Home » Mediterranean Desserts

Chocolate Mousse and Cupcakes Made with Olive Oil

ByElena Paravantes, MS, RD
Chocolate Mousse with Olive Oil Cakes by Greek Pastry Chef Parliaros

Greeks have plenty of desserts that are made with olive oil. For one, butter was too expensive and olive oil was not. Greeks also fasted for over 180 days a year which meant no animal products, so they came up with desserts that had no animal fat. Sweets such as olive oil cookies, melomakarona (honey cookies), olive oil cake, olive oil baklava were alternatives to sweets that had milk, eggs and butter.

As a child growing up in the U.S., I enjoyed my mom’s wonderful olive-oil based Greek desserts, but I also longed for something more westernized, something with well … chocolate. My mom did not really use chocolate, so I started making my own desserts and cookies. At first, as a teenager I had no issues with using butter or corn oil. However, as I got older and particularly when I started studying nutrition in college, I became more aware of my own food and nutrition heritage, so I decided to use or change recipes so that they combined the best of both worlds: chocolate and olive oil.

Here are 2 recipes that satisfy the craving for a chocolate dessert, while making use of the healthy olive oil. So yes, there is sugar, but at least there is less saturated fat and more of the healthy monounsaturated fat.

Olive Oil Chocolate Mousse

This recipe comes from the Greek Pastry Chef Stelios Parliaros. Although he makes plenty of French inspired desserts, he has also developed a number of recipes that use olive oil as the main source of fat. I have been lucky to attend a class in which he prepared some of his olive oil desserts and he does such a great job of integrating Greek ingredients such as olive oil and Greek cheese to non-Greek recipes. This recipe is super easy, and requires only 3 ingredients: chocolate, olive oil and whipping cream.

INGREDIENTS

  • 10 1/2 ounces (300 grams) bakers chocolate with 55% cocoa solids
  • 7 ounces (200 grams) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 17 1/2 ounces (500 grams)heavy whipping cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt the chocolate on low heat in a double boiler or in the microwave.

2. Combine melted chocolate with olive oil.

3. Whip the heavy cream so that it thickens but not so much that it becomes fluffy.

4. Fold in the cream with the chocolate mixture.

5. Divide mixture in small serving dessert glasses or any other container and leave in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

6. Top with walnuts or fruit.

*You can also add brandy and orange zest

Chocolate Cupcakes with Olive Oil

I’ve tried several cupcakes with olive oil, they mostly fall under the vegan category, although that’s not what I am necessarily looking for, but for anybody who is interested this recipe does not contain any animal products. The recipe comes from the blog Simply Recipes. It truly is a very easy recipe, you don’t even need an electric mixer. Sometimes I’ll add frosting and sometimes just powdered sugar. I don’t use coffee, just water. You can see the original recipe here.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup of warm water
  • 1 Tbsp white vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp olive oil
DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175 C) with a rack in the middle position. Prepare a muffin tin with cupcake liners.

2. In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt until there are no visible clumps

3. In another bowl, mix together the water, vinegar, vanilla extract, and olive oil.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only until they just come together.

5. Ladle the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about two-thirds of the way full. Place in oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

6. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool on a rack.

 

Elena Paravantes, MS, RDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist by the U.S. Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). She is an expert on the Mediterranean Diet. She has been active as a clinician, consultant, author and lecturer for 20 years, both in the U.S. and Greece. An expert on the Greek Mediterranean Diet, her interviews and articles have been published in many publications including CNN, U.S. News and World Report, Prevention, NPR, and Shape. Elena has collaborated with a number of organizations including Loyola University, Yale University, University of Missouri, Louisiana State University, and the American College of Greece. Elena earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition and Dietetics and her Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Sciences in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She holds has a Master’s Degree of Science in Health Management.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

4 Comments

  1. You mention the smoke point of olive oil is 365 degrees. I bake cornbread with olive oil in place of butter once a week at 375 for 37 minutes. Would this temperature cause the olive oil to become a trans fat?

    Reply

  2. “Thank you for posting such a great article, It’s Really helpful for readers. Keep posting.
    Please take some to visit mine
    Kavkazi Authentic Food is a pick-up and delivery service that offers a wide variety of Kavkazi and Kosher dishes . All of our dishes are made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients and prepared in our traditional clay pots. We offer a wide range of appetizers, soups, salads, main courses, and desserts, all of which are available for pick-up or delivery. Our pick-up and delivery service is available seven days a week.

    Reply

  3. Katerina,
    Happy New Year! Thank you for your comments. Yes, the taste of olive oil will definitely be present. It also depends on the type of olive oil, most Greek olive oils are made from the koroneiki olive which is strong, but some olive oils such as those from the island of Mitilini (Lesvos) use different olive varieties and have a more delicate taste.

    Reply

  4. Hi and Happy New Year,
    I made the olive oil chocolate mousse. The texture was very nice but the olive oil was a bit too strong and you could taste it. I think maybe it would work better if the olive oil quantity was halved and the other half replaced with an oil of a lighter taste like vegetable or sunflower oil or if the olive oil was completely replaced by one of the others.
    I understand that olive oil is ofcourse healthier and I appreciate your healthier recipes, hence why I tried it, however I think the olive oil taste is way too strong for this kind of desserts.

    Reply