Made with mango, yoghurt or coconut cream, agar-agar and aquafaba or egg whites, this Healthy & Vegan Mango Mousse is the perfect dessert for a summer (or any season, actually) potluck!
Ingredients to make this Healthy & Vegan Mango Mousse:
Agar-agar – a vegan alternative to gelatin, which no, isn’t vegan! Gelatin originates from the process of boiling animal bones, whereas agar-agar is an alternative that comes from algae. Fruits such as mango or pineapple, when raw, have enzymes that prevent the gelatinization of the agar-agar, and therefore, the mango cooking step is essential. To solidify evenly, the agar-agar must be heated and boiled in the mixture of the recipe in question, not just in water.
Ripe mango – choose a big and ripe mango or canned mango puree. In case you’re using canned mango puree omit the sweetener, as the puree is already sweet enough.
Coconut cream – refrigerated for a few hours or unsweetened plant-based yoghurts. If using the latter, you’ll have a slightly tangier mousse. The coconut cream will give origin to a firmer and sweeter mousse, due to it’s fat content and flavour.
Honey, maple or agave syrup – omit if using canned mango puree
Aquafaba – or egg whites, beaten until fluffy.
Raspberries and crushed pistachios to garnish!
What is agar-agar and how do I use it?
Agar-agar is a vegan alternative to gelatin, which no, isn’t vegan. The gelatin originates from the process of boiling animal bones whereas the agar-agar is a plant-based alternative that comes from algae. Without taste, odour or colour, agar-agar can be used in desserts without altering their taste or smell.
Agar-agar sets more firmly than gelatin and can even set at room temperature, but it has some particularities:
- Fruits such as mango or pineapple, when raw, have enzymes that prevent the gelatinization of the agar-agar, and therefore, cooking them prior to adding the agar-agar is essential, or the agar-agar won’t set as well. You can use canned versions of these fruits so you can skip some steps.
- To solidify evenly, the agar-agar must be heated and boiled in the mixture of the recipe in question, not just in water. I’ve had my fair share of unpleasant surprises while making some desserts, as I ended up with big chunks of solidified agar-agar floating in the recipe, yuck! To avoid this mess, dissolve the agar-agar really well and mix the hot (agar-agar mixture) ingredients with the cold ingredients slowly, while constantly stirring.
- Agar sets very quickly, and at room temperature, so work fast!
Other desserts you might enjoy:
Vegan & Healthier Plum Crumble
Banana Berries Chocolate Shell Nice Cream
Healthy-ish Santa Chocolate Chip Cookies
PB & Chocolate Drizzled Fruit
2 Minutes Vegan & Healthy Brownie For One
Tropical Healthy and Vegan Panna Cotta
Healthy & Vegan Mango Mousse
Ingredients
- 5 g agar-agar
- 1 big ripe mango or 1 cup canned mango puree (omit the honey)
- 200 ml (¾ cup) refrigerated coconut cream or 200 mg unsweetened plant-based yoghurts
- 3 tbsp honey, maple or agave syrup omit if using canned mango puree
- 6 tbsp aquafaba or 3 egg whites
- raspberries and crushed pistachios to top
Instructions
- Peel and cut a ripe mango into pieces and add them to a food processor or blender.
- Blend until you get a creamy pulp.
- Add the mango to a small pot and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat.
- While the mango cooks, add the agar-agar to 50ml (¼ cup) of cold water and mix well until dissolved.
- After 5 minutes, add the agar-agar mixture to the mango and let it cook, stirring frequently until it boils.
- Let it boil for another 1 to 2 minutes and remove from the heat.
- Let it cool slightly and in the meantime beat the aquafaba or the egg whites.
- Add the coconut cream or yoghurt and maple syrup or honey to the mango and mix really well.
- Add the whipped aquafaba or egg whites to the mixture little by little, while gently involving it, so you break up as few air bubbles as possible.
- Divide the mixture into bowls and refrigerate for at least 1 to 2 hours.
- Serve with chopped pistachios and raspberries. Enjoy it!
Notes
Fruits such as mango or pineapple, when raw, have enzymes that prevent the gelatinization of the agar-agar, and therefore, the mango cooking step is essential.
To solidify evenly, the agar-agar must be heated and boiled in the mixture of the recipe in question, not just in water.
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