Paleo Chocolate Mousse with Blood Oranges

I don’t often make dessert, but when I do, I want it to be worth it. This Paleo Chocolate Mousse with Blood Oranges is the perfect way to celebrate seasonal winter fruit, and is most certainly worth both the calories and the effort to make it! 

An Easy Dessert for us Non-Pastry Chefs!

I was recently lamenting to my husband the fact that I have very few dessert recipes on this blog. I’m not a huge dessert person, so it doesn’t surprise me, but I want to serve my audience, and I’m sure they would enjoy making a dessert every once in a while. 

Luckily for me, my husband is also a great cook, and he had the idea for this chocolate mousse using some avocados that we had on the counter. I wanted to make it super seasonal, so that’s how I came up with the blood orange topping that both celebrates winter citrus, as well as providing our palates with a break from the richness of the chocolate mousse. We agreed that this was a huge winner, and that I should definitely share it with all of you!

Farmers Market Ingredients and Substitutions

Blood Oranges

Blood oranges are a gem of the winter and spring farmers markets. They are generally available from late winter to the early spring.

When picking out your blood oranges, don’t be fooled by the red blush of the rind. Some blood oranges never develop a reddish rind, even though the insides are deep red and fully ripe. Instead, you should look for blood oranges that are heavy for their size, which indicates the juiciness of the orange. Also, don’t be afraid of using your sense of smell. Ripe blood oranges will have a floral orange aroma at the stem end. If the blood orange has no scent, on the other hand, it is not ripe and won’t be that flavorful once you cut into it. 

Use any blood orange variety that you have. The flavor differences across the different types are not so pronounced that you’ll be able to taste the difference between them. 

Avocados

Do you have avocados that are nearing the end of their life? If so, this is the perfect recipe to prevent them from going to waste! 

You’ll want super ripe avocados to ensure that the mousse has a creamy texture. The cocoa powder will easily hide if you have a few brown spots in your avocados. 

Maple Syrup

My husband and I have made this Paleo Chocolate Mousse with both maple syrup and honey. Either work well in this recipe. Don’t worry, you won’t taste the maple flavor; it’s well hidden by the cocoa powder.

Wondering what other sweeteners are paleo friendly? Check out the list here. Stick to the liquid sweeteners for this mousse, as any granular sweeteners may result in a grainy texture.

Tips and Tricks

The food processor makes this mousse foolproof. I know it’s a bulky kitchen item and all the pieces are annoying to wash afterward, but it’s worth it. It would take a lot of manual labor in order to get the perfect Paleo Chocolate Mousse without some kind of mechanical assistance. But, since we don’t live in the 1800s, we do have tools available to us to make this process easier. 

And yes, you can use a blender instead of a food processor if that’s what you have on hand. You’ll probably need to scrape the sides a couple of times, but you’ll get the same silky mousse at the end of the day. 

Serving Suggestions

This Paleo Chocolate Mousse with Blood Orange is the perfect dessert for any date night! Pair it with my Whole30 Mojito Salmon for a winter menu celebrating citrus. Or with a flank steak salad. Or even some stuffed pork chops if you’re feeling really fancy. 

No matter which way you go, I can assure you that your date will be impressed.

Make-ahead Option

Don’t want to fuss around with making dessert right after dinner? This mousse can be made up to three days in advance! Just keep it in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Use some plastic wrap to seal the mousse from air so that it doesn’t absorb any other flavors floating around the fridge.

What about the leftovers?

I don’t think you’ll have leftovers of this chocolate mousse. Just sayin’. But if you do, keep the chocolate mousse in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Keep the blood orange segments in a different container, as the moisture from the blood oranges will spoil the texture of the mousse if stored together.