Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Bars (Vegan Gluten-Free)
These Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Bars are thick, creamy and indulgent made with wholefood ingredients. They are packed with real strawberries and are naturally vegan, gluten-free and high in protein.
I just love a summery snack and these chocolate mousse bars hit the spot. They are rich and chocolatey which the chocoholic in me loves, but they’re also fruity and fresh with real strawberries – perfect for summer. These set slightly softer than cheesecakes, so I’ve called them mousse bars as they really are light as (chocolate) air.
Why will I love these Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Bars?
These bars are really delicious, they are:
- Rich, chocolatey and indulgent
- Fruity, fresh and creamy
- Melt-in-your-mouth deliciously soft
- Made with wholefood, vegan and gluten-free ingredients
- Great for making ahead of time as they freeze and chill well
- Easy to make in a few steps
- Naturally high in fibre and protein and lower in sugar
- Delicious as desserts or snacks
If you already love these Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Bars then read on for the recipe card below. Or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.
What ingredients do I need?
The recipe is split into two parts: the chocolate no bake brownie base and the smooth creamy chocolate mousse.
Let’s start with the brownie base:
- Dates: medjool dates are the best to use as they are naturally softer and jammier but you can use any other dried dates. They may need longer to soak to make them sticky enough.
- Oats: this adds fibre and goodness to the base of the bars and replaces the need for flour. The oats are blitzed up to form a DIY oat flour which is gluten-free, just check that your oats are certified GF.
- Macadamia nuts: I just love the sweetness nuttiness of macadamia nuts and I do not use them often enough. They can be slightly harder to find and more expense so you can swap these for other nuts like almonds or cashews. I use the macadamia nuts from KoRo and a big bag lasts me a while.
- Cocoa powder: for the chocolate richness. You can also use cacao powder here.
- Vanilla and salt: for flavour.
As for the filling, this is so gorgeous:
- Dark chocolate: I used the pink Himalayan salted chocolate from Divine which adds a lovely richness and saltiness to the middle but other dark chocolates are great. I prefer dark chocolate but you can use dairy-free milk chocolate too as the recipe is not that sweet.
- Silken tofu: this is the magic ingredient that makes the creamiest mouse that happens to be high in protein. Do not swap this for firm or extra-firm tofu as these are much firmer and will not blend or set in the same way.
- Thick coconut yoghurt: or other thick Greek-style dairy-free yoghurt. I use Cocos Organic natural yoghurt as it’s so creamy. It is important that the yoghurt is thick so that the filling sets well.
- Vanilla and salt: for flavour.
- Strawberries: these are best fresh as frozen ones have too much extra liquid. These are sliced and layered into the mousse bars for a chocolate-fruity dessert.
How do I make these bars?
These are made in a few easy steps:
- Soak the dates for the base: this makes them softer and stickier.
- Blitz the oats and nuts to a fine flour: this acts as a flour.
- Blend together all the base ingredients: to a sticky mix.
- Press into a lined dish: to make an even base then chill.
- Melt the chocolate for the filling: and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Blend all the filling ingredients together: till really smooth.
- Arrange the strawberries over the base: to cover it all.
- Spoon or pour over the mousse filling: and spread out evenly.
- Cover and chill for 4 to 6 hours or overnight: till set and firm.
- Slice using a hot sharp knife: after they bars are thawed at room temperature for 30 minutes, and enjoy with extra strawberries and chocolate.
How long will these keep?
Store these Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Bars in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Allow the bars to thaw at room temperature from frozen, before eating.
Are these Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Bars gluten-free and nut-free?
Yes these bars are naturally gluten-free, please check that your oats are certified free from gluten. To make these nut-free, swap the macadamia nuts for sunflower seeds or more oats in the base. Then check that your yoghurt and chocolate are nut-free.
I love these dessert bars, what else can I make?
I hope you are going to love making and eating these Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Bars and for more ideas, how about my:
- Chocolate Mint Cheesecake Slices
- No Bake Almond Caramel Brownies
- Biscoff Chocolate Crispy Bars
- Chocolate Raspberry Coconut Slices
- Funfetti Protein Cookie Dough Balls
Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Bars (Vegan Gluten-Free)
These Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Bars are thick, creamy and indulgent made with wholefood ingredients. They are packed with real strawberries and are naturally vegan, gluten-free and high in protein.
Ingredients
- For the Base:
- 200g dates, pitted weight
- 100g oats
- 80g macadamia nuts (or almonds)
- 40g cocoa powder
- ½ tsp vanilla essence
- A pinch of salt For the Filling:
- 160g dark chocolate, chopped
- 300g silken tofu
- 50g thick coconut yoghurt, or dairy-free cream
- ½ tsp vanilla essence
- A pinch of salt
- 6 large strawberries, sliced To Decorate:
- Finely chopped dark chocolate
- Extra strawberries
Directions
- Line an 8-inch square dish with parchment paper.
- Soak the dates for the base for 10 minutes then drain.
- Add the oats and macadamia nuts to a blender or food processor and blitz to a fine crumb. Now add the dates, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt and process to a sticky mix.
- Press down into the dish and smooth out to make an even base layer. Chill in the fridge while you make the filling.
- For the filling: melt the chocolate and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Add the tofu, chocolate, coconut yoghurt (or cream), vanilla and salt to a blender and process until really smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides as necessary until you have a smooth mix.
- Remove the base from the fridge. Arrange the sliced strawberries over the base and top with the chocolate mousse filling. Spread out evenly and tap down on the surface a few times to remove any air bubbles.
- Cover loosely and chill in the fridge for 4-6 hours or overnight.
- For neater slices, freeze the dessert for 30 minutes before slicing. Remove the mousse bars from the tin and use a hot sharp knife to slice into 16 slices. Top with extra chocolate and strawberries.
- Keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
I look forward to hearing what you think of these Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Bars so please let me know in the comments below. If you do make these, I’d love to see so please tag me, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – please say hello!
With strawberry choc mousse love x
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