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 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
- 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.
- Melt chocolate & butter: Place chocolate and butter in a bowl. 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 – proceed with other steps.
- Whip cream: Beat cream until stiff peaks form (see video).
- Whip whites: Add sugar. Beat whites until firm peaks form (see video, Note 5)
Folding:
- Fold egg yolks into cream using a rubber spatula – 8 folds max. Streaks is ok.
- Check Chocolate Temp: Touch the chocolate. Should still be runny but only lukewarm. If too thick, microwave 2 x 3 seconds until runny.
- Pour chocolate into cream yolk mixture. Fold through – 8 folds max. Streaks 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.
- Divide mixture between 4 small glasses or pots. Refrigerate for at least 5 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! 😂
Hi! Would this work using full fat coconut cream? Lactose intolerant here but would love to have this.
I don’t know Che as I haven’t tested that! N x
Would this work using white chocolate?
I have not tested it with white chocolate Darcy. You can make white chocolate mousse but in general it does seize easier than dark chocolate does so I would have to try it to be sure. Let me know how it turns out! N x
Very yummy!
Just made this, I was really nervous and watch the video 5 times. BUT came out sooooo good. I did not have super fine sugar so I just put reg sugar in the food processor. Now to your Cannelloni recipe.
Great mouse, instructions are great. The taste of mouse is silky and fluffy. Overall would recommend
I made it for Easter….it was amazing! Thank you so much Nagi!
I made this for a dinner party tomorrow which has had to be postponed. It is delicious but can it be frozen it makes quite a bit and I would hate to waste it.
This was magnificent a roomful of delighted moans.
Use Lindt 70%, served with orange zest, Cointreau flavoured whipped cream , dusted with grated chocolate, thank you .
I love all of your recipes. Could you make this using high quality cocoa powder instead of chocolate?
I would not recommend that Heather as it will be very dry! N x
This recipe is awesome!!! My husband asked for mousse for his birthday and I made this with my 5 year old, easy for her to follow the recipe, came out perfectly and tasted delicious! I used dark chocolate with 60% cocoa which was just right for us. Will be our go to recipe for mousse from now on. Thank you x
I am happy that you enjoyed it Emily!! Love that she is cooking so early!! N x
I’m having issues with the butter! I weighed out 10g but that’s a lot of butter!!! Yet .3 oz is next to nothing. How much butter do I use since the numbers don’t make sense. .3 oz is next to impossible to weigh out. Can you please just list tablespoon or tsp?!
Hi Nikki – 1 tablespoon of butter is 14 grams so just use about 2/3 of a tablespoon and you will be fine. 1/3 of an oz is the same as 10 grams! N x
Hi! Would this make a good cake filling? It looks so yummy 🙂
Can’t wait to make this but have a question. I’m a bit confused about the difference between eating chocolate & cooking chocolate. Would you consider Ghirardelli chocolate chips as eating chocolate or cooking chocolate? I want to be sure I use the correct chocolate. Thank you!
Hi Sheri – the easiest answer is that cooking chocolate is found in the baking section of the grocery. The chocolate found in the candy bar aisles is not good for this recipe! Ghirardelli makes both cooking and eating chocolate so if you got in in the baking section, it should be fine! N x
Thank you so much Nagi!
I just made it and oh my goodness, so wonderful. Texture & taste perfect!
Thanks again!
Wholly cow! This is ridiculously delicious. And easy. And now that I know what I’m doing, it’s dangerous!
I added a 1/4 tsp of espresso powder to pop up the chocolate.
I know what I making for my girlfriends next time they come over!
I am happy that you enjoyed it Amy! N x
CLEAN YOUR BEATER BETWEEN CREAM AND EGG WHITES. Fat will prevent egg whites from ever firming up. Incorporate sugar slowly to whites after beating a minute or two, or they will be weighed down and never fluff. I just wasted 6 egg whites (double batch) and had to start over… This should really be in the recipe, especially for beginners!
Thanks for that feedback Nugs! N x
Yes I agree I didn’t know either
I did this too, wasted 3 eggs lol, but the dogs loved them. Now I know for next time though, SOOOO good!!!!
Can I use milk chocolate. If so, should I use less sugar so it’s not too sweet? Or? Any suggestions welcome, making for guests who only like milk chocolate.
Hi GT – as per the post above the recipe, you can use milk chocolate in this recipe. N x
Thx, I just made it and there are chocolate flecks throughout. Looks very speckled. Anything I can do to fix it? Thx! I filled the recipe exactly.
Made it last night for family dessert night. 1st time making it and got it just right 👌🏽 – family loved it, thank you.
If I wanted to make it a little “less” rich. Would I use less chocolate? Or, less caster sugar? – thanks
The smaller the percentage, the less bitter and rich the chocolate is. I would try somewhere between 50-60%.
Great recipe, and very easy to follow – thanks for posting, my family enjoyed this wonderfully chocolatey treat!
Decided to try this at midnight last night, it was my first ever time making chocolate mousse, and it turned out amazing! This is a delicious recipe and it was so easy to follow the steps! Even in the middle of the night! Fantastic recipe! Will definitely make again.
I am so glad that you enjoyed it Emma! N x
Tried making this chocolate moose. It tasted very good however it came out grainy in texture. Any ideas why? Ty Susan