Chocolate Avocado Mousse With Anti-Inflammatory Benefits

Chocolate is one of those things, like coffee, tea or—I don't know—water that's difficult to go so much as a day without. And even though I've been known to munch on chocolate chips directly from a mason jar—I'm doing it right now, in fact—there are much, much healthier ways to get a fix. Enter herbalist and health coach Rachelle Robinett's anti-inflammatory chocolate mousse, the recipe for which she shares on Well+Good's YouTube show Plant-Based.

If you've never made chocolate mousse using avocado, buckle up. It's got an incredibly decadent feel but is deceptively healthy given that at its root, it's just a jazzed up blended avo. This particular version is also supercharged with extra nutritional goodness via the addition of the highly nutritious leaf moringa. Robinett explains that moringa is much higher in proteins than other greens—it's about 30 percent protein by weight, as compared to 2 percent for spinach—and that it's actually a complete protein. The plant is also rich in antioxidants, which are protective of your cellular health and serve an anti-inflammatory function. "Moringa may be the epitome of food medicine," Robinett says.

The leaf—often sold in powdered form—can be added into your diet in any number of ways, but Robinett notes that its flavor is not always *100* for everyone. This mousse, however, is one of her go-to methods for sneaking it (and other less palatable herbs) into her diet, as the dish's other flavors overpower the leaf—in a good way. "This recipe is one of my absolute favorites—I whip it up on a regular basis at home," Robinett says. "[It's] so creamy and so delicious, and you can't taste the moringa."

Anti-Inflammatory Moringa Chocolate Avocado Mousse

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 large avocados, pits removed

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1/3 cup pure maple or date syrup

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

3/4 cup unsweetened cacao powder

1 tbsp moringa powder

2 tbsp coconut manna

1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Add all ingredients to a blender.

2. Blend on low to medium until mixture is smooth and creamy. If the mixture is too thick, you can add a little orange juice or water to thin it out.

3. Divide into individual portions or add entire mixture to larger bowl to serve from there.

4. Top with ingredients of your choice, e.g. cacao nibs, chopped hazelnuts, berries, or jam.

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