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This classic chocolate mousse is light yet intensely chocolate. Don’t be fooled by the French name — it’s quick and easy to make!
Don’t let the French name fool you: chocolate mousse is one of the easiest desserts to make. Seriously, if you have a microwave, a hand mixer, and a rubber spatula, you can make homemade chocolate mousse to rival any French restaurant’s version — and you can do it in 20 minutes. This recipe from Tyler Florenceis virtually foolproof. I have experimented with adding a hit of coffee or booze to enhance the flavor; both versions are good but the family consensus is that plain chocolate is best. Keep it simple!
For serving the mousse, you can use pretty juice glasses, martini glasses, champagne flutes, small bowls, or espresso cups. Or, if you’re hosting a party and want to give your guests a small taste, you can serve the mousse in Asian-style porcelain soup spoons. Finally, note that chocolate mousse needs to set in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving, so plan accordingly.
Table of Contents
- What You’ll Need To Make Chocolate Mousse
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- You May Also Like
- Printable Recipe
- Reviews
What You’ll Need To Make Chocolate Mousse
Chocolate mousse has very few ingredients so it’s important to use the best quality chocolate; its flavor will shine through. I like semi-sweet chocolate but if you prefer your mousse with a darker chocolate flavor, use bittersweet. Remember, the higher the cacao percentage, the less sweet the chocolate.
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, place the butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Break the chocolate into small pieces directly into the bowl (no need to chop it first and dirty a cutting board).
Microwave it in 20-second intervals, stirring between each bout of heat, until the chocolate is about 75% melted. Stir, allowing the residual heat in the bowl to melt the chocolate completely. This prevents the chocolate from scorching.
(Alternatively, place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan containing about 1 inch of barely simmering water. Stir with a wooden spoon until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.)
Let the mixture cool for a few minutes, then add the egg yolks one at a time.
Whisk until smooth after each addition and then aside.
In another medium bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form (the peaks should be just starting to hold, and will melt back into themselves after a second).
Gradually beat in 1/4 cup of the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form (the peaks will stand straight up when the beaters are lifted from the mixture).
Using a large rubber spatula, fold the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture.
Mix only until uniform, then set aside.
In another bowl, beat the heavy cream until it begins to thicken up. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and the vanilla.
Continue beating until the cream holds medium peaks.
Add the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.
Gently fold the cream into the chocolate mixture, making sure not to mix any more than necessary.
Divide the mousse between 6 individual glasses, cover, and chill until set, at least 2 hours.
Up to a few hours before serving, whip the cream until it begins to thicken. Add the sugar and whip to medium peaks. Dollop the whipped cream over the mousse and top with chocolate shavings.
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Note: Like tiramisu or homemade mayonnaise, chocolate mousse is made with raw eggs. If that is a concern, try to find pasteurized eggs. Pasteurized eggs have been briefly exposed to heat to destroy any potential bacteria. Whole Foods usually carries them but call your local store to be sure before making a special trip. (Note: eating raw eggs is not advisable for pregnant women, babies, the elderly, or anyone with a compromised immune system.)
- Recipe
- Comments (311)
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Chocolate Mousse
Metric Cup Measures
Adapted from Tyler Florence on Foodnetwork.com
This classic chocolate mousse is light yet intensely chocolate. Don’t be fooled by the French name — it’s quick and easy to make!
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Total Time: 20 Minutes, plus at least 2 hours to chill
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, best quality
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature, yolks and whites separated
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ cup heavy cream, cold
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For Serving
- ½ cup heavy cream, cold
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- Chocolate shavings
Instructions
- Place the butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Break the chocolate into small pieces directly into the bowl. Microwave it in 20-second intervals, stirring between each bout of heat, until the chocolate is about 75% melted. Stir, allowing the residual heat in the bowl to melt the chocolate completely. (Alternatively, place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan containing about 1 inch of barely simmering water. Stir with a wooden spoon until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.) Let the mixture cool for a few minutes, then whisk in the egg yolks one at a time, mixing until smooth after each addition. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form (the peaks should be just starting to hold, and will melt back into themselves after a second). Gradually beat in ¼ cup of the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form (the peaks will stand straight up when the beaters are lifted from the mixture). Using a large rubber spatula, fold the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture until uniform. Set aside.
- In another bowl, beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed until it begins to thicken up. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and the vanilla and continue beating until the cream holds medium peaks (when you lift the beaters or whisk out of the bowl, the peaks will slightly droop down, but they won't lose their shape entirely). Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Be sure it is fully incorporated but don't mix any more than necessary. Divide the mousse between 6 individual glasses, cover, and chill until set, at least 2 hours.
- Up to a few hours before serving, whip the cream until it begins to thicken up. Add the sugar and whip to medium peaks. Dollop the whipped cream over the mousse and top with chocolate shavings.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: Mousse can be made up to 1 day ahead of time. Cover with plastic wrap and keep chilled in the refrigerator. Add whipped cream topping and chocolate shavings up to a few hours before serving.
- Note: Chocolate mousse is made with raw eggs. If that is a concern, try to find pasteurized eggs. Pasteurized eggs have been briefly exposed to heat to destroy any potential bacteria. Whole Foods usually carries them but call your local store to be sure before making a special trip. (Note: eating raw eggs is not advisable for pregnant women, babies, the elderly, or anyone with a compromised immune system.)
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 415
- Fat: 31 g
- Saturated fat: 19 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Sugar: 31 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 55 mg
- Cholesterol: 163 mg
Nutritional Data Disclaimer
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
See more recipes:
- Dessert
- Gluten-Free Adaptable
- Holidays
- Make-Ahead
- French
Comments
Hello! Is there a substitute for the cream of tartar, or can it be omitted? Thank you!
- — Ally on July 15, 2024
- Reply
Hi Ally, you can replace the cream of tartar with an equal amount of lemon juice. Enjoy!
- — Jenn on July 15, 2024
- Reply
Can we throw this in a pie crust and pile it with whipped cream for a copycat of the Baker’s Square French Silk pie?
- — Zahra on July 13, 2024
- Reply
Hi Zahra, I think the slices might be a little wobbly, but it should work. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
- — Jenn on July 14, 2024
- Reply
This is raw egg..? Other recipes are heating the egg.
- — Anon on July 4, 2024
- Reply
Yes, chocolate mousse is made with raw eggs. If that is a concern, try to find pasteurized eggs. Pasteurized eggs have been briefly exposed to heat to destroy any potential bacteria. Whole Foods usually carries them but call your local store to be sure before making a special trip. (Note: eating raw eggs is not advisable for pregnant women, babies, the elderly, or anyone with a compromised immune system.)
- — Jenn on July 5, 2024
- Reply
Excellent mousse I have made it 4 times but today added the egg yolks to the melted choc and then it ‘seized up’ and went lumpy. Were the yolks too cold ? Anyway tried again and it’s perfect . I have tried used your receipes many time over the years and all are v good . What I like is your professional experience and knowledge thanks again sarah
- — SARAH CLEAVER on April 7, 2024
- Reply
So glad you’ve enjoyed it! Yes, I believe the yolks must’ve been too cold and that’s what caused the chocolate to seize up.
- — Jenn on April 8, 2024
- Reply
It was light and decadent. Absolute perfection!
- — Meera on March 9, 2024
- Reply
Perfect. I love that this recipe uses the whole eggs, so I’m not scrambling to find a use for leftover yolk/whites. Family favorite for sure.
- — Chloe on February 2, 2024
- Reply
Great simple, tasty recipe. From raw ingredients to a finished mousse in a shade over 30 minutes.
- — Nigel Ainscoe on December 1, 2023
- Reply
Absolutely LOVE all your recipes, Jenn but I’m wondering if you think this would be too much to serve for a lunch dessert.
- — Catherine on November 11, 2023
- Reply
Hi Catherine, so glad you like the recipes! While this is very chocolatey, it’s still pretty light, so I think you could definitely serve it for a lunch dessert. Hope everyone enjoys if you make it!
- — Jenn on November 13, 2023
- Reply
Amazing! Thank you for the recipe. I will definitely make again!
- — Nicolas on October 30, 2023
- Reply
Can I put between cake layers.
- — Ella on October 22, 2023
- Reply
Yes, I think that would work.
- — Jenn on October 23, 2023
- Reply
Hi! Can I pipe these into cups and then cover and refrigerate overnight? Or will it deflate too much? Im making them for a wedding and was planning on making them the night before and serving them the next evening. So that would be about 24 hours. Thanks!
- — Hailey on October 9, 2023
- Reply
Hi Hailey, that should be fine. 🙂
- — Jenn on October 9, 2023
- Reply
Have made this a few times and really like it overall. I made a couple small modifications – reduced to 1/4 T cream of tartar, cut added sugar in half. One thing I’ve learned is super important – when incorporating the egg yolks and fluffy egg white mixtures, mix in a third at a time; this really helps achieve the desired consistency (author notes this but I missed it the first time and noticed the difference). Great recipe!
- — Marissa M on October 1, 2023
- Reply
More a question than a comment. I see the recipe calls for sugar, is this regular granulated sugar, or powdered sugar? Only asking because I always use powdered sugar in my whipped cream. Thanks, sounds delicious.
- — Karen Mac on October 1, 2023
- Reply
Hi Karen, it’s granulated sugar. (If a recipe of mine requires confectioners’ sugar, I’ll specify that in the ingredients.) 🙂
- — Jenn on October 2, 2023
- Reply
This mousse was light, airy and delicious and for that I give it 5 stars. I prefer a slightly more dense mousse, but everyone I served this to loved it!
- — Sandra on October 21, 2023
- Reply
I am very happy with how this came out. The instructions are very simple and easy to follow. There are great photos to make sure it is the same thing. (tip) For me I added a thin layer of chocolate cake in the middle and on top and it made it a lot better.
- — kyle on September 24, 2023
- Reply
Can you freeze this recipe? I love to make this as a filling for my cakes and people love it. However sometimes I have extra and would like to freeze it for my next cake which most times is a few days later.
- — JV on September 1, 2023
- Reply
Sure, I think it should work. 🙂
- — Jenn on September 1, 2023
- Reply
thank you so much for the quick response! appreciate it.
- — JV on September 4, 2023
- Reply
The mousse was delicious. It was fine restaurant quality. The only change I made was that I used high quality milk chocolate instead of semi-sweet. I do not like darker chocolate. It was very rich and decadent. Will be making this again.
- — Mary Ann Best on July 16, 2023
- Reply
This recipe was amazing as it is so quick!! I was trying hard 2 find a recipe that didn’t need to be chillled overnight and this recipe worked so well!
- — Naomi on June 19, 2023
- Reply
There is raw eggs, now that I know I won’t make it. I didn’t think raw eggs should be eaten by anyone. It looks good but not the raw eggs part
- — Sandee on July 26, 2023
- Reply
Depending on the country you live in, most store bought raw eggs are completely safe as it is standard practice to pasteurize the eggs (you probably don’t notice because only the shells need to be heated and can be flash pasteurized pretty easily). In fact, this is the reason that you have to refrigerate store bought eggs but not farm bought ones (side note, make sure you thoroughly wash any eggs from a farm before using them, but all bacteria is on the shell so that’s all that’s needed to make them safe for this recipe).
While I would applaud your caution when it comes to food borne illnesses, there are a lot of things (like raw eggs or medium to medium-well pork) that have a bad reputation due to historic issues. Thankfully, in almost any first world nation (and definitely in the United States, where I live) many of these issues are solved at the manufacturing stage. Just make sure you’re purchasing your food from a reputable source (hopefully you already are) and you won’t have any issues.
- — Chef Adam on August 16, 2023
- Reply
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