Description
Delight in these decadent Black Forest Dessert Cups featuring luscious layers of creamy avocado chocolate mousse, airy dairy-free whipped cream, and both macerated and fresh sweet cherries. This quick, no-bake treat offers all the classic flavors of the traditional German Black Forest cake in an easy, vegan, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Cherries
- 2 cups (280g) fresh sweet cherries, pitted and halved
- 1 tablespoon (20g) maple syrup, or to taste
Avocado Chocolate Mousse
- 1 (200g) large avocado, weighed without skin and seed, room temperature
- 1/4 cup (85g) maple syrup, or to taste
- 1/4 cup (45g) melted dairy-free chocolate or 1/3 cup (35g) cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons (45g) dairy-free milk, room temperature
- 2 1/2 tablespoons (15g) dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
- Pinch of salt (optional)
Garnish
- ~2 cups dairy-free whipped cream, chilled
- 1/4 cup (35g) fresh sweet cherries
- Chocolate shavings or chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Cherries: In a bowl, combine 2 cups of pitted and halved fresh cherries with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. Stir gently and let macerate for about 10 minutes to release their juices and sweeten.
- Make Avocado Chocolate Mousse: In a blender or food processor, combine the peeled and pitted avocado, 1/4 cup maple syrup, melted dairy-free chocolate (or cocoa powder), dairy-free milk, dutch-process cocoa powder, vanilla extract, espresso powder, and a pinch of salt if using. Blend until smooth, creamy, and well incorporated.
- Assemble Dessert Cups: Take serving cups or glasses and layer the macerated cherries at the bottom. Add a generous layer of the avocado chocolate mousse on top.
- Add Whipped Cream: Spoon or pipe chilled dairy-free whipped cream over the mousse layer to create a fluffy topping.
- Garnish: Top each cup with remaining fresh cherries and sprinkle with chocolate shavings or chocolate chips if desired.
- Chill and Serve: Place the cups in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld before serving. Enjoy chilled.
Notes
- This recipe requires no baking, making it quick and easy to prepare.
- Use ripe, fresh sweet cherries for the best flavor; frozen cherries can be used but should be thawed and drained first.
- Dairy-free whipped cream can be homemade or store-bought; ensure it is well-chilled for best results.
- Adjust maple syrup quantity in the mousse and cherries to match your preferred sweetness level.
- If melted dairy-free chocolate is not available, use cocoa powder with slightly less dairy-free milk to maintain mousse thickness.
- Espresso powder is optional but enhances the chocolate flavor.
- This dessert is best served chilled and consumed within 24 hours for optimal freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 35 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
