Dairy-Free Chocolate Mousse Bars Recipe
Recipe
I've been experimenting with a non-dairy alternative to chocolate mousse for quite a while and this is “The one.” My brother-in-law, who has very high standards when it comes to chocolate, says: “The variety of textures—velvety mousse and crunchy crust—make these unique. This is definitely a dessert to put on your ‘save, and don't lose’ list. Well done!”
Recipe
Ingredients
For the Crust:
142 grams (5 oz) brownie brittle (I make my own [see Recipe Notes], but you can also use 1 bag of Sheila G’s Brownie Brittle (Dark Chocolate Sea Salt)*
7 g (1 tablespoon) cocoa powder (I like Hershey’s Special Dark)
6 tablespoons/86 grams salted butter, melted
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
100g chocolate chips (See Recipe Notes)
For the Filling:
227 grams (½ pound) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I use 170g semisweet and 57g bittersweet)
½ cup (125mL) coconut cream (not coconut milk)
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 container (8 oz/226g) of frozen lite CocoWhip (See Recipe Notes)
Garnish:
CocoWhip Frozen Topping (optional)
For the Crust:
142 grams (5 oz) brownie brittle (I make my own [see Recipe Notes], but you can also use 1 bag of Sheila G’s Brownie Brittle (Dark Chocolate Sea Salt)*
7 g (1 tablespoon) cocoa powder (I like Hershey’s Special Dark)
6 tablespoons/86 grams salted butter, melted
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
100g chocolate chips (See Recipe Notes)
For the Filling:
227 grams (½ pound) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I use 170g semisweet and 57g bittersweet)
½ cup (125mL) coconut cream (not coconut milk)
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 container (8 oz/226g) of frozen lite CocoWhip (See Recipe Notes)
Garnish:
CocoWhip Frozen Topping (optional)
Yield: 12-16 bars
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Bake Time: 8-10 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes (includes chill time)
Type of Recipe:
Bars
Instructions
Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. Assemble the chocolate crust ingredients.
Just a few ingredients for the crunchy chocolate crust.
In a resealable freezer bag, crush the brownie brittle until you have fine crumbs (don’t go too far, we’re not looking for powder!).
- Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl. Add the cocoa powder, melted butter, and salt and stir until evenly moistened. Put the crumbs into the prepared pan and press them down into an even layer on the bottom. Pack it down and smooth it out with an offset spatula.
- Bake the crust 8-10 minutes at 350°F to set it. As soon as you take it out of the oven, sprinkle it with the the chocolate chips and let it sit about 5-7 minutes, until the chips are melted.
Warm brownie crust ready for the chocolate chips.
- Using an offset spatula, smooth the melted chips over the top of the crust, being sure to spread it to the sides and corners. Cool crust completely.
With an offset spatula, spread the melted chocolate chips evenly,
all the way to the edges and the corners.
Filling:
- Put chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. In small saucepan, heat coconut cream, espresso powder and salt until hot but not boiling. Pour the hot coconut cream mixture over the chocolate, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand for 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract and whisk until smooth. Set aside to cool completely.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the frozen CocoWhip on high until it’s smooth and airy, about 5-6 minutes. Add the chocolate mixture and gently fold to combine.
Fold the melted chocolate into the whipped topping.
- Spoon the mixture over the cooled crust.
Spoon the mousse onto the crust.
- Spread it out into an even layer, smoothing the top with an offset spatula.
Use the offset spatula to smooth out the top.
- Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
- To serve, run a sharp knife around the two edges without parchment paper and use the parchment overhang to transfer the bars to a cutting board. Cut into 12 rectangles (or 16 squares), cleaning the knife between cuts, and serve with a dollop of CocoWhip, if desired.
Use a sharp knife to cut into 12 rectangles (or 16 squares).
Be sure to clean the knife between cuts.
- Storage. Refrigerate leftovers or freeze individual bars, double-wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a resealable freezer bag. Frozen bars can be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months. Mine never last that long!
Just a few ingredients for the crunchy chocolate crust.
Warm brownie crust ready for the chocolate chips.
With an offset spatula, spread the melted chocolate chips evenly,
all the way to the edges and the corners.
all the way to the edges and the corners.
Fold the melted chocolate into the whipped topping.
Spoon the mousse onto the crust.
Use the offset spatula to smooth out the top.
Use a sharp knife to cut into 12 rectangles (or 16 squares).
Be sure to clean the knife between cuts.
Recipe Notes
Tips
Frozen or Chilled? I love to eat these frozen. The mousse itself doesn't freeze hard and eating the bars cold makes for a really yummy summer dessert. A friend of mine prefers them cold but not frozen so whip up a batch and try them both ways. Then you be the judge!
Make Ahead. These bars can be made days ahead and then served frozen on the Big Day. If you prefer to eat them cool but not frozen, take them out of the freezer and refrigerate them a few hours before you want to serve them.
Crust. If you're in a hurry, you don’t need to bake the crust at all. Just combine the ingredients and press firmly into your pan, then freeze it while you make the mousse. It will be a bit crumbly, but still tasty. Baking the crust, though, adds a depth of flavor that you will love and makes it stick together better. If you do bake it, to speed up the cooling of the baked crust, you can put it in the freezer while you make the mousse. I sometimes make the crust early in the day so that it's cool by the time I make the mousse.
Espresso Powder. You can leave the espresso powder out, but it really does enhance the flavor of the chocolate (without adding any coffee taste).
Substitutions
Brownie Brittle. Sheila G’s Brownie Brittle (Dark Chocolate Sea Salt) is a delicious alternative to homemade brownie brittle. If you want to make your own brownie brittle, there's a quick and easy recipe for Copycat Brownie Brittle on Food, Folks and Fun that uses a brownie box mix. Or if you want to make it from scratch, try How to Make Brownie Brittle from Scratch from Bigger, Bolder, Baking. I've also used chocolate rollout cookies (baked until they are very dry) as the crumbs for the crust.
Chocolate Chips. I like the taste of Guittard Extra Dark Chocolate Baking Chips, but semisweet chocolate chips are also fabulous in this recipe.
Butter. I always use European butter (Kerrygold), but any brand of butter will work well.
CocoWhip. CocoWhip is a frozen, dairy-free whipped topping. It is vegan, i.e., both gluten and dairy free. If you are not restricting your intake of dairy or gluten, you can use heavy whipping cream or Cool Whip, both of which contain dairy.
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