This sure is a breakthough in vegan cuisine.
A short while ago there was talk on FB somewhere that if you beat the liquid from a can of chickpeas (called aquafaba), then it will froth into a meringue, and they weren’t wrong either.
I adapted this theory, and was not interested in just making a meringu I had done that a year or so ago with other ingredients, but I was intrigued with this, and set out to create something far more fascinating that I had long, long missed. ‘Mousse au Chocolat’.
I tried it and I almost collapsed with the result (I had not seen this mousse made in this way on the web before). It worked as perfectly as if I had made it with egg white.
I shelved it, and now I’ve decided to publish it for the world to enjoy ! And make no mistake, here you are 100% going to fool any carnivore.
No eggs, No cream, No gelatin, No Cholesterol, No soya, No gluten, No nuts, No avocado, No coconut cream, No flaxseed, No chia seeds.
Just the magic of a commonly used brine, sweetener and dairy-free chocolate, a few sprinkles of the imagination, and voila – the most delicious airy chocolate mousse.
INGREDIENTS
the liquid of 1 can of chickpeas (around 125ml)
100 grams dark chocolate (get a good quality for this) – melted (bain marie)
1-2 tsp of either stevia, or confectioner’s sugar/icing sugar
a pinch of salt
METHOD
Bain marie your chocolate – melt in a bowl placed over a pan of simmering water. Take the pan off the heat, but keep the bowl over the hot water – then remove it, and allow it to cool down whilst you prepare the next stage.
Beat the liquid of your chickpeas. I used an electric whisk for mine, or you could use a handheld whisk. Whisk until peaks form and you have created a meringue, then add the remaining ingredients except for the chocolate, and whisk for another 15 seconds.
Now gently fold in the chocolate, making sure it has cooled down. Don’t just chuck it in the middle of the whisk, pour or spoon gently with a spatula, and very slightly stir it, just enough to incorporate it.
Tip from Lily in the comments :
For those who experienced graininess, I think it can happen if the cold whipped aquafaba goes into the heated chocolate, and that it causes the chocolate to seize up and turn into bits.
I had the same problem when I first tried it. I again used 70% cocoa chocolate, so I don’t think it’s the chocolate type.
I heated the chocolate in the microwave.
I solved this by adding 1 tsp of vanilla extract to the heated chocolate and this ‘slackens’ it. The mix went slightly thicker and cooled down slightly, then I immediately added the whipped aquafaba mix.
All recipes and content © Miriam Sorrell www.mouthwateringvegan.com 2010
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO THE COMMENT BOX AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE TO LEAVE YOUR COMMENT ON THIS RECIPE. THANK YOU.
Mousse au Chocolat with Air Bubbles ! (Chocolate Mousse)
Course: Dessert, SweetCuisine: French4
servings20
minutes15
minutesVegan Chocolate Mousse
INGREDIENTS
the liquid of 1 can of chickpeas (around 125ml)
100 grams dark chocolate (get a good quality for this) – melted (bain marie)
1-2 tsp of either stevia, or confectioner’s sugar/icing sugar
a pinch of salt
METHOD
- Bain marie your chocolate – melt in a bowl placed over a pan of simmering water.
- Take the pan off the heat, but keep the bowl over the hot water – then remove it, and allow it to cool down whilst you prepare the next stage.
- Beat the liquid of your chickpeas. I used an electric whisk for mine, or you could use a handheld whisk. Whisk until peaks form and you have created a meringue, then add the remaining ingredients except for the chocolate, and whisk for another 15 seconds.
- Now gently fold in the chocolate, making sure it has cooled down. Don’t just chuck it in the middle of the whisk, pour or spoon gently with a spatula, and very slightly stir it, just enough to incorporate it.
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…do you think this method could make the long sought after vegan angelfood cake? I am not the experimental type, someone please get on this!
Hi Miriam. Just made this. Not as good looking as yours but quite airy and so easy to make. I would add some more icing sugar though as the saltiness of the brine does come through. Maybe I will try different brands of chickpeas. (These will now be made into burgers). Great recipe though. Thanks.
Glad you made and enjoyed it and the more it cools the more it will harden. How sweet the end result is depends upon the sweetness of the chocolate, so a little trial and error till you get there. Check the salt content of the beans, add a little more icing sugar and you’ll be there. 🙂
Will give that a try soon EL. 🙂
Miriam, thank you for this. I assume you need the can of garbanzos to NOT be the salt free type. Right?
Also would like to remind folks to use slave free chocolate. A list is at the Food Empowerment Website.
Thank you again.
Hi Miriam. This looks fabulous!!! One thing I am worried about: I know that you are supposed to thoroughly rinse tinned beans before using them to get rid of the liquid because it is very salty. So is it a concern that you are using a really salty liquid in the dessert? I am really careful about not using much salt in my diet so I worry that this liquid would not be a good thing for those who cut back on salt. What do you think?
Also, what does the xanthan gum do if you use it?
Thanks……………….Jan
Has anyone calculated the calorie content? Sounds like a wonderful option for those counting calories!
Can I use a blender, instead of a whisk? Will it be the same result?
Thank you 🙂
Okay I tried making this last night and it completely failed. As soon as the chocolate hit the chickpea water mixture it seized and clumped up.
I’ve had awesome success making meringues and I followed the recipe exactly. What do you think went wrong? The only thing I can think of is the dark chocolate I had available wasn’t good enough. I plan to try again tonight using a higher quality chocolate – do you think that will make the difference or am I missing something? Do I need a darker choc (I have fifty percent but would seventy percent work better)? Could it be a temperature issue?
Thanks so much in advance! 🙂
Hi Miriam–revelatory! I made this just now and it is cooling in the fridge.
I have some adjustments to make next time, like I think I should beat the “meringue” a little longer–stiff peaks instead of soft peaks. If I can’t get it to stiff, then I’ll add the xantham, which I didn’t use at all this time.
I also used salt-free garbanzo beans and think that the extra salt in the brine would have helped boost the flavor just a bit.
Minor execution tweaks aside, this recipe is truly brilliant. I cannot wait until it chills enough for me to let my family taste it (I liked the spatula).
That looks absolutely incredible. I love chocolate mousse but am not a fan of eggs, so this would be an amazing replacement.
Hi Miriam. What happens after you incorporate the chocolate? Do you chill it or anything else? I was scrolling down for more steps after the photos. Is that really all you do? 🙂
I didn’t love the pavlova I made recently with cannellini bean water due to the taste, but this looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it with chickpea water.
You can get chick peas in water e.g. Tesco own brand are salt free
Hi Miriam, I made this last night and was really impressed with it. It tasted so good and the texture is just like mousse. One thing that I want to ask is, how did you look at the chickpea water and say to yourself ” I’m going to make a chocolate mousse out if that'”. Who would have thought that something so nice and guilt free could be made out if something that is usually poured down the sink. This will be made for friends.
Hi there Nigel and so pleased you made and enjoyed it ! The chickpea water as such was whipped into a meringue to start with by French Chefs, one of my favourite desserts was chocolate mousse, so I reckoned that the substance could also cross over and translate itself into other dishes, this mousse being one of them, although it may need stabilizers when heated. 🙂
That’s great to know Kathy – thanks ! 🙂
I also hated eggs prior to going vegan, but loved the mousse and also a cream caramel. This works perfect, so do let me know how yours turns out as and when. Remember to let it cool off overnight in the fridge if possible.
Hi Eileen, you might be pleasantly surprised to find that as it cools in the fridge overnight it will harden all the more. Don’t use Xantham in it, it won’t need it, and I tried it with it and it did not stabilize properly. That you might need to beat it some more, wait and see after you taste it. Hope you enjoy it ! 🙂
Sophie Hi there. You say ‘as soon as the chocolate hit the chickpea water mixture it seized and clumped up’ – well, I’m not clear if you went through the whole process. 1. Beat the chickpea water until if forms what looks like a merningue with soft peaks that hold on your processor. After that, having melted the chocolate, allow it to cool a little and gently pour it on to the meringue (do so on the side of the bowl not the centre, although that should not affect it). Then slowly mix it and gently spoon it into a container or containers. Hope this helps ! The choc should not be a problem, but don’t use it piping hot on top of the meringue made from the chickpea juice.
Daniela Hi, I think it’s worth buying a hand held whisk for this recipe alone, why ? As it’s one you’ll make your whole life. But that said, I have to be honest and say that a whisk (especially an electric one which will take on the work) is the only tool that will work as one needs to bring a great deal of air into the mixture. Remembering of course that the chickpea brine/water in this instance behaves just like egg whites.
No, afraid not. Hope you try it out though, as there are no fats from dairy free chocolate nor any in the chickpea water.
Janet Hi, I understand and respect your concern. I have heard there are canned chickpeas that are salt free, look out for them or low salt. Otherwise you can still make it and consume a little at a time. Don’t use xanthan gum, I removed it altogether, it was a mistake to put it there as tried it with it and it didn’t work as well. The results from my pictures are all examples used without the xanthan.
Paris Hi, to be honest with you the ones I used did have added salt – it worked perfectly well. Thanks for the choc tip ! 🙂 Hope you make and enjoy it, if so, let me know how it goes. 🙂
Hi again Miriam. I have found a brand that has tinned chickpeas in water but will that liquid foam up the same way that the brine does? Is it the salt that allows you to beat it into a meringue or is it some effect that the chickpeas have on the liquid regardless of whether they are stored in salt or not? I would love to be able to make this mousse using the liquid from water-packed chickpeas but will it work or is the salted brine needed in order for the recipe to work?
Don’t like buying canned items. How could I do this with chickpeas I prepared from scratch?
Can I add more sugar to make it sweeter?
Hi. Looks awesome. Do you think it can be frozen and eaten as a frozen dessert? Thanks in advance 🙂
hi Miriam,
I confess I was a bit skeptical about the tin chick peas trick … tried it last night, and not only did it work, it was super delicious! thanks for your inspired idea! I made it with mint dark chocolate and served it with vanilla swedish glace: yum yum! once again: thank you!
That’s super news Laura ! 🙂
I would have it half frozen, so in other words Tia, make it and before serving freeze for 40 minutes a portion. See how that works for you ! Let me know how it goes if so. 🙂
Hi Tiffany, sure you can, but be sure to use icing sugar or stevia, as you’ll need something pretty light weight to keep the air in the dessert in tact. 🙂
I understand Virginia, perhaps if you found a brand that is sugar and salt free then the liquid from the chickpeas (which is pretty strong in terms of starches etc) will be not be harmful, very little of it is consumed as it turns into a meringue once it has been beaten up – the majority content would be the chocolate, and I would advise a very good quality one for that matter. Hope this helps, as I have not yet tried it with fresh beans.
Hi Miriam, thanks so much for the recipe, it’s so yummy!!! Everything worked perfectly well and it’s so easy! Mmmmmh, thank you!!! All the best from Germany 🙂
Hi Miriam,
I was wondering, should the chickpea liquid be cold (from the fridge) before beating, does it make any difference? Also, do you think I could use some coconut cream to make it more “creamy”?
I tried this today and it turned out very nice, though not as nice as yours… The taste is fantastic! I would like to make it for a party next weekend and I thought the beaten coconut cream would make it a bit more special 🙂
Hi Miriam – I am thinking I might make this for a friend’s dinner tonight. My question is about serving sizes. I don’t see how many this serves. Also–do you think it will translate to a bigger batch?
Thanks! I’m excited to try it!
Thank you so much for this revelation, I have shared it all
Comment disappeared!
I had an issue. Worked great in the beginning but after a while in the fridge, it went liquidy. I used a huge jar of chickpeas, possible to use too much with not enough chocolate to hold together? Equally, I added a touch of maple syrup to chocolate to give a healthier sweetness!
Otherwise, this recipe rocks :))
Jxx
Julia Hi. Thanks for dropping by here with your comment. I cannot understand what exactly went wrong in your fridge the next day, sounds very odd to me. If it worked on the day you made it and consume some, then the next day should have been the same. I made ours with icing/confectioner’s sugar (not a healthy option, but a convenient one) that is a dry substance that solidifies as you know, so, I’m thinking maple syrup could have something to do with it. Try it with icing sugar too, and if you get the same amount of liquid in your chickpeas, just add a couple of bars more of chocolate, but it really should be fine otherwise.
Hi Mica, this dessert is rich, so I would say around 3-4 small-ish portions. Double it if you wish, but still make them separately, ie whisk one tin juice at a time to keep control of textures and so on. Let me know how it goes and be sure to use icing/confectioner’s sugar to ensure the end result will be of a perfect consistency.
Angela Hi. The chickpea liquid I use when creating this was not cold, so use out of the tin as is no need to refrigerate. Secondly, no need for coconut cream, believe me it’s creamy enough once you make it according to my recipe, be sure to purchase good quality chocolate is the key to the flavour and be sure also to use icing/confectioner’s sugar not any other sweetener unless it’s of a powdered form. Let me know how it goes ! By all means serve the beaten coconut cream as a topping on it – the entire dessert then will assume a very impressive look and will be very decadent with that topping. Let me know how it goes !
Cristina Hi, so glad you made and enjoyed it. It’s great to know that such an impressive tasting and looking dessert is so easy to make, a lifetime of chocolate fun !
Hi Miriam. Will this recipe work the same way if you use the liquid from canned chickpeas stored in water as opposed to the usual brine or do you need the brine in order to have it beat into a meringue? I am trying to avoid the salt in the brine if possible, but if it will only work with the brine, then I will try it that way and hopefully I won’t find it too salty.
Thanks!
Hi Miriam,
Looks great. What size can of chickpeas?
Thanks so much for your reply! Made a second batch with icing sugar and no maple syrup!
Fingers crossed 🙂
Wonderful! You must be a magician, dear Miriam!
i just did this and it did not work. the water whisked beautifully and i achieved turn over your head no spill meringue. i then added the chocolate and it did not look smooth first of all and was too salty. anybody have any suggestions? the volume also reduced once i added the chocolate…please help!
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Sounds likely that your brine from the chickpeas was over salty, that’s problem number 1. Problem number 2, the chocolate must be added slowly, again, the type of chocolate might not be right for the recipe for some reason (fat content and so on). Many have tried it and it works, so changing the 2 key ingredients and adding chocolate slowly should yield a great result (also be sure to use icing/confectioner’s sugar for this recipe in this instance). Hope this helps.
Good luck Julia and hope it worked out well for you ! 🙂
Hi Sandra, I believe mine was the liquid from a 400 gram tin. Hope this helps ! 🙂
Janet Hi. I have not tried it any other way other than as per my recipe, so I can’t say with any certainty if it would otherwise work. My advise to you would be to buy a low salt one and try it out that way. It’s not like you are going to consume it daily, and you will only have one portion, so by the time it’s diluted with the chocolate if you buy a low salt can/tin, then your intake would be on the low side. Hope this helps ! 🙂
Hi Miriam,
I followed your advice and served the mousse with a little whipped coconut cream on top and everybody loved it! Thank you! 🙂
Thanks Miriam! i made this yesterday, using water I had boiled down from chickpeas had made myself from scratch. Yum.
Next time, I think I could improve on the stability of the desert by boiling down even more to attain a higher protein-water proportion, maybe adding a dash of salt to my water and using icing sugar (I used regular white sugar from the Hebrew recipe).
But all in all, this is FANTASTIC!Thanks 🙂
Next challenge – making a really creamy-tasting ‘whipped cream’ to use in a Pavlova.
Wow, this is great! I had no idea that a little chick pea liquid go to such a long way. It behaves just like egg white, really. This is indeed a breakthrough in vegan cuisine. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome Ellen, and hope you make and enjoy it too ! 🙂
So glad this worked out for you Chemdat ! 🙂 Let me know how your Pavlova goes as and when ! 🙂
That really is awesome news there Angela, well done and hope you repeat it when the next chocolate mousse urge arisis ! 🙂
Wow, this looks incredible 🙂 I am sooooo trying this!
Worked perfectly with “no salt added” chickpeas.
Enjoy !
That’s awesome news Amy ! 🙂
Hi Miriam, Can you eat this straight away? or does it need to be refrigerated?
Congratulations on the new book! I have your first one and LOVE it, so I’m very excited to hear you have another coming out soon. I will look out for it.
Best wishes, Mia 🙂
Hiya Miriam
Back again to your site after doing nearly half or your book recipes.
As you know I am of the experimental type so may I ask: Whats so special in chickpeas liquid?? Only chickpeas work? And besides chickpeas and water what are the other ingredients contained?? Tks
Woow, this recipe is perfect. I used my stand mixer to beat the liquid and the result was spectacular. I melted chocolate in the microwave with a little bit of soy milk and let it cool down just a tad before adding it in a slow stream to the “egg white,” while at the same time using a large spatula to gentle fold the chocolate into the mixture.
Hi
Congrats
I did this today and it turned out just like the pictures. Am experimenting how to do it from scratch. Had a partial success but must tweak things a wee.
Hi, this is a great idea. can you please tell me the amount of liquid in ml as I am from Austria and I buy organic chick peas in a glass usually they are smaller than normal cans and really stuffed with less liquid than in the cans from my expirience. So I really want to try this but want to make sure that I have the right amount. Thank’s a lot and greetings from Vienna!
Hi Mia
Yes it can be refrigerated. Mine is but youd best watch it cos it disappears as soon as you make it…so delicious
Thanks Joe and so glad you made and enjoyed it ! 🙂
Eva Hi there and thanks for dropping by here. You will need approx 135 ml of liquid. Hope you make and enjoy it (do taste it for sweetness, and remember to buy a good quality chocolate and be sure it has slightly cooled before adding it to the white whipped meringue/mousse). 🙂
Sounds like you are on the right track there Joe – continued success is round the corner. Best wishes to you ! 🙂
Brava Livie, sounds like you really have got the right touch with this. Wishing you continued success, and pop by my Mouthwatering Vegan FB page at some point when you make it next and send a few shots of it, if they’re in focus, then I’ll post them up with credit to your efforts for others to share and enjoy ! 🙂
Other bean water may work, it’s a combination of the starches etc in the liquid that manifest into the equivalent of egg whites.
Mia Hi there and thanks for dropping by here. You cannot eat it immediately as it needs to set in the fridge. So glad you are enjoying Mouthwatering Vegan my book and hope you enjoy my forthcoming book YASOU too soon. If you wish to be notified by email about it kindly drop me a note on the post on my homepage of my book, so that you can be added to that list. Kindest your way in the meantime ! 🙂
Just made this and it looks n tastes great! Not chick pea-ey at all. Very fluffy n chocolatey…used rasberry chocolate too so it has a hint of that in it. Going to put in fridge and have for dessert! Thank you!
Sounds like you have a resounding success in your fridge and soon to enjoy shortly 🙂
Hi Miriam
Have you any idea how much flaxseed oil to use vis-a-vis seed?
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Joe Hi, there is no flaxseed oil in this recipe Joe.
Hi Virginia, I use the following as I also don’t like canned goods – I make several batches and freeze them in 200ml servings, which seem to be about right. 3/4 cup flax seeds, 6 cups water. Bring to the boil, reduce to simmer. Stir frequently as flaxseeds stick. Reduce (by simmering) to 1/3 volume. Separate gel with sieve. Voila!
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hi,can you tell me how many ml of chickpea liquid you need for that recipe?
Simply amazing! I can’t get over how the chickpea liquid really does beat up like egg whites. Thank you!
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Thank you so much for sharing your adventure. Very fun.
I tried this last night and had a fail. I got the beans to whip up pretty well. They seemed like stiff peaks to me. Then I took the fluffed up aquafaba mixture and very carefully (I think) drizzled in the chocolate and tried to fold it in a little at a time.
But what I ended up with was teeny, tiny crystallized chocolate bits. It didn’t incorporate very well. It was basically gritty chocolate mouse where the grit was chocolate bits. Admittedly, if I have to have a gritty consistency, having it come from chocolate is not terrible… But I was disappointed. I’m going to try again and wonder if you have any suggestions. I’m thinking the chocolate wasn’t cool enough. But I waited a very long time and it felt totally room temperature to me. So, I’m not sure what I did wrong.
FYI: It was a very good quality chocolate. It was a 72% vegan dark chocolate.
Thanks again for this post.
JJ Eugene Hi. It could be a couple of things, the chocolate could have had something to do with it. I think it needed to be cooled down some more. Try another chocolate brand anyway just in case. Pour the chocolate very slowly into the sides of the meringue mix and then stir it for a few seconds slowly until it is incorporated. It has always worked when I have made it, but there is the odd bit of trouble shooting in most recipes that call for doing something different like this one, mainly because a new methodology is called for, so that challenges exactly how to make it and in some instances the ingredients and kitchen gear we choose to use. Hope it works for you next time, it really is a treat !
With great excitement and anticipation, I made this today, my first time using Aquafaba, and unfortunately it was a miss. I don’t understand where I went wrong. The meringue was stiff ( I even did the upside down test), the melted chocolate was cool but still runny and I added it gently, to one side. As soon as I did, the meringue began to deflate, and the chocolate formed little curdles as I folded it through. After a few hours in the fridge, the consistency is too airy (no satisfying substance) and has a grainy texture from the tiny choc bits. I can also taste the chickpea, but that could be fixed with more vanilla I suppose. It’s just not smooth and silky and mousse like at all. Any thoughts on what I did wrong?
I’m just now reading JJ’s post and it seems I’ve had almost the same situation, even with the type of chocolate I used. I’ve read your reply to JJ, and so there’s probably no need to reply to me. I shall try again. 🙂
Hi there Veroni. I myself am a little confused as to what could have gone wrong here. Many people tried it and it worked, few did not have very successful outcomes. It is difficult to guess exactly what went wrong, but going through the comments, this one from Livie states : Woow, this recipe is perfect. I used my stand mixer to beat the liquid and the result was spectacular. I melted chocolate in the microwave with a little bit of soy milk and let it cool down just a tad before adding it in a slow stream to the “egg white,” while at the same time using a large spatula to gentle fold the chocolate into the mixture.
I do hope you get success here next time dear Veroni as I know otherwise it can be frustrating, but equally satisfying once it works out. I myself had one failing with it in subsequent trials and given that I have always used the same brand of chickpeas, I can only put it down to the chocolate, as I used a different brand at that time. Still, one must pay attention to drizzle the chocolate so as not to burst the ‘foam’ created by beating the liquid up. Hope you succeed soon. 🙂
Have replied to you already and good luck. 🙂
Miriam, Thank you for your reply! I think Veroni and I did have the same problem. She described it better than me.
I’ll take your suggestions to heart and give it a try. Thanks!
Hi JJ – see my response to Veroni. Thanks.
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Hi Miriam, thanks for all your care and attention to these comments. In case it’s helpful I’ve struck the grainy mousse issue too and after lots of experimenting it appears that the issue is the chocolate “seizing” when it contacts the liquid in the aquafaba. My conclusion is that we need to add enough liquid to the chocolate while it melts (as Livie did above using soymilk) so it effectively seizes and then “un-seizes” again. I used vanilla extract and a bit of extra aquafaba to provide the liquid for this. Also I suspect that chocolate with a high cocoa % might need slghtly more liquid that one with a lower % – because there’s effectively there’s more sugar in the lower coco % chocolate which reduces the amount of liquid needed to counteract the cocoa solids 🙂 Thanks! Aaron
Very helpful Aaron and much appreciated – I shall quote you if needs be. Thanks and cheers ! 🙂
P.S. How much liquid do you recommend Aaron ?
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I tried twice, it would have made a great milkshake, Miriam. Can you help me? I beat the chickpea juice and whisked it. I’m thinking the meringue was not stiff enough.
OMG! Thanks for this recipe, i have now made this numerous times and it is amazing. The whole family love it!
You’re most welcome Sally and hope you enjoy many more recipes from my blog ! 🙂
Can this be piped after refrigeration? Thanks.
I haven’t tried Kyle, I’m concerned it may be a little too soft for that, since much of the texture is ‘air’.
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Hi Mirriam! I made this last night and it was superb even though I used caster sugar for sweetener instead of icing sugar. I ended up adding few drops of lemon juice to help my meringue along. The final result was light, airy and bubbly! Thanks to you! Do you think I could use this to frost my chocolate cake?
Hi there Reslyn, thanks for the feedback. At what point did you incorporate the lemon juice ? As for frosting your cake, you may need to add more chocolate if so, as the mousse has air bubbles that will reduce somewhat if applied to a cake I imagine, I say this as I have not personally used it as such. Give it a try and let me know – good luck and enjoy ! 🙂
Thanks for your positive feedback Reslyn. Hope you enjoy many more recipes from my blog. I have not frosted any cakes with this mix, but bear in mind you might need to add more chocolate to it so that it has more form, especially because of the air bubbles. Let me know how it goes and best your way in the meantime. 🙂
Thanks for your recipe – I am not a vegan but I am hopeless at making chocolate mousse with eggs so thought I’d give it a try. Plus it’s cheaper if it all goes wrong !! The aquafaba took longer to whip and I could not get it to what I’d call stiff peak. But it seems to set fine in the fridge with a relatively soft peak. How long did it take (I used an electric whisk on low setting) to get yours to stiffen? And of course I hit the graininess problem: I used a 72 percent chocolate which from the comments above seems to be causing issues. Next time I will try adding some liquid to the chocolate first. Thanks so much!
Hi there Hannah, all people are welcome here on my blog – vegan and non-vegan alike. 🙂 I did not count how long I whisked the aquafaba, but a few minutes for sure. See how it sets, then come back and let me know the outcome and regarding the chocolate and liquid, at least you have a better guide for next time. Look forward to your feedback as and when, but do let it get a few good hours in the fridge first – that really helps with the setting process too – although it does not solely rely on it ! Cheers to you ! 🙂
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A few tips:
If you want to add tasty things (vanilla, grand marnier, kahlua are all good), add them to the white fluff, NOT to the melted chocolate. Leave the chocolate naked.
Add about a third of the white fluff to the chocolate and fold in. Then fold the chocolatey mix into the white fluff. This prevents the graininess problem.
Thank you for this recipe Miriam. Your picture inspired me to try this because the texture looked so perfect!
Let me know how it goes as and when – cheers your way ! 🙂
O-M-G!!!! I made this last night and cannot believe the deliciousness. It turned out perfectly airy and just like the chocolate mousse I remember from my pre-vegan days. Thank you so much for sharing such an amazing recipe! Much appreciated.
Sure thing Melissa, and delighted you enjoyed it to the full ! 🙂
Hello,
I have made this mousse twice now and it has been fantastic both times,no one believes me when I tell them what it is made with. Thank you for the recipe x
Well that really is awesome news Faith ! Hope you enjoy many more recipes from my blog. Cheers ! 🙂
I don’t buy chickpeas in cans cos the quality isn’t nearly as good as freshly cooked chickpeas, and the recipe works well with the left over juice that the chickpeas cook in. If you haven’t tried cooking beans before, remember to soak them at least 8 hours before changing the water and then cooking them. Boil without lid for 10 minutes, then continue simmering with the lid on for another hour. Makes lots of chickpea juice, so lots of yummy mousse. Also did with maple syrup rather than icing sugar and was super delicious before I even added any chocolate.
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Good to know, thanks Madhu, thanks for your contribution here. 🙂
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For those who experienced graininess- I think it can happen if the cold whipped aquafaba goes into the heated chocolate and that it causes the chocolate to seize up and turn into bits.
I had the same problem when I first tried it. I again used 70% cocoa chocolate, so I don’t think it’s the chocolate type.
I heated the chocolate in the microwave.
I solved this by adding 1 tsp of vanilla extract to the heated chocolate and this ‘slackens’ it. The mix went slightly thicker and cooled down slightly, then I immediately added the whipped aquafaba mix.
I also added more sugar- 30g of caster sugar.
The mix is totally smooth and turned out like the photos.
It is really wonderful! This made 4 decent sized portions. I froze 2 portions and it was like very light chocolate ice cream. Mmm!
Thanks for this recipe!
Thanks Lily, have added your comment as a tip at the bottom of the recipe. 🙂
@Miriam.
This ‘graininess’ also seems to happen with ‘regular’ egg mousse, it’s not a problem with using the aquafaba. So people shouldn’t be discouraged if this happens, aquafaba is still an amazing ingredient!
I did some research and it’s recommended to add some of the whipped egg to the heated chocolate so thicken it first- so I wondered if this would also work with aquafaba. The method is called ‘slackening’.
I’m sure a big tablespoon of the whipped aquafaba mix would work just as well as vanilla extract to ‘slacken’ the mix.
I asked my Mum to test it, as she’s a hardcore omnivore, and she said she’d never guess the mousse was vegan, and she really enjoyed it.
I am going to make myself a chocolate mousse pie for Christmas, using the aquafaba mousse. Mmmm!
Awesome stuff Lily ! Best wishes to you and your loved ones too ! 🙂
Sorry but the liquid that comes with cheakpeas in the can has conservants and other stuff, you joint that liquid together with the ckickpeas or just the chickpeas?
Gena Hi, the liquid in the can from the chickpeas is what is used for making up the egg white equivalent before beating it for the mousse – the chickpeas are not used, but you can always make a hummus from them afterwards so they don’t go to waste. Try and purchase a brand that does not include anything other than the chickpeas water and salt – there may be ones without salt. Hope you make and enjoy this ! 🙂
Do you have an egg free cornbread recp?
Ilene Hi there – here is the recipe for you http://www.mouthwateringvegan.com/2011/02/22/winner-vegan-cornbread/ enjoy and let me know how it goes !
This was so good! Mines wasn’t as airy as pictured above but it tasted divine and still had a great texture, thank you for the recipe!
That’s awesome news Daetara ! I look forward to your future comments and feedback on my blog, in the meantime, enjoy ! 🙂
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Hi
I have read about aquafaba, but never tried it. After reading your post, I got so motivated that immediately got up to make chocolate mousse. Got thrilled to see aquafaba turning to nice soft peaks, but on adding chocolate it was a total failure. The foam collapsed and chocolate turned grainy. Anyways I made chocolava cake with that. I again tried but this time instead of making chocolate mousse, I made strawberry mousse which was a hit.
Hi there Ritu,
So glad it made a great strawberry mousse ! Here is what would help prevent grainy effect – this is a comment from a lady who had the same problem, here is what she said/did (hope it helps you too) :
For those who experienced graininess- I think it can happen if the cold whipped aquafaba goes into the heated chocolate and that it causes the chocolate to seize up and turn into bits.
I had the same problem when I first tried it. I again used 70% cocoa chocolate, so I don’t think it’s the chocolate type.
I heated the chocolate in the microwave.
I solved this by adding 1 tsp of vanilla extract to the heated chocolate and this ‘slackens’ it. The mix went slightly thicker and cooled down slightly, then I immediately added the whipped aquafaba mix.
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Hi, I just made this last night and it was great!
One thing though, make sure your bowl is much bigger than the aquafaba because is really gets much bigger! It overflowed my bowl.
I think I stirred mine too much after adding the chocolate, because it was not so fluffy.. still delicious though!
Thanks for this great recipe, I will use aquafaba in other recipes.
Craig Hi there, sounds like you had some fun in the kitchen ! Aquafaba is quite magical and there are a host of recipes that can be veganized thanks to this invention ! I look forward to your future comments on my blog !
I forgot to add, I used agave syrup instead of sugar because I had some on hand, and the liquid was stirred in so quickly. I hope this is useful to others!
Cheers
Can I also use cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate?
Hi Hannah, I wouldn’t use the cocoa powder instead because it’s not a solid like the chocolate which in itself and of itself consolidates it and adds the right texture to the mousse, as the melted chocolate cools down, it somewhat solidifies, but the aquafaba ensures that it does so in a ‘light’ way – just like real egg whites do when they are beaten.
Thanks for your input Craig, and hope the result was satisfactory. 🙂
Unfortunately, no. Eggs are good not only for binding, and rising, but they can also give structure (depending on the application) Aquafaba is amazing because it allows baked goods to rise AND it binds but add too much and the baked good collapses. However, if you go to the Facebook page Vegan Meringue Hits and Misses, there is an angel food cake recipe made from soy whey.
For best results, reduce your aquafaba then chill it before whipping. I poured the juice from a can of chickpeas into a small pot, reduced it from 3/4 cup down to about 1/2 cup, then chilled it. When it came time to whip it, it formed stiff peaks in about 3 min, and was super firm – perfect for this recipe or for making meringues, etc.
I seen on another blog you can just steep the dried white beans in the water for a good amount of time and it will work.x
Do you have the link for that Jade so that others can see ? Alternatively, do you have a few lines as instructions as to what needs to be done to make the aquafaba at home ?
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Is the aquafaba that results from soaking and cooking dired chickpeas at home the same as from a can? Is there some way to make it the same?
Hi there Nicole. It must be from the can, not just the ‘raw’ soaking water from the beans. The reason for this is because once the beans have been boiled the nature of the water changes too and that is what turns into the aquafaba which we vegans substitute for pre-beaten egg white.
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Great recipe. It is easy to make your own chickpea liquid at home. Then you can make a bulk of it and freeze it in 1/2 cup servings. Homemade Aquafaba whips up even faster then the canned and has no salt. There is a Facebook group called Vegan meringue Hits and Misses that has tons of amazing recipes.
THANK YOU SO MUCH! I made this today and it worked out just PERFECT! It’s the best one I’ve ever tasted!
That’s super news Ianirei, so happy you made and enjoyed it. 🙂
We made this last night. It was delicious. My chocolate had cooled a little too much and I added vanilla essence at that point which made it thicker. I couldn’t thin it by heating briefly in microwave, so ended up adding it, first loosening it with some of the aquafaba bubbles. It wasn’t completely set when we ate it and had tiny bits of chocolate in that melted in the mouth – added bonus.
Looking forward to the final portion today as it should be completely set.
I am converted to aquafaba!
Thank you!
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Thanks there Ianirei, so glad you made and enjoyed it ! 🙂
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What brand of chocolate did you use?
Cee Hi there, it was so long ago I don’t recall, it would have been at least a 70% cocoa, but I do like the Greens & Blacks – here is a link for you : http://www.peta.org/living/food/definitive-guide-vegan-chocolate/
Hope you make and enjoy this !
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It is not the salt, it is a combo of carbs and protein that simulate the egg whites. I make my own aquafaba using the leftover water from the chickpeas I cook in my own pressure cooker, and it has no salt and works fine.
How much in quantity will this recepie give you please?
I think it gave me either 2 large ramekins or 4 small ones.
Just cook your own dried chickpeas and use that water or take chickpeas from glass containers? Duh?
Don’t know what you mean Lilly ???
I just whisked for one hour and no peaks formed. No peaks! My arms hurts. I’m severely disappointed.
Hi Kelly, I can’t say what could have gone wrong. Aquafaba is very popular now and seems to work, so maybe the brand of chickpeas you have has another ingredient or different consistency, I cannot say. Hope you enjoy it another time.
This is the first time I’ve tried using Aquafaba and it worked great. We absolutely loved this mousse. It was really light and bubbly. Only thing I will say is I found that some of the chocolate solidified again and so there were little bits in the mousse but, to tell you the truth, this actually made it even better.
Hi there Sharron, glad you made and enjoyed it ! By all means experiment with different chocolate brands, but sounds like the bits gave it extra texture !
Absolute perfection!! I was worried when I was whipping it that it reached a certain point and wouldn’t seem to get any fluffier (barely even soft peaks, let alone stiff ones) but I just checked the chocolate in anyway and gave it a go and it set so fluffy after a couple of hours in the fridge. My carnivore roommate loved it and his mind was blown when I told him it was vegan. A recipe to be made again and again for sure. Thank you!! (I used chickpeas with no added salt and this may have helped counteract the flavour that other commenters mentioned.)
Hi there Holly, so glad you made and enjoyed it, as well as your carnivore roommate – lucky for him ! Hope you enjoy many more recipes from my blog ! Cheers your way !
Fantastic so safe for everyone as raw egg mousse is a no no for so many – pregnancy, children, compromised immunity.
The science – must be globular protein that tangles when whisked, the heat of the friction coagulating/setting the protein and holding the trapped air inside.
Hi Maire and thanks for dropping by with the science and magic behind this recipe, you are right in saying it is a safe recipe for those who are pregnant, children and compromised immunity. All the best and hope you enjoy it too !
Hi Miriam, I use a lot of raw organic cacao, have you tried it with this and a sweetener?
Hi Gillie, I’m sure it can be made with both, and it would be a healthier option too.
Just checked the aquafaba nutritional panel and it said 3 caloroes per tablespoon. I’ll put in the link for you to check yourself.
Here it is;
http://m.calorieking.com/foods/calories-in-fresh-or-dried-legumes-beans-aquafaba-bean-water-chickpea-water_f-ZmlkPTEwMDE0NDIz.html
Also ypu may have missed on the previous page that you can make your own aquafaba by cooking beans from raw.
Thanks to the author of this website/page and recipes they are brilliant.
You’re welcome Rosemary.
How many servings does this recipe yield?
Thanks!
Hi Patti – it depends on the portion size you have in mind. I made 2 medium/large sized ramekins with this recipe. You could may be make 4. But remember it’s a rich and decadent dessert, and also quite more-ish. Certainly so for any chocoholic ! Cheers !
This. Is. Heaven. Why isn’t aquafaba bigger than soy??
Hi Sydney. Aquafaba has gathered momentum and popularity over time, in fact there’s one book with specific recipes dedicated to it. Soy has been around for many years and therefore it’s use has built up a reputation over many decades.
Was really anxious to try this with my wonderful aquafaba meringues. I use very good belgian chocolate and let it cool completely before folding it into the meringue. Flavor was great but the chocolate got chunky and wasn’t remotely smooth. Any ideas on why this happened?
Hi Carol. I’m sure that the flavour was good if you used a good quality Belgian chocolate, but it could still be that the chocolate was the culprit, or one of the processes was not 100% perfect. Not being there alongside you in the kitchen, it’s difficult to say what could have happened. Therefore allow me to suggest that you read through the comments on this recipe where you may find something that makes sense to the process of making this in the event that any trouble shooting will reveal itself. Hope you get better results next time, however, if so, try a cheaper dark vegan chocolate.
Oh the agony! My mousse collapsed! The Aquafaba whipped beautifully, but when I added the cooled chocolate it just took all the air out and went totally liquid. I used 100 g of semi sweet chocolate. Was that the culprit? Why did it flop? I’m attempting a rescue mission with a fresh Aquafaba whip, and incorporating the fail batch (whipped as I can get it). I will report back!
Hello, this recipe is pure magic! Will become a staple dessert for every-time I have a chickpea curry! I featured this recipe in a blog post where I explored three way to bake with aquafaba – please check it out (https://mskitchenbakery.blogspot.co.uk/), happy baking, M.
Great !
Hi Jenny, this can happen rarely with the ‘wrong’ type of chocolate it seems. Not sure about the science of exactly why this occurs from time to time, but if you read through the comments you may find one or two people who had the same problem, but has been rectified by using a different chocolate. Good luck and hopefully your second attempt with a different dark chocolate brand that will hopefully yield a nice result for you !
Thank you , was delicious
Awesome Sylwia !
Best way to control the graininess of chocolate chips melted in the microwave is to add a little of the (whipped) aquafaba to the chocolate and stir vigorously. That will liquify the chocolate again.
Thanks Stacy, good trick for those having difficulty with any graininess.
There are low and no sodium canned beans.
Absolutely.
Good morning Miriam, I am new to the vegan scene, I am looking for anything that will make my life better thank you for this.
Could you give me an idea of cooking time please
Regards Harry
Hi Harry, preparation time is around 20 minutes in all, very easy to make.
Can’t wait to try this recipe! BTW for those experiencing graininess, I’ve read that chocolate chips are more likely to “seize” after being melted than chocolate in bars or chunks.
Hope you make and enjoy it Betsy !
Had pavlova made for me recently using aquafaba and queried the use of egg white. I must say it was very nice the first time in years. The chef gave me a recipe but have yet to make it.
Miriam I’ve made similar recipes before but with real eggs, and they always have you fold 1/4 of the whites into the chocolate at a time rather than adding the chocolate into the eggs. It seems to work better that way.
Hi Deb, sure thing, it may well work that way with the chickpea water – if you try it that way and it works well, then write to say as much. Thanks !
Hi, I am wondering if someone can tell me if this is OK to make 24 hours prior to serving? Thanks
Hi Miriam,I now have attempted this twice. The first time my melted chocolate may have been still tepid, so it set immediately and didn’t fold in. I attempted to whizz it with a stick blender, which made it smooth, but lost the bubbles (it still tasted nice 🙂 ).
Second attempt, I was curious if it had to be white beans, so whipped the liquid from a can of black beans. I think it took a bit longer to reach soft peaks than the chickpea liquid, but it got there. Like Deb above I added a bit of the whipped liquid to the melted chocolate to thin it a little , so easier to fold in, but….. I suspect my aquafaba may have been a bit cool, as I’d stored it in the fridge overnight, but it wasn’t “cold”. I will see if the speckly mixturw sets, if not, I’ll whizz it again. I used a chile chocolate I was given for a birthday present, that was too dark for me, so no chocolate “wasted” and I thought it might suit the possibly stronger flavoured black bean liquid. Very interesting substance, I’ve wanted to try it for ages, but your mousse recipe inspired me(and remembering to save the liquid this time!)
Did you ever attempt the Angel food cake mentioned above, or a simple sponge? I have a daughter who’s favoutite cake is sponge cake, but as she got older feels she is egg intolerant.
Thank you for your recipe Sue
I made this today and like magic the brine whipped – I was amazed! Added the melted chocolate with a dash of vanilla…didn’t seem to incorporate quite as well as yours but was smooth and yummy.
Sadly after refrigeration it’s gone grainy, the chocolate has basically solidified seperate from the meringue:-( should I have ‘whippped’ the chocolate into it instead of folding it?
Any tips?
I used 85% dark Lindt chocolate
It worked! Rich, satisfying, and it even satisfied the PMS cravings! For those who are having trouble, when I learned to make egg meringue years ago, I was told to always use a glass or metal bowl because meringue won’t set up in plastic. Maybe that applies here as well? Anyway, love your site and already looking at other recipes. Thanks!
Sure you can Zeddy !
Hi Sue and thanks for that feedback. I have not made a sponge as yet, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work out – if you try it let me know. Hope you enjoy more recipes from my blog and feel free to come back and comment if so. Cheers !
Lisa Hi and welcome here. It is difficult to say what would have made the change for a non perfect result. So many factors involved, quality of chocolate as well as timing of beating the acquafaba. Please read through the other comments which may help you. Almost everybody finds a solution and once you have managed this recipe, there’s a host of other acquafaba recipes you can enjoy !
Hi there Marsha, now isn’t that awesome news and well done. Now you’ve made it successfully, then you’ve a lifetime to continue enjoying it and also experimenting with other flavours. I look forward to your future comments on my blog ! Cheers and enjoy !
I’ll do my part to keep a five year comment thread alive 🙂
So, I melted 2/3 of a cup of chocolate chips in a sauce pan and then added a teaspoon of vanilla as per the comment way above, and the chocolate immediately solidified into a thick lump. I have no idea why. I added some oat milk (as I usually do when melting chocolate… it transfers the heat well and makes the consistency more manageable). It liquefied again and I had no problem mixing into the foamed chickpea water. It set perfectly in the fridge.
Hi there Doug, thanks for dropping by here and so glad you made and enjoyed my Mousse au Chocolat ! I look forward to your future comments on my blog !
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I can report on a failed experiment. I didn’t have chocolate so used 30 grams of cocoa powder and 70 grams of “Earth Balance” vegan spread, melted. I mixed with sugar and when cool I added to the whipped aqua faba. The AF immediately turned back to liquid. Sad.
Hi Art, it probably failed as a result of the ingredient composition. Hope you make and enjoy it with real vegan chocolate some time.
This recipe was a revelation! I served it with fresh raspberries and it was divine. I mixed some of the whipped aquafaba into the melted chocolate before folding it in and it really helped to lighten and cool it and made it much easier to fold through. I can’t believe I’ve been tipping this versatile liquid down the drain. Mayonnaise is next!
I was keen to see how this recipe tasted but was disappointed with the result, the mouse tasted chocolaty but was gritty in texture! not sure why as the aquafaba was clean and jelly like, my 72% plain chocolate was smooth and silky so what went wrong? i would like to try again if i can work out the mistake in just using 3 ingredients.
Not sure what went wrong Leo. Most people manage the recipe, as it’s one of my most popular, it could be anything. You can try it with another chocolate, or look at the other comments and find other ways that may help. I say this because a couple of people had a similar experience, but if I’m not mistaken was rectified using different chocolate – there is a science behind how this works. Good luck on your second attempt.
Hi there Susan, so glad to hear that it all went so well and you enjoyed it. It’s perfect served with raspberries. I’m sure like yourself thousands upon thousands of people have seen how this aquafaba can be used for many dishes, and over the years how much of it went and drowned down the drain ! I look forward to your future comments on my blog !
Mine didn’t set even after hours in the fridge. I wonder if that because the aquafaba had been in the fridge for a few days before I used it?
Hi Giovana, the science of it all is quite complex, so it could be any detail. I’m sure it will work for you at some point, be sure to get a good texture on the aquafaba as much relies on that and the quality of chocolate used, then there is the folding in gently and so on. Good luck, once it works, you’ll know for future makings.
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Hi there, I’m afraid I cannot understand the text, but hope you have made and enjoyed it !
Does this mousse need to be baked or just refrigerated over night?
Luana Hi there. All you need to do is refrigerate overnight – and that’s it. Good luck and enjoy !