3 Peruvian Desserts with Cacao Nibs

There is one combination very few people have explored: Peruvian cacao with Peruvian fruits. Lucuma, cherimoya and mango are undisputed stars of national desserts, yet they are rarely paired with pure cacao. It is an opportunity we have been missing. These three recipes change that.

They all use Fundo Maranatha cocoa nibs: no sugar, no additives, with the intense flavor of a fine aroma cacao from San Martín. Cacao brings the bitter, crunchy contrast; the fruits bring natural sweetness and texture. The result is pure Peruvian identity.

	🍮 Lucuma mousse	🍦 Cherimoya ice cream	🥭 Mango salad
Active time	20 min	15 min	10 min
Total time	~2 h 20 min	~4 h 15 min	10 min
Servings	4	6	2–4
Difficulty	Medium	Easy	Very easy
No oven	✅	✅	✅
Vegan option	✅ coconut cream	✅ coconut milk	✅ natural

Recipe 1: Lucuma and cacao mousse

4 servings · 20 minutes + 2 hours chilling · No oven

Ingredients

2 medium lucumas (or 4 tablespoons lucuma pulp)
1 can of very cold evaporated milk (or 200 ml coconut cream for a vegan version)
2 tablespoons cocoa paste or 3 tablespoons ground nibs
2 tablespoons honey or panela (optional, if you want more sweetness)
3 tablespoons cocoa nibs for decoration

Preparation

Whip the evaporated milk (or coconut cream) until it forms firm peaks. Chill in the refrigerator.
Process the lucuma pulp with the paste or ground nibs until smooth. Add honey if using.
Fold the lucuma mixture into the whipped cream with gentle movements to preserve the air.
Divide into cups or small glasses and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Before serving, sprinkle cocoa nibs generously on top. The crunchy, bitter cacao contrast with the creamy lucuma sweetness is what makes this recipe special.

Why it works: lucuma has caramel and sweet notes that perfectly balance pure cacao bitterness. The nibs add the texture that the mousse needs so it is not monotonous. A combination that does not exist in any other cuisine.

Fundo Maranatha cocoa nibs — key ingredient for Peruvian desserts with pure cacao

Recipe 2: Cherimoya ice cream with crunchy nibs

6 servings · 15 minutes + 4 hours freezing · No ice cream machine

Ingredients

2 ripe large cherimoyas (about 600 g of clean pulp)
200 ml coconut milk or whole milk
2 tablespoons honey or cane sugar (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons Fundo Maranatha cocoa nibs

Preparation

Remove the cherimoya pulp, discarding the seeds. Place it in the freezer for 1 hour until semi-firm.
Process the semi-frozen pulp with coconut milk, honey and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
Stir in 3 tablespoons of nibs and mix briefly so they remain in pieces.
Pour into a container and freeze for at least 3 more hours. Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with the remaining tablespoon of nibs as a crunchy topping.

Why it works: cherimoya has a naturally creamy texture and a flavor that recalls vanilla and pineapple. When frozen without cream, it keeps that natural lightness. The nibs interrupt that softness with crunchy bursts of pure cacao. It is an ice cream without a machine, vegan and without industrial sugar.

Recipe 3: Mango salad with nibs and lime

2–4 servings · 10 minutes · No cooking

Ingredients

2 ripe Edward or Kent mangoes, cubed
Juice of 1 small lime
1 pinch of powdered chili or fresh ají amarillo chopped (optional, for the Peruvian spicy touch)
3 tablespoons cocoa nibs
Fresh mint leaves for garnish
Flaky salt (a small pinch enhances the sweetness)

Preparation

Mix the mango cubes with lime juice, chili and a pinch of salt. Let rest 5 minutes.
Just before serving, add the cocoa nibs and stir lightly.
Garnish with mint leaves.

Why it works: Peruvian mango is naturally sweet and juicy. Lime adds acidity. Chili adds a gentle heat that pairs well with cacao. And the nibs — bitter, crunchy — complete the quartet of sensations: sweet, sour, spicy and bitter. A salad that tells a Peruvian story in every bite.

Refreshing variation: serve on a base of plain Greek yogurt and add homemade granola with nibs to turn it into a summer breakfast bowl.

Cocoa nibs for your Peruvian recipes

Fundo Maranatha nibs are artisanally roasted cacao from San Martín, without sugar or additives. The ingredient that transforms any dessert into something memorable.

Order nibs on WhatsApp See cocoa nibs →

Tips and variations for each recipe

Lucuma mousse — kitchen tips

Nibs as a hidden layer: add a layer of nibs to the bottom of the cup before pouring the mousse — they are discovered as a surprise while eating.
No fresh lucuma: frozen pulp or lucuma powder work equally well. Adjust the quantity depending on the product's concentration.
Dairy-free version: refrigerated canned coconut cream beaten overnight whips perfectly and gives a tropical flavor that complements lucuma.
Keeps up to 3 days: in covered cups, it keeps 3 days in the fridge without losing texture. Add nibs only when serving to maintain the crunch.

Cherimoya ice cream — kitchen tips

Seeds: remove all of them — they are toxic if ingested. A small knife works well for this.
Perfect texture: if the ice cream is too hard, leave it out for 15 minutes. If too soft, it needed more freezing — return it for 1 more hour.
Passion fruit variation: add 2 tablespoons of passion fruit pulp before freezing for a spectacular acidic counterpoint.
Without coconut milk: cold whole milk works, but gives a slightly less creamy texture. Add a tablespoon of coconut oil if you have it.

Mango salad — kitchen tips

Timing the nibs: always add nibs at the last moment — if mixed in advance they absorb mango juice and lose their crunch.
The chili is optional but don't skip it: the gentle heat of ají amarillo bridges the sweetness of mango and the bitterness of cacao. Start with a small amount.
Tropical variation: add papaya or pineapple chunks alongside the mango with a splash of orange juice. Nibs work with any tropical fruit.
As a breakfast bowl: over Greek yogurt with oat granola and nibs — complete in protein, fiber and antioxidants.

Why Peruvian cacao with Peruvian fruits?

Peru is one of the few countries in the world that can boast being the origin of two of the most valued ingredients in global cuisine: fine aroma cacao and an unmatched diversity of tropical fruits. Lucuma, cherimoya, mango, passion fruit and guanabana are ingredients that only exist with this quality on Peruvian soil.

Pairing them with cacao from San Martín is not just a recipe: it is an exercise in culinary identity. A product we export to the world along with ingredients the world cannot replicate. If you work in baking, gastronomy or simply love to cook with great ingredients, this is your combination.