Every year, the Pantone Color Institute selects the color for the year ahead. The institute’s color specialists say they take into account the “global zeitgeist” and the general mood before announcing which color they predict is going to dominate. And next year, they believe, is going to be all about Mocha Mousse.
Inspired by quiet luxury trends, the rich brown hue is “sophisticated and lush,” says Leatrice Eiseman, the institute’s executive director, adding that it is “an unpretentious classic.” Laurie Pressman, the institute’s vice president, also noted that the shade has an “inherent richness” and a “comforting warmth.” But we’re not here to discuss brown shades for clothes or home aesthetics.
Pantone
We’re here to talk about the dessert that inspired the title of Pantone 17-1230: the indulgent, sweet, deliciously fluffy blend of cocoa and coffee that is real-life mocha mousse. The Pantone Color Institute might be thinking about the perfect shade to influence 2025 trends, but we’re thinking about dessert.
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What is mocha mousse made of?
Mocha mousse is a creamy, velvety, indulgent dessert that is usually made with a blend of espresso and dark chocolate. Other ingredients often include heavy cream and eggs, but these can be easily swapped for plant-based alternatives. Instead of dairy cream, coconut cream works just as well, as does aquafaba, for example, or even avocado. Instead of eggs, silken tofu can help to bind the mixture and add that delicious fluffy element.
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If you love the taste of coffee and chocolate together, but you’re not such a fan of the texture of mousse, you can also incorporate mocha mousse into rich and indulgent desserts like brownies and cakes.
Keep reading to find out the many ways Pantone’s color of the year can be whipped up into a delicious, crowd-pleasing, dairy-free dessert.
7 vegan mocha mousse recipes
Savor the inspiration behind Pantone’s color of the year with these seven vegan recipes.
Vegan Richa
1 Vegan Mocha Cake With Chocolate Mousse
If you’re a self-confessed chocoholic, this melt-in-your-mouth mocha chocolate mousse cake is guaranteed to become a new obsession. It’s the perfect combination of moist, creamy, and deliciously chocolatey. “[It’s] a showstopping dessert that’s surprisingly easy to make,” says Vegan Richa founder and recipe developer Richa Hingle.
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Veggie Chick
2 Chocolate Chip Mocha Mousse
Chocolate chips add a delicious crunchy texture to this ultra-fluffy, creamy, plant-based mousse recipe from Veggie Chick. The secret to the texture is silken tofu, which, when blended, has the perfect velvety consistency for mousse. If you want something impressive and easy, this recipe ticks all the boxes. “Throw all the ingredients in the food processor and blend,” says recipe developer Christin Russman. “That’s it.”
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Addicted to Dates
3 Irish Coffee Chocolate Mocha Mousse
If you like your desserts with a little extra kick to them, this delicious recipe from Addicted to Dates adds a splash of whiskey into the mix. Coconut cream brings the signature texture, while dark chocolate, maple syrup, and instant coffee granules combine to bring that decadent taste everyone craves in a mousse. “This is a whole new level of indulgence,” says recipe creator Christina Leopold.
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Addicted to Dates
4 Raspberry Mocha No Bake Brownies
Sweet raspberries bring a tasty fruity element to this otherwise extremely chocolatey dessert. The brownies are indulgent, airy, creamy, and easy to make. In fact, you don’t even need to turn the oven on, you just need access to a freezer. Leopold describes them as “little bites of heaven.”
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Glutarama
5 Vegan Mocha Walnut Mousse Slice
This dessert is more of a cake than a mousse, but it does have a deliciously soft texture and an out-of-this-world flavor. Coffee and chocolate are already a perfect mix, but adding a nutty element with walnuts takes the taste up a notch. “This dessert is best categorized as something you’d expect to see in a patisserie,” says Glutarama founder and recipe creator Rebecca Smith. “Something a bit different, a bit special.”
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Vegan Treats Blogger
6 Vegan Double Chocolate Mousse Cake
Hardcore chocolate lovers need to know about this double chocolate mousse cake from Vegan Treats Blogger. It’s the perfect level of moist, and the extra chocolate makes it incredibly rich and indulgent. “The rich chocolatey flavors are gorgeously complimented with the subtle taste of espresso which I use in the cake batter to give it that luxury edge,” explains DJ, the recipe creator.
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A Saucy Kitchen
7 Espresso Martini Vegan Chocolate Mousse
Forget drinking an espresso martini, this mousse recipe offers all the same flavors in a rich and decadent dessert. And don’t worry, you won’t miss out on the alcohol, because it’s even spiked with a little vodka and some coffee liqueur. This boozy dessert comes together with ease,” says A Saucy Kitchen founder Sarah Nevins, adding that the dish is “simple yet elegant.”
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.
