(Recovery) Chocolate Avocado Mousse

Sometimes I get really lucky when creating new recipes.  This was whipped up on a whim after swimming this morning for an easy recovery meal before my first meeting.  It turned out SO much better than I was expecting.  I wanted to make a chocolate protein shake, nice and easy, when I decided to throw the avocado I froze a few weeks ago in the mix just to see what happened, as well as bit of chia seeds for added nutrition.  Little did I know I was about to create this rich, creamy, mousse that's so outstandingly tasty I would be totally comfortable making this as a dessert for company.  It's so much more than that chocolate shake I thought I was getting.  I'm lucky I snapped a few photos before diving in!

Before I get into the super-food ingredients of this mousse, raise your hand if you're a workout junkie.  Now I don't spend hours in they gym, in fact I mainly do 10-15 min circuits that I can do just about anywhere!  Blame it on my DI running days, but I'm just not myself unless I squeeze a workout in, no matter how short (you can kick your ass with a quality 5 min circuit believe me!).   I firmly believe that living a healthy life is mainly diet, so pay more attention to what you eat than how much you are working out.  Seriously, you can eat this chocolate mousse even if you didn't workout today (it's that clean!). Interested?

The base of this treat is frozen bananas and avocados.  I was wary at first of using avocado in my smoothies and raw desserts, however I've quickly realized that there is nothing to fear after making this dark chocolate avocado pudding.  The avocado actually helps give this mousse it's velvety texture as well as light and airy consistency.  Basically, avocado should be a vital part of your chocolaty pudding desserts.

I have an obsession with using full-fat coconut milk in all my smoothies because it's delicious and I don't have to add a lot (to keep my smoothies on the thicker side which I prefer).  Plus, coconut milk is rich in all sorts of minerals and lauric acid - a healthy fat that has antibacterial and antiviral properties.  In this mousse, the coconut milk adds another layer of creamy, rich decadence.  Both chia seeds and protein powder help thicken this mousse; chia seeds additionally adding omega 3's, protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber and I think you get the idea of what protein powder adds. You can make this without the protein powder, just add another teaspoon of both honey and chia seeds.

I hope you enjoy this mousse as much as I did!

Recovery Chocolate Avocado Mousse

serves 1

1 very ripe frozen banana
1/4 frozen avocado
2/3 cup full-fat coconut milk
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp chia seeds
1 tsp raw honey or maple syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (chocolate will work as well)*
1 Tbsp cacao powder

*I used vanilla sunwarrior blend protein powder

Directions:
Add everything to a high-speed blender and blend, low-high speed, until a smooth, creamy consistency is achieved.