Chocolate Mousse may well be the ultimate chocolate fix! Rich and creamy, yet light and fluffy, one pot is satisfying but always leaves me wanting more…….
This is a classic chocolate mousse made the proper French way, as served in fine dining restaurants. Less cream, more chocolate, a more intense chocolate flavour and a beautiful creamy mouth feel.
A classic, proper Chocolate Mousse recipe
I’ve never been 100% happy with the various chocolate mousse recipes I’ve tried in my lifetime. Not fluffy enough, not chocolatey enough, too sweet, grainy, etc etc. Many “easy” chocolate mousse recipes tend to use too much cream so the end result is more like custard, rather than aerated like real chocolate mousse should be.
Thus, when Chocolate Mousse was submitted by a reader as a Recipe Request, I had reason to focus and make it over and over again until it was exactly what I wanted.
Let me repeat: I had to make chocolate mousse over and over again for work purposes.
Life is tough, my friends. The sacrifices I make…. (she says sadly, shaking her head, thinking about the various body parts on which all that chocolate mousse appears to have ended up residing…)
What goes in chocolate mousse
Just FIVE ingredients, all good stuff we like: chocolate, cream, sugar, eggs and butter.
Chocolate
Make sure you use chocolate purchased from the baking aisle of grocery stores, not the confectionary aisle (ie eating chocolate). Chocolate intended for cooking is made especially so it melts smoothly and properly (unlike eating chocolate).
All types of chocolate can be used for chocolate mousse but I like using 70% cocoa dark chocolate (which is a bittersweet dark chocolate) because it has a good intense chocolate flavour, it’s not as sweet as milk chocolate and I don’t need to hunt down a gourmet store to find it because it’s sold at supermarkets.
Milk chocolate is more milky but you still get a great chocolate flavour. The higher the cocoa % (dark chocolate), the more chocolatey and less sweet it will be.
High quality bittersweet dark chocolate is what good restaurants typically use – not the stock standard. The quality of chocolate used by restaurants is not sold at grocery stores, you need to go to speciality stores and expect to pay upwards of $20/kg ($10/lb).
Eggs
Raw eggs are key for real chocolate mousse, the classic way to make it the way its served at fine dining restaurants. You will not achieve a result as good using a recipe that doesn’t use raw eggs, no matter what they promise. It’s just not possible to replicate the fluffy-yet-creamy texture with anything other than eggs whipped into a foam. Those “no egg” recipes will either be too dense, taste like whipped cream, or have a weird jelly-like texture.
Note on raw eggs concern
Raw eggs in food is more common than you think – and you’ve probably eaten it without even realising.
It is true that eating uncooked eggs carries a risk of salmonella food poisoning which is transmitted to the eggs via infected hens, but in this day and age, I do not consider it any greater risk than eating sushi.
This concern seems more prevalent in some regions around the world, most notably in the US and Canada, presumably because of the outbreak in 2010 which resulted in the recall of millions of eggs.
Raw eggs are used in a number of popular desserts including Tiramisu, it’s used in mayonnaise, the Japanese eat raw eggs on rice, the Koreans top Bibimbap with raw egg. And I don’t know about you but runny yolks is the only way I have fried eggs!
If you are concerned about eating raw eggs, you can used pasteurised eggs for this recipe. If you cannot find pasteurised eggs in stores, you can pasteurise eggs yourself at home if you have an accurate thermometer (have a read of this resource).
Note: raw eggs is not advisable for pregnant women and babies.
How to make chocolate mousse
The path to light and fluffy Chocolate Mousse involves just a few key steps:
Beat egg whites and sugar until foamy;
Soft peaks – it should be foamy but have SOFT peaks that flop at the top – as pictured above – not standing upright (“firm peaks”);
Whip cream;
Fold together cream and egg yolks;
Fold in melted chocolate;
Fold egg whites into chocolate mixture. Don’t beat furiously – that’s the sure fire way to a pot of liquid chocolate!
Spoon into individual pots or a larger dish, chill until firm.
The recipe video is super helpful to see the consistency of the egg whites and cream, as well as how to fold the ingredients into each other.
I chose to make little pots (using whisky glasses!) but you can make one dish if you prefer, then scoop out to serve.
First timers – never fear!
If you’re a chocolate mousse first timer and are concerned about deflation because you’re taking your time with the steps, don’t be worried! When I film recipe videos, I’m always faffing around with camera set ups and batting away a certain giant dog who is always sprawled where I want the tripod to be.
So it probably took me 3 times longer than it usually does to get the mousse in the fridge so I was quite concerned about deflation of the egg whites and cream.
But it was fine! The chocolate mousse came out exactly the same as it always has. Fluffy, chocolate perfection, as show in the photo above! – Nagi x
PS More ways to get a serious Chocolate fix: Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting or Ganache and Chocolate Mirror Glaze, Chocolate Cream Pie and BROWNIES!
Chocolate Mousse
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- 3 eggs (~55g/2 oz each)
- 125g / 4.5 oz dark cooking chocolate , bittersweet / 70% cocoa (Note 1)
- 10g / 0.3 oz unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup cream , full fat (Note 2)
- 3 tbsp caster sugar (superfine white sugar)
Decorations:
- More whipped cream
- Chocolate shavings (Note 3)
Instructions
- For reliable results, work at a steady pace so your whipped egg whites and cream do not get too warm!
- Separate eggs and yolks while eggs are cold. Place whites in a large bowl and yolks in a small bowl. Leave whites while you prepare other ingredients. (Note 4)
- Yolks: Whisk yolks until uniform.
- Melt chocolate and butter: Break chocolate into pieces and place in a microwave-proof bowl with the butter. Melt in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between, until smooth. (Stir in optional flavourings at this point, but read Note 6 first). Set aside to cool slightly while you proceed with other steps.
- Whip cream: Beat cream until stiff peaks form, being careful not to over-whip (see video).
- Whip whites: Add sugar. Beat whites until firm peaks form (see video, Note 5)
Fold together all ingredients:
- Fold egg yolks into cream using a rubber spatula – 8 folds max. Some streaks is fine.
- Check chocolate temperature: The chocolate should still be runny but warm (min 35C / 95F; ideal 40C / 104F). If too cool or thick, microwave in burst of 5 seconds at a time until runny.
- Pour chocolate into cream yolk mixture. Fold through – 8 folds max. Some streaks here are ok.
- Add 1/4 of beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture. Fold through until incorporated – "smear" the spatular across surface to blend white lumps in – aim for 10 folds.
- Pour chocolate mixture into egg whites. Fold through until incorporated and no more white lumps remain – aim for 12 folds max, but ensure there are no obvious egg white patches.
- Divide mixture between 4 small glasses or pots. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
- To serve, garnish with cream and chocolate shavings. Raspberries and a tiny sprig of mint for colour would also be lovely!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
Back at the beach with his mates! Under strict instructions to take it easy* and ease back into it. Unfortunately, he doesn’t understand what “taking it easy” means…..
* Post knee op a few months ago. According to Dozer, he was back to 100% the week after surgery, but the doc says no! It will be months! 😂
Thank you so much for making this so easy to follow! It turned out great for the birthday boy, who fav pud it is. Will look at more of your easy to follow fool proof recipes ❤❤❤ ps hope your knees ok now!
Love this recipe 🥰
So easy and very delicious 🤤
Went down a treat with all the family 🥳
Thank you
Wahoo, that’s so great to hear Georgina! N x
Hi Nagi- Love your recipes! Can you use cocoa powder instead of baking chocolate for this recipe?
Hi Lindsey, no sorry, it’s the chocolate which sets this mousse. N x
I love chocolate mouse I can’t wait to make this. I love almost all your recipes because you keep it simple but elegant with generous information and education. Thank you so much you are amazing 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾
As usual another great recipe to keep from you! One chocolate mousse is definitely not enough! I could eat this all day everyday! Thanks Nagi!
I love hearing this Siti!! N x
Doubled up for a dinner party. It was a huge success. A well written and executed recipe. Thank you. It’s a keeper.
Wahoo! That’s great Greg! N x
Hi Nagi,
Can I double the quantity of ingredients to serve 8 people? Will the recipe still work fine and how many times can i fold the batter to mix enough?
Hi Maria, yes you can double it – just mix until combined 🙂 I hope you love it! N x
Hi, would cooking cream be suitable for this recipe?
Hi Sam, it needs to be whipped – so as long as it’s thickened it should be fine. N x
Made this again for the second time and it’s my go to chocolate mousse recipe. Absolutely fantastic. Such a lovely smooth fluffy texture. I use 85% dark chocolate for an even more rich flavour!
Wahoo, that’s great Victoria! N x
I have made mousse twice and both times the texture was not right – it was more runny before putting it into the fridge and even after removing it, it had a runny texture and not the way a mousse is supposed to look. I was thinking it’s maybe the egg yolk but i may be mistaken. Does anyone know what i’m doing wrong?
Hi Riana, sorry you’re having issues here – it should be runny. Are you whipping the cream? N x
Hi, I am still wrapping my head around the types of cream in Australia and what they do. Would “thickened cream” work? Or “pure cream” (says “ideal for pouring” on the pack), If I search “whipping cream” only the canned stuff comes up. Which product should I buy? Thanks!
Hi Gina, thickened cream is shippable and will work here 🙂 N x
Super! Thanks Nagi!
Hi Nagi. Is whipping cream different to whipped cream? I tried making this the other day using whipped cream (the one at Woolworths in the can) and it was completely runny.
Thank you for this Nagi! Am a first time visitor but I think I’ll be a regular from now on. Appreciate your easy to follow style and photos!
Made this mousse today and made a ton of mistakes..
1) crunchy chocolate bits (i liked this texture) and I saw your note on cold cream so I got that part
2) watery layer – this part, I can’t figure out, when I chilled it overnight, there was a moussey and perfect top part and liquid at the bottom of my containers. What did I do wrong so I can avoid this next time?
Hi Julienne, sorry you had issues here – I’m thinking maybe you over whipped your cream and it’s produced a little buttermilk at the bottom! N x
Hi Nagi, love your recipes, your stories and your dog 🐕. Thank you for sharing them all with us.
Made the mousse with my daughter yesterday. Delicious and decadent! Ours had tiny bits of chocolate through it – not unpleasant but not silky smooth. What can I do to avoid that next time?
Hi Nagi
Would it be possible to use dark chocolate chips melted?
Would love to make this for friends that are coming over tomorrow night 😊
Hi Kerry, I’m so glad you enjoyed it – sometimes if your cream is too cold, when the chocolate hits it, it can solidify. Just make sure your cream is not SUPER cold 🙂 N x
We tried it today as we have been wanting to make choc mousse for years .It turned out divine .Really easy recipe and I love the explanation and your writing style Nagi . Thanks for posting this
Hi Nagi – first of all – I love your writing style, it’s so relatable and fun to read! Secondly – this is a delicious recipe – I made a half batch (in lockdown on my own so, you know, trying to be good!). I chose yours out of the many available online because of the detailed instruction, with photos. I have made mousse many times before but usually the chocolate seizes when mixing it with cooler ingredients – not so in this instance. Thanks for posting the recipe.
You’re so welcome Christine, thank you so much for taking the time to give me such great feedback ❤️
I forgot to use the butter but it still tastes very good. I garnished with whipped cream, strawberry and a dust of caster sugar.
I feel like a pro in the kitchen after making this.
Finaly I have a dessert that doesn’t have to go into the oven and we made it in 45 mins.so this recipe works if one has an unplanned lunch or dinner with friends. Thank you
That’s great to hear Charlene!! N x
Another brilliant recipe Nagi! Just delicious…I couldnt wait the 5 hours so ate it after 1.5 and it was delicious..Thanks again Nagi!
Hello Nagi, I want to try your recipe, but wondered if you could substitute the chocolate with cocoa powder? If so what amount would you recommend?
Hi Nagi,
Is there a way to use white chocolate or is it just the same recipe?
Hi Jasmine, white chocolate reacts slightly differently, I’ll have to add it to my recipe testing! N x