Recipe: Chocolate Mousse Dip

I always tell my patients “special occasions” are times for a little splurge. I also tell them….make sure you define special! Everything can be a special occasion if we let it. It’s his birthday. It’s her birthday. It’s your birthday. Presidents Day. Labor Day. Tuesday….you get the idea :) Valentine’s Day is coming up and for some of us, this is a special occasion that we do decide to celebrate! But that doesn’t mean it’s time to throw caution to the wind. Chocolates and candy hearts are sure to show up (if they haven’t already) so be sure to plan ahead for your day and be prepared to fight some tempting battles. This recipe is a modified version of a rich and decadent chocolate mousse. While it’s a much better alternative to many rich chocolate desserts, be sure to watch your portion and save it for just those special occasions :) Be sure to eat your protein focused meal first, saving a small amount of room for dessert. This will help your portions stay in line! This recipe modified from Dashing Dish       Cuisine No Cook    Servings small servings   INGREDIENTS 4 ounces fat free cream cheese 1/8 cup cocoa powder 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk 3/4 cup light whipped topping 1/4 cup natural sweetener 12 slices apple, for dipping (3 per serving)       INSTRUCTIONS Combine all ingredients except whipped topping using a hand mixer. Fold in whipped topping. Refrigerate 30 minutes or longer until ready to eat. Use apple slices to dip if desired, keeping bites small and stopping at fullness for portion control.   RECIPE NOTES 82 Calories (assuming 3 slices of apple) Carbs: 13 grams (mostly from apple - can skip and have small bites of mousse only) Fat: 3 grams Protein: 1 gram *If no apple- 63 calories, 4 grams protein, 7 grams carbohydrate and 2 grams fat