This Protein Chocolate Mousse Pie is for the days when only rich, indulgent chocolate will do. Dark, silky mousse on a crispy almond crust, which is topped with salted date caramel. You will get basically your cookie, caramel, and chocolate hit all in one. And the best thing? Apart from the incredible flavour of course! You also get 13.5g of protein from each slice and 320cal.
Why You Want to Make This
Chocolate is Good For You!
You think I’m kidding, right? But it’s true. Dark chocolate has a range of health benefits not to be ignored. Starting with antioxidants over a good amount of magnesium and iron, all the way to positive effects on risk factors for heart disease. It may even help maintain cognitive function. So dark chocolate in particular can absolutely be part of a healthy diet. Within reason that is, as it can also contain a lot of sugar and fats.
Indulgence with Sneaky Benefits
During my weight loss journey, I did a lot or reading about a balanced diet and nutrition. With that it became glaringly obvious to me, that I was not eating enough protein, since I don’t eat much meat or legumes, which are the best sources of protein.
I needed to supplement but wasn’t the biggest fan of drinking protein shakes either. Most just tasted just chalky and like sweeteners, and I plain could not face drinking them every day. So I started including them into all sorts of recipes, starting with Nice-cream made from frozen bananas and chocolate protein powder, which was good, but got boring fairly quickly. Different recipes had to be found, but none of the online ones I tried were particularly tempting. Obviously I had to come up with my own.
Loving pie, my Banoffee Protein Mousse Pie is the first of its kind and I was so happy with the results, I started using a similar formula for other pies too, like the Strawberry Protein Mousse Pie and now this Protein Chocolate Mousse Pie.
You can vary this endlessly to get different flavours, your protein hit, healthy fats and fibre from the Almond Crust and a reasonably low calorie content too! Considering it’s yoghurt, nuts, oats, protein powder and whole wheat spelt flour, I wouldn’t hesitate having this for breakfast!
Can Be Made Ahead
The fact that you can make the whole pie the day before, as it needs to chill in the fridge to set for at least 2h is a benefit. It means, if you are expecting guests (who will never suspect this is healthy!), you can do all the prep the day before and relax when they arrive.
The Ingredients
Date Caramel
This is a short one. All you need is:
Dates – I’m using Medjool dates most of the time, but any date will do. If using Medjool dates, you’ll need about 10 that you remove the stone from. Simply break them open lengthwise and pick it out. If using other types of dates, weigh about 160g/ 5.6oz after removing the stones, which gives you the same amount.
Salt – I’m using Malton salt for this recipe instead of my usual kosher salt, as I love the flavour it gives. And you can sprinkle the pretty little crystals on top later if you like. Just adjust the taste to your liking.
Water – You’ll need about 1/4 cup of drinking water to add to the food processor when processing the dates. If you want a creamier, milder caramel, you could also use plant milk or regular milk. Just be aware that regular milk will spoil faster, as it’s not cooked for this recipe.
Almond Crust
For the base, same as in my Banoffee Protein Mousse Pie, I’m using an Almond Crust, to replace the cookies and butter with a more wholesome option. The inspiration came from one of my favourite cookbooks “At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen: Celebrating the Art of Eating Well” by Amy Chaplin and her fabulous Toasted Almond Base recipe.
Almonds – The almonds are half finely processed and half chopped, which gives this crust a lovely crunch.
Olive Oil – This binds the crust and will make it bake very crisp in the oven.
Maple Syrup – The sweetener. Not much, but enough to have the Almond crust taste like very delicious biscuits.
Whole Spelt Flour – Adds nutty taste and binds the ingredients into a proper crust.
Almond extract – This is optional, but adds even more delicious almond flavour.
The Chocolate Protein Mousse
Apologies for the dates in this picture, they belong to the date caramel. I was clearly scatterbrained when taking it.
Protein Powder – My all-time favourite is from MyProtein and comes in lots of flavours. For this pie I used their Dark chocolate flavour, to add even more chocolatey taste to the pie.
This is neither affiliated nor sponsored. Just the powder I found to taste best after trying a fair few. If you never found one you actually enjoy, give this one a try.
Due to the protein powder, I only needed to add 1 tsp Honey, to get the sweetness I wanted. I know this sounds incredibly low but trust me on this. Or don’t trust me, but instead try the mousse when you mixed all the ingredients. If you aren’t purring with pleasure, add more of whatever you feel it needs.
0% fat Greek Yoghurt – This makes the bulk of the filling, and you might think it adds too much acidity, but the protein powder mixed with soy milk add enough creaminess to balance it nicely.
Soy Milk – Any full fat milk will do, but soy has the highest protein content and is really creamy, so that’s what I’m using as I can’t have cows’ milk. Yoghurt works fine for me, but if you can’t have that either, use any lactose free option.
Dark chocolate – This is a Chocolate Mousse Pie after all, so I’m using good quality dark chocolate here.
Cacao Powder – I’m using Valrhona here, unsweetened, and dark, as I had it at home and absolutely love the flavour. You can use any unsweetened dark cacao powder. Just stay away from the overly sweet drinking chocolate powders, as we are aiming for a really rich chocolate taste.
I’m also including instant espresso powder, which deepens the chocolate flavour even more and is a favourite addition in my recipes with chocolate.
I’m using gelatine to set this, though if you are braver than I am, you could try it without, as the chocolate, which gets melted and cools while whipping into yoghurt and soy milk might just be able to hold the structure. But honestly, I felt due to the soy milk added it would need a bit of help.
Don’t be afraid of using gelatine. It’s as simple as mixing a few tablespoons of water with the powder, heating it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds and stirring again. There are vegan options available in some supermarkets, I just couldn’t find any at the point I was planning this.
If you make it with one of them, I’d love to hear about it.
Caramelised Coconut Chips – Optional
These Coconut chips don’t just look pretty, they are also really delicious and super easy to make. A quick mix with a spoonful of maple syrup and a few minutes in the oven turn them into caramelised crunch you’ll just want to eat by the handful. Plan ahead and make double, if you love snacking.
The Process
Date Caramel
To soften them, soak your dates for 10 minutes by covering them with hot water. If you have very fresh Medjool dates, you can skip this step. But for any other type or slightly older dates, I would pre-soak to make them easier to process.
Add the dates, water, and a pinch of salt to your food processor or high speed blender. Blend until you have a really creamy caramel like mass. Taste, add water or salt, depending on your taste and how soft you want this to be.
The Almond Crust
Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C and line a springform with parchment paper.
Toast your almonds in the oven for 8 minutes, stir them, toast for another 5-8 minutes or until they smell fantastic and are slightly browned in the middle.
Leave the oven on, while you mix the crust.
Add half of your almonds to the food processor together with the oats and process until you have the consistency of breadcrumbs. Don’t overprocess or you get accidental almond butter.
Chop the remaining almonds roughly, to keep some crunch in the base.
Add the almond-oat mix and all remaining ingredients to a bowl and stir until everything is well incorporated.
Spread the almond base into your springform and bake for about 14-18 minutes or until golden brown and your kitchen is filled with heavenly almond aroma.
Let the base cool while you mix the filling. You can prepare it the day before if you want to get ahead.
The Protein Chocolate Mousse
Slowly melt your chopped dark chocolate in the microwave. I usually do 1min first, stir and then continue in 30 second bursts, stirring in between, until liquid.
In a high mixing container or your stand mixer, add the yoghurt, honey, vanilla, cacao powder, soy milk, protein powder, espresso powder and cacao powder. Start mixing until well combined and no lumps remain.
In a small bowl, add 2-3 tbsp of cold water to your gelatine powder and stir until no dry spots remain. This will form a very thick gel-like mass. In your microwave, heat it for 10-15 seconds, no more. You don’t want it to boil, just melt.
While constantly whisking, add first the melted dark chocolate in a stream, then the melted gelatine to your yoghurt-protein mix. Keep whisking until you have a mousse like consistency. This should only take a minute or two. It won’t get super light and frothy. More a silky type of mousse. Similar to ganache, but a bit lighter.
Assembly
With your almond crust still in the spring form for support, start by spreading the date caramel over the base. This adds delicious salted caramel flavour and keeps the crust from getting soggy.
Pour over your Protein Chocolate Mousse and spread it out evenly.
Store in the fridge uncovered, for about 1h or until the filling has set a bit. At that point you can cover the springform with clingfilm and leave it for either 1h longer until fully set or overnight.
The optional but delicious Caramelized Coconut Chips
Preheat your oven to 165°C (325°F).
In a bowl, combine the coconut chips, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt. Mix well.
Spread the coated coconut chips on a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Stir the chips and then bake for an additional 5 minutes or until they turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool; they will crisp up as they cool.
To Serve
Dust with more dark cacao powder if you like and garnish with optional coconut chips or almond flakes.
Gently slide a sharp knife along the edges of your pie, to loosen it from the springform. Remove the ring and carefully slide the whole pie including the baking parchment onto a cake platter.
Enjoy as it is or with additional whipped cream if you like.
Meal Prep
Just as the Banoffee Mousse Pie, this can be made ahead. The almond crust keeps baked and wrapped in clingfilm for up to 4 days. After that it might lose its crispness.
Since the Protein Chocolate Mousse Pie has to set in the fridge for about 2h, it’s ideal to make the day before.
The one thing you’ll want to add just before serving are the Coconut chips if using, as they can get soft and soggy in the fridge. So keep them outside of the fridge in an airtight container once baked.
The whole pie will keep in the fridge for about 4 days. But I highly doubt it’ll last that long!
Please Comment
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share and comment. It helps me a lot.
Protein Chocolate Mousse Pie
Equipment
- Food Processor, Spingform
Ingredients
Almond Crust
- 3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
- 2/3 cup almonds divided.
- ¼ cup Oats
- 2/3 cup wholegrain spelt flour
- 3 tbsp maple sirup or honey
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
Date Caramel
- 10 Medjool dates For the data caramel. Check notes for details.
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
Chocolate Protein Mousse
- 1 cup 0% fat Greek yoghurt
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp cacao powder dark, plus extra for dusting if desired
- 2/3 cup soy milk
- 4 oz /100g dark chocolate chopped
- 1 tsp instant espresso optional
- 2 scoops protein powder I used “MyProtein – Dark Chocolate” for added chocolate flavor.
- 2 tbsp powdered gelatine 1 pack
Optional Caramelised Coconut Chips
- 1 cup coconut chips
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
Date Caramel:
- Soak dates in hot water for 10 minutes to soften.
- Drain dates and add them to a food processor with water and a pinch of salt.
- Blend until a creamy caramel-like consistency is achieved. Adjust water or salt to taste.
Almond Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C and line a springform with parchment paper.
- Toast the almonds in the oven for 13-16 minutes, stirring once after 8min, until fragrant and slightly browned.
- In a food processor, combine half of the toasted almonds, oats and spelt flour. Process until you have a fine, breadcrumb like texture. Tip into a bowl and add olive oil, maple syrup, salt, and almond extract.
- Chop the remaining almonds and add to the mix.
- Spread the almond mixture into the springform and bake for 14-18 minutes until golden brown.
- Let the crust cool
Protein Chocolate Mousse:
- Melt dark chocolate in the microwave, stirring in 30-second intervals.
- In a mixing container, combine yoghurt, honey, vanilla, cacao powder, soy milk, protein powder, and espresso (if using).
- In a small bowl, add cold water to gelatine, stir, and microwave for 10-15 seconds until melted.
- While whisking your yoghurt-protein mix, stream in melted chocolate, then melted gelatine. Whisk until a silky mousse consistency is achieved.
Assembly:
- Spread date caramel over the crust.
- Pour the Protein Chocolate Mousse over the date caramel and spread it evenly.
- Refrigerate uncovered for 1 hour, then cover with cling film and refrigerate for an additional hour or overnight.
Optional Caramelized Coconut Chips:
- Preheat oven to 165°C (325°F).
- In a bowl, mix coconut chips with maple syrup and salt.
- Spread the coated chips on a baking sheet and bake for 13 minutes or until golden brown. Let them cool.
To Serve:
- Dust with cacao powder and garnish with optional coconut chips or almond flakes.
- Gently loosen the pie from the springform and transfer it to a cake platter.
- Enjoy as is or with additional whipped cream if desired.
Notes
Protein: Approximately 13.5 grams
Carbohydrates: Approximately 40 grams
Fat: Approximately 14 grams
Fiber: Approximately 6.5 grams
These values are approximate and can vary based on specific brands and variations in ingredient measurements.
Nutrition
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