Greek Yogurt Chocolate Mousse

I looked all around for the best low-calorie, low-fat mousse recipe and finally found something awesome – Greek Yogurt Chocolate Mousse!

With Valentine’s Day near I began seeing a countless array of advertisements, and posts, for decadent desert recipes to create and share with your sweetheart.  I became determined to find the richest, most chocolaty, desert on the planet and make it healthy…or, at least not as horribly fatty.  I mean really, no Valentine’s Day is complete without chocolate!  The challenge – chocolate mousse.

Most chocolate mousse is made with heavy cream or butter, eggs, and lots of sugar.  Mousse is way worse for you than most cookies.  But, I was not discouraged – there had to be a way.

I began searching on the web for “low-calorie chocolate mousse” recipes, and found several using tofu as a substitute for the cream.  Some were very good, especially if you’re avoiding dairy.  However, more to my liking was the idea of substituting cream (or butter) with yogurt  to make chocolate mousse.  I took a couple basic recipes, changed a few ingredients, added some, and viola – yogurt gave it a creamy texture you expect in a mousse.  This recipe makes a rich, and completely satisfying yogurt chocolate mousse you can enjoy without the guilt!

Yogurt is a great substitute in all kinds of recipes.  It adds nutrition, lowers fat, and lowers calories. Plain natural yogurt is full of protein and good bacteria for our digestive system.  There are several high-quality, plain yogurts in the store these days that are very creamy in texture.  Greek yogurt is particularly good for cooking with; since it’s strained further to remove the liquid content.

Make sure you use whole milk Greek yogurt – not low fat.  Thickest, creamiest, yogurt you can find.  You’re already saving a ton of calories by not using eggs and cream or butter. Julia’s chocolate mousse calls for 4 eggs, 6 ounces of butter, and 3/4 cup of sugar! So, don’t sweat it.

I tried adding different types of alcohol for flavor, and prefer dark rum.   Julia Child’s “Perfect Chocolate Mouse” recipe calls for dark rum which gave me the idea.  Other recipes call for liqueur or cognac.  Amaretto adds a bit of almond flavor, Kahlua a hint of coffee,  Grand Marnier adds an orange tang, while dark rum adds a caramelly flavor (depending on the rum).  It’s not necessary to add liquor to the recipe, but it does add a noticeable kick I enjoy.  And, a tablespoon of liqueur only adds about 40 calories.