Chocolate Mousse (2024)

Published: September 25, 2021 · Modified: Sep 25, 2021 by John Kanell

This homemade chocolate mousse is a classic French dessert. It’s so rich and creamy, and it practically melts in your mouth. I love how easy it is to make and that I can make this dessert ahead of time. It’s perfect for entertaining as everyone gets their own serving, and you don’t have to spend time slicing and plating.

Even better, this chocolate dessert looks so elegant with a dollop of whipped cream and chocolate shavings on top. You won’t fail to impress your guests with this! For another simple no-bake dessert like these mousse cups, try my No Bake Cheesecake recipe.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

Heavy cream — you’re going to want to make sure you’re using heavy cream and not milk for this chocolate mousse. It’s what makes the mousse so decadent and creamy!

Eggs — the egg yolks add richness to the mousse, whereas the egg whites, after being whipped, make the mousse fluffy and airy.

Chocolate — I like using semi-sweet chocolate bars. As its the base of the recipe, I recommend using high-quality chocolate. I also use chocolate bars instead of chips as its shavings can double as a light topping.

HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

1. In a small saucepan, heat 1¼ cups of cream over medium heat just until it’s steaming, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar for about 1 minute, just until lightened in color and velvety.

3. Add the chocolate to the heavy cream and constantly stir until fully melted.

4. Slowly whisk chocolate into the egg yolks until fully combined. Set aside to cool, occasionally stirring, until barely warm to the touch, about 30 minutes.

5. In another large bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

6. Fold a third of the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture to loosen it. Fold the remaining egg white mixture in just until a few streaks remain.

7. In a large bowl, beat the remaining 1 cup of cream until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Fill 6 to 8 small serving glasses with the mousse. You can see my complete post on how to make whipped cream here.

8. Chill the chocolate mousse until set, about 4 hours or up to 2 days. Serve topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, if desired.

PRO TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE

• Eggs are easier to separate when cold. Egg whites whip up easier when closer to room temperature. I recommend separating them in advance if you have the time.
• When whipping the egg whites, make sure there’s no water or liquid in the mixer as it’ll prevent the egg whites from forming peaks.
• Please make sure the chocolate mixture has cooled before adding it to the beaten egg yolks. If the mixture is still hot, you risk scrambling the egg yolks.
• While the chocolate mixture shouldn’t be too hot, it shouldn’t be allowed to cool for too long. You don’t want the chocolate to harden and set before mixing with the eggs. Doing so will lead to a lumpy chocolate mousse.
• If chopped chocolate doesn’t melt fully in the heavy cream, you can return the saucepan to low heat and stir to melt.
• To make chocolate shavings for the topping, you can scrape the chocolate bar with a knife on an angle before chopping it to melt.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the difference between chocolate pudding and mousse?

While both look similar, chocolate mousse is airier and fluffier than pudding. Pudding uses cornstarch as a thickener, whereas the whipped egg whites and whipped cream thickens the chocolate mousse.

Do I have to use semi-sweet chocolate?

If you prefer your chocolate darker, you can use bittersweet chocolate or dark chocolate instead. You can even use milk chocolate or white chocolate instead.

How do I store mousse?

If stored for more than a few hours before serving, loosely cover the mousse to avoid forming a skin and drying out. The mousse lasts around 2 to 3 days but may deflate a bit as the air whipped into the mousse deflates. If you prefer the mousse to be slightly softer, leave the mousse on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

If you’ve tried this Chocolate Mousse recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!