Ugly Avocados? Make Chocolate Mousse

Oh avocados, my culinary love-hate relationship. I love how creamy and rich they are. I love that they make great guacamole, salsa, salad, and great spread on toast. I love that they're filling and satisfying, yet super healthy. But then they break my heart that if I am off by just a few seconds, they go from a beautifully green ripeness to a brown spotted mush (especially because the darn grocery store sold them to me underripe).

How many of us out there have ended up tossing out our not-so-bright avocados, thinking they're bad? Come on, raise your hands, I'll raise mine. Here's the thing though, if they're brown and squishy but still have some green, they're not rotten; just merely oxidized. Now if they're moldy and have a weird odor, get rid of them and don't look back, but if they're just oxidized, they'll make a beautiful chocolate mousse. 

This chocolate mousse tastes decadent, but since it's combined with dark chocolate, unsweetened almond milk, and a natural unrefined sweetener, it's pretty good for you. Also unlike traditional mousse, it does not need to set. You just purée and devour. Plus you get to repurpose an otherwise unusable avocado, and no one is the wiser! Yay!

Avocado Chocolate Mousse 

1 cup dark chocolate chips

5 avocados, ideally overripe, pitted and flesh removed from skin

½ cup + 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ - ½ cup unsweetened almond milk (depending on the thickness you desire)

⅔ cup maple syrup or agave nectar

1 tsp extract of your choice (I used hazelnut)

Place the chocolate in a glass bowl, and place the bowl over a small saucepan filled with 2 inches of simmering water. Do not let the water boil. Simmer until the chocolate is melted, stirring occasionally. Pour the melted chocolate into a blender or food processor with the remaining ingredients, and purée until combined. Serve and enjoy.

Yup, it's that easy. There's no need to wait for it to set up like traditional mousse. I even like to pipe it and serve it with berries. To store, place in an airtight container and refrigerate. It will keep for about a week. From the health benefits of this vegan mousse to the elimination of food waste, this is one dessert you can feel very good about.

If you want to learn more about working with the amazing ingredient of chocolate, The Chopping Block's Chocolate Boot Camp is happening this Sunday, March 12 at Lincoln Square. If you can't join us for this intensive deep dive into chocolate, download our new Chocolate Craze guide that literally includes everything you need to know about this complex ingredients, plus lots of recipes to put your newfound knowledge to the test.