 1/2 cup boiling water 8 hours minimum
- 1/4 cup (24g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons (40g) pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
- 90 g 3.16 oz 70-71% dark chocolate bar, finely chopped (I used a 3.16 oz bar)
- Optional toppings: Whipped coconut cream, chocolate chips, fresh cherries, or shaved chocolate
Instructions
- Follow each step closely for a smooth result. First, you will need to make sure your coconut milk has been chilled at least 24 hours prior to beginning. You will ONLY be using the hardened, thick cream at the top of the can, not the water. I use Thai brand which always yields beautiful, thickened cream after being chilled for a couple of days. You will need 1 full cup of coconut cream for this recipe.
- You will also need to soak your dried cherries prior as well. Do this by adding 1/2 cup BOILING water to a large cup or small bowl with the cherries. Let them sit for 8 hours or overnight, the longer the better, so they become really soft. This step is crucial for them to blend up completely smooth. Do not drain the water. Add both the cherries and soaked water to a food processor. Blend for a couple of minutes or so, until completely smooth, you want it really smooth. Literally let it run for 2 minutes, walk away and come back. You will be blending a couple of more times and it will all be smooth by the end.
- Add the cacao, syrup, vanilla, chilled coconut cream (scoop out the hardened cream from the can, discard the water) and salt and blend for a few minutes until completely smooth, scraping the sides as needed. Let it run again for a couple of minutes.
- Lastly, finely chop the chocolate and melt until smooth and add to the food processor. Blend again until completely smooth. I even transferred mine to my Vitamix for one good last run for ultra creaminess, but if you don't have one, just let your processor run until smooth. It should all be totally smooth by this point and no more bits of cherries remaining. Taste and add any more sweetener if desired, but I would use a dry sweetener and not a liquid one. I did not add any more sweetener, as I liked the rich chocolate taste. If your dried cherries were not sweetened, then you will likely need to add some extra sweetener.
- Place in a bowl or container to chill in the fridge for 2-4 hours. It should be thick and well set, but smooth. It will become a little bit firmer the longer it sits, so just let it sit a few minutes at room temperature if desired, or just add a splash of plant milk to it. Scoop into serving glasses and top with coconut whipped cream, chocolate chips and fresh cherries, if desired for presentation. Devour.
Oh my goodness you don’t know how much I craving this right now! Cherries and chocolate are one of my favorite combos and a match made in heaven! Once again, you are a genius Brandi!
Awww thanks so much Bethany!! I really appreciate that so much!
I love Paris! It is beautiful! as well are this cherry mousse! Divine. I still blown away that it only has six ingredients. Looks so creamy and delicious. Well worth the wait =)
Brandi, I made the chocolate-cherry mousse last night and my boyfriend and I LOVED it! It’s creamy, not too sweet and just the perfect balance of cherry and chocolate flavor! With some minor prep work, it’s SO easy to make too! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I’ll definitely make this again!
Posts that sit and marinade always have more meaning to them! This was a fun one, and well worth the wait with that mousse! Also, you look FAR from awful in any of these photos. Even with jet lag you are still a glowing beauty!
Wow, this recipe was worth the wait! So gorgeous!
Thank you so much Cathleen, I really appreciate that!
Hi Brandi, Isn’t Paris great? I remember trying to get a look at the mona lisa and there were maybe like 20 tourist groups that were all standing in front of it. I think I saw a glimpse of it from good 25 feet away. We just kind of gave up then and checked out some yummy food instead 😀 Back to the mousse, it looks really velvety and delicious! Pinning! Pinning! Pinning! 😀
Thank you so much Vanessa! Yes, it was so crazy, but when I want something…I make it happen and I PUSHED my way right to the ropes to get a good shot. Nobody was stopping me, haha!
Lovely pictures of your Paris trip. I was there in 2009. Cherries and chocolate is a deadly combo, and I am so loving your gorgeous clicks as much as I love this VEGAN mousse! YUMMY!
You are so incredibly sweet, thank you so much for the compliments! 🙂
Haha, aww thank you!! I ended up feeling like total poop the whole trip and I’m not kidding…took weeks to recover, but thankfully the excitement of the travel and sites helped me to deal with it!
I love seeing these Paris pictures. I was in Paris in 2003 (I think) for a friend’s wedding (wedding was actually in Belgium, but we did some sightseeing!). I wasn’t overly enraptured either, but I did LOVE the view from the Arc de Triomphe. I also loved that there were chocolate croissants on literally every corner (probably not vegan, but neither was I back then). This mousse looks to die for!!
Thank you so much Jenn!! Yes, I remember the crepes and they were so yummy, but the rest of the food I found to be pretty nasty, lol. It was just too different from what I am used to and like. Paris is so beautiful but yeah, people were not very friendly to us AT ALL…we got a lot of “americans” comments when people would pass by us, lol! Funny!
Brandi, this post is wonderful! I loved reading about your trip to Paris and the photos, while I’m sure don’t do the real life experience any justice, I got real sense of just how magical it must have been. I LOVE art, so the Louvre is high on my wishlist, but I’m not sure I could handle the crowds! Haha!! When I lived in IL, we used to take the train into Chicago all the time to the Art Institute, but that’s nothing compared to what they have in Paris! Ok, now the recipe! I’m floored by the dried cherries! The texture looks absolutely amazing and I want to dive right into a dish of this. Adding this to my list of recipes I NEED to try! ❤️
Thank you so much sweet Mandy! The Louvre was a dream come TRUE…in fact, I would love to go back to Paris for just seeing it again. Yeah, I do NOT like crowds at all but that did not stop me from pushing and shoving my way through to see what I wanted…hahaha. I become a fearless person when I want to do or see something. Get out of my way! Ha! That Mona Lisa was like living in a dream for real…I am fascinated by history and seeing really old buildings and pieces and statues….I love, love looking at them, so seeing all of these pieces that were 100’s of years old was total bliss for me.
Have you ever been to the Getty Museum in California? That is pretty amazing too! One of my favorite experiences of my entire life was going to see Alcatraz…that old prison…wow…history is so fascinating…I love to daydream like I’m back in time….
Hello Brandi! Beautiful photos! I wonder where would I get dried tart cherries? I always see the sweetened ones which I don’t buy. I did find some unsweetened blueberries once…hmmm 🙂 Anyway, I think I have the same necklace you are wearing in the photo with the red shirt! So funny. Great recipe as always and I will try to find those cherries.
I would suggest looking on Amazon since I’ve never seen unsweetened cherries at stores….here is the link for the exact brand I used for the recipe..they are sweetened, but I’m sure you can look for some unsweetened around since Amazon seems to carry everything, haha! Oh, really?! How cool…I got that necklace at Ann Taylor yearssss ago!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004L5TUB0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=sl1&tag=thve8-20&linkId=F6YTC56XUZE4OMEE
This looks delicious Brandi! You know I may have to break my rule for this one….I soak my dates all the time so I’m sure the cherries did the same. I’ve actually also soaked sun dried tomatoes to do the same thing in a savory dip and it also worked great. I know this one is amazing! Like everything girl!
Break the rules girlfriend! LOL! The cherries is mild because there is so much dark chocolate and cocoa powder in it. Oh yes! I have a chipotle and sundried tomato dip on my blog and it’s super yummy!
Delicious mousse! And great shots too – the Mona Lisa is definitely a lot smaller than imagined isn’t she!
Thank you so much for the compliment Thalia! Yes, I was surprised at how small it was, but it was still so magnificent!
Thanks for the recipe. I was wondering if this tastes like coconut? I find a lot of vegan recipes that use coconut milk can’t mask the flavor of the coconut and therefore should use coconut in the description.
Hi Cindy! Honestly, I don’t taste coconut at all. There is the cherries which are tart and sweet and then lots of cocoa powder and a whole bar of dark chocolate…so I think it masks the coconut flavor well. I actually do not like a strong taste of coconut either and my hubby HATES coconut and can’t taste it. However, I know we are all different and if you really dislike coconut, you MIGHT taste it, but it certainly is so mild it doesn’t warrant the name in the title. I know what you are saying though, I have a cheesecake recipe on here that even though it tastes sweet and like cheesecake, since there is both coconut milk and coconut butter in it, I named it with the word “coconut” in the title.
So elegant and fancy, I just want to dive right in with a spoon and mess it all up 🙂 Mousse is possibly the best dessert there ever was…creamy and rich like ice cream, but lighter and without brain freeze! The soaked dried cherries are such a great addition, I’ll have to try that little trick in my next creamy treat!
Thank you so much Natalie! Since I don’t like dates, the idea of using dried cherries for structure sounded good in my mind and since they aren’t gooey like dates, it worked amazingly AND cherries enhance chocolate flavor! I actually prefer ice cream over mousse though, lol!
What an amazing post, it actually took me back when I went to Paris as an exchange student (some time ago!) Nice seeing your older photos you haven’t changed a bit! What the heck! Great recipe and a unique way to present it… much love Brandi xxx
Awww thank you Petra!! That was 7 years ago so thank you! I’m doing my best to preserve my youth, lol! And honestly, changing to a vegan diet nearly 3 years ago (this year) has only IMPROVED my skin!
Oh my gosh – that TEXTURE!!! I am so in love with this mousse and those gorgeous mini chocolate chips sprinkled on top! The use of dried cherries is so unique!! I can only imagine how decadent they make this taste! Plus anything chocolate + cherries is yum in my books! 🙂
I loved seeing your Paris pics and I am SUPER impressed by your Mona Lisa pic! I never managed to get that close to it with all the people crowding it, ha! The Musee Dorsee is my favorite museum in Paris though 🙂 I think the reason I love Paris so much is because one of my close friends lives there and he showed me around town!
Lucky you to have somebody to show you around! I think that definitely would have made a difference…we experienced some pretty rude people, haha! Pushy, pushy and rude waiters. Oh well, maybe one day if we go back, it will be a better experience.
Thank you so much for the compliments! I was amazed at how the texture turned out so silky smoothy, yet held it’s shape….just like an egg mousse! So addictive!
I think if I HAD to choose just one dessert type over all of the others, it would be mousse/pudding. And most likely, I’d be concentrating on chocolate-based ones! As ever, your dessert looks lush and totally yummy. PS I love how the glasses kind of mimic the Eiffel Tower :-).
You are so sweet my friend, thank you!! This was definitely lush and dreamy! 🙂
What I REALLY want to know is where you got those dessert goblets?
Ha, that’s all?! LOL. I got them at Home Goods!!
Wow, recipes with special memories are the best! I’m really impressed how you created this recipe which was inspired by your travel in paris in 2008 in the last year. All this reflects a lot of the way you are to your readers: Interested in arts which one can obviously guess by your amazing pictures. They are just beautiful and majestic – one can feel the lifestyle of the city. I love how pretty easy this recipe is, only a few ingredients and you had a perfect dessert like this. Never thought to put dried cherries in this, wonderful and clever idea.
Florian, your comment was so thoughtful and I really appreciate such kind compliments on my photos and style…that means so much to me! I do love both this recipe creating and art and truly believe they tie together because to me, it is all about creation and expression which both food and painting/art are all about! Thanks so much!
That is simply gorgeous Brandi! Haha I do the same thing with so many recipes….had them all ready a year ago, but ended up not publishing till months or yea, a year later!
Haha, ok good, glad I’m not the only one! I just kept putting it off and writing new recipes and then I thought, hey it’s hot as can be outside…let me get this post up now!
Thank you so much for your kind words! xx
Yes, soaked dried cherries are great for texture and flavor. Susan at Fat Free Vegan Kitchen made a cherry chocolate mousse cake like this with tofu. Although it’s not at all fat free-haha! I’ve made chocolate mousse with avocado and it turned out so light and creamy. This looks fantastic Brandi.
I’m with you, Paris did not live up to my expectations. I prefer Rome. The highlight of my Paris visit was going to the Louvre and the Notre Dame Cathedral.
I can get real coconut cream in a can at Trader Joe’s. Any reason that wouldn’t work just as well?
Should totally work, let me know!!
Hi Brandi – I am a new follower of yours and love your blog and recipes! I’m new to being Vegan and Gluten Free for health issues, but unfortunately, I can’t stomach anything made with coconut milk. Is there a vegan substitution for the coconut milk/creme to make this? Thanks so much! Hugs, Holly
Thank you so much Holly for following! So glad you are loving the recipes! I haven’t tried it personally, but the best sub I can think of for coconut cream is tofu. A lot of people use tofu in place of it in puddings, mousse and sauces, so I would try that but be warned, I have no idea how much to use or if it will affect the flavor, lol! I’ve never used it since I don’t do tofu, but I think it would work! Let me know if you try it!
Oh! I just thought of another idea…you can try subbing with some cashew cream, but it will be more dense and not as light, but that is another option!
AAAH BRANDI! Chocolate and cherries are my two complete and utter favourite things in life. When I was little I always loved black forest gateau – sooo good. This is like the mousse equivalent! I haven’t found any dried cherries before near me, so I’ll look them up on Amazon, because I definitely want to make this. I’m also tempted to use some oat cream in the recipe, because I’ve got loads of it at home at the moment (and I just used up the last of my coconut cream) I think it will have a different effect, but I’ll try it out, maybe add some unflavoured coconut butter in it to thicken it, and I’ll let you know how it goes!! Your trip to Paris sounds great too – I love how we both really got into painting at the same age!!! So crazy. I’m really jealous that you got to see the Mona Lisa, I’ve always wanted to see it in real life. It’s a shame that so many people have tried to destroy such a beautiful piece of art – I’ll never understand that! I haven’t been to Paris for years, but I remember how much I enjoyed going up the Eiffel tower. Did you see it at night when all of the lights were lit up on it? It’s the most stunning view. Thinking about it is making me want to go back now! Anyway – can’t wait to try this!! Off to Amazon I go..!!! 🙂
Thank you so much Harriet! Yes, I linked to the cherries in my ingredient list on Amazon! They are the exact ones I used too…super sweet and tart and perfect for the recipe! Yes, oat cream and coconut butter will change the texture, so it may take some tweaking, not to mention the coconut butter will leave a more prominent taste and texture but if you like it, then try it and let me know! Yes, Paris had some wonderful aspects to it, the sites being my favorite part!
Yes, we went up the Eiffel tower at night…in fact, the backdrop of the Eiffel tower photo in all my pics above is a photo I took myself that I had blown up and I thought it would be perfect for these photos!