So lately, I’ve been craving chocolate. My guess is it’s subliminal. I’m currently surrounded by email, TV and radio ads featuring chocolate for Valentine’s Day. “Buy these sweets for your sweetheart…” they croon, enticing you with images of luscious melting chocolate. It’s a never-ending barrage of “food porn,” as they say. Then I started noticing all of my food blogger friends posting their favorite chocolate recipes for Valentine’s Day… brownies and cookies and cakes. Oh my! A few days ago, when we were out for dinner at our favorite local restaurant, my stepdaughter ordered a rich and decadent chocolate mousse cake for dessert. It was the last straw. Never mind that I’m dieting and halfway to my post-holiday, post-latke goal weight. I suddenly NEEDED something rich and sweet. When the urge for chocolate strikes, it is nearly impossible to resist.
Inspired by my stepdaughter’s recent dessert choice, I had a deep, insatiable desire for chocolate mousse. Trouble is, it’s so terribly unhealthy. Most chocolate mousse is made with cream and eggs… delicious, but incredibly rich. Then, an idea came to me– why not use Greek yogurt to make a healthier version of chocolate mousse? Lately I’ve been subbing Greek yogurt in all kinds of dishes to add nutrition and lower the calories. We all know that yogurt is naturally good for us, full of protein and good bacteria for our digestive system. Greek yogurt is particularly protein-packed, and because it is strained over time the liquid content subsides and it takes on a creamy, rich consistency. I wondered if subbing Greek yogurt in chocolate mousse had occurred to anybody else… so, I did a Google search.
Turns out, my inspired idea has been tried before! I found a recipe online from the lovely and talented cookbook author Maria Speck. I liked the look of her Greek Yogurt Chocolate Mousse, and it provided a good base to start from. I adapted the recipe, testing it three times and making a few changes. I doubled the recipe and made it 6 servings to increase the portion size slightly. The chocolate melting method suggested in the original recipe left me with slightly grainy chocolate (may have been my fault– working with chocolate is a bit of a science), so I used a double boiler instead, which gave me better results. I added 3 tbsp of sugar because I felt it needed sweetening. I also added a touch of salt to compliment the sweetness. Finally, I much prefer Amaretto to the Grand Marnier suggested in the original recipe. That’s a personal taste preference though… I’ve never been wild about chocolate and oranges together. You can also feel free to omit the alcohol entirely; the mousse doesn’t really need it, though it does add a little extra “something.”
After a few hours of experimentation, I ended up with a splendid mousse– rich, creamy, and completely satisfying. This isn’t exactly like traditional chocolate mousse… it’s sweet, slightly tart, and totally decadent. I served it to a friend, who told me it reminded him of chocolate cheesecake. In all honesty, I like this new version better than regular chocolate mousse. The flavor is more complex. Plus, there’s the added bonus of knowing that the two main ingredients– Greek yogurt and dark chocolate– are actually good for you! Greek yogurt is a natural probiotic, and dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants. Don’t skimp and use lowfat yogurt, I tried one batch with 2% yogurt and it just isn’t the same. You really need whole milk Greek yogurt for it to taste dessert-like. Also, the thicker, the better– choose a thick Greek yogurt without a lot of excess liquid. I tried it with Trader Joes, which was too liquid. Then I tried it with Fage, which was nice and thick and much more mousse-like. You’re already saving lots of calories and cholesterol from the omission of eggs and cream… and this is a dessert, after all, so splurge a little on thick, whole milk Greek yogurt. You can thank me later.
Thanks to Maria Speck for inspiring this wonderful Greek Yogurt Chocolate Mousse. I’m looking forward to checking out her book, Ancient Grains for Modern Meals. Sounds right up my alley, no? You can follow Maria on Facebook and Twitter. Make this sweet for your sweetheart… the love of your life is sure to swoon!
Gluten Free Note: If making this gluten free, omit the liqueur or make sure that the liqueur you’re using is certified GF.
Passover Note: This recipe can be easily modified for Passover by simply omitting the liqueur. If you’re strictly kosher, Greek yogurt with a Passover hechsher may be difficult to locate, but you can easily make your own by straining plain yogurt through cheesecloth. I’ve outlined the process on my blog, click here to view.
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Greek Yogurt Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- 9 ounces chopped dark chocolate, or 1 ¾ cups dark chocolate pieces (70% dark is best)
- 1 cup lowfat milk (not nonfat!)
- 3 tablespoons sugar, or more to taste
- Pinch salt
- 2 cups whole milk Greek yogurt - the thicker, the better (I recommend Fage)
- 1 tablespoon Amaretto or Grand Marnier (optional)
NOTES
Instructions
- Chop chocolate into small pieces with a knife or a food processor. The smaller the pieces, the more evenly the chocolate will melt.In a double boiler, whisk together the milk, sugar, and salt. Heat the milk over medium heat (not high!), whisking frequently, till hot but not boiling.
- Add the chocolate to the milk and let it sit for 1 minute in the heated milk without touching. Gently stir with a spatula till the chocolate melts into the milk. Remove from heat and continue stirring slowly till the milk and chocolate mixture is smooth and no longer grainy. If there are a few solid pieces of chocolate that refuse to melt, you can use an immersion blender to break up those pieces. Stir again with the spatula after blending to break up any air bubbles.
- Drain off any excess liquid from Greek yogurt before measuring 2 cups into a medium mixing bowl. Use a fork to whip the yogurt till fluffy.
- Stir the chocolate mixture again, then pour it into the yogurt, using a spatula to scrape up any remaining chocolate. Add the optional liqueur, if desired. Use spatula to fold the chocolate into the yogurt till fully incorporated, light and creamy. This will take 2-3 minutes. Continue folding till all the white has been removed from the yogurt.
- Divide the mixture between 6 ramekins, dessert bowls or mugs. Smooth and swirl the top of each serving with a spoon. Chill for at least 2 hours, up to overnight. Serve cold.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
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Mine came out grainy. Any idea why? Too hot? The milk was not boiling before I added the chocolate.
I will use it for my project cause it really look good but can I ask why is it called Greek yogurt chocolate mousse?
Because Greek yogurt is used to produce a chocolate mousse-like dessert, rather than cream. It is not a Greek recipe, though.
I froze these as popsicles for my 3 year old son and the whole family loved them. Will be making them again for sure!
Ana
Tried this today, very tasty!!! However I used 2% greek yogurt so next time I’ll try to find whole yogurt because it wasn’t as creamy as I was hoping.
Glad you enjoyed it Joe. I do recommend whole milk yogurt in the recipe ingredients, and I think you’ll find the flavor is much improved by using it.
Hi! I found this recipie really interesting, so I trided tonight. My mousse ended up kinda runny, so I read some of the comments above and I found that it happened to someone else too and that you answered that it could be the yougurt. But, I started going through the steps in my head again because I followed the steps correctly… and then I remembered I put the liquor in the milk (just because I read the instructions too fast and couldn’t find at what point you put on the liquor ir…found it later though…). I put it in the fridge I just hope it sets. Do you think that could be the reason why it was so runny?
It could be, Stephanie. I think you’ll also find that it firms up nicely in the refrigerator, chilling helps the texture tremendously.
Thank you for this recipe, I had never bought Greek yoghurt until the other day when my friend suggested it. I didn’t like it too sour, so I searched for things to use it on and came across your lovely mousse, I have to say it’s the most delicious I’ve ever tasted!! Thank you I will be making it again.
Wow! I decided to make this for tonight’s pud. I have just finished licking out the bowl. Even prior to chilling, it tastes delicious, so I am really looking forward to the finished product later. So smooth, creamy and just the right amount of sweetness for me. Definitely an ‘adult’ dessert rather than something for kids, I think.
I made this with full fat greek yogurt. The yogurt looked really thick, but just in case I strained it in cheesecloth overnight and a surprising amount of liquid came out. I whipped it as the recipe said, and the more I whipped it the more liquidy it became. By the time I folded in the chocolate it was basically chocolate milk. I hope it firms up in the refrigerator, but it doesn’t look or taste anything like chocolate mousse. I guess it’s just going to be a very expensive fruit dip. Not what I was after at all.
Memarie, I’ve very sorry you had a bad experience with this. It should firm up in the refrigerator, but I am going to go back and make this once again just in case something is off here. Can you please let me know what brand of yogurt you used?
So I tried this with white chocolate and it was amazing. it didn’t really leave the fluffy mousse texture we are all used to, but it did make a grand fruit dip!! I feel like if I gotten the chocolate to melt right it would have been perfect. but it was a hit at my house people at one point where taking spoonful’s of just the “mousse”. I put some in candy molds and froze them and made some yogurt treats. so all in all delicious but no mousse texture.
Would it work with white chocolate?
Hi Nena, I’ve never tried it with white chocolate. In the past I’ve had trouble smoothly melting white chocolate, so I’m not absolutely sure I can recommend it here. If you try it will you please let us know how it goes?
Thanks for this. As a home yogurt maker. I did a little experiment. Mixed the yogurt and milk/chocolate and then let the mixture sit overnight on my warm oven. The idea being that the active cultures in the yogurt would get energized by the sugar and milk. It worked good. Taste was wonderful and I’m sure there where lots more good cultures in the mousse. However I prefer the consistency without that step. Peace!
Yo this works with Stevia Powder!
Good to know! 🙂
So I tried this recipe few times and experiment with low fat and fat yogurt (both were Greek). The key is to drain liquid from yogurt and then let it set for at least 12 hrs
So…I do love the chocolate but not the yogurt so much but I was very intrigued by this recipe and just made it yesterday! It is great! You can tell it has yogurt in it b/c of the tang but that really just gives it more depth and makes it more interesting. Definitely fixes that chocolate craving and a little goes a long way!
Glad you liked it LCT!
Made this for Valentine’s dessert. Could not find the whole milk Fage yogurt so I used the 2%. For the chocolate, I used Ghirardelli’s 72% Intense Dark chocolate (3 – 3.5 ounce bars). I also used Almond milk for the lowfat milk. Sticking it in the freezer and stirring every 15 minutes until desired thickness helped to thicken it up quickly. I thought it was very smooth and decadent. Next time I may add some espresso powder (maybe a tsp or 2) just to make the chocolate come out even more. Held it’s consistency nicely in the fridge for days afterward. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
You’re welcome Stacey, so happy you liked it 🙂
I’ve just subscribed 🙂
I made this for my husband & my baptism tonight, it was delicious & was a hit for dessert!!! Thank you so much, I’ve also made it for tomorrow night for a dinner out!! Thank you once again, it feels that little bit healthier with the natural Greek yoghurt too!
Fantastic Michelle! So happy you liked it!
Hello. I was very excited to find your recipe! I’m going to make a pie for Thanksgiving. My question is if you have to buy the whole fat yogurt? I understand the need to have a thick brand of greek yogurt, but is it the fullfat what gives it the thickness you speak about, or can you use a lowfat greek yogurt and still get the same results? Also, is this vanilla or plain yogurt? Thank you.
Nadja, it is plain yogurt and I recommend full fat.
This looks great and I cannot wait to try it. You said earlier in the blog that you added some sugar and a bot of salt. Would you add that to the chocolate mix or once the yogurt has been added? Thanks for the recipe. Have a great day
Follow the directions as it states in the recipe… “In a double boiler, whisk together the milk, sugar, and salt.”
Thank you for the kind and helpful response!
I’m going to try to find a full-fat brand, unfortunately we don’t have the “Fage” brand in my country.
Even though the batch was kinda runny, I decided to put the ramekins in the freezer for half an hour (hoping that the mousse would firm up), and then back in the fridge until dinner time… Completely saved them! The consistency was amazing, very mousse-like. My family loved it.
Once again thank you for this fantastic recipe.
Great Catherine! So glad you found a fix and could salvage the recipe.
Hello! Love the idea of a chocolate greek yoghurt mousse. However, my mousse is very runny and liquid, not at all creamy like yours. Everything seemed fine until I whipped the yoghurt. It was creamy, yet a bit runny. When i added the chocolate and a tablespoon of coffee and folded, it became runny. Aw, I wish mine would look like your finished product. It’s still in the fridge so i’m hoping maybe it will set… Where did it go wrong? Was my yoghurt bad? (I’m not sure if it’s full fat, doesnt really specify on the packaging…) Did i overwhip?
Thanks for your time.
Hi Catherine– this happened to me once when I used a more watery brand (I think it was Trader Joe’s), so it is likely due to the brand you used. In the recipe I recommend a thicker whole fat brand like Fage. Certain Greek yogurt brands have more liquid in them, so the result isn’t as mousse-like. That is probably the issue. You should be able to tell if it’s full fat by looking on the nutrition facts of the label– it will have somewhere around 10g fat per serving. Also, it won’t say 0% or 2% on the package. Hope the next batch is better, good luck!