Sweet Potato Protein Mousse

Healthy Sweet Potato Protein Mousse is a delicious high-protein breakfast, post-workout snack, or healthy dessert. This protein mousse offers a satisfying and guilt-free indulgence. It's loaded with plant-based protein, fiber, and antioxidants to energize and satisfy you. Chilling the mousse increases resistant starch, which supports gut health and keeps hunger at bay. Nut-free option, and gluten-free.

This Sweet Potato Protein Mousse is incredibly easy to make with just 5 essential ingredients and is perfect for meal prep. Whip up a batch ahead of time for a quick, nourishing option you can enjoy all week!

This vegan protein mousse recipe was inspired by my Chocolate Yogurt recipe, the Baked Protein Oats on my site, and my longevity Chia Chocolate Pudding.

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👩🏽‍⚕️ Tips for Making Sweet Potato Protein Mousse Diabetic-Friendly
🫧 Most Nutritious Way to Cook Sweet Potatoes: Boiling versus Steaming
👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients & Health Benefits
🍠 Substitutions
📖 How to Make Sweet Potato Protein Mousse
✔️ Expert Tips
🛒 Shop Recipe Cookware and Ingredients
🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
🥣 Related Recipes
🫙 Pairing
👩🏽‍🍳 Made this recipe?
Sweet Potato Protein Mousse
💬 Comments

👩🏽‍⚕️ Tips for Making Sweet Potato Protein Mousse Diabetic-Friendly

Boil Sweet Potatoes, But Don't Overcook: Boil the sweet potatoes until tender but not mushy. Overcooking can increase their glycemic index by breaking down starches into simpler sugars. Aim for a firm texture to keep the starches more intact.
Choose a Lower-GI Potato Variety: Potatoes like purple and orange sweet potatoes generally have a lower glycemic index (GI) with the added benefit of being much richer in antioxidants than white potatoes.
Chill for Resistant Starch: After making the mousse, refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight. Cooling converts some starches into resistant starch, which digests more slowly and reduces the impact on blood sugar.
Incorporate Healthy Fats: Add nut butter or flaxseed meal to the mousse to slow digestion and help stabilize blood sugar levels.

These tips ensure your Sweet Potato Protein Mousse is as blood sugar-friendly as it is delicious!

🫧 Most Nutritious Way to Cook Sweet Potatoes: Boiling versus Steaming

Boiling may retain most of the antioxidant power of sweet potatoes, compared to even steaming. Boiling can also thin cell walls and gelatinize starch, making the nutrients more bioavailable.

Nutrient Retention and Glycemic Index: A study published in The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that boiling potatoes tends to result in a lower glycemic index than other cooking methods like baking or frying, which is beneficial for blood sugar management. This occurs because boiling promotes the gelatinization of starch, creating a structure that slows down carbohydrate digestion and absorption, thereby reducing the glycemic response.
Bioavailability of Antioxidants: This study explored how cooking methods influence the antioxidant content in potatoes. The findings suggested that boiling can enhance the bioavailability of certain antioxidants, including phenolic compounds, as the softened cell walls allow for better nutrient release.
Vitamin C Retention: Research has shown that steaming can preserve more vitamin C in potatoes compared to boiling. This difference is likely due to the reduced contact with water, which minimizes nutrient leaching. However, unpeeled potatoes lose only about 7% by cooking, and for antioxidant capacity and bioavailability, boiling still performs comparably well.

These studies indicate that while steaming retains more vitamins in potatoes, boiling may offer advantages for enhancing antioxidant bioavailability and lowering the glycemic index, which can be beneficial depending on individual dietary needs.

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients & Health Benefits

Sweet potatoes, nut butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, protein powder, dates, nondairy milk, and cocoa powder.

Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), which is important for vision, immune function, and skin health. Sweet potatoes are also a good source of fiber, which helps with digestion, blood sugar control, and reducing the risk of heart disease. The antioxidants in sweet potatoes, such as beta-carotene and anthocyanins (in purple varieties), have anti-inflammatory properties and may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases like cancer. Additionally, sweet potatoes have a low glycemic index when prepared properly, making them a great option for those managing blood sugar levels.
Cocoa powder - regular cocoa flavanol consumption may have positive effects on facial wrinkles and elasticity. Use a high-flavanol brand.
Flaxseed meal can reduce inflammation by lowering C-reactive protein and is rich in lignans which may help fight cancer.
Dates are nutrient-rich, providing fiber for digestion, potassium, magnesium, and vitamin B6. Some research indicates that dates can help lower blood glucose levels, reduce cholesterol and triglycerides, and increase beneficial HDL cholesterol. They also appear supportive of a healthy gut microbiome.
Nondairy milk: Use soy, almond, oat, hemp, or cashew milk. Plant-based milk offers several health benefits over cow's milk, including lower saturated fat and zero cholesterol. Soymilk is particularly notable for its protein content, which is comparable to cow's milk, and it contains spermidine, a compound that promotes autophagy and supports cellular health and longevity.
Cinnamon is one of the cheapest common food sources of antioxidants.
Nut butter (optional) adds heart-healthy fats to help absorb fat-soluble nutrients.
Protein powder (optional) - I used unsweetened protein powder made with one healthy ingredient linked here.

See the printable recipe card below for quantities.

🍠 Substitutions

Nut-free - Omit the nut butter or substitute it with tahini, or seed butter. Choose a different protien powder or omit it entirely.
Sweet potatoes - Use purple, orange, or a combination of both for a vibrant color and a boost of antioxidants.
Nondairy milk - The recipe uses soymilk for the most protein and vitamins, lower saturated fat, and zero cholesterol, but any milk will work.
Nut butter - Use almond, peanut, walnut, cashew, or tahini for nut-free.
Flaxseed meal: Use 1 tablespoon of ground chia seeds instead, or omit them entirely. If omitting, reduce the milk by 3 tablespoons and add more as needed when blending.
Cinnamon - Omit or use desired spices (cloves, nutmeg, cayenne).
Protein powder - Use a clean brand of protein powder, my Homemade Protein Powder, or omit it entirely.
Cocoa powder - Try to use a brand tested for cadmium or omit it entirely. (See my Vegan Food List for safe brands.)
Mexican-inspired - Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to give your Mexican chocolate mousse a subtle kick and a warm, spicy depth of flavor.

For more healthy vegan treat recipes, visit my Healthy Vegan Treats page.

📖 How to Make Sweet Potato Protein Mousse

This is an overview. The full recipe is at the bottom of the post.

Sweet potatoes in boiling water in a saucepan.

Cook the Sweet Potato: Place the sweet potato in a large saucepan and cover with water, ensuring the water is about 2 inches above the sweet potato. Cook for about 25 minutes, or until just tender. Be careful not to overcook.

Three dates soaking in hot water in a glass pyrex.

Soak the dates in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain, remove the pits, and transfer the dates to a food processor.

Boiled sweet potatoes draining in a metal colander.

Drain the cooked sweet potato.

Cooked and peeled orange and purple sweet potato on a wooden cutting board.

Prepare the Sweet Potato: Peel and roughly slice it. Add the pieces to the food processor.

Purple and orange sweet potatoes, cocoa powder, protein powder, flaxseed meal, vanilla, nondairy milk, and cinnamon in a food processor.

Blend: Add the cocoa powder, flaxseed meal, cinnamon, vanilla, protein powder (if using), and nondairy milk. Blend.

Sweet potatoes, cocoa powder, nut butter, flaxseed meal, vanilla, nondairy milk, and cinnamon in a food processor.

Blend: Add nut butter (optional). Blend until smooth, adding more milk if needed to reach your desired consistency.

Sweet potato chocolate protein mousse in a glass food processor.

Add salt or spices to taste.

Sweet potato protein mousse in a glass jar with a black spoon.

Chill the mixture in the fridge before serving for the best flavor and texture.

✔️ Expert Tips

Save time and cook your sweet potato in the microwave by piercing it several times with a fork, placing it on a microwave-safe plate, and cooking on high for 5-8 minutes, turning halfway through. This method preserves more nutrients compared to baking, requires no added fat or oil, and keeps the natural flavor and texture intact, making it a quick and healthy option.
Choose sweet potatoes with an even width to ensure they cook evenly without the ends becoming overcooked and mushy. Check regularly for doneness to avoid overcooking.
Adjust for Protein Powder: Reduce the nondairy milk by ¼ cup if not using protein powder to maintain the desired consistency. Add more as needed when blending.
For each additional scoop of protein powder, add about ¼ cup of nondairy milk to ensure the mixture has the right consistency.
Eat the Skin: Add the peel to soups or stews for an extra nutrient boost, or enjoy it plain as you peel-just like I do! The peel of a sweet potato has nearly ten times the antioxidant power of the flesh.
Chill the mixture in the fridge for at least 12 hours to optimize the formation of resistant starch, which supports gut health and helps keep you feeling full longer.
Storage: Refrigerate leftover Sweet Potato Protein Mousse in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

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🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

How do I adjust the sweetness of Sweet Potato Protein Mousse?

You can adjust the sweetness by adding or reducing the number of dates, and not overcooking the sweet potatoes. For an extra sweet boost, add a touch of maple syrup or your preferred sweetener.

Can I use canned sweet potato instead of fresh?

Yes, canned sweet potato works as a quick substitute. Just ensure it's unsweetened and free of added ingredients.

Is this recipe suitable for meal prep?

Definitely! This mousse is perfect for meal prep. Make a batch ahead of time, and enjoy it as a quick breakfast, snack, or dessert throughout the week.