Honey-Sweetened Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
If you’re a chocoholic or peanut butter dessert fiend, this chocolate peanut butter mousse is the perfect dessert for you!
My mother-in-law loves the combination of peanut butter and chocolate so I’m always whipping up something new for her birthday or family dinners like my peanut butter chocolate lasagna or any of these delicious chocolate peanut butter desserts.
This one is sweetened with honey instead of refined sugar, and cream cheese gives it a thick, spoonable body rather than an airy, eggy mousse. A swirl of honey chocolate and a handful of chopped peanuts on top make it feel fancy.
- Serves: 8 servings
- Ready in: 31 minutes (20 minutes prep, 1 minute cook)
- Key ingredients: heavy whipping cream, honey, real vanilla extract, cream cheese, natural peanut butter, unsweetened chocolate
- Why you’ll love it: A honey-sweetened chocolate peanut butter mousse with no refined sugar, perfect for the chocoholic yet elegant enough for guests!
Save this recipe!
I'll email you a shopping list plus helpful tips to make the best version of this recipe
♡ Why you’ll love it
- ♡No refined sugar. Honey is the only sweetener.
- ♡No baking. It’s ready in about 30 minutes, chill time included.
- ♡Just 8 ingredients. Most of them are probably in your fridge already.
- ♡Elegant enough for guests. Spoon it into parfait glasses and it looks like you fussed.
Ingredients for chocolate peanut butter mousse
With only a few delicious ingredients, this chocolate peanut butter mousse comes together in less than a half hour!
- Heavy whipping cream (1 pint / 2 cups, 480 ml) – This mousse calls for making your own homemade whipped cream both for serving as well as making the mousse. Use it cold, straight from the fridge.
- Honey (¼ cup, 85 g, divided) – I prefer to use local honey as much as possible. Honey is the only sweetener here, so there’s no refined sugar (it’s not sugar-free, though – see how sweet it is below).
- Real vanilla extract (1 teaspoon, divided) – Please always use real vanilla extract, it makes a world of difference in your baking and desserts!
- Cream cheese (8 oz, 227 g) – This adds a lush delicious creaminess to the mousse. Use a full-fat block and let it soften to room temperature.
- Natural peanut butter (¾ cup, 190 g) – Use natural peanut butter with no sugar added! This will make the best mousse without being too sweet. Stir the oil back in well and use it at room temperature.
- Salt (¼ teaspoon) – To balance the sweetness.
- Unsweetened chocolate (4 oz, 113 g) – Always use a good quality chocolate. A 100% unsweetened baking bar works best here; chop it so it melts evenly.
- Roasted peanuts (⅓ cup, 48 g, chopped) – Peanuts add a salty crunchiness to the final dessert.
How sweet is it?
Honey is still sugar, so here’s the honest breakdown. A batch has about 103 g of sugar in total, and about two-thirds of it comes from the ¼ cup of honey.
Per serving (1 of 8)
| Where it comes from | Sugar |
|---|---|
| Sugar from the honey | about 9 g |
| Natural sugar from the cream, cream cheese, peanuts and peanut butter | about 4 g |
| Total sugar | about 13 g |
No refined sugar, but not sugar-free, keto or low-carb. Honey is still sugar, so if you need a zero-sugar dessert, have a look at my sugar-free mousse recipes.
Estimates from standard USDA values for the ingredients, rounded.
How to make chocolate peanut butter mousse
This is a fairly simple recipe but should be made shortly before serving. Here’s what to look for at each step; the exact amounts and times are in the recipe card below.
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Step 1 – Whip the cream. Whip the cold cream with a tablespoon of the honey and half of the vanilla, using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, until it holds soft peaks. Soft peaks flop over at the tip when you lift the beaters. New to whipping cream? My homemade maple whipped cream walks you through it.
Step 2 – Beat the peanut butter base. In a second bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, peanut butter, 2 tablespoons of honey, the rest of the vanilla and the salt until smooth and a shade lighter in color.
Step 3 – Fold. Add about two-thirds of the whipped cream to the peanut butter base and fold it in with a spatula, cutting down through the middle and turning the bowl, until no white streaks are left. Keep the rest of the whipped cream in the fridge for topping.
Step 4 – Divide and chill. Spoon the mousse into 8 small dessert glasses or bowls, about ⅔ cup each, and chill for at least 10 minutes. If you like it firmer, give it longer in the fridge.
Step 5 – Make the honey chocolate. When you’re nearly ready to serve, microwave the chopped chocolate for 30 seconds, stir, then keep going in 15-second bursts, stirring each time, until it’s smooth. Stir in the last tablespoon of honey.
Step 6 – Top and serve. Add a spoonful of the reserved whipped cream to each glass, spoon the honey chocolate over the top and finish with the chopped peanuts. Serve right away.
♡ Good to know
Take the cream cheese and peanut butter out of the fridge 30–60 minutes before you start. Cold cream cheese leaves little lumps that won’t fold out.
Tips for the best texture
- Start with cold cream. Cold cream whips faster and holds its shape better.
- Whip to soft–medium peaks, not stiff. Over-whipped cream turns grainy and is harder to fold in.
- Fold, don’t beat. Once the whipped cream goes in, a spatula is all you need. Beating knocks the air back out.
- Soften the cream cheese and peanut butter. Room-temperature ingredients make a smooth base with no lumps.
- Short on time? If you have a whipped cream dispenser, you can use it for the topping.
Problem? Here’s the fix
Lumpy base
The cream cheese was still cold. Let it soften on the counter first, and beat the base until it’s completely smooth before you fold in the cream.
Runny mousse
The cream wasn’t whipped enough, or the mousse was beaten after the cream went in. Whip to soft–medium peaks, and fold gently.
Grainy texture
Natural peanut butter that wasn’t stirred, or was cold. Stir the oil back in and use it at room temperature.
Thick or seized chocolate
Honey can make melted chocolate tighten up. Stir in a teaspoon or two of warm cream until it’s pourable again.
Swaps and variations
There are many ways you can change this chocolate peanut butter mousse up a bit!
- Add layers of crushed chocolate cookies or brownie bites between layers of mousse for an extra boost of chocolaty goodness!
- Add a layer or two of chocolate chips and chopped peanuts for a crunchy layer.
Ultimately there are many ways to add a layer of extra deliciousness so feel free to be creative!
Easy swaps
Honey → Pure maple syrup, same amount
Still no refined sugar. Maple is also what sweetens my maple-sweetened pumpkin mousse.
Cream cheese → Neufchâtel (⅓-less-fat cream cheese)
The mousse will be a little softer.
Natural peanut butter → Regular creamy peanut butter
Works, but it adds sugar, so the mousse is no longer free of refined sugar.
Unsweetened chocolate → Bittersweet (60–70%) chocolate
Less bitter, but it adds sugar too.
Make ahead and storage
Make it ahead
- Cover the glasses and keep them in the fridge. Keep the leftover whipped cream covered in the fridge too.
- Add the chocolate drizzle, the extra whipped cream and the peanuts just before serving, so the peanuts stay crunchy.
- It’s best eaten within a day or two because of the fresh whipped cream.
This recipe card may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Honey-Sweetened Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse
Ingredients
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream 2 cups / 480 ml, cold
- ¼ cup honey 85 g, divided
- 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract divided
- 8 oz cream cheese 227 g, full-fat block, room temperature
- ¾ cup natural peanut butter 190 g, no sugar added, stirred, room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 oz unsweetened chocolate 113 g, 100% baking bar, chopped
- ⅓ cup roasted peanuts 48 g, chopped
Instructions
- Pour the cold cream into a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, with 1 tablespoon honey and ½ teaspoon vanilla. Whip on medium-high for 2–3 minutes, scraping the bowl once, until it holds soft peaks. Set aside.
- In a second bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, peanut butter, 2 tablespoons honey, the rest of the vanilla and the salt for 2–3 minutes, until smooth and lighter in color.
- Scoop about two-thirds of the whipped cream onto the peanut butter base and fold it in with a spatula, cutting down through the middle and turning the bowl, until no white streaks remain.
- Spoon the mousse into 8 small dessert glasses or bowls (about ⅔ cup each), cover and chill for at least 10 minutes. Refrigerate the leftover whipped cream for topping.
- When you're nearly ready to eat, microwave the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds, stir, then keep going in 15-second bursts, stirring each time, until it's smooth. Stir the last tablespoon of honey into the warm chocolate. If it tightens up, a splash of warm cream loosens it.
- Take the glasses out of the fridge, add a spoonful of the reserved whipped cream to each, spoon the honey chocolate over the top and finish with chopped peanuts. Serve right away.
Recipe Notes
- Not sugar-free: honey is the only sweetener, so there’s no refined sugar, but each serving has about 13 g sugar (about 9 g of it from the honey).
- Peanut butter: use natural peanut butter with no sugar added. Stir the oil back in and let it come to room temperature so the base stays smooth.
- Swap: pure maple syrup works instead of honey, in the same amount.
- Storage: cover and refrigerate. Add the chocolate, extra whipped cream and peanuts just before serving. Best eaten within a day or two.
Nutrition
♡ Did you make it?
Leave a star rating on the recipe card and tell me in the comments who you made it for! Be sure to share it with me on Instagram, Pinterest, or YouTube!
More chocolate peanut butter desserts
Can’t get enough of chocolate and peanut butter? Try one of these next: