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! 😂
Do you have any suggestions for substituting the chocolate with strawberry? I loved the chocolate mousse and want to use the same base to make a strawberry mousse.
Hi Justine, the chocolate is what sets it here, this wont work using fresh strawberries unfortunately. N x
Hi Nagi,
Just wondering if I can use Cadbury chocolate melts for this recipe instead of the block cooking chocolate.
Stay safe x
Hi Jasmine, yes that will be fine – Enjoy! N x
Is it correct that the eggs remain uncooked? I am concerned about eating raw eggs.
Hi Katelyn, you probably eat raw eggs more than you realise. Have a read of the blog post – I address this issue there. N x
Thank you. I must have missed that. THe mousse was a hit! I used pasteurized eggs.
Hi RTE, is this mousse thick enough to pipe into little shot glasses? Thanks.
Hi Sarah, it sure is! N x
I made this yesterday. no mixer 🙁 hand whisked. Realised the sacrifice one makes for love. New to ‘folding’ a mixture, that was fun. Seemed to work well, retained the fluffiness. Great balance between rich chocolate and sweet. She said ‘no’ but we’re still friends.
Now THAT is commitment Jade! You would have gotten a good workout I’m sure!
Hi Nagi, I use a similar recipe but without the sugar. I put some Kahula (1tbs) or a bit more, into the yolks before mixing with the rest. I now know why my chocolate seizes sometimes. My recipe came from the Womens Weekly original cookbook years ago. This is a family favourite. Kay
Well I’m a lactovegetarian , so any alternative for eggs ?
Not for this recipe sorry! N x
Hi I have made this twice and it tastes lovely, but every time I mix the chocolate and cream together the chocolate hardens and I end up with loads of chocolate lumps in the mousse. Doesn’t impact on the flavour, but not exactly what I was going for, can you think of any reason why this is happening?
Hi Emily, the chocolate is too hot and the cream too cold – so when the two combine, it’s solidifying the chocolate. Make sure the chocolate is cool enough before folding into the whipped cream 🙂
Hi Nagi, I love your recipes! Can you please confirm which type of cream you used as the recipe says whipping cream but in the video it looks like it is thickened cream although I may be mistaken! Does it make a difference?
Hi Marisa, whipping and thickened cream is the same here 🙂
Awesome
Thank you!!
I am wondering if this recipe would work as a layer in a chocolate slice?
Hi Summer, I don’t see why not!
Made this today and wow, was really light and chocolaty not too sweet very yummy indeed
That’s great!
Does this recipe freezes well?
Delicious, rich, light and fluffy. I made this for our Ski chalet guests and they all loved it.
The best and easiest I’ve made ever. Used it to fill profiteroles, was a real hit. Thanks for this recipe
What a great idea Cassie! Love this!
Such a rich chocolate flavour and easy to make! Will definitely be making this again in the future 😍 love using your recipes
I’m so glad you loved it Jaienne!
I made the mousse for New Years and it was delicious! I’ve had mousse on many cruises but this was by far the best. Everyone raved about it. Thank you so much!
That’s such a great compliment Teena, I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
I made this chocolate mousse with my younger sister and it turned out amazing!!! We haven’t made many chocolate mousses so we were quite surprised that it was so good! Would defiantly make this again.
I’m so glad you gave it a shot Caitlin!
I tried this recipe for Christmas and it was my first time.. Came out really well.. Everybody loved it..
Fab mousse recipe, the result is lighter than my usual recipe ❤️
I used fresh( laid that morning!) Eggs, will my mousse be safe for at least 4 days- made tons before checking!
Hi, I tried this yesterday but mine came out too dense, although tastes amazing. I asked my hubby to whip the cream, could it have been over whipped? Any advice would be helpful. Thanks