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GET IT NOWIf You Love Chocolate And Pomegranate, Meet My New Holiday Dessert With Both
We’ve been obsessed with pomegranate at our house lately and will happily eat those seeds right out of the fruit, but when we want something sweeter and richer, this pomegranate dessert is becoming a new favorite. I think this is why:
- Perfect flavor & texture balance – I layered creamy chocolate mousse with sweet, tart pomegranate seeds and buttery pistachios for a little crunch. It turned out to be the best kind of balance between rich and bright.
- No-bake and easy – Unlike my other sugar free chocolate mousse, the one I put in this pomegranate dessert uses cocoa powder instead of chocolate chips. So, it’s lighter and faster, but still tastes every bit as decadent. It comes together in about 10 minutes with simple ingredients, and no actual cooking whatsoever.
- Lighter than most holiday desserts – While this is still firmly dessert territory (and tastes like it), I definitely feel better about this one than most options this time of year. It has nearly 7 grams of protein, less than 10 grams of sugar (all from fruit — no refined sugar here), and it’s naturally gluten free!
If you’re looking for an easy, but impressive treat this holiday season — that you can also feel a little better about — try my pomegranate dessert recipe. It’s my fix of red and green this time of year, minus the artificial colors you see everywhere else. Make it with me!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my pomegranate dessert recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Mascarpone Cheese & Heavy Cream – This combo creates the creamy base of the mousse. You can use cream cheese instead of the mascarpone, but I much prefer the flavor with the mascarpone, because it’s not tangy.
- Cocoa Powder – I recommend this Dutch processed brand because it tastes smooth and deeply chocolaty without any bitterness.
- Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – My go-to sweetener for smooth, creamy healthy desserts like this one. It dissolves easily and tastes just like sugar, with zero aftertaste.
- Pomegranate Seeds – The perfect juicy contrast to the rich chocolate layers! If you have extras, use them for my pomegranate salad or persimmon salad (which has them as well).
- Pistachios – I used these to make this pomegranate dessert red and green (cute and fun!), but feel free to use other nuts. Almonds, pecans, or even hazelnuts all work well here.
- Whipped Cream – I used my sugar free whipped cream for topping. Feel free to use your favorite kid, or skipping it is just fine, too.
How To Make Pomegranate Dessert
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Beat the mascarpone with a little cream. Use a hand mixer with beater attachments to mix the mascarpone and a splash of cream, until smooth and creamy.
- Make the chocolate whipped cream. Swap to the whisk attachment and beat more cream with cocoa powder and powdered Besti, until soft peaks form. Don’t overmix here!
- Fold together. Add the chocolate cream to the mascarpone and gently fold with a spatula.
- Layer it up. Spoon the mousse into your dessert cups (I use these jars, shown in the pics, and they have lids!), then add pomegranate seeds and pistachios. Repeat with more mousse. I like to finish my pomegranate dessert with some whipped cream and extra pomegranate seeds for serving, but that part is up to you!
My Recipe Tips
- The cream whips better and faster if it’s cold. The mascarpone mixes a little more easily at room temperature but is just fine cold too. You can swap cream cheese instead of mascarpone but in that case you definitely need it room temp before mixing.
- Don’t overmix the chocolate cream. Stop whipping once you see soft peaks. If you go too far, the texture can get grainy and harder to fold into the mascarpone.
- You may want to reduce cocoa powder to 2 tablespoons if you want milder chocolate flavor, or increase to 4 tablespoons if you love intense dark chocolate. I went with 3 tablespoons, which was somewhere in between.
- Before folding the whipped chocolate cream into the mascarpone, give it a taste and tweak the sweetness if needed. Just remember it won’t taste quite as sweet once everything’s combined.
- Taste the chocolate whipped cream for sweetness before folding into the mascarpone mixture. It’s easier to adjust the amount of Besti at this step without breaking down the texture of the final result. Just keep in mind it’ll taste less sweet after folding.
- When you combine the two creams, don’t stir too hard or too long. Overmixing can deflate the mousse. Just fold gently until there are no white streaks.
- If you’re using clear jars (I use these) and want those layers to show without smearing mousse all over the sides, piping works best. Just spoon the mousse into a piping bag and squeeze into the cups as you layer the pomegranate dessert. I used these jumbo piping tips and these couplers.
Chocolate Pomegranate Dessert
My pomegranate dessert has layers of creamy chocolate mousse, juicy pomegranate seeds, and buttery pistachios. Perfect for the holidays!
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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In a large bowl, use a hand mixer with the beater attachments to beat the mascarpone and 1/4 cup of heavy cream, until smooth and creamy.
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Switch the hand mixer to the whisk attachment. In a second large bowl, combine the remaining 3/4 cup heavy cream, cocoa powder, and powdered Besti. Beat for 1-3 minutes, until soft peaks form. Be careful not to over-whip.
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Add the chocolate cream mixture to the mascarpone cream mixture. Fold gently with a spatula, until the chocolate mousse is just combined. Do not stir or overmix, but ensure there are no white streaks.
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Divide half of the chocolate mousse among 4 small dessert cups or glasses. Layer on pomegranate seeds and pistachios. Repeat the mousse again.
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If you like, top your chocolate pomegranate dessert with whipped cream, an extra sprinkle of cocoa powder, and/or more pomegranate seeds.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 chocolate pomegranate dessert (1/4 of the entire recipe)
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the right sweetness, the perfect texture, and beautiful, clean layers.
- Storage & meal prep: Keep the mousse in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. I’ve even kept it right in the piping bag. You can assemble the entire pomegranate desserts in advance, but I prefer to do it right before serving, because the pistachios soften over time.
- Note on nutrition info: The optional whipped cream topping is not included.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Pomegranate Dessert
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