How to indulge in something luxuriously sweet and tasty and remain true to your health? This is the perfect solution – Avocado Chocolate Mousse. It’s easy to whip up for a special occasion dessert, tastes like a dream, and fits my healthy lifestyle like a glove.

I usually use a mashup of Renee Loux’s recipe for this mousse - more or less of her ingredients depending on what I have in the kitchen. It tends to all taste good with the right amount of tweaking at the end, if necessary. I LOVE how she blends sweet, salty, and umami flavors in this dessert, which is different from most avocado based desserts I’ve seen. This is Valentine’s worthy, I promise - so give it a try!

Avocado Chocolate Mousse:

2 C ripe avocado

½ C grade B maple syrup

2 flat spoonfuls coconut oil

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp shoyu or tamari

¾ C plain/pure raw cacao powder (no sugar added; although I have used a mixture of raw cacao and sweetened cocoa powder before when I was running out… and it was great if you have the sweet tooth!)

Mix all ingredients until very well blended, smooth, and creamy in a food processor. Chill for at least one hour in a sealed container before eating. Stores up to 4 days in the fridge. Serve in ramekins with raspberries and mint, as Renee does, or with fresh strawberries, coarse sea salt, and a dash of cayenne pepper like me!