No matter how much food is served during formal holiday dinners or festive potluck feasts—everyone always saves room for dessert. If you’re in charge of that all-important final course, don’t sweat it. In our latest Food With Benefits video, we’ve got a no-bake crowd-pleaser that brings together fluffy chocolate mousse with a crunchy almond quinoa crust.
Okay, so technically, the crust gets baked, but anyone can do it—promise! And as for the airiest, lightest mousse, we simply used our Vitamix Aer Disc Container. Its patented spinning disc aerates and emulsifies hot and cold liquids for impressively whipped, foamed, or muddled texture in seconds. You’ll only look like learned such techniques in fancy culinary school.
Chocolate Coconut Mousse Tart with Almond Quinoa Crust
Ingredients:
Crust
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa, washed
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 pinch sea salt
Mousse
- 8 ounces of semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 can (5 oz.) coconut cream, chilled
- ½ cup aquafaba (the liquid strained from one 15-oz. can chickpeas)
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- Kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons coconut sugar, divided
- ½ cup unsweetened toasted coconut flakes
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread wet quinoa and almond flour on a sheet tray. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating half way so that the mixture bakes evenly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- Blend the toasted quinoa-almond mixture to a fine powder. Add egg, cardamom, sugar, and salt. Process until the mixture looks like wet sand.
- Transfer to a tart pan and distribute the crust evenly on the bottom and sides of the pan. (Wet hands make this easier). Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- Meanwhile prepare the mousse. In a heatproof bowl, place chocolate and coconut cream. Set over a bowl of simmering water and melt, stirring occasionally until nice and velvety.
- Place aquafaba in the Vitamix Aer Disc Container along with the cream of tartar and a pinch of salt. Process for 4 to 6 minutes until light airy and very fluffy. With the motor running, slowly add 3 tablespoons of sugar.
- Fold aquafaba mixture into the chocolate bowl in three additions until combined. Transfer chocolate coconut mousse to the tart pan and smooth evenly with a knife or an offset spatula. Chill in the refrigerator for an hour or so, then sprinkle coconut flakes and serve.