This light and airy Chocolate Peppermint Mousse is the perfect dessert during the holiday season. Creamy chocolate meets a hint of peppermint between layers of fluffy whipped cream.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe:

If you follow a gluten and dairy free diet, you know that a lot of the time it means skipping out on a lot of the ice creams, hot cocoa flavors, and such. But I’m always looking for ways to incorporate those holiday flavors in a healthier way that works for us! If you’d asked me a few years ago if I believed dairy free desserts could be delicious, I probably would have rolled my eyes at you and asked you to pass me the caramel sauce.

Instead of making multiple dishes to satisfy different dietary needs- I wanted a way to make a delicious gluten and dairy free desserts that EVERYONE loves. And this Chocolate Peppermint Mousse totally delivers. It has all the fluffy creaminess that we love about mousse, with big chocolate flavor and just the right hint of peppermint. It totally satisfies our sweet tooth without being overly sweet or heavy.

Plus… it is incredibly easy to make and just looks so visually appealing. It is definitely one of our very favorite holiday desserts!

Ingredients for Chocolate Peppermint Mousse:

• dark chocolate– to be truly dairy-free, make sure you use a dairy free chocolate bar. We like Lily’s
• milk chocolate– we prefer using finely chopped chocolate bars, but chocolate chips will work in a pinch. Just give them a rough chop.
• coconut milk– make sure you are using canned, full-fat coconut milk or unsweetened coconut cream. Otherwise, it won’t thicken up when you whip it. You’ll end up with Chocolate Peppermint Soup. Probably still delicious, but not what you’re going for here!
• peppermint extract– if you are looking for a straight Chocolate Mousse, you can leave this out, or sub it with vanilla extract. Or, try orange extract or zest for a yummy Chocolate Orange Mousse.

Optional, but not really:

• heavy cream– for a dairy free dessert, use dairy free whipped topping or similar alternative. Otherwise, sweeten as desired and whip to a stiff peak.
• peppermint candies– crushed peppermint candies add a delicious crunch and additional punch of peppermint. This is a great way to use up all those candy canes that show up this time of year!

How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Mousse:

1. Chop chocolate. You want a fine chop- you will be relying on the heat of the coconut milk to melt the chocolate.
2. Heat coconut milk. Heat until very hot and bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Do not boil!
3. Whisk. Pour the heated coconut milk over the chopped chocolate and whisk until the chocolate is melted.
4. Chill. You want to make sure your mixture is completely cooled and thickened. At least 4-5 hours, but it could take longer.
5. Beat. Using a hand or stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat until thick and airy. This can take much longer than you might think! Don’t give up. Just keep beating, it will get there eventually!

More Delicious Holiday Dessert Recipes:

• 1 cup dark chocolate bar roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate bar roughly chopped
• 1 14 ounce can coconut milk full fat
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 5 each peppermint candies crushed

• Finely chop the chocolate and put in medium mixing bowl.

• In a small saucepan, heat the coconut milk until it is very hot, but do not bring to a boil. It will start to steam and small bubbles will form around the edge of the pot.

• Pour the hot coconut milk over the chopped chocolate and whisk until combined and the chocolate is melted. Stir in the peppermint extract. Chill in the fridge for 4-5 hours or until it has cooled completely and thickened.

• Once the mixture has chilled and thickened, beat with a hand mixer (or in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment) until light, airy and fluffy. This could take up to 10 minutes to achieve the right texture. It might seem like it won’t get thick.. just keep beating. It will get there!

• Whip the heavy cream and sweeten to your desired sweetness with confectioners sugar.

• You can now either spoon the chocolate mousse into bowls, or transfer into a piping bag and pipe into fancy glasses. Alternate the mousse and whipped cream layers. You can also add bits of crushed peppermint candy in the layers, or just sprinkle it on top as a garnish. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Calories: 480kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 406mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 454IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 6mg