Tofu-Chocolate Mousse (Vegan)

Tofu Dark-Chocolate Mousse on top of an Almond Oat Coconut Crust.

This is a great and easy option for a delicious vegan-friendly dessert!

I'm not vegan (I'm vegetarian), but I love finding/creating recipes that are vegan-friendly. I especially love when it's packed with protein and I can justify indulging in a post-workout chocolatey snack...but that's besides the point. 
This Tofu-Chocolate Pie was inspired/adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie's recipe.

It's absolutely delicious, easy to make (requires a blender/food processor), and few people will ever guess it's vegan!

As with most of the baking/cooking I do, this "recipe" is very forgiving. Feel free to experiment with it.

The Chocolate Mousse

- One bar of dark chocolate, cut into small pieces and melted (I used Green and Black's organic 80% dark chocolate and melted it in the microwave in a bowl.) You can use milk chocolate if you want, but then keep in mind it will not be suitable for any vegan individuals.
- One brick of tofu (I used silken tofu; you could use a firmer tofu and it would in turn be a firmer pie)
- Sweetener as desired (I added a sprinkle of icing sugar; I think date syrup or agave nectar would work well but I didn’t have these on hand. You could also use honey but, again, then it's no longer vegan!)
- A large splash of milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
- A splash of pure vanilla extract
- A dash of cocoa powder


Blend together until totally smooth. Add a dash more of milk if it is not blending well. It should still be quite thick!
After it has blended, either scoop it out into a container/bowl and let it sit in the fridge OR add it on top of a pie-crust of your choosing. (See below for the last minute almond crust I made.)

THAT'S IT! No baking, etc. Just put it in the fridge to help it settle/harden, and take out right before serving. If you want to decorate it, consider any/all of the following: almond pieces, chocolate shavings, raspberries ...mmmmmmm.

Please note: my father is an adamant chocolate-lover and a general hater-of-tofu and he loved this recipe!

Almond Crust (Optional) :
Using an almond crust adds a nice nutty flavour to the chocolate experience, as well as some extra protein!
I threw it together in a last minute fashion when I decided I wanted the mousse to sit in something to give it a bit more structure. Here's what I used:

- Almonds (I took a few handfuls and ground them using a mortar and pestle)
- A small handful of oats (maybe about 2 tbsp?)
- About 2-3 tbsp of wheat flour
- About 2-4 tsp of coconut oil
- 3/4 tsp of cocoa powder
- The tiniest pinch of salt

Blend this together in a food processor/blender until it is all smooth. Play with the consistency by adding more flour/oats (if it’s too wet) or coconut oil (if it’s too dry) until you can press it into a pie plate. Spread it out with a spoon/knife and then just press the rest with clean fingers, spreading it around to cover the entire plate. I just covered the bottom of the plate (rather than the edges) but you could try to build up an actual crust if you want.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 6 minutes, making sure it browns but does not burn. Let it cool before adding the chocolate mousse and then put the whole thing in the fridge. I like to let it sit for 3+ hours before serving; it can sit overnight without problems!
---

Graham Cracker Crust: 

I also did a version of this using a graham-cracker crust with butter (not vegan!) In this version I used a harder tofu (firm) and milk chocolate. Can you see the difference?