Name: Chocolate Banana Mousse with Tofu (Vegan)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 4 medium bananas (very ripe/overripe); 200 g silken tofu; 40 g cacao/cocoa powder; 70 g maple syrup

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This 4-ingredient vegan chocolate banana mousse is a delicious and simple dessert that's perfect for any occasion. It is made using baked bananas for extra natural sweetness.

This simple vegan chocolate banana mousse with tofu involves blending the ingredients until smooth and fluffy and, voila, your mousse is ready!

Except that the bananas have to be baked first!

This banana chocolate mousse really wouldn't be as good as it is (and it's really good!) if I used raw bananas. Baked bananas have an intensely sweet flavour with almost a hint of caramel. Baking bananas is easy and absolutely worth doing for this recipe.

Chocolate banana mousse ingredients

In addition to the baked bananas this chocolate mousse dessert also contains cacao powder, silken tofu (which is very low in calories and fat, great at adding bulk and healthy protein) as well as maple syrup for a little extra sweetness. (You can adjust the sweetness to suit your individual preference).

Why it's important to use very ripe bananas

This is to ensure you get as much sweetness out of the bananas as possible. Overripe bananas also soften easily in the oven and tend to release more juice than bananas that are not quite ripe. If your bananas aren't ripe enough they may not release any juice and stay firm even after 20 minutes in the oven (I tested this and the results were not great).

How to prepare the tofu

If you tend to use regular tofu and are not very familiar with silken tofu bear in mind that, although they are similar products, they have different textures and should be handled differently.

While with regular tofu it's a good idea to press it in order to squeeze any excess water out (it's quite sturdy), when it comes to silken tofu this method is NOT recommended. Silken tofu is very soft - just drain any excess water off (there won't be very much) and your tofu is ready to be used.

Can you taste the tofu in this vegan banana mousse

No, you can't! The tofu is really well hidden in this dessert and the dominant flavours are banana and chocolate.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1.Place the bananas on top of a baking sheet lined with paper or tin foil and bake in a preheated oven at 325 F/ 170 C/ gas mark 3 for 20-25 minutes or until the turn brown, become very soft and release juice.

2. Remove from the oven, cut each banana open along its length and remove the pulp. Place along with the juices in a bowl and set aside to cool completely.

3. Place the banana mixture along with the tofu, cacao (or cocoa) and maple syrup in a blender.

4. Puree until silky smooth.

5. Spoon the mixture into 4-5 dessert dishes and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving, if possible.

Serving suggestions

This vegan chocolate mousse with banana is delicious on its own as a healthy treat but you can also top it with fresh berries, fruit compote or roasted nuts for crunch. Serve with grated white or dark chocolate and/or whipped cream and enjoy for a special occasion.

Top tips

Use very ripe/overripe bananas.
Do not squeeze the moisture out of the silken tofu.
For best results (super smooth, light and fluffy texture) I recommend using a high speed blender.
Adjust the amount of maple syrup according to taste.
Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving, if possible. Alternatively place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes then serve.
Refrigerate for up to 3 days (cover if you are not planning to eat it straight away).
Freeze for up to 3 months.

Substitutions

You can use agave syrup or even icing sugar/powdered sugar (2-4 tbsp) instead of the maple syrup.
I tend to use cacao (rather than cocoa) powder for its healthier properties but it's absolutely fine to use either.
For a non-vegan option substitute fromage frais/fromage blanc or Greek yogurt for the silken tofu.

Make ahead

You can bake the bananas ahead and once cooled refrigerate overnight. Remove the banana peel, gather the pulp along with the juices, add a few drops of lemon juice (to prevent the banana becoming brown) and stir. Refrigerate in an airtight container (or cover tightly with cling film).

The banana mousse itself can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Keep in touch!

Have you made this vegan banana chocolate mousse? I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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