Chocolate Mousse Parfait: dairy, gluten, egg and refined sugar-free

Several weeks ago I had to modify my Paleo diet to accommodate my stricter medical needs. As a result, I've been eating absurd amounts of cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and squash. I've also started having reoccurring dreams in which I am stuffing my mouth with cake, cookies, and slabs of German chocolate. Bless it.

When I wake up from these dreams, my tummy is usually grumbling for something rich and sweet and non-vegetable-y. Enter: this dessert I like to call "The Elixir of Happiness and Spreader of Peace on Earth," alternatively known as "Chocolate Mousse Parfait."

This parfait is dairy, gluten, egg and refined-sugar free, but don't let the absence of these ingredients fool you: this is AMAZING. I made this for the first time last week, and since then, I've eaten it every day. I've also begun to have dreams about eating it. Take that, you dreamy piles of cake, cookies and German chocolate, you. 

Here's what you'll need to make this simple, quick dessert:

For the chocolate mousse:

• One 14-ounce can of FULL FAT coconut cream, minus the watery liquid at the bottom of the can

• 5-6 tablespoons of pure maple syrup

• 7 tablespoons of cocoa powder

For the vanilla cream:

• One 14-ounce can of FULL FAT coconut cream, minus the watery liquid at the bottom of the can

• 3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup

• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Optional garnish: semi-sweet chocolate
 

Preparation Directions: 

This dessert requires some planning as the cream needs time to thicken in the fridge both before and after you make the parfaits. 

1. Put both cans of cream in the fridge overnight. This allows the cream to thicken and separate from the watery liquid at the bottom of the can. (Not all cans of cream will have this liquid.)

2. After the cans have had a night to sit, open one can and scoop out all the thick cream, leaving any watery liquid at the bottom of the can. You can dispose of this liquid or save it for a recipe requiring light coconut milk (I save it for baking projects).

3. To make the vanilla cream, put the cream in a food processor, along with the maple syrup and vanilla extract. Process ingredients until they are thoroughly blended.

4. Pour the cream in a bowl. If the cream is still runny, cover it and put it back in the fridge for several hours (all day or overnight is best).

5. Open your second can of coconut cream and separate the cream from the liquid. You can dispose of this liquid or save it for a recipe requiring light coconut milk.


6. To make the chocolate mousse, put the cream in the food processor with 7 tablespoons of cocoa powder and 5 tablespoons of maple syrup. Process the ingredients until they are well blended.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Because every can of coconut cream has a different ratio of thick cream to coconut water, the cocoa powder and maple syrup measurements may need to be adjusted to taste. 


Instructions for parfait assembly:

1.  Cut off the tip of one of the bottom corners of a large Ziploc bag to create a piping bag of sorts. Spoon the chocolate mousse into the bag.

2. Pipe the chocolate mousse into a parfait, wine, or champagne glass until the glass is 1/3 full.

3. Make a second Ziploc piping bag and scoop the vanilla cream into it. Pipe the vanilla cream on top of the chocolate mousse until the cup is 2/3 full. Your vanilla cream may be runnier than your chocolate cream. That's okay; it will still work. The chocolate mousse base should be thick enough to keep the vanilla cream from running to the bottom of the glass.

4. Pipe chocolate mousse on top of the vanilla cream until the glass is full.

5. If you'd like, grate semi-sweet chocolate on top of the cream for a garnish.

6. Put the parfaits in the fridge to set for a few hours before serving.

Is that easy or what?!

This would also be yummy with alternating layers of raspberries or sliced strawberries. And if you can eat cookies (gluten-free or not), this would be delicious with alternating layers of crushed chocolate cookies!

And of course, the chocolate mousse is divine on its own. I make it regularly, and eat it straight out of a big ol' tub. 

Bon appetite, my friends (and SWEET dreams!)!

Cheering for you, Skillets,


Sarah

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© by scj