Maca Cashew Mousse Chocolate Cups are a delicious healthier dessert, and they’re vegan and paleo friendly! Gluten free, dairy free and naturally sweetened with maple syrup. Thank you Indigo Herbs for sponsoring this divinely delicious new recipe post!
I’ve been going especially gaga for all things maca lately as I’ve been working with superstar whole foods supplier Indigo Herbs. They’ve stocked me with a very plentiful supply of their organic maca powder while I create some recipes for them! This recipe for maca cashew mousse chocolate cups is the third and final in my series of maca recipes for Indigo Herbs. And boy is it a tasty, decadent note to finish on!
Maca is actually a regular ingredient in my kitchen cupboards, regardless of what I’m working on. I love its caramel flavour, and it’s so easy to stir into porridge, yoghurt or add to smoothies. Traditionally, maca is prized for its energising and hormone-regulating properties. I’m happy to add a little maca to harness these benefits, too. Since I’ve been working with Indigo Herbs, I’ve created new recipes for an Espresso & Maca Banana Smoothie and Maca & Coconut Flour Pancakes to enjoy. And now these chocolate cups, too!
In this recipe for maca cashew mousse chocolate cups, the maca adds a rich, earthy sweetness to a simple cashew mousse. Sandwiched in between dark chocolate, this is one DELICIOUS sweet treat. The cashew mousse itself is divine. You may end up with a little more mousse than you’ll need for the chocolate cups when you make this. You could just eat it with a spoon, but I recommend trying it as spread for toast! Top with sliced banana and cacao nibs – SO GOOD.
You can go all out and make your own chocolate for this recipe, however to keep things simple I’ve used store-bought dark chocolate. I typically get 85% dark chocolate, which I know some people might find a bit too intense! 70% dark will work just perfectly, too. Either way, these maca cashew mousse chocolate mousse cups are a wonderful indulgence to have stashed away in the fridge.
NOTE: I have provided instructions for this recipe to create 12 chocolate cups, using silicon moulds. I use my silicon cupcake moulds, but just fill them part of the way up. If you don’t have individual silicon moulds, you could try making this in a small slice tray lined with non-stick paper, and then cutting into pieces. So it would come out as a 3-layer chocolate mousse slice. But I think the silicon moulds are a great investment! They’re so handy for baking and wash really well.
Maca Cashew Mousse Chocolate Cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews raw - about 120 grams
- 3 tbsp maca powder, about 20 grams - I used Indigo Herbs Organic Maca Powder
- 1/4 cup maple syrup - 60 mL
- 1/4 cup coconut cream - 60 mL (or full fat coconut milk) - keep a little extra on hand to thin out the mousse if needed
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 375 grams dark chocolate
- 4 tbsp coconut oil
Instructions
- Start this recipe a few hours in advance as you will need to soak the cashews. To do this, simply place cashews in a bowl and cover with water. Leave to sit for 3-5 hours. Make sure you have your silicon moulds handy too! Set them up on a tray so you can move them easily between the countertop and the fridge/freezer.
- Once the cashews have soaked, drain and discard the water and place the soaked cashews into a blender or food processor. Add the maca, coconut cream, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Blend until you have a thick, smooth mousse. If it's too thick, add a little extra coconut cream. Set aside.
- Take 150 grams of the chocolate. Melt over a double boiler (i.e. in a bowl sitting atop a saucepan of simmering water on the stove) until runny. As the chocolate is melting, stir in 1 tablespoon of coconut oil until smoothly combined.
- Divide the melted chocolate mixture evenly between your moulds. Place the moulds into the freezer for 20-30 minutes to set.
- Once the bases have set, remove from the freezer. Take the cashew mousse mixture, and gently dollop in a generous heaped teaspoon into the center of each mould. Flatten the mousse down a little so you can easily cover it with melted chocolate, but leave a little gap around the edges so some chocolate can run down the sides.
- Take the remaining chocolate and coconut oil, and melt this batch the same way you melted the first batch.
- Pour the melted chocolate into the moulds, covering over the cashew mousse. If you're using any decorations, sprinkle them on top of the chocolate now, before it sets.
- Place the chocolates into the fridge or freezer to set (of course, it will be quicker in the freezer!). They're done! Store them in the fridge (they should last up to 10 days), or you can freeze if you'd like to keep them for longer.
Notes
Can I use carob chips instead of chocolate? With GERD I stay away from chocolate.
What sprinkles did you use on yours in the photos? Thx!
I liked it! Live in Hawaii used fresh coconut cream. Super tasty. Thanks.
To be fair though I didn’t go exactly from your recipe. I never do just used as a base! I put in lots of ginger and local Hawaii Chili in one batch. Next one I’ll try ,mint.
What a fantastic healthy and beautiful recipe to substitute for peanut butter cups! Question: if I wanted these to be true peanut butter cups, could I just use peanut butter? If not, what variations would you advise to make these peanut butter instead of the cashew butter?
What a fantastic healthy and beautiful recipe to substitute for peanut butter cups! Question: if I wanted these to be true peanut butter cups, could I just use peanut butter? If not, what variations would you advise to make these peanut butter instead of the cashew butter?
Hi Audrey! Thanks so much for your message. You can definitely just substitute peanut butter into the middle of these 🙂