This easy chocolate mousse recipe only has a few ingredients. It comes together quickly in less than 30 minutes and sets up in the fridge in about two hours. It's fluffy and creamy and VERY chocolaty!
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Chocolate mousse is so classically French and seemingly classy, that it may seem daunting to try to make it yourself. But it's actually really easy to make at home, and only uses a few ingredients and a couple of bowls.
Also - it's got booze in it! You know I love a boozy dessert! A little Cointreau adds some orange aroma and cuts through the richness. But you can absolutely leave that part out if you don't like that idea or are making this for the kiddos.
This is a quick recipe in terms of bringing the ingredients together. In less than 30 minutes, it will be ready to pop into the fridge. Leave them there for about 2 hours to set up. That's really not that long to wait for something so delicious.
Chocolate mousse is one of those desserts that will impress people when you tell them you made it, and it feels satisfying to have mastered something that seems so very pastry chef-y. You'll never have to tell them how easy it was...
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Chocolate mousse is a quick and easy French dessert!
- You only need 4 ingredients (or 5 if you add the orange liqueur.)
- No special equipment needed, just some mixing bowls and a hand mixer.
- Everything comes together in less than 30 minutes, then just 2 hours of chilling.
- It's gluten free!
- Low in sugar, for the most authentic French chocolate mousse flavor!
Ingredients you'll need
- High quality bittersweet chocolate: Chocolate is the star of the show, so splurge on the good stuff. I like bittersweet, and have used both Scharffen Berger and Ghirardelli chocolate to make this recipe.
- Heavy cream: Don't try to go with half and half on this. You need the richness of heavy cream.
- Eggs: You'll be separating the eggs, yolks get mixed into the chocolate, the whites get whisked up to add volume to the mousse.
- Sugar: It will get added to the egg whites as you whisk them up.
- Cointreau or other orange liqueur: Cointreau has an orange aroma that pairs well with the mousse. Grand Marnier would also work. You could also sub a raspberry liqueur, or leave this out altogether.
Did you know you can also use the same basic 4 ingredients (without the liqueur) to make Chocolate Pots de Crème? It's a thicker, richer, baked custard, and just as chocolaty!
Video: How to make chocolate mousse
How to make chocolate mousse: Step by step instructions
Adapted slightly from Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook.
Step 1: Melt the chocolate
Bring some water to a simmer in a medium saucepan, place chocolate in a mixing bowl and set over the water to melt slowly. Be sure the water is just gently simmering, not boiling, and stir the chocolate as it melts to keep it from scorching.
Step 2: Whisk in liqueur, butter, and egg yolks
Once chocolate is melted, whisk in the orange liqueur. This will make the chocolate seem to seize up, but keep whisking gently and then add the butter, one tablespoon at a time. The butter should smooth out the texture. Don't panic about it.
Stir in egg yolks one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next.
Step 3: Whisk the egg whites and add to chocolate mixture
In a separate mixing bowl, whip the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. I used a hand-held electric mixer with the whisk attachment, but you can also whisk by hand if you're looking for a workout. Gradually add sugar as you mix.
Whisk ¼ of the egg white mixture into the melted chocolate, then gently fold in the remainder.
Step 4: Whip the cream and put it all together!
In another bowl, whip the cream until it holds soft peaks.
Fold into chocolate mixture.
Gently transfer into serving bowls - you don't want to deflate the fluffiness that you've worked so carefully to achieve. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.
You can make some whipped cream to top the whole thing off, but I thought this was perfect as is, the best chocolate mousse doesn't need much else!
Tips for the best chocolate mousse
- I definitely recommend getting a kitchen scale to weigh your chocolate. If you are chopping chocolate or using chocolate chips, those are all going to be different-sized chunks, so you can't use a measuring cup and get an accurate amount. Scales are not very expensive, don't take up very much space at all, and once you have one, you'll start using it all the time. I love my Escali Primo Digital Kitchen Scale. They come in a whole bunch of colors! Our kitchen ceiling is orange, so I got this one to match.
- Use a good quality dark chocolate. I've used both block chocolate and chocolate chips for this recipe. But be warned, some chocolate chips do not melt well. I've found that Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips work just fine, but Guittard didn't work as well and seized up when combined with the liqueur.
- The real key to fluffy chocolate mousse is not deflating those egg whites or the whipped cream when you are combining it all together. Take care during those steps, and you're sure to have great results!
Make ahead and storage instructions
- You can make chocolate mousse up to 4 days ahead.
- Store in the refrigerator in individual serving vessels such as ramekins or glasses, covered tightly with plastic wrap.
When to serve chocolate mousse
- Serve chocolate mousse on Valentine's Day, of course!
- Make it for Christmas—it can be made ahead so it makes your life easier on Christmas Day!
- Perfect for Mother's Day or baby showers.
- Believe it or not, I love to make chocolate mousse in the summertime because it's a no bake dessert, so no heating up the house!
More French dessert recipes
Here are a few more French sweet treats that you might enjoy!
- The hot chocolate they drink in Paris is easier to make than you might think. French-Style Hot Chocolate (Chocolat Chaud) only has two ingredients!
- This Flourless Chocolate Torte is a classic French cake.
- No one can resist these shell-shaped French Madeleines with Earl Grey Tea.
Recipe
Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- 6 ounces dark chocolate chips chopped
- 2 ounces orange liqueur Cointreau, Grand Marnier or other
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 4 eggs separated
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Bring some water to a simmer in a medium saucepan, place chocolate in a mixing bowl and set over the water to melt slowly. Be sure the water is just gently simmering, not boiling, and stir the chocolate as it melts to keep it from scorching.
- Once melted, whisk in the orange liqueur. This will make the chocolate seem to seize up, but keep whisking gently and then add the butter, one tablespoon at a time. The butter should smooth out the texture. Don't panic about it.
- Stir in egg yolks one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whip the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. I used a hand-held electric mixer with the whisk attachment, but you can also whisk by hand if you're looking for a workout. Gradually add sugar as you mix.
- Whisk ¼ of the egg white mixture into the melted chocolate, then gently fold in the remainder.
- In another bowl, whip the cream until it holds soft peaks. Fold into chocolate mixture.
- Gently transfer into serving bowls - you don't want to deflate the fluffiness that you've worked so carefully to achieve. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving. Top with whipped cream if desired.
Video
Notes
- Use a good quality dark chocolate. I've used both block chocolate and chocolate chips for this recipe. But be warned, some chocolate chips do not melt well. I've found that Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips work just fine, but Guittard didn't work as well and seized up when combined with the liqueur.
- I highly recommend getting a kitchen scale to weigh your chocolate for this recipe. They are inexpensive, and once you have one, you'll find so many uses for it! I have an Escali Primo Digital Scale and I love it. They have a wide array of colors to choose from to suit your personal kitchen style.
Donna Kokorudz
I made this for my friends garden party and everyone loved it. Delicious!!