This Chocolate Mousse Is Powered by a Block of Tofu

It’s That Simple is our series about recipes so easy, you can make them with your eyes closed. Think tiny ingredient lists, laid-back techniques, and results so delicious you’ll text home about them.

Each night after eating dinner, it is imperative that I eat something sweet. But, as someone who tests baked goods all day at work, I try my best to make it healthy. Or at least kinda healthy. Sometimes it’s a bowl of yogurt topped with honey. Sometimes it’s a few squares of dark chocolate. My latest obsession is a cloud-like chocolate mousse made with nothing more than a block of tofu and melted chocolate.

I came up with the idea after realizing chocolate soy milk is way better than it has any right to be. Maybe even better than chocolate milk, period. So why not blend up melted chocolate and tofu and see what happens? To my surprise and delight, what came out of the blender was a fancy-pants chocolate mousse that could be served at any chic Brooklyn bistro. Fluffy to the point of floofy and not too sweet.

Besides having such a short ingredient list, it also takes less than five minutes of active effort. Start by blending an entire block of silken tofu until smooth, almost like a thick Alfredo sauce. To this, add microwave-melted bittersweet chocolate chips. You don’t need to cool the chocolate or daintily stream it into the blender. Just throw it in with reckless abandon. Add a hefty pinch of salt and blitz on high power. As it blends, the mousse lightens and expands, emulsifying into a magical, billowy texture.

Dollop it into bowls, cover with plastic, and chill while you soak up some sun. In the fridge, the mousse sets flawlessly, like your favorite cream face foundation. A spoon dug into it reveals an aerated interior akin to a far fussier mousse that’s lightened with whipped eggs. It’s a bit of a triumph, and one that feels impossible given the ingredients list. But it’s not. It’s real and you made it.

When ready to serve, top the mousse with whatever adornments you like. In summer, I dot it with a few juicy raspberries that offer a prickle of tartness. In the colder months, a dollop of Greek yogurt or whipped cream does the job. But the truth is, you don’t really need to accessorize your mousse with anything at all. It’s gorgeous unadorned.