Chocolate mousse

M&S Count On Us Mousse

€2.09 for 280g €7.46 per kg

Generally speaking, Pricewatch approaches low-calorie dessert options with suspicion and, generally speaking, our suspicion is perfectly well founded. When you strip a dessert of its sugary, creamy goodness you are frequently left with sadness in a bowl. Not on this occasion, however. It is just 90 calories and is made with skimmed milk but easily punches above its weight in the flavour and creaminess stakes. It delivers a nice chocolatey hit, one which is admittedly quite fleeting, and has an airiness that pleased us.

Verdict: Surprisingly tasty ****

Alpro

€1.89 for 500g €3.78 per kg

Okay, so, this is not really a mousse and is described by the company as more of a chocolate dessert – or a “dessert choco”, to be accurate. As a result, it lacks the heavily beaten airiness. It does, however, have some advantages over the competition – it is made with soy milk so it is probably going to be better for you, given the absence of saturated fats and the presence of soya beans. While it may be better for you, you may not find it is better tasting. It looks rich and creamy but it lacks the sweetness we would have liked and the bean flavour was just a little unsettling. It is cheap, too.

Verdict: Bean there ***

Aero Bubbly Dessert

€2.19 for 236g €9.27 per kg

We have long been big fans of Aero bars, and were pleased to find this sitting on the shelves of our local Tesco. We were, however, crushed when we realised that it tasted absolutely nothing like the bars which share its name. This mousse is very sugary and that flavour stomps all over the chocolate flavours and we struggled to make our way through a single small tub. It will, no doubt, be the most widely available of the products reviewed this week, although it will also be the most expensive too.

Verdict: Excessively sweet and dear **

Tesco Value Chocolate Mousse

€0.50 for 250g €2 per kg

We are not always impressed with the Tesco Value offerings and some of the products we have reviewed from this range have brought us close to tears over recent years, they were that grim. Not on this occasion. Not only is this product the cheapest by a massive margin, it also tastes fine, and while we can’t see ourselves racing to the fridge to eat one of these, if we found one lurking there we’d be happy enough. It tastes of cocoa rather than chocolate, which is grand, and is surprisingly airy and creamy. But we have to go back to the price which is genuinely remarkable.

Verdict: Cheap and cheerful ****