Easy Chocolate Mousse

Rich chocolate mousse with a light and creamy texture. An easy dessert that is bound to impress.

Chocolate mousse is one of the easiest desserts to make, but also one of the most well-loved! There is something so satisfying about a creamy dessert with a light texture.

The airiness of the mousse makes the dessert perfectly balanced and not too decadent. And on top of that, it is sooo easy to make. No oven required!

What is chocolate mousse?

A mousse is a soft, creamy dessert or savory item that incorporates air bubbles to give it a light texture. Sweet mousses usually use either whipped cream, whipped egg whites, or both to lighten a mixture.

The most common mousse is chocolate mousse, but they can be flavored with anything you like. Flavors range from caramel and coffee to fruits like strawberry and mango!

Typically they are served in a small cup or ramekin, but they are also set in silicone molds, or as part of a cake. Best served when chilled they are deliciously creamy, while also being light and airy!

What are the components of mousse?

This chocolate mousse is made up of three components:

• The chocolate mixture
• Whipped cream
• Whipped egg whites

The combination of all three components gives these a super light and delicious texture. Some recipes will leave out the egg whites. The resulting mousse is denser and creamier, but equally as delicious.

Tips for the perfect chocolate mousse

Chocolate mousse is relatively simple to make, but there are a couple of tips that will make these perfect.

Don’t overheat the chocolate

Overheating the chocolate can cause it to clump up and burn. This will give your chocolate mousse a clumpy, gritty consistency. If you are heating the chocolate over a saucepan of boiling water, aka adouble boiler, make sure you heat it on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to ensure that the chocolate melts evenly.

If you are melting the chocolate in the microwave, heat it for short 30-second bursts, stirring in between until just melted.

Whip until stiff peaks

When beating your egg whites and cream make sure you whip them both until stiff peaks form. The whipping of these ingredients is what gives the mousse its airiness, so it’s crucial that they’re both at the right consistency otherwise the mousse will be thick and dense.

Don’t overbeat

While you want to whip your egg whites and cream to stiff peaks you don’t want to overbeat them. Overbeaten egg whites will clump up and separate, becoming watery and grainy. Overbeaten cream will curdle and become greasy.

Make sure you stop whisking as soon as either of them reaches stiff peaks.

Fold gently

When folding the egg whites and cream into your cooled chocolate mixture, use a rubber spatula to fold gently. This keeps all the air bubbles intact for a lighter texture.

Ingredients

Chocolate

I like to use dark or semi-sweet chocolate when making chocolate mousse. The darker the chocolate the richer your mousse will be, but keep in mind that it will also be less sweet.

This recipe uses semi-sweet chocolate, so there is still a rich chocolate flavor while having a subtle amount of sweetness.

If you prefer to have a sweeter chocolate mousse you can add a tablespoon or two of granulated sugar to the chocolate mixture. Or you can use milk chocolate!

Heavy whipping cream or thickened cream

You can use any kind of whipping cream, but I find heavy or thickened cream gives the mousse the best creamy texture.

Large eggs

This recipe does incorporate raw eggs into the mousse. This gives the mousse a lighter texture without adding too much richness or creaminess.

Fresh eggs are completely safe to eat raw, so make sure you use your freshest eggs!

Vanilla extract

This is optional, but I like adding some vanilla to my mousse as it adds another level of flavor.

Serving suggestions

There are so many different ways to enjoy chocolate mousse!

Personally, I love it served simply with a dollop of whipped cream and a shaving of chocolate over the top.

Here are a couple of other ways to serve it:

• With fresh fruits or berries
• With a drizzle of melted chocolate
• Dusted in dutch cocoa powder
• With a cookie crumble, to add some texture and crunch!
• With a scattering of chocolate chips

Easy Chocolate Mousse

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Rich chocolate mousse with a light and creamy texture. An easy dessert that is bound to impress. 

• Author: Catherine Zhang
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 2 1x
• Category: Pudding
• Method: Easy
• Cuisine: French

Ingredients

Units MUS Scale 1x2x3x

• 120g Dark chocolate, 45% cocoa (4oz)
• 60ml Heavy cream (1/2 cup)
• 2 Large eggs, separated
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract

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Instructions

1. Finely chop the chocolate and place it in a heatproof bowl
2. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave, cool slightly
3. Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract, and stir until smooth
4. Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks
5. Add the egg whites to the chocolate mixture and fold gently to combine, set the bowl aside to reuse
6. Add the cream to the reserved bowl and whip until stiff peaks
7. Add the whipped cream to the cholate mixture and fold to combine
8. Spoon the mousse to 4 large ramekins and place in the fridge to set overnight, or a minimum of 4 hours
9. Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Catherine Zhang

My name is Catherine, a food blogger and dessert lover. If I look familiar you may have seen me on NETFLIX's Zumbo’s Just Desserts S2! As an Australian-Chinese pastry chef and recipe developer I share recipes and tips on desserts inspired by amazing flavours, fresh produce and of course my Asian background.

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