Chocolate Coconut Mousse/Ice Cream

While searching for the perfect chocolate coconut ice cream recipe, I came across a combination of ingredients that resulted in a very versatile dessert.  This recipe can be used to make either chocolate mousse or chocolate ice cream, depending on your mood.  The bonus: it's Paleo and allergy-free!


The key to the creamy texture lies in the use of gelatin.  Vegans can substitute agar-agar powder.  The gelatin is sprinkled evenly over the water and warmed gently in a saucepan until it is dissolved. Do not stir during this process.  You'll know it is dissolved when the mixture becomes more clear, which takes just a couple of minutes.



I then poured the gelatin, along with all the other ingredients, into a blender and combined them until I had a smooth chocolate mixture.



The next step is your choice: if you are in the mood for chocolate mousse, stick the mixture in the fridge for at least 2 hours.  After the mixture is chilled, you can scoop the chilled mousse into serving bowls.  Another option at this point is to freeze it into ice cream, using an ice cream maker.  If you don't have one, you can simply pour it into a freezer-safe container and stick it in the freezer for 4-6 hours.  Either way, it's delicious!





Recipe:



Chocolate Coconut Mousse / Ice Cream


Ingredients
  • 1 14-oz can coconut cream
  • 1/4 c maple syrup (grade B is fine)
  • 1/4 c + 2T cocoa
  • 1/3 c water
  • 2 t powdered gelatin (vegan option: agar-agar powder)
  • 1 t vanilla
Cooking Directions
  1. Sprinkle gelatin evenly over water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat, without stirring, until gelatin dissolves.
  2. Pour the gelatin mixture, along with the coconut cream, maple syrup, cocoa, and vanilla into a blender and blend together until smooth and creamy.
  3. Mousse option: Refrigerate for 2-4 hours until firm and creamy. Scoop into bowls and serve.
  4. Ice cream option: Pour mixture into an ice cream maker, following the manufacturer's directions. OR Pour into a freezer-safe container and freeze for 4-6 hours.
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16 comments:

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    1. Thanks! I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

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  2. Oh this looks so wonderful! Thanks for sharing :) I might add some raw egg yolks for some choline later.

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    1. That would be a great thing to add to the custard! Unfortunately, we can't do that because of egg white/yolk allergies.

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  3. Hi Angie,

    I just found your blog from a recipe that was pinned. Your story is my story. We found out about my daughter's allergies the same way you---and she has the same allergies you mentioned--just not the wheat. I'm enjoying browsing your recipes and adding to my allergy-free recipes board.

    You said you buy almond butter. Can your allergic child eat almonds but not other nuts or is it for the rest of the family?

    Blessings,
    Chrisitna

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    1. Hi Christina, I'm so glad to connect with another mom who is challenged with an allergic child! I hope you find some inspiration here as well as from the wonderful network of food allergy blogs. My daughter cannot have almond butter due to a tree nut allergy, but my son, husband, and myself can. I do choose to buy items like that which are healthy protein sources, and my daughter knows she can't have them. I, of course, make sure I have tasty items for her as well! So far, it's worked out great!

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  4. YUMMY YUMMY! I love it! Thanks for kicking off a great party this week! Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! :)

    Thanks for linking back to the Gluten Free Fridays post!

    We have a giveaway this week! GFF will be live on Thursday night at 7:05 eastern! Let's get this party started!!

    Cindy from vegetarianmamma.com

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  5. I've still never used agar agar! This looks great. Thank you for sharing this with Healthy Vegan Fridays. Check back on Friday to see if you were one of the Top 3! We hope to see you again this week. You can submit a post from Friday to end of Tuesday:
    http://www.greenthickies.com/healthy-vegan-friday

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  6. Okay, yet another recipe I printing out. I think my weekend is now planned!

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  7. Is gelatin an ingredient which will make all of my ice creams (made in my Cuisinart ice cream machine) smoother and more scoop-able like store-bought ice cream? I've never tried using gelatin in ice cream before, but I am anxious to give it a try! This recipe sounds great!

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    1. Hi Jennifer! Gelatin helps stabilize the dessert as it freezes, adds loft, improves the whipping quality, and yields a smooth texture after freezing. In other words, it helps make up for using nondairy milks that aren’t as creamy as real cream.

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  8. This is probably a stupid question, but is the coconut cream near like pie filling? It's not something I've looked for before. I am the one with all the allergies in our house. I haven't been tested, but I think I am gluten-intolerant. We are trying to go gluten free, however, mainly for my son, who has severe ADHD and anxiety, and is also autistic. His two doctors *and* his therapist have all recommended going gluten free. Thank you for your blog!

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    1. Sorry it took me so long to respond to you. I'm still figuring out how the comments work on Blogger. Coconut cream is the thick stuff in the canned coconut milk. You can also just just a can of coconut milk (not lite), but if you have a Trader Joe's nearby, you can buy a whole can of coconut cream there! Hope that helps!

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  9. Yum! I have to try this. I prefer to make my own coconut milk. I could probably thicken it up to be more creamy to use in this recipe.

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  10. Doesn't the maple syrup make it taste like maple. I despise maple flavor and if it does can you use raw honey in place of the syrup.

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    1. I wasn't able to taste the maple flavor, but if you're sensitive to maple, I think honey would be a fine substitute!

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