Black Forest Dessert Cups
Decadent black forest dessert cups with layers of avocado chocolate mousse, whipped cream, macerated and fresh cherries. These cups are easier and quicker to make than the traditional German black forest cake and don't require any baking! The recipe is undetectably vegan, dairy-free, egg-free and refined sugar free.
Ingredients
Macerated Cherries and Cream (note 1 for make-ahead instructions)
- 2 cups (280g) fresh sweet cherries pitted and halved (note 2)
- 1 tablespoon (20g) maple syrup or to taste
- ~2 cups dairy-free whipped cream chilled
Avocado Chocolate Mousse
- 1 (200g) large avocado (weighed without the skin and seed), room temperature
- ¼ cup (85g) maple syrup or to taste
- ¼ cup (45g) melted dairy-free chocolate or an extra 1/3 cup (35g) of cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons (45g) dairy-free milk room temperature
- 2 ½ tablespoons (15g) dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 teapsoon vanilla extract optional
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder optional
- Pinch of salt optional
To Assemble
- ¼ cup (35g) fresh sweet cherries
- chocolate shavings or chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
Prepare the cherries and cream:
- In a small bowl, stir the cherries with the maple syrup. Add more maple syrup if desired. Set aside in the fridge until needed.
- Add the cream to a large bowl (if using an electric mixer), or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whip the cream according to packet instructions. Chill the cream in the fridge until needed.
Prepare the avocado chocolate mousse:
- Add all the mousse ingredients to a small food processor or blender. Blend until the mixture is as smooth as possible. Taste test the mixture and adjust if desired.
Assemble:
- In 3 or more serving glasses, layer the whipped cream, chocolate mousse and macerated cherries as desired. Make sure you add the cherry syrup with the cherries. Top with additional fresh cherries and chocolate servings.
- Serve the black forest dessert cups immediately, or store them covered in the fridge until needed. The assembled cups keep well for around 6 hours in the fridge, depending on the stability of your whipped cream (see Note 1).
Notes
- Make ahead instructions: The macerated cherries and avocado mousse can be prepared 1-2 days ahead of time. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge until needed. Many dairy-free creams keep very well in the fridge so you can prepare and layer the cups a whole day before serving. If your cream deflates quickly, assemble your cups a few hours before serving.
- If you're in a pinch, you can use canned, jarred or frozen cherries inside the black forest dessert cups and skip the maceration process. Drain most of the liquid from the cherries, leaving a few tablespoons. If desired, use the excess liquid in the avocado mousse. If you're using fresh sour cherries, use at least 2 tablespoons of maple syrup to at least 2 tablespoons (45g). To decorate the cups, fresh cherries are better for presentation, but other cherries will still be delicious.