Vegan Chocolate Orange Mousse

#vegan #glutenfree

A rich, silky mousse that tastes like Jaffas…but is healthy?! It sounds too good to be true, but in this vegan mousse, your healthy dessert dreams will come true! Made simply with avocados (yes, that’s right…they are the key to the vegan creaminess!), banana, maple syrup, orange juice, cacao, and vanilla, this zesty mousse should satisfy cravings for all, vegan or not. For a dessert, it manages to squeeze a lot of healthy vitamins while it’s at it too!

Ingredients:

2 small avocados, pip and skin removed

1 ripe banana

¼ cup of freshly squeezed orange juice

5 tablespoons of cacao powder

2 tablespoons of maple syrup

2 teaspoons of vanilla essence

Directions:

Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender, stopping and scraping down the sides periodically to make sure all ingredients are combined. Blend until silky smooth. Serve garnished with finely grated orange, or cacao nibs. Best enjoyed immediately but can be eaten cool from the fridge for a day or two also.

Nutrition Bite: Avocados are a healthy addition to any diet, vegan or otherwise. They are rich in monounsaturated fats, otherwise known as “the good fats”. Avocados may help increase levels of heart-protective HDL cholesterol, and decrease levels of LDL cholesterol, a type of cholesterol associated with atherosclerosis (the accumulation of plaque along artery walls). They are also a good source of Vitamins C, E, K, and B6, along with riboflavin, niacin, folate magnesium, and potassium. Paired with vitamin C-rich oranges and packing a punch in potassium thanks to the banana, this dessert is one that’s deliciously indulgent…in all the right ways!