This Chocolate Mousse is made the proper French way, with the right ingredients and technique so it has beautiful chocolate flavour with a rich and luscious texture, yet not too sweet. It feels a little fancy but is surprisingly straightforward. Excellent for dinner parties – make it ahead and keep it in the fridge for days, ready to serve!
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, too grainy. But the most common flaw was that they left a greasy mouthfeel from excessive use of whipped cream which many “easy” chocolate mousse recipes tend to solely rely on to set the mousse, rather than a combination of cream and whipped eggs which is the classic way chocolate mousse is made.
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. Make sure you use chocolate intended for cooking purchased from the baking aisle! More on this below. Don’t use eating chocolate – the only exception is Lindt 70% cocoa chocolate. That is suitable for eating and cooking.
70% cocoa chocolate
It’s important to use the right chocolate for chocolate mousse to ensure it mixes in seamlessly, gives the mousse enough chocolate flavour and the right texture.
70% cocoa dark chocolate – This is the chocolate I use which has good intense chocolate flavour, is not as sweet as milk chocolate but sweeter than unsweetened chocolate. It is also firmer than milk chocolate so it ensures that the mousse sets to the perfect consistency. Brands I use: Best – Lindt 70% cocoa (which is actually an eating chocolate but because it’s tempered it works for baking too, find it in the confectionary aisle). Every day purposes – Cadbury or Nestle Plaistowe baking chocolate block 70% cocoa.
Must be baking chocolate – Be sure to use a chocolate intended for cooking, purchased from the baking aisle, not one from the candy aisle. Chocolate made for eating is actually designed to not melt easily (think – hot hands, left in car) and if you use an eating chocolate, you’ll find it won’t melt smoothly (you get little lumps) or it burns in patches before it fully melts (if you use the microwave). Lindt is the only exception. As noted above, it’s an eating chocolate but because it’s tempered (“snaps” when you break it, and is shiny) it can also be used for baking and is my premium option.
Bittersweet chocolate can be used – The cocoa percentage of chocolate labelled “bittersweet” can range from 60% to 85% cocoa solids. It will add good chocolate flavour into the mousse but is slightly less sweet than using 70%.
Milk chocolate work too – It has a lower cocoa percentage (30% – 40% usually) so the mousse won’t have as intense a flavour, it makes the mousse a little sweeter and it sets a little softer, but it can be used here.
RAW EGGS
Raw eggs are key for real chocolate mousse, the classic French way to make it the way it’s 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 (and leave a slick of cream fat in your mouth that mousse does not), 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:
Melt chocolate with the butter;
Whip cream and egg whites separately until fluffy;
Gently fold everything together with the yolks; then
portion into glasses and refrigerate to set.
Here’s are step-by-step photos with a little more detail. And don’t forget there’s a tutorial video below as well which is quite helpful if you are a first-timer!
Beat egg whites and sugar until foamy.
Soft peaks (floppy elf hat!) – Then keep beating to fluff it up into a meringue (ie white fluff) until it is “firm peaks”. This means that the mixture stands upright but the pointy end flops down as pictured above. I call it a floppy elf hat!
If the mixture stands upright with the pointy end pointing up (not flopping) this means it has be beaten to “firm peaks” which is a little far for chocolate mousse. However, don’t worry! It’s ok, the mousse will work fine and will be great for 2 days, but it deflates a bit more on day 3 and beyond.
Whip cream to stiff peaks. This is one step further than firm peaks which we did for egg whites. So for the cream, we want the peaks to point upright – no floppy elf hat! Stop beating as soon as your cream reaches stiff peaks. If you beat it too much, the cream starts to get lumpy – and if you keep beating, you’ll turn it into butter which we definitely do not want!!😂
Fold together cream and egg yolks. By “fold”, I mean gently combining the mixtures using a lifting and turning motion rather than stirring, so you keep all the air in the mixture and end up with a light, airy mousse. Don’t beat furiously – that’s the sure fire way to a pot of liquid chocolate rather than fluffy mousse!
Fold in melted chocolate. Make sure the chocolate is at room temperature but is still runny. If it’s cooled too much and is thick (not pourable), microwave and stir in 5 second increments until it;s pourable again.
Gently fold egg whites into chocolate mixture. The fluffed egg whites is what makes our mousse beautifully aerated so be gentle in this step!
Mousse mixture – Keep folding until you no longer see egg white lumps or streaks.
Spoon into individual pots or a larger dish, then refrigerate to chill so it sets. It will take around 6 hours for individual pots.
**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
Watch how to make it
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Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- 3 eggs (~55g/2 oz each)
- 125g / 4.5 oz 70% cocoa chocolate or bittersweet chocolate, , break or cut into small 1 cm / 0.2" pieces (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)
- Whisk yolks until uniform.
- Melt chocolate and butter – Place chocolate in a microwave-proof bowl with the butter. Melt in the microwave in 20 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 – we want it at room temperature but still pourable.
- Whip cream – Beat cream until stiff peaks form, being careful not to over-whip (see video).
- Whip whites – Clean the whisks. Add sugar into the egg whites bowl. Beat until firm peaks form. GOAL – flopping "elf hat"! (see video and Note 5 for what this means).
Fold together all ingredients:
- Yolks and cream – Fold egg yolks into cream using a rubber spatula – 8 folds max. Some streaks is fine.
- Check chocolate temperature – The chocolate should be cooled to room temperature but still runny (minimum 35°C / 95°F; ideal 40°C / 104°F). If too cool or thick, microwave in burst of 5 seconds at a time until runny.
- Chocolate into cream – Pour chocolate into cream yolk mixture. Fold through – 8 folds max. Some streaks here are ok.
- Fold in egg whites – 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.
- Chill in fridge – 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:
1. Chocolate – Use 70% cocoa or bittersweet for best flavour, colour and texture. I use Lindt 70% (preferred), or Nestle Plaistow / Cadbury for everyday baking.
- Use cooking chocolate (baking aisle), not eating chocolate (candy aisle). It melts smoother and thinner, giving a silky mousse. Eating chocolate can seize and turn lumpy – except Lindt 70% (an eating chocolate), which works because it’s tempered chocolate.
- Milk or dark chocolate (semi-sweet chocolate) can also be used, but the mousse will be lighter in colour, less chocolatey and softer set.
Nutrition Information:
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!
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! 😂
Love this! Can’t wait to try out!! I was wondering, can I swap dark choc for white chocolate?
Good question! I’d like to know too!
Can you use semi sweet baking chocolate?
Hi Morgie, I feel like it would make the mousse very sweet so I prefer dark chocolate here. N x
Can I use lindt excellence 70% cocoa dark chocolate from the eating chocolate aisle. I can’ find bittersweet in the baking aisle
Hiya. This was lovely tasting in the end but my chocolate seized. It never got to the pouring stage – just went hard and grainy. Any suggestions/tips please?
Hi Jak! It sounds to me like you used eating chocolate not baking chocolate? That’s what usually happens to eating chocolate, I’m sorry to say! N x
Add a tbsp of coconut oil or vegetable oil while the chocolate is still pretty warm. Then just stir it up until the grainy clumps are smooth and glossy. Not sure if that will incorporate into this particular recipe but for most melting mishaps this is the answer.
I am wondering if you have tried matcha mousse before (pure match mousse without white chocolate as a base). If so, do you have a recipe?
Hi Jo – I don’t have a recipe but pop a request on my recipe request page if you like! N x
Love this recipe! It turned out great the first time I did it, thanks so much for your tips! Can this recipe be used for a white chocolate mouse instead?
My husband loved this so much he couldn’t stop moaning with every spoonful. I have to agree, it was heavenly. I added a little espresso powder which took it up a notch. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you!
Sounds fabulous Pamela!! N x
How many servings will i get from this recipe???
Hey. Can I put in closed jars to refrigerate or does it need to be opened?
Hi Qurat, you can put this in jars if you like 🙂 N x
It was absolutely delicious. Great recipe.
My one came out runny not thick any tips
Hi Shak, did you whip the cream before incorporating into the mix? N x
This is the best ever! I gave it to several people and they also agreed! I used Valrohona 70% chocolate. Perfect in every way.
Can I use this recipe to set on top of a biscuit base and use your chocolate ganache to cover it once cooled?
Hi Candice, yes that sounds fantastic! N x
Delicious!!!! It took many more folds than the recipe stated to combine the mixture so may have lost some frothiness; but none of the taste. Will definitely add to my dinner party hit list.
This is my go-to recipe for a super yummy decadent dessert. My 6yr old and I made this together and it’s such a hit! Love it. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe 🙂
I’m not sure what I did – I followed to a T – but the consistency was lumpy. The flavour was lovely, and my husband thought the lumpy bits were chocolate bits, and thought it was intentional (bonus) but it wasn’t. Any ideas what I did wrong?
Hi Tee! It means the chocolate didn’t melt properly. Did you use baking chocolate, not eating chocolate? Eating chocolate doesn’t melt properly. Also, old chocolate does not melt properly ie you end up with lumps. Any chance either of these applied? – N x
I had the same issue. Chocolate was all melted properly, I used the correct chocolate and it was bought that day. Similar to another comment, I did have to fold more times than suggested to combine so perhaps that was it? Any ideas?
Yes. Mine too. I used high quality bakers chocolate.. The chocolate didn’t fully mix. I use a cold bowl to make whipped cream so maybe my cream/yolk mixture was too cold.
I noticed when I make this and anything is too cold it does this to the chocolate. Make sure it’s lukewarm when u add it to the whipped cream and less issues! Best of luck next time this is an excellent mousse!
I haven’t made this recipe but I just wanted to say I love your in depth explanations. I can’t wait to make it just by the way you worded everything. Sounds like the perfect mousse recipe x
Hi i made this dessert and the texture of it felt like the sugar was not desloved and it was way to sweet. What can I do to change the texture of the mousse.
And also to make it less sweet.
I made this chocolate mouse however o found dark chocolate too rich then opted to try it with a mix of white and milk chocolate, it was absolutely gorgeous although I used quite big glasses so I could have doubled the portion size.
Loved the recipe. Added fresh orange juice right after the chocolate melted, and some zest, but it seemed to seize up..should I have added during the melting process instead? Thanks
Eggs in fridge!!! No no no, eggs should be room temp, always.
Folding mixing bit more. Good recipe otherwise,
Incorrect. Eggs should be kept in the main section of the fridge but not in the door. Its keeps bacteria under control and keeps them fresher for longer….apparently!