This Simple Chocolate Mousse Makes The Perfect Dessert!
Craving something light and sweet yet dangerously chocolatey? Chocolate mousse is the dessert for you!
Also known as mousse au chocolat, this classic French dessert is made from only a handful of common ingredients.
Topped with berries, whipping cream, or even more shaved chocolate, this dark chocolate mousse is a fancy-looking dessert that pleases guests… or your own chocolate cravings!
Recipe Tips/Substitutions
Before you make homemade chocolate mousse, you should read through these recipe tips so that you achieve best results:
- Chocolate mousse is usually made with darker chocolate (70% cocoa or higher). You can use different chocolate but you need to ensure that the chocolate has the right ratio of cocoa butter (chocolate fluidity) to turn out well. That’s why we’d recommend sticking with the 70% chocolate – you could always add a little bit more
- Since this mousse recipe uses raw eggs, be sure that your eggs are fresh and haven’t been sitting around in the fridge for a while.
- When adding the whipped cream and stiff egg whites, it’s important to fold them in carefully. This helps to keep the air in the mixture and gives the mousse its light and airy texture!
How to Make Chocolate Mousse – Step by Step Instructions
To make this French chocolate mousse recipe, you can find the complete recipe card at the bottom of this post.
For those wanting to see visual step-by-step recipe instructions, have a look at the process photos below.
This way you will have an idea of how we make ours and what each step looks like!
First, Separate the eggs. Place the egg yolks into a medium-large mixing bowl and the egg whites into a separate mixing bowl.
Add a pinch of salt to the bowl with the egg whites, then beat it with the normal beaters of your electric mixer until stiff.
The egg whites are stiff enough when two small “mountains” form and stay standing as you lift the beaters out of the eggs. When done, set the bowl aside for now.
Break the chocolate into small pieces and add these pieces to a heat-resistant bowl. Place the bowl into a hot water bath and melt the chocolate while stirring consistently.
Once all the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the heat and set it aside to allow the chocolate to cool slightly.
In the meantime, lightly whip the cream in another bowl using the normal beaters of your electric mixer. Then set the whipped cream aside.
Add the sugar to the bowl with the egg yolks and beat with your clean beaters until creamy.
If you don’t like the slightly bitter taste of dark chocolate, you could add a little bit more sugar than the two tablespoons indicated in the recipe.
Next, quickly add the warm melted chocolate to the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly.
It is important that the chocolate isn’t too hot since you don’t want to cook the egg.
At the same time, it shouldn’t be too cold as this could cause the chocolate to harden when coming in contact with the egg yolks.
Right after you added the melted chocolate to the egg yolks, quickly fold in the whipped cream with a spatula.
Once it’s incorporated, also add the stiff egg whites and gently fold them in with the spatula until there are no lumps left.
Keep folding genty until there are no lumps. It’s important to not be too rough since you want the mousse to cotain its airiness.
Pour the chocolate mousse into serving bowls, cover them with cling film, and place them in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
You can garnish the dark chocolate mousse with chocolate shavings, berries, and/or whipped cream before serving.
Storage Tips
This dessert is best eaten fresh and right out of the fridge after setting.
Conver any leftover dessert with cling film, store it in the fridge and consume it the next day since it contains raw egg in it.
If the mousse smells or looks at all “off”, discard it and don’t eat it.
FAQ
Chocolate mousse – also known as Mousse au chocolat in French – is a classic light and airy French dessert made from raw eggs, whipped cream, and melted dark chocolate.
Since chocolate mousse is made from raw eggs, it should be consumed cold and soon after making. Chocolate mousse will last for 1-2 days if kept in the fridge.
To make chocolate mousse, separate the eggs, melt the chocolate, and whip the cream and the egg whites. Combine all ingredients by gently folding them in a bowl and then place the mousse into glasses and into the fridge to set. You can find the detailed mousse recipe below.
Related Recipes
If you liked these sweet recipes, try out these other creamy, velvety desserts:
- Panna Cotta – The Italian thickened cream dessert delight topped with a berry puree
- Bavarian Cream – A German classic of thickened cream
- Chocolate Pudding – A recipe for easy homemade pudding – also comes in vanilla!
Chocolate Mousse (Mousse au chocolat)
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs, very fresh
- a pinch of salt
- 5 ounces dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup whipping cream, approximately 35% fat content
- shaved chocolate or similar to garnish, optional
Instructions
- Separate the eggs. Place the egg yolks into a medium-large mixing bowl and the egg whites into a separate mixing bowl.
- Add a pinch of salt to the bowl with the egg whites, then beat it with the normal beaters of your electric mixer until stiff. The egg whites are stiff enough when two small "mountains" form and stay standing as you lift the beaters out of the eggs. When done, set the bowl aside for now.
- Break the chocolate into small pieces and add these pieces to a heat-resistant bowl. Place the bowl into a hot water bath and melt the chocolate while stirring consistently.
- Once all the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the heat and set it aside to allow the chocolate to cool slightly.
- In the meantime, lightly whip the cream in another bowl using the normal beaters of your electric mixer. Then set the whipped cream aside.
- Now add the sugar to the bowl with the egg yolks and beat with your clean beaters until creamy.
- Next, quickly add the warm melted chocolate to the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly. It is important that the chocolate isn’t too hot since you don’t want to cook the egg. At the same time, it shouldn’t be too cold as this could cause the chocolate to harden when coming in contact with the egg yolks.
- Right after you added the melted chocolate to the egg yolks, quickly fold in the whipped cream with a spatula. Once it’s incorporated, also add the stiff egg whites and gently fold them in with the spatula until there are no lumps left.
- Pour the chocolate mousse into serving bowls, cover them with cling film, and place them in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- You can garnish the chocolate mousse with chocolate shavings, berries, and/or whipped cream before serving.
Notes
- Because the recipe calls for raw eggs that will not be cooked, use fresh eggs. Also, be sure to consume the mousse within 1-2 days of making it due to the raw eggs.
- Make sure that no egg yolk gets into the bowl with the egg whites when separating the eggs. This could result in egg whites that won’t become stiff when beating.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
