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
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
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! 😂
Hi Nagi
I have made the chocolate mousse myself and I liked it a lot! It was very easy to make and the result impressed me. I’ve used brown chocolate instead of the dark chocolate because I don’t like dark chocolate, but the taste was still very good. I appreciate that you post this recipe in a very simple way. I know some people who struggle with making chocolate mousse, so I referred them to this post. My mom struggles a lot with it, so thank you for this post! Again, the recipe was very simple and the result was very tasty and good. In the future I would really like to try more of your recipes!
Konings Ansel
Thanks so so much – I’m so glad you love it!
I don’t know how you can answer all these questions and comments from all these different recipes !,!!!
You are like a Houdini , girl!!!
Would like to add some whiskey to these for Saint Paddy’s day !🍀☘️
how much can I get away with without making it runny?😘
Loving talking to my readers makes it easy Sarah! ☺️ I don’t usually add booze to my mousse, but if I did I would just stir in a little at a time and check the consistency as you go. As long as it doesn’t change much it will set fine. — N ♥
This choc mousse recipe is soooo good. I made them for the first time on Friday, doubled the recipe and it made 8 ramekins. They disappeared from the fridge that evening. I made them again Saturday but whipped 500ml of cream, put half in the mousse and half on the top, just made it quicker but they are so good people make a noise and their eyes roll back when they eat them. Thankyou
Glad your guests enjoyed it, Ash! 🙌 — Nxx
Hi there, my 13-year-old son and I made this together the other evening for a family dinner party. We enjoyed making it and loved the rich chocolate flavour! The instructions were really clear so thank you for that (!).
However, the consistency of the mousse had little lumps throughout… my only thought is that it could be the yolks, or maybe the butter. Any suggestions on what might have caused this? Thanks in advance!
The recipe tips and video are so helpful. With these even a novice is able to create a wonderful chocolate mousse. It worked for me and turned out superb! It was delicious, rich, creamy, light & fluffy. A special treat for the chocolate lover! Topped mine with fresh whipped cream flavored with coconut extract for a dark chocolate & coconut sensation. Thanks for the great how-to instructions!
Sounds divine Peggy, you nailed it!
Turned out fantastic, smooth and fluffy. Thank you very much for this easy recipe
Awesome Reena!
This turned out so good! It was my first time making mousse; very easy recipe to follow. It was our Valentines dessert…. I used 70% cocoa and it was the perfect after dinner sweetness!! Thank you for sharing this recipe!!
You’d win anyone over on Valentines day with that one 😉
Hi Nagi, I want to try your recipe, just have one question. Can you freeze it in silicone moulds? Will it hold the shape? (I mean freeze – peal from the mould – dust with cocoa – serve). If it’s not freezable, than I’ll use glasses. I want to make it for Valentines day. Thanks
Hi Anna, to be honest I haven’t tried freezing it!
Is it ok if it chills for less than 5 hours? I’m trying to find a mousse recipe and this looks perfect but I need it in about three hours And I’m worried it won’t be firm enough
Hi Amanda, it should be ok but it really depends on what you serve it in for how quick it will set!
This looks delicious! I’m going to make it for Christmas dessert. I’ll need to double the recipe. Do you think that will make it harder to fold together without deflating? Do I need to do it in 2 batches?
I just made this, doubling the entire recipe, and it is still incredibly fluffy! The mousse remained very airy and light, despite me doing it all in one batch and folding a few times more than recommended. I hope this helps! Have a lovely Christmas!
Thanks Franka! Starting it right now, glad to know it will work in one batch. Merry Christmas!
Looks great! Video is awesome too. I want to make this.
The chocolate mousse is really tasty and very simple for cooking.Thank you
I’m new to Australia, recently moved from the states and our cream is different over there. Exactly what type of cream do I buy? I see lite, thickening, pouring, etc…a bit confused and don’t want to get it wrong. Looks delicious and want to make it for my husbands birthday. Thanks so much
Couldn’t believe how easy this was. This is my husband eating your chocolate mousse “wow oh wow” this is better than our friends chocolate mousse and I thought theirs was good.
Lucky Hubby! I’m so glad you loved this recipe too Natalie!
Do you think I could leave out the sugar completely, or is it needed for consistency?
Hi Beth, I’m sure you could leave it out, I just find that it balances the dark chocolate.
Made this for my husband’s birthday yesterday–he LOVES mousse and nearly passed out when he tasted it!!! He couldn’t believe I’d made this from scratch. The texture was just perfect…and it was relatively easy to do. Thanks so much!!
Happy Birthday Hubby! I’m so glad you impressed with the mousse!
Looks AMAZING! Actually I prefer the chocolate mousse which is harder a little bit. From your clip when you scoop it up, I can see it’s very soft, so is that glass taken from the frigde after 5 hours? I’m quite confused.
– Natalie
Hi Nagi
Last night we had friends over for dinner. I made your chocolate mouse in the morning (iPad on the kitchen bench with the video playing , I continuously paused it as steps were completed). The mouse was a huge success! rich but light and fluffy-also served in whiskey glasses with sliced strawberries (Trying to support our farmers) whipped cream and chocolate shavings which looked very decadent. Main course was your Slow Cooked Lamb Leg with roasted veg and steamed greens. Your videos and writing are inspirational and have got me back in the kitchen cooking and loving it-thank you 🙂
I love hearing that Tan! Thank you so much for sharing that! N x
Haa Nagi you sound like Step mother……but we understand the cost and hard work, post operative work. We are having REALY cold mornings only 04 C and mix bag of warm days, late change rain. Hope your week is very good.
This looks delicious! Would it work with white chocolate too?? 🙂 Can’t wait to give it a go.
Hi Brittany! I haven’t tried but I am sure it will work though it will be a bit sweeter because white chocolate is sweet 🙂 N x