The Best Chocolate Mousse Recipe

This easy chocolate mousse is light yet rich and luxurious! Pipe it into ramekins and chill it or eat it by the spoonful. It looks fancy but it's simple to make.

Don't let chocolate mousse scare you! This recipe is easy to make without sacrificing any sinful indulgence.

Sometimes recipes get overcomplicated because we think there's one right way to do something, like melting chocolate. You can successfully melt chocolate in the microwave. You don't even need to know what a Bain Marie is!

I first made this chocolate mousse when I worked as a Pastry Chef in the catering department at a university. I worked with a lovely woman from Bulgaria who spoke little English. During my first week on the job, I had to draw a picture of a microwave just to find it.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. In other words, if you click a link and purchase something I will receive a commission at no cost to you. I only recommend products I use and enjoy myself.

Why You'll Love it:

Everyone loves this mousse! It's ultra-chocolatey and decadent, yet light and pillowy. It's hard to resist, so be a good neighbor and bring some next door!

• Luscious: The texture is velvety smooth! It's pillowy yet luxurious in one chocolatey bite. I do not exaggerate!
• Easy: Melt everything in the microwave and whip some egg whites. Fold it all together and be on your merry way.
• Crave-worthy: This chocolate mousse is a crowd pleaser! Someone always asks me for the recipe.

Key Ingredients:

• Good Quality Dark Chocolate - Spring for high-quality chocolate! You don't want a B-list chocolate to be the star of the show. Cheap chocolate has a tendency to clump. I used Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips. If using a chocolate bar, break it into small pieces first.
• Butter - What else! 🙂 For that lusciously smooth texture.
• Heavy Cream - You don't even have to whip it. So stinkin simple!
• Eggs - These will need to be separated, but no worries, I'll walk you through it. I separated a bajillion eggs as a pastry chef. Whipped egg whites provide the light texture and the yolks add a rich mouthfeel.
• Powdered Sugar - For a delightfully smooth mousse and the perfect sweetness!

How to make Chocolate Mousse:

1. Separate the eggs

This is the fussiest part of the whole recipe.

And here's why: egg whites won't whip properly with fat in them. If you accidentally drip the tiniest bit of egg yolk into the whites, you have to restart (boo!).

Since we only want good vibes in the kitchen, we want to do it right the first time. There's lots of crazy methods out there, but I think the easiest one is just using your hands.

• Crack the whole egg into your loosely cupped hand.
• Let the egg white slip right through the gaps in your fingers. Don't hold your fingers together tightly or the egg white can't get through. See how my fingers are slightly open.
• Place the yolks in a separate bowl. You only need one for this recipe so you can save the other two for carbonara or throw them away.

2. Melt the chocolate

• Microwave your butter and chocolate in 30 second intervals until slightly melted. The reason we do it in intervals is so we don't accidentally burn the chocolate.

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• Add the cream and instant coffee. Microwave 30 more seconds and stir until all the chocolate pieces dissolve and the mixture looks glossy. It should be warm not hot. If it's hot, let it cool slightly.
• Whisk in the egg yolks. You should be left with a thick, pudding-like consistency.

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3. Whip egg whites

• Whip the egg whites last. If you let them sit, they can weep and separate. Or worse, break apart while folding into your mousse, leaving you with egg white pockets throughout. No thankey!

• Place the egg whites in your mixer with the whisk attachment. Whip for 1 to 2 minutes on medium speed, until the egg whites look whipped with no peaks.
• Gradually add the powdered sugar whilst still whipping and whip until the egg whites hold stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. Stiff peaks mean the whipped whites stand straight without drooping, like in the picture above.

4. Fold in the egg whites

• Fold the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture in three stages. Use your spatula to fold a third of the whites into the chocolate mixture.

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• Fold instead of stir so you don't deflate the whites. It's more of a turning motion. You turn the chocolate back onto itself.
• Repeat until all the whites are folded in. You should have a fluffy chocolate mixture on your hands. Yummmm.

5. Fill ramekins and chill

• Fill small ramekins with mousse. Or whatever vessel you choose. Small bowls, cups, or jars work great too!
• You can transfer the mousse to the cups in one of two ways. Use a portion scoop to scoop the mousse into the cups or use a large piping bag to pipe it into the cups.
• Cover the bowls with saran wrap and chill for 4 hours.

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Expert Tips:

• Even if you hate coffee, don't skip it. It's there to enhance the chocolate flavor. Chocolate and coffee are like dear old friends - they bring out the best in each other.
• Don't overwhip the egg whites! Overwhipping can cause them to curdle and separate.
• Get creative with your presentation. You can put mousse in any container you want. Want to pull out those fun cocktail glasses? Do it! Ramekins, teacups, and small glasses all work.

Storage:

• Store chocolate mousse in the refrigerator for up to 4 days! Cover it with saran wrap first.
• My chocolate mousse has never made it to the freezer! It's devoured on day one. That being said, it should freeze well for up to 2 months.

Variations:

• If you prefer milk chocolate, substitute dark chocolate with milk or semi-sweet chocolate. The higher percentage of cocoa, the darker the bar. If you prefer more of a milk chocolate mousse, aim for less than 50 percent cocoa.
• For an even richer mousse, use three egg yolks! For a lighter mousse, use one egg yolk. In my humble opinion, two yolks is where the money is!

Chocolate Mousse Toppings:

This decadent chocolate mousse is amazing as-is, but toppings are a great opportunity to add color, contrast, or crunch! Here's a few of my faves:

• Chopped chocolate + Pomegranate seeds
• Crushed peppermints + mini chocolate chips
• Whipped cream + toasted coconut
• Fresh berries + whipped cream
• Chopped almonds + chocolate shavings

Decadent Chocolate Recipes

• Chocolate Ganache without Cream
• Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
• Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers
• Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies