How to Make Chocolate Mousse
Easy Chocolate Mousse is so simple to make at home that you may never order it at a restaurant again. Make with pantry staples; no eggs required!
Easy Chocolate Mousse For Any Skill Level
Chocolate mousse is the poster child for “feels fancy, couldn’t be easier to make.” It’s funny that restaurants get away with charging $15 (or more!) for this dessert. Once I show you how easy it is to make at home, you may never order it at a restaurant again.
I did a ton of research and tested multiple different ways to make chocolate mousse (eggs? no eggs? whip the cream and fold it in?) before settling on this one as the winner in the easiest + most delicious equation.
Whether you’re a seasoned home chef or just beginning to experiment in the kitchen, this recipe is perfect for all skill levels. It’s great for Valentine’s Day or just any day where you want a chocolate treat.
Why You Will Love This Best Chocolate Mousse Recipe
- It uses pantry staples you likely already have. You might only need to buy the cream, if you don’t keep it on hand.
- No eggs required! Unlike many traditional recipes, this one skips the eggs without sacrificing flavor or texture.
- A versatile recipe to keep in your back pocket. Serve it in elegant cups, layer it into trifles or use it as a filling for a cake.
Easy Chocolate Mousse Recipe Ingredients
A full recipe card, including exact ingredient amounts, appears at the bottom of this post.
- heavy cream – used for the rich and luscious base, as well as the whipped cream garnish. Accept no substitutes!
- chocolate – I most often use semisweet chocolate chips because I usually have them around, but more info on this below.
- cocoa powder – enhances the deep chocolate flavor of the best chocolate mousse recipe.
- vanilla extract – vanilla makes chocolate taste more chocolatey and rounds out the flavors.
- instant espresso powder – intensifies the chocolate flavor in this easy chocolate mousse recipe. If you don’t have this, you can just leave it out and your dessert will still be absolutely delicious.
- kosher salt – balances the sweetness.
- shaved or grated chocolate – for sprinkling on as a garnish.
- flaky sea salt – for sprinkling on the finished mousse to provide a contrasting flavor. I like Maldon salt the best!
What’s The Best Chocolate To Use For Chocolate Mousse?
For the darkest, richest flavor, you’ll want to use dark chocolate for this easy chocolate mousse recipe. You can buy 4 ounces worth of chocolate bars and chop them up, or use semi-sweet chocolate chips, or a combo, for the mousse.
If you want to garnish your finished chocolate mousse cups with chocolate shavings, you’ll need a bit of a chocolate bar for that as well. You can use a veggie peeler to make the shavings.
How To Make Chocolate Mousse Cups
1. MELT. Heat cream in saucepot until it just starts to bubble around the edges. Remove it from the heat, add the chocolate chips and let stand 1 minute. Then, whisk until smooth.
2. ADD. Whisk in the cocoa powder, vanilla, espresso powder and salt.
3. CHILL. Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
4. WHIP. Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
5. DIVIDE. Divide the chocolate mixture between 4 serving dishes or ramekins. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
6. WHIP CREAM. Whip the heavy whipping cream in a clean, chilled stand mixer bowl until it holds soft peaks. Add the vanilla and mix until just combined.
7. FINISH. Dollop the whipped cream over the chocolate mousse servings. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings and sea salt and serve immediately.
Chocolate Mousse Recipe (No Eggs) Home Chef Tips
- Refrigerating the mixer bowl and beater in Step 7 below, before you whip the cream, is a culinary school trick that allows you to make a lighter, fluffier and more stable whipped cream.
- The colder the cream, the more its fat molecules solidify, which allows the molecules to trap air bubbles more effectively. So, if you start with cold cream, as well as cold bowl and beater, you’ll get the best whipped cream.
- If you absolutely don’t have room in your fridge to put your mixer bowl, your cream will still whip up with a room temperature bowl.
- Our preference is to NOT add any sweetener to our whipped cream for this recipe, so it’s simply cream with a bit of vanilla in it. We prefer less sweet desserts, and think the unsweetened whipped cream pairs nicely with the dark chocolate, but if you would like sweeter whipped cream, you can add a few tablespoons of powdered sugar when you add the vanilla.
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How To Serve Chocolate Mousse
There’s so many different ways to use this chocolate mousse! Some of our favorites are:
- CUPS – The recipe below is designed to be served in small dessert cups, topped with whipped cream, chocolate shavings and a sprinkle of sea salt. This recipe makes 4 servings.
- PARFAITS – Use the chocolate mousse to build a parfait with berries. Try our Valentine’s Day Dessert parfait, using chocolate mousse in place of the whipped cream, or as an additional layer.
- CAKE FILLING – Use it as a filling in a layer cake, such as our Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (you’d use the mousse in place of the frosting in between the cake layers).
How To Store Easy Chocolate Mousse
If you have leftover chocolate mousse cups, wrap them tightly and keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Or, for longer storage, freeze for up to 1 month. Refrigerate overnight before serving.
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Easy Chocolate Mousse Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream divided
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips about 2/3 cup
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract divided
- ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Shaved or grated chocolate for sprinkling
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- In medium saucepot, heat 1 cup cream over medium-high heat until it just starts to bubble around the edges.
- Remove from heat and add chocolate chips. Let stand 1 minute, then whisk until smooth.
- Add cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, espresso powder and kosher salt and whisk until well combined.
- Transfer mixture to stand mixer bowl and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Transfer to refrigerate and chill 2 hours.
- Transfer bowl to stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Slowly increasing speed, beat on medium-high speed until mixture holds stiff peaks. This might only take 20 to 30 seconds. Do not walk away and do not overbeat.
- Divide mixture between 4 serving dishes or glasses. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Wash and dry mixer bowl and whisk attachment and refrigerate bowl and whisk attachment 10 minutes.
- Place remaining 1/2 cup cream in mixer bowl. Using whisk attachment, slowly increasing speed, beat on medium-high speed 20 to 30 seconds or until cream holds soft peaks. Do not overbeat. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and mix until just combined.
- Divide whipped cream over chocolate mousse. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings and sea salt and serve immediately.
This recipe sounds really neat. I love that it has no sugar in it. I would use my usual sugar free chocolate chips. Also, I don’t have a stand mixer, but I do have a good metal mixing bowl and hand mixer, so I think that ought to work just fine. This sounds like a great idea for a special occasion like anniversary or Valentine’s day.
Hi Susan! What’s funny is I didn’t even realize this recipe had no (added) sugar until you mentioned it! But yeah, I think the sweetness from the chocolate chips is enough, and I hate a too-sweet dessert anyway. Have a great Valentine’s Day!