Since going dairy free and discovering the loveliness that is coconut cream, I’ve realized the possibilities of delicious desserts are endless. After trying a friend’s very delicious cake with almond butter and young coconut, I was inspired to make three layers of creamy rich mousse, using coconut cream as the main ingredient for two layers, with a carob avocado pudding in the middle. I also changed my usual brand of stevia, to try Better Stevia by Now. The nice thing about this recipe, and like most desserts that don’t require baking, is that you can taste test and experiment as you go along, to make each layer to your liking. This dessert will stay fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days or can be frozen. Allow 20-30 minutes to fully defrost all layers.
This is a rich dessert, with a little portion going a long way!
First layer: Almond cream with hazelnuts
Ingredients:
● The cream from 1 can full-fat coconut milk (Refrigerate the can for at least a few hours, then scoop the solid material off the top, leaving the liquid below to use separately)
● 3-4 tbsp of almond butter or other nut butter
● 2 tbsp coconut milk (The remaining milk can be used for part of the pudding layer below, and the leftover can be saved for another dish)
● ¼-⅓ cup of chopped hazelnuts. If you like a crunch, loosely chop them; if not, put the nuts in a grinder for a smoother texture
● 15-20 drops French vanilla flavoured liquid stevia to taste
In a medium sized bowl, whip the coconut cream with a handheld mixer until creamy and smooth.
Add the almond butter one tbsp at a time until evenly mixed. Taste the cream after adding each tablespoon of almond butter; nut butter lovers will enjoy more, but others may wish a lighter consistency.
Mix in the coconut milk.
Add a few drops of stevia at a time and taste until you like the sweetness. Stevia is an extremely sweet alternative to sugar, and adding too much will overpower the other flavours.
Stir in the hazelnuts with a spoon.
Optionally, mix in ¼ tsp cinnamon.
Scoop into pie plate or serving dishes, smooth down and refrigerate until your next layer is ready.
*You can either place the layers directly into glass mugs or small mason jars, or a 5×5” rectangular or 6×1.5” pie dish to serve as squares or pie slices.
Second layer: Chocolate banana avocado pudding
Ingredients:
● 1 ripe avocado
● ½ ripe banana
● 2-3 tbsp carob powder
● ¼ cup liquid from your can of coconut milk
● ¼ tsp vanilla extract
● 18-20 drops French vanilla flavoured stevia
Place all ingredients except for the stevia into a food processor and mix. It’s best to stop after a minute to mix with a spatula before running the processor again. Repeat this until it becomes pudding-like in consistency.
As with the first layer, add the stevia a few drops at a time. I usually add four drops, blend, taste, and repeat until it’s sweet to my liking.
Pour into your serving dishes over base layer, and smooth down. Place back into fridge to continue firming.
Third layer: Fresh coconut cream
Ingredients:
● 1 can of coconut cream (see first layer instructions)
● 2 tbsp liquid from your can of coconut milk
● 6 drops of French vanilla flavoured stevia
● 5 drops of hazelnut flavoured stevia (or just use more French vanilla stevia)
● 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
In a medium sized bowl, whip the coconut cream with a handheld mixer until creamy and smooth.
Add the remaining ingredients except for the stevia, and mix on medium speed for about 1 minute.
As recommended above, add a few drops of stevia at a time until it reaches your desired sweetness.
Add this layer over top of the pudding layer, and return to the fridge for at least another hour before serving, to thicken up the cream.
If desired, top with shredded coconut, cinnamon or carob powder.
This will make at least two hearty servings, but can be less or more depending on how much dessert you are craving. Enjoy!
Joy Elkayam is a kindergarten teacher, and volunteer at Parvati.org. In her spare time, she likes to experiment with recipes and create meals and desserts without gluten, dairy and sugar.