If there’s one thing quarantine cooking will do to you, it’ll make you creative! I’ll be honest though, it’s actually been quite fun limiting my trips to the grocery store to reduce my exposure and making do with what’s left in the fridge, freezer and cupboards.

I was thinking up a new recipe to make with collagen and while it can easily blend in with almost anything from smoothies, pancakes, muffins and coffee, I wanted to try something completely different.

Since I’m a chocolate lover (as in, I have chocolate just about every single day – and yes, this can be a strategy to manage food cravings), the idea of making a Dark Chocolate Collagen Mousse came to mind! And gosh darn, is it decadent, rich and delicious! Honestly, I’ve just been having a spoonful of it here and there and my chocolate craving is completely satisfied. It’s that good.

The benefit of making it with collagen, is that you’ll also reap the benefits of collagen, including:

Reduced appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Strengthened hair and nail health
Improved joint health
Reduced joint pain
Strengthened intestinal lining (helpful to manage leaky gut and food sensitivities)

If you’re wondering, I use Sproos Collagen as they are a Canadian company that prioritizes high-quality and sustainable sourcing of their ingredients. You can use “sproosrachel15” over on sprooslife.com to save 15% off of your order. Side note: Pick up some of their Collagen Bars while you’re at it, specifically the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip – it’s insane!

I also made this recipe with minimal ingredients to increase the likelihood of you having these ingredients in your home already so you can whip it up whenever a chocolate craving strikes and was mindful of not using common allergens like dairy in this recipe so more people could enjoy it.

I enjoyed it as is, but you could easily top it with fresh berries, cacao nibs, a drizzle of nut butter, shredded coconut. Anything, really! It would also be a really nice dessert to serve up when entertaining – when this whole pandemic comes to an end, of course (ugh!).

Since I’ve been confined to my home (like the rest of the world), I’ve definitely been cooking much more often. It’s one of the highlights of my day, because when every day starts to feel the same, you need something to keep it zesty and exciting, right? All that to say, you can expect even more recipes from me in the coming months to keep your palette and belly happy during this trying time.

I do hope you’re keeping well, staying sane and healthy throughout all of this. If you’re looking for support in the way of mental or emotional health, here are some resources that I’ve been turning to in order to support myself:

BetterHelp Online Therapy (click here to save 10% off of your first month)
Quarantine Dance Party – peep the link in my bio on Instagram to find out when the next one is!
Breath Work with Jennifer Mansell – she’s been hosting free virtual workshops throughout this pandemic and the are LIFE CHANGING
Meditation – I would recommend using Headspace or Insight Timer
Walking outside in nature – be smart and stay 6 feet apart!

Okay, let’s go eat some Dark Chocolate Collagen Mousse If you end up making this, please tag me @rachelmmolenda so I can see it!

Dark Chocolate Collagen Mousse Recipe

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

1 cup dates (honey or Medjool), soaked
1 cup canned coconut milk
¼ cup + 2 tbsp cacao powder
1 scoop Marine or Grass-Fed Sproos Collagen
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Place honey dates in a bowl and cover with boiled water. Soak for 5 minutes then strain.
Add soaked dates, coconut milk, cacao powder, collagen and vanilla to a high-powered blender or food processor and pulse until smooth (30-60 seconds).
Chill in the fridge for 3 hours.
Enjoy as-is, or top with fresh berries, peanuts, nut butter drizzle or shredded coconut.