Easy Chocolate Mousse
Light, creamy and rich, this Easy Chocolate Mousse Recipe is the restaurant quality dessert you can make at home. Made with just egg white, chocolate, cream and sugar, this airy sweet treat can even be made in advance for easy entertaining.
Chocolate Mousse
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When I was little, going out to dinner was a treat. It was something we did once in a blue moon….more of a special occasion dinner. I would always order a small lobster tail for my dinner and a chocolate mousse for dessert. The Chocolate Mousse was light, yet rich. Airy and sweet….and it was always served in a fancy bowl or glass.
I remember those dinners like they were yesterday. Now that I’m an adult, we go out to dinner quite often because we love trying new food….plus, I cook all day long so when the family revolts and doesn’t want leftovers, we hop in the car and try a new restaurant. We, still, always get dessert but the one thing I see less and less of on menus is Chocolate Mousse. It’s really strange to me!
What is Chocolate Mousse?
Chocolate Mousse is a sweet dessert that’s similar to a chocolate pudding but lighter and fluffier because of the whipped texture of the mousse. It’s made by whisking egg whites and heavy cream then folding both into melted chocolate to create the airy dessert.
It originated in France and is commonly used as a filling in other desserts, like this chocolate mousse pie, but I love to eat it all on it’s own with a dollop of whipped cream. It’s really one of the simplest “fancy” desserts you can make without spending a ton of time hovering over a stove.
How To Make Chocolate Mousse
I love that this easy french dessert can be made in advance and it won’t take much of your time at all.
- Melt the chocolate….you can do this using a double boiler method or in the microwave.
- Set aside and keep at room temperature until needed.
- Place 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a balloon whip.
- Whisk on high speed until peaks form, about 1 minute. Set aside for a few minutes until needed.
- Whisk 3 egg whites in a large bowl, until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and continue to whisk until stiff peaks form, about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.
- Add a 1/4 of the whipped cream to the chocolate and whisk quickly, vigorously, and thoroughly, then fold into the egg whites. Add the remaining whipped cream.
- Fold all together gently but thoroughly.
- Chill for 1 hour or overnight.
The Best Chocolate To Use
I use a high quality semi-sweet chocolate for this chocolate mousse recipe. It makes a light, chocolate mousse with a mild sweetness to it that’s totally reminiscent of the dessert I remember growing up.
If you want to adapt the flavor of your chocolate mousse recipe to fit your own personal taste, you can substitute the semi-sweet chocolate for dark chocolate or even white chocolate. And if you want the chocolate flavor to be more pronounced, I’ve added just a teaspoon of espresso powder in the past to it to give it some pop!
Tips for Perfect Chocolate Mousse
- Melting The Chocolate – I prefer to use a double boiler to melt my chocolate but you can also melt your chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments stirring in between until smooth. The double boiler method is gentler and helps keep your chocolate from seizing or becoming grainy. Simply bring about 1 inch of water to a simmer in a small saucepan and place a heatproof bowl overtop being sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Place your chocolate in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the chocolate to melt for 8-10 minutes. Stir until smooth.
- Whipping the Egg Whites – Chill your bowl (I like to use a stainless steel bowl) and wire whisk to help your eggs whip up more quickly. Soft peaks will look like soft, melted marshmallow. Stiff peaks will stay firm when you lift the whisk out of the bowl. Be sure NOT TO OVER WHIP THE EGG WHITES. Get yourself a hand mixer with a whisk attachment if you don’t have one already to save yourself time. This is the hand mixer I have and have been using for about 10 years.
- Whipping the Cream – Again, chill your bowl and whisk before starting to help your cream whip up more quickly. Whisk your cream until stiff peaks form but be sure not to over whisk your cream or you’ll end up with butter. Seriously.
- Folding the Ingredients – Folding is, basically, mixing two ingredients together gently without actually stirring them. A big, flat rubber spatula is needed to pull this off pretty effortlessly. Add a bit of the whipped cream to the melted chocolate and then swipe the spatula down under the chocolate, then scoop it up and over the whipped cream adding more as your ingredients become incorporated. Don’t worry about getting everything combined well in the first two passes. Each addition will lighten the chocolate, making it fluffier and lighter.
How To Serve It
This simple Chocolate Mousse recipe can be served straight from the mixing bowl for a more casual dessert but I love to transfer it to individual ramekins or fancy cocktail glasses for a more elegant dinner party.
Chocolate Mousse will take about an hour to set but a four hour chill in the refrigerator will give you a more firm texture. I was in a hurry when I was shooting this recipe so my pictures show my chocolate mousse after about 40 minutes in the refrigerator. It’s still light and holds it’s shape well but more time would be better….making it the perfect make ahead dessert.
Storage
You can store your chocolate mousse in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.
To serve, top with a dollop of homemade whipped cream and chocolate curls….or nothing at all. It’s also great with a few fresh berries, crumbled toffee, candied walnuts or a bit of crumbled chocolate chip cookies.
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More Easy Chocolate Desserts
- Easy Chocolate Cheesecake
- Instant Pot Chocolate Lava Cake
- The BEST EVER Chocolate Ice Cream
- Chocolate Pot de Creme
Get the Recipe: Easy Chocolate Mousse Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate broken into 1/2-ounce pieces
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 3 egg whites
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- chocolate shavings for garnish
Equipment
- hand mixer
Instructions
- Heat 1-inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. Turn heat to low and simmer gently.
- Place 6-ounces of semisweet chocolate in the top half of the double boiler. Tightly cover the top with film wrap.
- Allow the chocolate to melt slowly, about 9 to 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Keep at room temperature until needed.
- Place 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream in the well-chilled bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a well-chilled balloon whip.
- Whisk on high speed until peaks form, about 1 minute. Set aside until needed.
- Whisk 3 egg whites in a large stainless-steel bowl, until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes.
- Add 2 tablespoons sugar and continue to whisk until stiff peaks form, about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.
- Add a 1/4 of the whipped cream to the chocolate and whisk quickly, vigorously, and thoroughly. Fold into the egg whites. Add the remaining whipped cream to the bowl.
- Fold all ingredients together gently but thoroughly.
- Transfer the chocolate mousse to individual ramekins, if using and chill for 1 hour or up to overnight.
- Serve with whipped cream, if desired.
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