Mousse au Chocolat
Light and fluffy with a rich chocolate flavor, this mousse au chocolat is one of the easiest desserts you'll ever make. Best part? You only need about 15 minutes of prep time. It's so decadent and perfect year-round. We also love this egg-free mousse. It's equally fluffy and a must-make!
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What is Mousse au Chocolat?
Mousse chocolat (mousse de chocolat), also known as Chocolate mousse, is a classic French dessert made with rich chocolate, airy meringue, and sometimes whipped cream. Mousse, in French, means foam or froth. In this case, it describes food made with air bubbles that yield an airy and light finish.
Reasons to love this recipe.
- It's perfect year-round but great as a valentine's day dessert.
- Don't be intimidated by the fancy look; It's easy to whip up.
- Great to make ahead of time as the refrigerator does most of the work.
- If you don't like raw eggs, you might like this eggless version I made with cherries or my popular coconut pumpkin mousse.
- It's perfect for a crowd. Make this at your next gathering and get fields of cheers.
- It can be enjoyed by adults and kids alike.
Ingredients List
- Heavy cream: chilled heavy cream adds richness to this chocolate dessert, so don't substitute it for other creamy liquids.
- Chocolate: use a good quality bar of chocolate. I used semi-sweet instead of bittersweet, as it adds a little sweetness. You can use chocolate chips if that's all you have on hand.
- Eggs: Use fresh eggs, not stale eggs or ones sitting out for a long time. A nicely whipped egg white is the key to a fluffy and airy texture mousse.
- Sugar: preferably a fine granulated sugar, so it mixes evenly.
Substitutions/Variation
Eggs: if you are concerned about consuming raw eggs, use pasteurized egg yolks and egg whites.
Instead of Vanilla extract, try amaretto. It is a great liqueur to add to the chocolate, giving it a nice fragrance and flavor.
Step-by-step instructions
Here are the instructions needed to make this French chocolate:
Step 1: separate the egg yolks from the egg white, then chop the chocolate bars roughly using a serrated knife.
Step 2: Whisk the egg yolks with half the sugar in a medium bowl for about 3 minutes, then add the vanilla extract.
Step 3: Place the chocolate into a heat-proof medium-sized bowl, then place the bowl over a double broiler with about an inch of lightly steaming water.
Stir at intervals until the chocolate is almost melted (about 80%). Remove from heat, and stir as the residual heat from the bowl melts the rest of the chocolate.
Step 4: Pour the egg whites with a pinch of cream of tartar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
Whisk on medium-high speed or until soft peaks form; gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until stiff peak (when scooped with a whisk, the tip of the peak should hold its shape).
Step 5: Whip the heavy cream. Remove about ½ a cup and place in a piping bag, then into the refrigerator for later.
Step 6: Mix the egg yolk into the bowl of melted chocolate until just combined.
Step 7: Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture ( scrape and fold).
Step 8: Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture until it's combined.
Step 9: Scoop the chocolates into chilled individual serving glasses. Place over a tray and cover loosely with cling film. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or until firm.
Step 10: Top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate or raspberries.
Experts Tips
- Ensure the mixing bowl is clean from oils for a nice fluffy egg white. Use a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice to remove any grease that might have been stuck in your bowl.
- While separating the egg yolks from the egg white, ensure there is no trace of yolks in the whites, as this might alter the texture.
- Don't overmix the egg whites, as this might dry them out.
- To fold in, use a spatula and cut through the center of the pan, then fold in by lifting the spatula from the bottom, scraping the sides, and then over the top.
- When combining the egg whites or heavy cream with the chocolate mixture, fold in carefully, as over-mixing can deflate the air bubbles.
- Chocolate doesn't like a change of environment, so ensure the egg yolks are at room temperature before mixing them with the chocolate. If it's cold, the chocolate will seize. (Read more on ATK post on troubleshooting seized chocolate)
- Add one-third of a cup when you mix the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. The chocolate might look like it's about to seize; continue folding, and it will even out.
Recipe FAQs
An authentic French mousse is made from melted dark chocolate, raw eggs (egg white and yolk), sugar, and sometimes whipped cream.
There could be different reasons why your chocolate mousse is not fluffy. First, you might have overworked the egg whites or mixed them into the chocolate mixture instead of folding them in. Another reason is under-whipped or over-whipped cream. Instead of medium or stiff peaks, you probably had soft peaks or whipped the cream so much that it started to separate.
A good chocolate mousse should be silky smooth, light, airy, and rich. It gets better when you chill it longer than 10 hours.
A grainy chocolate mousse could be a result of over-whipped cream. Heavy cream begins to separate from cream to butter when it is overwhipped. Mixing this into the melted chocolate will automatically make it grainy. Whip more cream, preferably medium peaks, add a tablespoon at a time and fold in to even out the mousse.
Food Safety
Although most of the foods we consume contain raw eggs, It's never safe to consume raw eggs. Center for disease control warns that Consuming raw eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness, especially if you have a medical condition, are pregnant, elderly, or have an infant.
Persons infected with Salmonella may experience diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, headache, nausea, and vomiting.
Eggs may carry a bacteria like Salmonella, which causes food poisoning. If you must consume raw eggs, use Fresh or pasteurized eggs.
Love chocolate? Try these decadent chocolate recipes.
If you try this mousse de chocolat recipe, share a bite with us on our social media using the hashtag worldlytreat (#worldlytreat), we'd love to join the soirée. Also, don't forget to pin it for later. Chat soon?
📖 Recipe
Mousse au Chocolat
Equipment
- Kitchen Stand mixer
- mixing bowls
- saucepan
Ingredients
- 3 fresh eggs, separated at room temperature
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate or a combination with bittersweet
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed at room temperature
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar, divided
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract or Amaretto liqueur
- Pinch of salt
Topping
- Whipped cream
- Fresh raspberries (optional)
Instructions
- Separate the egg yolks from the egg white, then chop the chocolate bars roughly.
- Whisk the egg yolks with half the sugar in a medium bowl for about 3 minutes, then add the vanilla extract.
- Place a saucepan with 1-2 inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Place coarsely chopped chocolate bar, salt, and cubed butter into a medium heat-proof bowl slightly larger than the saucepan.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, then place the bowl over the simmering pot ensuring the bottom doesn't touch the water. Stir at intervals until the chocolate is smooth and almost melted, about 4-6 minutes (about 80%). Remove the bowl from heat and continue to stir as the residual heat from the bowl continues to melt the rest of the chocolate.
- Pour the egg whites with a pinch of cream of tartar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high speed or until soft peaks form; gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until stiff peak (when scooped with a whisk, the tip of the peak should hold its shape).
- Whip the heavy cream. Remove about ½ a cup and place in a piping bag, then into the refrigerator for later.
- Mix the egg yolk into the bowl of melted chocolate until just combined.
- Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture ( scrape and fold).
- Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture until it's combined.
- Scoop the chocolates into chilled individual serving glasses ( like a champagne glass, mini truffle bowls, party cups, or a small mason jar). Place over a tray and cover loosely with cling film. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or until firm.
- Top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate or raspberries.
Notes
- Use a dry rubber spatula while stirring the chocolate to avoid any drop of water mistakenly getting into the mix.
- The mixing bowl with chocolate should fit tightly over the saucepan to avoid water splashes.
- Use a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice to remove any grease that might have been stuck in your mixing bowl before whisking the egg whites.
- For the best result, separate eggs using 3 small bowls. Add the egg whites in a small bowl, then into the main bowl. This way, you can scoop any egg yolk if it accidentally drops into the egg whites.
When combining the egg whites and heavy cream with the chocolate mixture, fold in carefully, as over-mixing can deflate the air bubbles.
I made this for my friends birthday yesterday. She was so happy and asked me for the recipe. It was so light. I didn’t have liqueur you used so I used Godiva chocolate liqueur. You have a new subscriber! Thank you
So glad to hear the recipe worked out for you and your friend! I hope you come back for more. Cheers!