By Amy Treasure
This afternoon I made a desert from what was essentially raw cacao powder and avocado. We had my Mother-in-Law over to dinner and so I served it after our meal. The adults cleared their bowls almost as quickly as the children and once they had all scoffed my offering I told them it was made from avocado!
Nobody could believe it. That’s is how good this dessert is.
I made too much as always and currently have a chocolate mousse just chilling in my fridge, ready for my inevitable and dreaded afternoon energy slump tomorrow afternoon, and best of all there will be absolutely no guilt.
I recently gave up sugar and being a family of foodies who enjoy entertaining as much as eating out I must say I was a little worried that it would be limiting. That is not the case at all, in fact, my new no refined sugar lifestyle has opened my eyes as to the many ways in which food can be nourishing, good for you and a treat all at once. As someone who has battled with diets for a large part of my adult life, this really is a perfect way of eating for me and so today I want to share this recipe with you.
In terms of health benefits, this dish packs a real punch. Bananas are brilliant for protecting against type two diabetes and can even aid weight loss. Avocados are a true super food with wonderful anti-inflammatory fats and vitamins. Did you know that eating avocados can lower cholesterol improving heart disease risk factors? The raw cacao is a powerful ingredient which can help you shed fat, prevent premature ageing AND is a natural aphrodisiac. Oh la la!
It hardly takes any time at all to rustle up but if you are making it for a dinner party then factor in an hours chilling time in the fridge so the mousse can firm up to become that soft and light whipped texture that tastes so good in a chocolate pudding.
Ingredients
- 2 large and ripe avocados
- 1/4 cup of raw cacao
- 2 tablespoons of agave nectar or maple syrup (I used agave nectar)
- 1/3 cup of coconut yoghurt or a sachet of creamed coconut (I used the yoghurt)
- 1 banana
- 6 Medjool dates
- 1 tablespoon of almond butter
- Fresh raspberries to decorate
Method
- Pit the dates and then put all ingredients into a food processor, add a little cold water to loosen if the mix is too thick.
- Pour into glass jars or cups, chill for an hour and serve with fresh raspberries.
- It really is that easy
I defy you not to try this and declare it the best chocolate mousse you have ever tasted. Yes, the avocados are unusual but they make for the most heavenly and creamy texture while the cacao powder adds a real richness.
You could even add a sprinkling of chia and flax seeds to make this dish even healthier.
Enjoy!
