This chocolate mousse takes 35 minutes of active time, plus a couple hours to chill, and it skips a problem most mousse recipes run into. The egg yolks get heated to a safe temperature before they ever touch the chocolate, so this is not a raw egg dessert.
Why You Will Love This Easy Chocolate Mousse
- Saves Money. Costs much less than restaurant desserts while using high quality chocolate.
- Genuinely Safe to Eat. The egg yolks are heated to 160 to 170 degrees F, the standard safe temperature, so this skips the raw egg debate most mousse recipes run into entirely.
- Great Texture. The balance of dark chocolate and airy cream is rich but not heavy, with a texture that melts quickly on the tongue.
- Make Ahead Friendly. This holds up well in the fridge for a couple of days, so it is easy to make before a dinner or a party.
- Impressive for the Effort. The active time is just 35 minutes, the rest is hands off chilling.
Ingredients for the Best Chocolate Mousse
- Dark chocolate provides the structural base and intense flavor. Its natural cocoa butter solidifies as it cools, which helps the mousse set without needing gelatin.
- Egg yolks create a custard-like richness and act as an emulsifier for a smooth mouthfeel. Heating them to 160 to 170 degrees F also makes them safe to eat, rather than raw.
- Sugar sweetens the egg yolk mixture.
- Sea salt balances the richness of the chocolate and butter.
- Butter adds smoothness and helps the chocolate melt evenly.
- Cold heavy cream traps air when whipped, which gives the mousse its famous cloud-like lift.
How to Make Homemade Chocolate Mousse
- Set a bowl over a sauce pan of simmering water, or use a double boiler. Stir the chocolate, butter, salt, and half the water together until the last streak of butter disappears and the mixture looks smooth.
- Set the chocolate mixture aside to cool.
- Over the same double boiler, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and the remaining water until the mixture reaches 160 to 170 degrees F, or feels very warm to the touch. Do not let the eggs scramble.
- Pour the egg mixture into the chocolate and stir until it looks like shiny silk. Let it cool to room temperature.
- Whisk the very cold heavy cream to soft peaks, where it holds its shape but the tips flop over when you lift the whisk.
- Stir about a quarter of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then gently fold in the rest with a spatula, lifting the base mixture over the cream and rotating the bowl as you work to keep it airy. Make sure the chocolate is not hot to the touch before folding, or the mousse will deflate.
- Spoon the mousse into serving bowls, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
Tips for Making the Dark Chocolate Mousse
- Use chocolate with a cocoa content between 60 and 66 percent for the best set. Much higher and the mousse can turn out too firm and dense. Milk chocolate alone tends to stay too soft to hold its shape.
- Cool the chocolate mixture over a bowl of ice if you are short on time, since the whipped cream needs to meet room temperature chocolate to stay light and airy.
- Chill the mixing bowl along with the cream before whipping, which helps it reach soft peaks faster and more reliably.
Troubleshooting Your Chocolate Mousse Recipe
- Mousse turned out grainy instead of smooth. This usually means the melted chocolate came into contact with something too cold too quickly, causing the cocoa butter to seize. Let the chocolate mixture cool fully to room temperature before combining it with anything cold.
- Mousse is dense instead of light and airy. This is almost always one of two things, the cream was not whipped to full soft peaks, or the chocolate mixture was still warm when the whipped cream was folded in. Both need to be at the right temperature before they meet.
- Chocolate seized while melting. This happens if any water gets into the melting chocolate directly, separate from the measured water in the recipe, or if the heat was too high. Keep the double boiler at a gentle simmer, not a boil.
If you enjoy chocolate desserts, you might also like my whipped peanut butter frosting, Nutella brownies, or salted caramel sauce.
Check out my other desserts and my easy cupcake recipe.
Homemade Chocolate Mousse FAQ's
Yes, you can use milk chocolate or white chocolate, but the flavor will be less intense. I recommend using good-quality dark chocolate for the best results.
Yes, chocolate mousse is a wonderful make-ahead dessert. You can prepare it up to two days in advance and store it covered in the refrigerator.
This is usually due to the whipped cream not reaching soft peaks or the chocolate mixture being too warm when the whipped cream is folded in. Make sure your cream is very cold and the chocolate mixture has cooled to room temperature.
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You can serve it in individual cups, small bowls, or even use it as a filling for tarts, cakes, or pies. Garnish with a sprinkle of cocoa powder, chocolate shavings, or fresh berries.
A double boiler is the easiest way to melt the chocolate and warm the eggs without scorching them. You can also create a makeshift one by placing a heat-resistant bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
Recipe
Easy Chocolate Mousse Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 ounces of good dark chocolate
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 4 tablespoons of water divided
- ⅛ teaspoon of sea salt
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
- ½ cup of very cold heavy whipping cream
Method
- Over a double boiler, or a heat resistant bowl over water heated at medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of water, chocolate, salt, and butter together. (see notes)
- Keep stirring until the mixture is combined and smooth.
- Set aside and let cool.
- Over the same double boiler, Heat the 2 egg yolks, sugar, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of water.
- Keep whisking the mixture until it reaches 160-170 degrees F or is very warm to the touch. Do not let the eggs scramble.
- Combine egg mixture and chocolate mixture until well combined. Let the mixture cool to about room temperature. (see notes)
- Whisk the very cold heavy whipping cream to soft peaks. (see notes)
- Next, fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture one half at a time.
- Once mixed, spoon into desired bowls and cover with plastic wrap. Let chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
Nutrition
Notes
Private Notes
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