Contents 6
By Nikola · Precision Nutrition L1 · Sources checked 5 November 2026
Ripe avocado, cocoa and a few soft dates blend into a thick, glossy chocolate mousse in 10 minutes, with no cooking and no whipping. The avocado gives the silky texture, the cocoa the flavour and the dates all the sweetness, so there is no added sugar, although the dates still bring their own natural sugars. If you collect no sugar dessert recipes, this is one of the quickest to keep in rotation.
Difficulty: Easy · Diet: Vegetarian, gluten-free (vegan with a plant drink)
Chocolate avocado mousse with no added sugar
Ingredients
- 2 medium ripe avocados 300 g flesh
- 30 g unsweetened cocoa powder 4 heaped tbsp
- 100 g pitted Medjool dates about 5
- 100 ml milk or an unsweetened plant drink scant 1/2 cup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract 4 g
- A pinch of salt 0.5 g
- 20 g shelled unsalted pistachios 2 tbsp, chopped, to serve
Instructions
- Cover the pitted dates with hot water and leave them for 10 minutes, until soft. Drain them well.
- Meanwhile, halve the avocados, remove the stones and scoop out the flesh. It should be soft all the way through and evenly green; cut away any brown or stringy parts, which taste bitter.
- Blend the dates with the milk first, until almost smooth. Dates break down much more easily in liquid.
- Add the avocado, cocoa, vanilla and salt. Blend for 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides once or twice, until the mousse is completely smooth and glossy, with no green flecks.
- Taste. For a darker flavour add a little more cocoa; if it is too thick, loosen it with a spoonful of milk. Spoon it into 4 small glasses or jars, about 110 g each.
- Cover and chill for at least 1 hour, until set and cold. Scatter over the pistachios just before serving.
Nutrition per serving
Per serving, 1 small glass (about 110 g), calculated from USDA FoodData Central for each ingredient, with whole cow’s milk.
| Energy | 252 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 5.2 g |
| Fat | 15.2 g |
| of which saturated | 3.0 g |
| Carbohydrate | 32.2 g |
| of which sugars | 19.0 g |
| Fibre | 10.0 g |
| Salt (added) | 0.12 g |
Data: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Avocados, raw, all commercial varieties (FDC 171705); Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened (FDC 169593); Dates, medjool (FDC 168191); Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D (FDC 171265); Vanilla extract (FDC 173471); Salt, table (FDC 173468); Nuts, pistachio nuts, raw (FDC 170184). None of the sugars is added sugar: most come from the dates, the rest from the milk, avocado, cocoa and vanilla extract. The USDA record for Medjool dates has no value for saturated fat, so that line leaves the dates out (they have 0.15 g fat in total per 100 g). With a plant drink instead of milk the values change slightly. Carbohydrate is USDA “by difference” and includes fibre.
Swaps and variations
- Vegan: use an unsweetened oat, almond or soy drink instead of milk.
- Less sweet: start with 3-4 dates, taste after blending and add another only if you need it.
- Mocha: replace half the milk with a cooled shot of espresso.
- Toppings: fresh raspberries, a little grated orange zest, chopped toasted hazelnuts or cacao nibs instead of pistachios.
- Vanilla: if your vanilla extract has added sugar, use the seeds of half a vanilla pod or a pinch of vanilla powder instead.
Storage
Keeps up to 2 days in the fridge in covered glasses. Press cling film or a lid right onto the surface so the top does not darken. Add the pistachios just before serving so they stay crunchy.
Related
- Recipes: Baked figs with Greek yogurt and honey · No-Bake Energy Balls with Oats and Dates · Healthy Desserts Without Sugar
- Encyclopedia: Avocado · Cocoa · Dates · Pistachios
FAQ
Does chocolate avocado mousse taste of avocado?
Not when the avocado is ripe and blended with enough cocoa: you taste chocolate, and the avocado only gives the creamy texture. Underripe avocado is the usual problem, because it tastes grassy and never blends completely smooth.
Is this mousse sugar-free?
No. It has no added sugar, but dates are sweet because they are rich in natural sugars, and one glass has 19.0 g of sugars in total, most of them from the dates. That is why the recipe says “no added sugar” and not “sugar-free”.
Can I use raw cacao instead of cocoa?
Yes, use the same amount. The difference between the two is explained in raw cacao vs cocoa.
Can I make it the day before?
Yes. It keeps up to 2 days covered in the fridge, so you can make it the evening before. Add the pistachios when you serve.
This recipe is for information only and is not medical or dietary advice. Nutrition values are estimates calculated from standard databases and will vary with your ingredients.
