Chocolate Mousse is a delicate, light, and yet rich dessert that goes perfectly for any celebration. It is made from scratch and it’s worth every second you put into it. This smooth and silky homemade chocolate mousse is made by combining homemade whipped cream, melted chocolate, and sweetened egg yolks.
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It’s time that I share my favorite recipe for Chocolate Mousse with you.
I was talking to my friend about a big dinner she was planning and she wanted some dessert suggestions. First thing that came to mind was my chocolate mousse recipe. I went to my site to try and find it for her but quickly realized that as many times as I’ve made it, I never posted the recipe. I believe that there was even a time when I took pictures of it. I can’t go on knowing that this amazing dessert is not shared with my favorite readers, i.e. all of you!
Luckily, I was planning on making a delicious new pie to share this week and part of it is my chocolate mousse. It was perfect timing for me to share chocolate mousse first and you will have to come back for the pie. And trust me, you will want to come back for the pie too. It is so good!
Ingredient Notes:
Baking chocolate – make sure to use baking chocolate bar and choose either dark or semi-sweet.
Heavy whipping cream – do not substitute this ingredient! It’s important to use heavy whipping cream to make whipped cream.
Egg yolks – you will need three egg yolks from a large eggs. Make sure to separate the yolks carefully and don’t leave any egg whites behind.
Vanilla extract – for the best results, use pure vanilla extract, not imitation.
See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
Cooking Instructions
Make whipped cream: Using a cold whisk attachment, beat cold heavy cream in the cold bowl of an electric mixer, until soft peaks appear (1). Set it in the fridge until ready to use.
Melt chocolate: Preheat water in the double boiler over medium heat. Add chocolate, 1/4 cup of water, butter, and vanilla extract (2). Let it start melting and then stir with a silicone covered whisk until just melted and smooth (3). Take off heat and set aside.
Egg yolks: In a small, heavy-bottom sauce pot, over medium-low (to low) heat, whisk egg yolks, 1/4 cup of water and 1/4 cup of sugar together. Cook stirring slowly but constantly, until the mixture reaches 160° (F). This could take up to 10 minutes but don’t walk away or stop stirring or you will cook your eggs. Take off heat.
Cool: Stir egg mixture into chocolate mixture until all combined and smooth (4). Place some ice into a large mixing bowl. Set the sauce pot in the ice bath. Let chocolate cool, while slowly stirring, for 5-7 minutes (5).
Mix: Fold whipped cream into cooled chocolate mixture until all smooth (6). Don’t rush! Take you time folding with a spatula, you don’t want to whip or it will flatten.
Tips and Tricks To Make It The Best
Chocolate Mousse has been my go-to recipe for many celebrations and holidays. It’s always a crowd-pleaser and I love the fact that it can be prepared ahead of time. It’s so nice when you can get dessert out of the way the night before you have a party planned.
This recipe may seem like a lot of steps and that it might take a long time, but it really is not that complicated and it will take you about 30 minutes to make it. Just remember to take it one part at a time because each one demands your attention.
Use a double boiler to melt your chocolate, if available. Every time I try to take a microwave shortcut while melting my chocolate, it ends in disaster. I end up wasting two bars of baking chocolate and have to start all over. So don’t take that chance and use a double boiler.
If you don’t have a double boiler, set a glass mixing bowl over a pot filled about half way with water. Water should not be touching the bowl on top. Melt chocolate in and butter in the glass bowl once the water starts to simmer.
Make sure to bring the egg yolks mixture to a safe temperate of 160°-165°. Use a thermometer to track the temperature while cooking the eggs. Cook them low and slow and remember to stir constantly so you don’t end up with scrambled eggs.
Recipe FAQs
Chocolate mousse and chocolate pudding actually have a very different consistency. Chocolate mousse is not cooked while chocolate pudding is cooked. The only cooking you do with chocolate mouse is to bring the egg yolks to a safe temperature but many recipes do not do that.
Chocolate mousse is light, fluffy, and airy. Chocolate pudding is soft, spongy, and thick.
Absolutely! Feel free to stir in a tablespoon or two of amaretto, Kahlua, Bailey’s or crème de cocoa. Make sure to stir the liqueur into the egg yolk mixture, after you’ve brought it to temperature and before mixing it with the melted chocolate mixture.
It’s not a necessity but I highly recommend that you do refrigerate it! You can transfer the mousse into the food storage container or portion it into individual serving dishes. Cover it air-tight and refrigerate for about 4 hours before serving.
Make sure to store chocolate mousse in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Properly stored, it will last 5-7 days.
Some More Recipes To Try
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Chocolate Mousse Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz bittersweet baking chocolate
- 1/2 cup water split in two
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 egg yolks from large eggs
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Whipped Cream:
- Using a cold whisk attachment, beat cold heavy cream in the cold bowl of an electric mixer, until soft peaks appear. Set it in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Melting Chocolate:
- Preheat water in the double boiler over medium heat. Add chocolate, 1/4 cup of water, butter and vanilla extract.
- Let it start melting and then stir with a silicone covered whisk until all melted and smooth. Take off heat and set aside.
Egg Yolks:
- In a small, heavy-bottom sauce pot, over medium-low (to low) heat, whisk egg yolks, 1/4 cup of water and 1/4 cup of sugar together. Cook stirring slowly but constantly, until the mixture reaches 160° (F). This could take up to 10 minutes but don't walk away or you will cook your eggs. Take off heat.
Cool and Combine:
- Stir egg mixture into chocolate mixture until all combined and smooth.
- Place some ice into a large mixing bowl. Set the sauce pot into the ice bath. Let chocolate cool, while slowly stirring, for 5-7 minutes.
- Fold whipped cream into cooled chocolate mixture until all smooth. Take you time folding with a spatula, you don't want to whip or it will flatten.
- At this time, you can divide chocolate mousse among dessert cups, cover air-tight, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
Video
Notes
- Baking chocolate – make sure to use baking/cooking chocolate bar and choose either dark or semi-sweet. Get the chocolate from the baking isle, not the candy isle!
- Heavy whipping cream – do not substitute this ingredient! It’s important to use heavy whipping cream to make whipped cream.
- Adding liqueur – Feel free to stir in a tablespoon or two of amaretto, Kahlua, Bailey’s or crème de cocoa. Make sure to stir the liqueur into the egg yolk mixture, after you’ve brought it to temperature and before mixing it with the melted chocolate mixture.
- Storing – Make sure to store chocolate mousse in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Properly stored, it will last 5-7 days.
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles on November 23, 2014.
Rachel says
Hi there i was just wondering if the 1/4 cup of water that goes into the chocoloate if a little bit of that could be substituted for a liquor
lyuba says
Hi Rachel,
Sure. I would do it in the egg mixture. What were you thinking, brandy, cognac? Those would go good with chocolate. Enjoy!!
Leah says
Hi Lyuba! I’m new here but am trying out your mousse recipe for my daughters birthday tomorrow!! I am curious, any particular reason why you call for a ‘silicone covered whisk’? Thanks so much and looking forward to trying many of your recipes in the future!! 🙂
lyuba says
Hi Leah!
Happy birthday to your daughter!
The only reason I recommend silicone covered whist is for the safety of the pan/pot. Metal whisks tend to scratch and damage pans and pots, so I use and recommend silicone covered ones.
I hope everyone likes it!
lyuba says
Oh, I only use silicone covered ones when I whisk something in a cooking pan, in a mixing bowl :). For mixing bowls, I use regular metal ones.
BabyBear says
You use raw eggs. I was wondering how you prevent salmonella? Not to turn anyone off raw regs is the proper way to make real mousse . I’m just curious does the heat from the chocolate chips heat it up enough to eat safely?
BabyBear says
Never mind I see. This recipe seems to cook them thoroughly. My apologies!
lyuba says
Hi there!
If I make something that I know my son will be eating, I usually bring eggs to 160 degrees in a double boiler, like here and tiramisu. I know many who don’t mind the raw egg, I’m just being cautious. I hope you will give it a try!
Thank you.
Alex says
Your presentation looks lovely! Did you pipe the mousse into the cups before it set up and which tip did you you? Any information would be helpful. It looks lovely!
lyuba says
Thank you so much, Alex! I piped mousse right into the serving cups and I used tip 1M. I would recommend that you pipe it right after you make it because if you try to pipe cold mousse, it won’t go as easy. So pipe it and either serve it or cover and refrigerate.
Tatyana says
Hey, how long will this last in a fridge? Cause I’m probably not gonna eat all this at once 🙂
lyuba says
Oh gosh, we don’t usually eat it all at once either. (Unless, I make it for a party.) It will last a few days, may be a week. In an air-tight container.
Sonya says
Can I substitue white chocolate or Tobelrone chocolate for the chocolate and will the quantities need to change looks yummy 🙂
Patty R says
When I’ve made mousse in the past, it is too thin to get that nice look of a piped dessert. Do you let it set in the frig a bit before you pipe it into the dessert dishes?
lyuba says
Hmmm, this was actually piped and photographed right away. One thing I can think of is the whipped cream could not have been whipped enough. Whipped cream is what gives mousse it’s form, so may be try whipping it for a few extra seconds. But watch it like a hawk 🙂
Another little side step you can take is using ready whipped topping from the store, like COOL Whip in a plastic container.
Patty R says
I’ll give the Cool Whip some thought but before I try that I will try whipping my cream longer. Thanks for the reply.
Patrice says
Looks delicious and I plan on making it for Christmas. I was just wondering, I thought you weren’t meant to put water into chocolate if you’re trying to melt it?
lyuba says
Thank you, Patrice! I hope everyone enjoys it, it’s been our Christmas dessert many times.
I actually haven’t had problems with water while melting chocolate, or milk or cream. If using microwave, it would cause a problem, but in the sauce pot or a double boiler it is perfectly smooth.
Enjoy!
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
It not only looks delicious but I can smell the chocolate and I can taste the rich smoothness in my mouth. Yummmy!!! Great job!
lyuba says
I hope you’ll give it a try and taste it for real 😉
Thank you so much, Marisa! Happy Thanksgiving!
Stephanie says
Let me go get a spoon. Pinning
Stephanie
lyuba says
Thank you so much, Stephanie! 🙂
Baby June says
Looks like a great variation! Love the white chocolate curls you added, so pretty 🙂
lyuba says
Thank you so much, Baby June 🙂
I hope you will get a chance to try it.
Alexis Mohr says
Everything is beautiful! Please clarify the mousse recipe. It says “1 1/4.” Is that 1 1/4 cups? Thank you.
lyuba says
Hi Alexis, thank you for letting me know! It is fixed and it is 1 1/4 cups of heavy cream.
I hope you like it!