I recently stumbled across a dessert trend and my first thought was: OK, now the health craze is really taking over. Vegetables in dessert? Seriously? Broccoli pudding? IMAGE: ©Paradiso Pure.Living Vegan Hotel

But then I remembered: I’ve actually eaten carrot muffins before. Delicious! Zucchini cake? Nothing new there. And I’ve already featured the vegan bean-based brownies from the Paradiso Pure.Living Vegan Hotel on my blog. So… maybe it’s not so crazy after all?

Oh yes, it’s even crazier!

Mousse au chocolat with mushroom crumble & co. – the culinary twist

Eater explores the vegetable dessert trend in this article. In New York, the restaurant “Smithereens” impressively demonstrates how vegetables can really shine as a dessert: chocolate mousse meets wild mushroom crumble. Or floadie with celery. First comes an ice cream made from celery root with Luxardo cherries marinated in red wine vinegar and a hint of coffee oil. All around it bubbles a homemade celery soda. Earthly freshness meets sweetness.

“I’m a fan of desserts that are as crazy as possible – as long as they taste good.” – Nick Tamburo, Smithereens, New York

At “Moon Rabbit”, a Vietnamese-inspired restaurant, the motto is: sweet, salty and a little “What is that?” feeling. Here, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes and cucumber find their way into ice cream, sorbets and puddings.

Celebrity chef Norbert Niederkofler from South Tyrol (“Cook the Mountain”) also has vegetable desserts in his repertoire. The CIVILIAN magazine reports on beetroot sorbet with bone marrow caramel, for example.

5 inspiring vegetable desserts to make yourself

Try it for yourself – vegetables can be really exciting when sweet. Here are a few ideas for experimenting at home:

1. Mushroom and chocolate mousse with crumble – combine chocolate mousse (also vegan) with dried shiitake or chanterelle powder for umami and crunch.
2. Celery float – blend pieces of frozen celery root with cream in ice cream (with little sweetness) (e.g., in a Thermomix) and pour over cucumber or apple juice soda.
3. Beetroot chocolate mousse – intense color, earthy flavor, harmonizes wonderfully with dark chocolate.
4. Carrot or parsnip cookies – sweet and spicy at the same time, optionally refined with ginger or cinnamon.
5. Fennel and citrus granita – freeze fennel flowers or juice with lemon vinegar, sugar, and water to make a cool granita.

And what does this have to do with sustainability?

Vegetables in desserts often mean regional, seasonal, and, as far as possible, made from leftovers (“root-to-leaf”). This conserves resources, supports local producers, and broadens our taste horizons. A willingness to experiment and courage are key words here – along with ingredients that might otherwise end up on the compost heap.

Healthy? Yes and no.

A carrot cake is not automatically healthier than a marble cake – it’s the sugar and fat content that counts. But vegetables provide vitamins, water, and fiber, and often less fructose than fruit. As a raw snack (“crunchy cucumber instead of bananas”) or cleverly used in desserts (with less sugar, for example), vegetables make perfect sense – even on the dessert plate.