Decadent low carb chocolate mousse layered with sugar-free, gluten-free chocolate cookie crumbs and fresh raspberries.
When I was 15, my family took a summer vacation to France. We stayed in a little village in Provence and made day trips to surrounding little villages and towns, to Cannes, and to any other scenic sites that caught my parents fancy. Being all of 15, I would have of course preferred to lounge by the pool, but for the most part I went gamely along on all of our little explorations. We toured wineries and museums, and ate lovely lunches and dinners in sidewalk cafes. I can say with great confidence that we ate our way through the South of France, and I loved every second of it. It was my first exposure to a number of new foods, like calamari (loved it!), braised rabbit (not a fan, when it came out with the head still on), and escargot (nope, my 15 year old self just couldn’t do it). And I ate copious amounts of my already-beloved chocolate mousse. Everywhere we went, I ordered mousse for dessert. I came back to Canada a good 5 lbs heavier; it was the first time in my life that I had ever gained any weight.
Chocolate mousse has steadfastly remained one of my all-time favourite desserts. Who among us can pass up that airy but insanely rich and creamy concoction? It seems like magic, the way heavy eggs and cream can become so light. It’s dangerous precisely because of this light texture…it’s far too easy to pack back a bowl of it and think it wasn’t enough, only to discover 20 minutes later that you are too full. Portion control is very difficult when it comes to chocolate mousse. And my darling children seem to bear the same affliction. They go nuts when I make mousse, and hang about like little parasites, begging to lick the bowl and beaters. What sacrifices mothers make, giving up the joy of licking the mousse bowl and beaters out of love for her children.
We went raspberry picking a few weekends ago and on the drive up, I was mulling over ways to use them. I’d been craving a really rich, decadent dessert and only chocolate would fit the bill. I wondered aloud if I should make chocolate mousse to go with our fresh-picked berries and, had you been in our car, you might have gone deaf with the cheers from the backseat. All three kids were unanimously in favour of a chocolate mousse/raspberry concoction and were oh-so-willing to help in the preparations for that nights dinner (dessert!). We decided to make one large, crisp chocolate cookie to sprinkle into our bowls as well, so we could call it a parfait.
It made a wonderful, indulgent dessert. The rich creaminess of the mousse, the crispity-crunch of the cookies, and the sweet freshness of the berries was mind-blowingly good. Perhaps even deadlier than the many bowls of mousse I ate in France. Hey, at least mine are low carb and sugar-free!
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 oz unsweetened chocolate chopped
- 4 large eggs separated and at room temperature
- 4 to 6 tbsp hot water
- ½ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener divided
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups almond flour
- 1/3 cup cocao powder
- 1/3 cup granulated Swerve Sweetener
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 large egg slightly beaten
- 2 tbsp butter melted
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups fresh raspberries
- For the mousse, in a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter and chocolate together, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm.
- In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks together until smooth. When chocolate is lukewarm, whisk in egg yolks. Mixture will become very thick and chocolate will seize. Add 2 tablespoons of hot water and whisk vigorously. Continue to add 1 tbsp water at a time until chocolate mixture becomes smooth (will still be quite thick). Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat egg whites with ¼ cup powdered Swerve, the salt and the cream of tartar until they hold stiff peaks but are not dry.
- In another bowl, beat cream with remaining Swerve and the vanilla until it holds soft peaks.
- Stir a couple of large spoonfuls of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Then carefully fold the chocolate mixture back into the egg whites. Fold in the cream thoroughly but gently. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
- For the cookies, preheat the oven to 300F.
- In a large bowl, combine almond flour, cocao powder, erythritol, baking powder and salt. Add in egg, butter, and vanilla extract and stir well until dough comes together.
- Place dough between two pieces of parchment paper and roll to about 1/8 inch thick. Lift off top piece of parchment and place on a large baking sheet.
- Bake until firm, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove and let cool completely. Break up with hands into small pieces.
- To assemble parfaits, place a few tablespoons of mousse at the bottom of each serving dish. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoons of cookie crumbs and then a handful of berries.
- Top with another layer of mousse, cookie crumbs and berries.
- Serve immediately. All parts of the parfaits can be stored separately up to 48 hours, but don't assemble until just before serving, as the cookie crumbs may get soggy.
- You will probably end up with too much cookie crumb for the parfaits. It's great the next day as cereal for the kids!
Serves 8. Each serving has 14 g of carbs and 7 g of fiber (if you end up using all of the cookie crumbs). Total NET CARBS = 7 g.
Other nutritional information: 389 Calories; 36g Fat (76.0% calories from fat); 12g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 179mg Cholesterol; 113mg Sodium.
Erin @ Texanerin Baking says
Oooh. Pretty! And sounds delicious. And love that you gained so much weight on mousse. Just because I do the same when we go traveling. Italy? Guaranteed a pound heavier per day. All from gelato.
The Mom Chef ~ Taking on Magazines One Recipe at a Time says
Well, here’s another recipe I need to tuck away for the next time I head north to visit my mom. It looks amazing.
Christina Johnson says
Is it a coincidence this is posted on my birthday?? I think not! I’m going to ask my mother to make this for me instead of the normal cake…
Thank you for all of your recipes!
Alejandra says
Aha! I spy the same cookie recipe as the icebox cake wafers. I made these yesterday but had to use a food processor to make the dough come together. Also, I made them twice as tall as I should have because I checked too late to see what 1/8 of an inch looks like. I don’t think they got as crumbly as they should have (I undercooked them because I was in a hurry) but I still suspect they won’t last too long in my house.
As for the mousse, it does sound like something I want to try, but doesn’t that involve raw/undercooked eggs? I thought we were all supposed to be terrified of salmonella or something 😐
Carolyn says
Were you using Honeyville almond flour? It shouldn’t have needed a food processor to get the dough to come together, unless you were using almond meal instead of almond flour. As for the raw eggs, Safest Choice eggs puts out pasteurized shell eggs that are perfect for mousse. You have to whip the egg whites for a lot longer before they stabilize, and they need to be at room temperature before you even try to whip them.
beth says
Hi Carolyn-
I asked a question about ramekin size for the molten PB cakes on that post, but haven’t heard a response in a few days. I’m trying to make these for my PB loving DH’s bday dinner tonight. I thought maybe I could catch you here. Is a “small” ramekin more like 5 oz or more like 8 oz? I ordered a few on amazon but am afraid I ordered the wrong size. I have to run out to the store shortly so I am hoping to figure it out in case I need to round up some different ramekins. Thanks, Carolyn!
Carolyn says
I don’t think that comment came through before because I don’t remember seeing it. anyway, my little ones are about 3.5 inches in diameter, 2 inches deep and only hold about 1/2 cup of water. Definitely more like the 5 oz ones.
beth says
Thanks, Carolyn! I was able to find them at my local grocery on a quick trip out today so all is well. I’m a long time erythritol user and bought Swerve for the first time to use in this recipe. Should be fun!
beth says
Back to add that the molten PB cakes came out amazing!!! My first go with swerve, and it worked great. Totally yummy and will be on the regular rotation.
Carolyn says
So glad to hear it!!!
Denise says
Thanks Carolyn – Nuthin’ like a little of your food porn to get my day off to a great start!
Donna says
OMG this looks so yummy. Love your site and recipes. I’ve just recently went back to Atkins and found your site. Hope you don’t mind I’ve added your site to one that I follow. If that is a problem let me know and I’ll remove it.
Thanks for all the wonderful recipes and your pictures make you want to lick the screen. LOL
Donna
Carolyn says
No problem at all, thanks Donna!
teresa says
Could you use splenda instead of swerve? Or is there a big difference between how these sweeteners cook up?
Carolyn says
I don’t use splenda so I am not sure, but I think for the Mousse it would be fine. Might change the texture of the cookies a bit, though.
RavieNomNoms says
I would rather be eating this for lunch!! haha
Kiersten @ Oh My Veggies says
Ooh, chocolate mousse! My mom used to always make the Jello version and I loved the heck out of it. These look delicious!
Carrie @Bakeaholic Mama says
How gorgeous! I love chocolate mousse, I have only made it once and really should again soon, it’s my husbands favorite.
When I was 15 our family took vacations in INDIANA. Who drives (16 hours….) from NH to IN for vacation? Well we did, and what I wouldn’t have done to switch places with you in France hahaha.
Carolyn says
Yeah, I guess I would prefer Provence over Indiana!
Donna says
Beautiful mousse!…Here in France..I’ve heard of whipping chilled regular full-fat condensed milk to “lighten” things up just a tad…Is this feasible?…Or using organic silken tofu?….I do not wish to damage the integrity of your generous share, because the texture looks perfect.
Gwen @simplyhealthyfamily says
Chocolate Mousse was my favorite indulgence for a few years. Sadly I havn’t had it in a while, since having kids actually. This is exactly what I need to feel exotic and indulgent!
MarciaH says
What would happen if I don’t use cream of tartar? Would it still “mousse?”That’s just not an ingredient I would ever have in my cupboard. I have no idea what it’s for.
Carolyn says
I know it helps egg whites whip and stabilize. I have whipped egg whites without it but I don’t know how well they will set. Try it and at worst, you have yummy chocolate goo!
Jessica says
I just recently found your website and I am loving it! I was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes after having gestational diabetes and as a self proclaimed foodie I was finding it hard. Thanks for your recipes and introducing me to Swerve.
Carolyn says
Enjoy, Jessica. There is much to love about food after diagnosis…you just have to change your ingredients!
Charlie says
Chocolate and berries are the perfect combo! I love the idea of combining cookie and mousse.
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc. says
you had me at “chocolate”
Holli says
Carolyn, could I use just regular granulated splenda instead of the powdered swerve in the mousse? I don’t see any powdered splenda at the grocery stores. Thanks!
Carolyn says
I don’t know, I have not tested it with granulated splenda. YOu may find it gritty.
Cecelia says
What is the nutritional count just for the mousse?
Thanks
Carolyn says
I don’t know. You will need to enter the ingredients into a calculator like my fitness pal.
Ed says
Hi Carolyn
Thank you again for another great recipe. I love the taste though I did have an issue with its consistency, I followed the recipe to the t but the mousse came out a little too runny and not airy. Most of the mousse recipes online don’t call for egg yolks could that be the reason? Your input is greatly appreciated.
Carolyn says
No, it wouldn’t be the egg yolks and this recipe is adapted from Mark Bittman, who uses egg yolks. I’ve made chocolate mousse according to this recipe countless times. Could be a few things. What sweetener did you use? And it’s possible that you thinned the chocolate mixture too much after it seized.
Ed Freire says
Thank you for the reply. I’ve used powdered swerve and around 6 tbsp for the chocolate. I’ll try using a bit less next time and try beating the whites a bit firmer and see how it goes. Also do you recommend pouring the mousse into individual servings prior to refrigeration? I didn’t do that and the top of the mousse is nice and airy and bottom is runny. Thanks again for your input!
Carolyn says
No, I refrigerated mine in one big bowl. Hmmm, just not sure but yes, beat both your egg whites and your cream a little firmer if you make it again, and use only about 4 tbsp extra liquid in the chocolate.
Carolyn says
By the way, egg yolks THICKEN things, not thin them out, just FYI.
Elaine says
Carolyn, could coconut cream work in place of the heavy cream? I would like to serve this to a group tomorrow…several women coming are dairy-free…thanks!
Elaine says
Carolyn, could coconut cream work in place of the heavy cream? I would like to serve this to a group tomorrow…several women coming are dairy-free…thanks!
Carolyn says
I think that should work. You need to chill it overnight though so I don’t know if you will have time to make it or tomorrow!
Patrick says
I made this mousse yesterday and it had an aftertaste that was unexpected. Would this be from the swerve sweetener (erythritol)? I used Ghirardelli unsweetened chocolate. Thanks,
Patrick
Carolyn says
Every palate perceives sweeteners slightly differently. I don’t experience much aftertaste with Swerve, but you might.
Tina Jerred says
The Chocolate Mousse Raspberry Parfaits are amazing!! A great treat in a quick fix.