Discover the Secrets to the Perfect Chocolate Mousse Recipe
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If you’re a chocolate lover, you can’t go wrong with this Easy Chocolate Mousse recipe! This chocolate mousse only needs 4 basic ingredients and it’s ready in a flash!
I had been making chocolate mousse for years, so I don’t know why it’s taken me so long for me to come around to share this incredible chocolate mousse recipe on the blog. Well, as it’s happened with a lot of recipes on here, better late than never, right?
Not only will you see how to make the best chocolate mousse with only 4 ingredients, but you’ll see exactly what NOT to do when making mousse - all from of my numerous trials and errors! Keep on reading to troubleshoot plenty of mistakes and have all of your burning questions on making mousse answered!
To follow along step-by-step on how to make the perfect chocolate mousse recipe at home, be sure to watch the video at the bottom of this post! I would really appreciate it if you could please subscribe to my YouTube channel, if you’re not already, and don’t forget to press the bell button so you’re notified when all of my video recipes are live! Let’s get whipping!
Why You’ll Love this Chocolate Mousse REcipe!
Quick and easy: This mousse only needs a few quick steps to get together. You can make this special dessert whenever you would like, especially if you’re in a pinch for time. Just because it’s a fast and easy recipe does not mean that it’s not special! It’s a lot less involved than preparing a cake or pie, for instance, making it a perfect option for when you want to put your heart in a dish but don’t have the bandwidth. With that being said, I encourage you to try this mousse as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! You can start your cooking journey for free today by signing up to my email newsletter, plus you’ll get weekly recipe inspiration so there’s always something new for you to try out in the kitchen!
Minimal ingredients: I’m sure you already have everything to make this chocolate mousse with household staples! That means you can make chocolate mousse whenever you have a craving!
No baking: The magic in this mousse really just comes from the mixing, and then allowing the mousse to sit. No oven, no fuss!
Rich and chocolatey: This chocolate mousse recipe is truly a chocolate lover’s dream come true! You can serve this chocolate mousse for any occasion, and while it appears fancy, it’s a very simple recipe!
Multiple uses: You can enjoy this mousse on its own or use it as a filling for pies and cakes, such as in my No-Bake Oreo Mud Pie recipe that features this mousse!
Questions you May have!
What is the difference between Mousse and Pudding?
While both are thick, creamy, and chocolatey desserts, there are some differences! To begin, mousse is more aerated than pudding. Mousse gets its bubbly inside to yield a fluffy and light treat, and this key difference comes from the fact that mousse is not cooked, whereas pudding is! Fun fact: according to The Kitchn, pudding’s origins do not actually come from dessert, but pudding was originally made by mixing processed meats with a binding agent such as eggs, grains, or butter, and then baked, steamed or boiled. The pudding we know today is now usually viewed as a sweet treat, and it’s made by cooking milk, sugar, and a thickening agent such as cornstarch or gelatin, yielding a semi-solid creamy yet firm treat. Additionally, puddings can have grains added to them, there the starch would add additional texture and thickness. Examples of this include my Southern Rice Pudding or my Pumpkin Rice Pudding, or even puddings from different cultures, such as Indian desserts including Chawal Kheer (rice pudding), Sooji Kheer (semolina pudding), or Seviyan Kheer (vermicelli pudding) - I’ve even made a Peruvian rice pudding, Arroz con Leche.
On the other hand, as you’ll soon see, mousse is made by folding molten chocolate into whipped eggs and egg whites, and it naturally stabilizes by setting in the fridge. Mousse is lighter when you take a spoonful of it, and it’s got air bubbles inside, whereas pudding does not! Additionally, you would not be adding any grains to mousse.
Can I Use Unsweetened Chocolate?
No, you cannot use unsweetened chocolate, and I’m saying this from experience! Have you heard the saying that the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again, expecting different results? Well, as I mentioned earlier, I had made mousse over the course of many years, and always nailed it making it the way you’ll see outlined in this recipe. However, when I had intended to finally record this recipe, I failed 3 times before achieving this 4th version you’re seeing. What went wrong? Seriously, I made the same mistake 3 times, and you’d think I’m crazy for repeating this same mistake… I used unsweetened chocolate! How did I troubleshoot? Well, whenever I’ve made mousse before (the many times I have!), I used semi-sweet chocolate.
What’s funny is that my first two attempts I used up all of my unsweetened chocolate, and for the third attempt I needed chocolate. My wife offered to get semi-sweet chocolate when making the grocery list for this recipe, but I said no, unsweetened is fine. Yet again though my mousse was a flop! Lesson learned: do what you know! Quite literally the fourth time when I finally realized that the chocolate could have been the culprit, I went ahead and used a 70% dark chocolate bar and repeated all of the same steps I had been doing the first three times I made the mousse. Low and behold it turned out perfectly!
So what’s wrong with unsweetened chocolate? Well, the reason your mousse won’t be airy and fluffy from unsweetened chocolate is because there’s no cocoa butter in the chocolate. The fats and sugars are required for gentle melting of the chocolate and to become airy. When I was melting my unsweetened chocolate (for those three unfortunate times), I noticed that it was taking forever to melt, which I definitely did not struggle with when making mousse in the past. Furthermore, when I’d try to fold it into the eggs, I struggled with curdling and graininess.
The third time, I managed to get past the mixing and folding, but when I was serving into the trifle dishes, I noticed that the mixture was thick and fudgy and hard to pour into the trifle dishes, whereas you should be able to easily pour your mousse into the dishes. As I let it set, the mousse did not look like mousse at all - instead, it looked more like brownie batter in a dish! If you love dark chocolate, sure it was tasty, but not mousse at all. Just see the difference…
Grainy mousse using unsweetened chocolate.
Grainy mousse using unsweetened chocolate in a trifle dish.
So, you can shoot your shot and try to get by with unsweetened chocolate, but if you manage to make it through to the end of the recipe, I personally don’t think you can pull that off as mousse.
How Come It’s Safe to Use Raw Eggs In This Chocolate Mousse Recipe?
This recipe uses raw eggs to create a classic airy mousse texture. While the risk of salmonella is very low, it’s safest to use pasteurized eggs—especially when serving children, the elderly, or anyone immunocompromised. Look for cartons labeled “pasteurized” at most grocery stores.
How Do You Prevent Over-Whisking of the Eggs?
Over-whisking egg whites leads to dry, grainy peaks that don’t fold well. Aim for soft peaks—where the tips gently curl. For yolks, stop once you hit the ribbon stage: the mixture should be pale and fall from the whisk in thick ribbons that sit briefly on the surface.
How Come Your Chocolate Mousse Recipe Does Not Have Heavy Cream?
This recipe is inspired by a classic French technique that uses just eggs, sugar, and chocolate. The result is an intensely chocolate-forward mousse that’s rich, yet light and fluffy—no cream required. (Of course, a little whipped cream on top doesn’t hurt, as you’ll see here!)
Can I Fix Mousse That’s Too Fudgy?
Yes! Fudgy mousse often means the chocolate was too hot, the egg whites were deflated, or the chocolate used was too intense or dry (like unsweetened or low-fat varieties). To fix this:
Add more whipped egg whites or a dollop of whipped cream to lighten it.
Next time, let chocolate cool longer before folding, and make sure you’re using chocolate with at least 30% cocoa butter.
Tools Needed to Make Mousse
Tips To Master Chocolate Mousse
If the molten chocolate is too hot, it can scramble the yolks or collapse the egg whites. Let it cool to just warm before combining.
Use a gentle under-over motion with a spatula while folding the eggs with the chocolate base to preserve volume.
Avoid unsweetened chocolate since it lacks cocoa butter and sugar, which can make mousse grainy or dense unless rebalanced with extra fat or sweetener.
Make sure to clean and dry the bowl before whipping the egg whites. Any grease or yolk in your mixing bowl will prevent egg whites from whipping properly.
It is important to chill the mousse. 4–6 hours helps the mousse set properly and develop flavour.
Want to add a twist? Try stirring in a bit of espresso, orange zest, or chili for a flavour boost.
Ingredients for Easy Chocolate Mousse
For all ingredients and their quantities, be sure to the bottom of this post for the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD, or press the “Jump to Recipe” button. You can save the recipe for later and use the recipe card to scale the ingredients based on how many portions of mousse you want to make! By default, the recipe will yield 4 medium-sized portions.
Eggs: You’ll need to separate the yolks from the whites.
Chocolate: I’m using a bar of Lindt 70% dark chocolate. I got the new “mild” flavour simply because it’s new, but also because I didn’t want a bitter taste in my mousse. It worked perfectly! I believe that a regular 70% bar will produce the same results, if not identical, so don’t worry if you can’t find the “mild” 70% Lindt bar!
Sugar: You’ll need separate amounts of sugar for the egg yolks and for the egg whites.
Butter: Our only source of richness and creaminess here since we’re not adding any heavy cream.
How to Make The Perfect Chocolate Mousse Recipe
Heat a pot of water over medium until it simmers. Place a heatproof bowl on top, ensuring it doesn’t touch the water. Add the chocolate and butter and stir occasionally until fully melted. Let it cool slightly.
In a stand mixer, combine the yolks and 33 g of sugar. Whisk on high until pale and thick (ribbon stage).
Set aside.
Clean the mixer bowl and whisk. Add egg whites and 29 g sugar. Whip on high until soft peaks form.
Add a spatula of the cooled chocolate into the yolk mixture. Gently fold. Repeat until fully incorporated.
Add a spoonful of whipped egg whites to the chocolate-yolk base and gently whisk to lighten. Then fold in the rest in two additions, keeping as much air as possible.
Spoon into serving dishes. Clean the edges, cover, and chill for 4–6 hours.
Garnish with whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa powder.
Enjoy!
Toppings For Chocolate Mousse
While you can enjoy the mousse on its own, if you want to add a little finishing touch, then you can’t go wrong with some Homemade Whipped Cream! If you can’t get enough chocolate, then I recommend you try out my chocolate whipped cream recipe. For the most professional results, my recommendation would be to use a whipped cream dispenser! If you want to learn more about using a whipped cream dispenser or if you need to learn which one to purchase, then check out my complete guide here! Then, add a dusting of cocoa powder using a small sieve or garnish with some shaved chocolate using a microplane.
How to Store Chocolate Mousse
Chocolate mousse must be stored in the fridge. You need to store it in the fridge for a couple of hours for it to fully set, and you’re ready to enjoy! If you’re looking to leave it in the fridge for a few days, you can simply store it in the trifle dishes that you’ll serve the mousse in, but be sure to cover it with plastic wrap so that the mousse doesn’t dry out. Due to the eggs and dairy from the butter in the chocolate mousse, I wouldn’t keep it in the fridge for longer than four days.
Freezing Chocolate Mousse
Important to know is that not all mousse recipes fare well after thawing from being frozen, especially if the mousse is too airy. This applies mostly to recipes where whipped cream and chocolate is used to stabilize the mousse instead of eggs and chocolate in this recipe. A mousse made with primarily whipped cream will deflate after thawing.
To freeze this recipe for chocolate mousse, portion out the mousse into ramekins or airtight containers.
Cover tightly with a plastic wrap and aluminium foil or the lid of your container.
Make sure to date and label and freeze for up to 1 month to preserve the texture.
To thaw, allow the mousse to thaw naturally in the refrigerator overnight and if needed, whip or stir gently if needed.
More Chocolatey Delights!
Watch How to Make Easy Chocolate Mousse Here:
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The Best Chocolate Mousse Recipe
If you’re a chocolate lover, you can’t go wrong with this Easy Chocolate Mousse recipe! This chocolate mousse only needs 4 basic ingredients and it’s ready in a flash!
Ingredients
- 4 egg yolks
- 33 grams granulated sugar (for egg yolks)
- 4 egg whites
- 29 grams granulated sugar (for egg whites)
- 125 grams 70% dark chocolate
- 63 grams unsalted butter (for the chocolate)
- whipped cream, for garnish
- cocoa powder, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a pot of water over medium until it simmers. Place a heatproof bowl on top, ensuring it doesn’t touch the water. Add the chocolate and butter and stir occasionally until fully melted. Let it cool slightly.
- In a stand mixer, combine the yolks and 33 g of sugar. Whisk on high until pale and thick (ribbon stage). Set aside.
- Clean the mixer bowl and whisk. Add egg whites and 29 g sugar. Whip on high until soft peaks form.
- Add a spatula of the cooled chocolate into the yolk mixture. Gently fold. Repeat until fully incorporated.
- Add a spoonful of whipped egg whites to the chocolate-yolk base and gently whisk to lighten. Then fold in the rest in two additions, keeping as much air as possible.
- Spoon into serving dishes. Clean the edges, cover, and chill for 4–6 hours. Garnish with whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa powder.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
437Fat (grams)
31 gSat. Fat (grams)
18 gCarbs (grams)
31 gFiber (grams)
4 gNet carbs
28 gSugar (grams)
23 gProtein (grams)
9 gSodium (milligrams)
67 mgCholesterol (grams)
230 mgNutrition info is an estimate.
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Welcome to Cooking With Anadi. This platform is all about making cooking exciting and finding new ways to bring classic flavours and recipes at your service. Join me in my personal journey in the world of cooking. Hope you have a great ride!
