I first heard about this strange and delicious chocolate mousse at a Super Bowl party of all places.

While we were prepping some neat finger foods, the talk wasn’t about the big game, or even the commercials, but of an amazing mock mousse that’s as good for you as it is rich-tasting and yummy.

I was skeptical, to say the least. I had once, long ago, made a “real” chocolate mousse. Way before that movie came out I had decided to become an expert French chef by selecting what I thought were the very best recipes from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

The chocolate mousse was the first, and last, official French dish I attempted to make.  Don’t get me wrong, it came out great. Only it took an entire afternoon. Hours of work in the kitchen for five minutes of mousse glory.

And that’s probably why I was so intrigued by this idea. I still remembered how delicious that dish was. Could it be possible to reproduce it in under 10 minutes with no eggs, no melting chocolate over a double boiler, no folding in egg whites or using whipping cream?

After having made this dish many times, I say it is.

While there are various recipes available for this dessert, mine has less of a banana flavor and more of a real mousse taste.

So here’s my version of the amazing, almost French, avocado mousse. And even if someone in your house doesn’t like avocados, I bet if you don’t tell them, they’ll never guess avocados are among the ingredients!

Makes 3 to 4 servings

2 ripe avocados

1 banana, not overripe

5 tablespoons pure, unsweetened cocoa powder

3 tablespoons real maple syrup

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla

(Optional) coarse sugar, such as turbinado, to sprinkle on top

Place all the ingredients in your food processor and whip, whip, whip! Scrape the sides occasionally with a knife, and keep blending until it’s thoroughly mixed and light and fluffy. Now it doesn’t get to its full mousse magnificence until it’s been chilled for at least an hour in the fridge. But you can taste it as you go and add more maple syrup if you want it sweeter.

The coconut oil makes it even fluffier, and I always find the hint of coconut adds something to most dishes.

To make it an even more elegant dessert, top with sliced almonds or fresh blueberries or strawberries.