Chocolate Mousse
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Looking for a dessert that’s both impressive and easy? This chocolate mousse recipe delivers rich, silky chocolate goodness in just 20 minutes—the perfect treat for any special occasion!
Chocolate mousse, or mousse au chocolat, is one of the easiest French desserts to make. Seriously, if you have a microwave, a hand mixer, and a rubber spatula, you can whip up homemade chocolate mousse that rivals any French restaurant’s version—in just 20 minutes! This recipe from Tyler Florence is virtually foolproof. I’ve tried adding a hint of coffee or a splash of booze to enhance the flavor, and while both versions are tasty, 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. If you’re hosting a party and want to give your guests a small taste, serve the mousse in Asian-style porcelain soup spoons. Just remember, 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
- Unsalted butter: Adds richness to the chocolate mixture.
- Semisweet chocolate: Provides a deep, luscious chocolate flavor to the mousse; additional can be shavings added for serving. Since this recipe has very few ingredients, it’s important to use good 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 (the higher the cacao percentage, the less sweet the chocolate).
- Large eggs: Essential for structure and richness; yolks create a creamy base while whipped whites add lightness.
- Cream of tartar: Helps stabilize the egg whites for a better texture.
- Sugar: Sweetens the mousse; a bit is added to the egg whites and some to the whipped cream for balanced sweetness.
- Heavy cream: Contributes to the mousse’s rich, creamy texture, with additional heavy cream whipped for a light topping.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a warm, aromatic flavor that enhances the chocolate.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
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.)
Chocolate Mousse
Looking for a dessert that’s both impressive and easy? This chocolate mousse recipe delivers rich, silky chocolate goodness in just 20 minutes—the perfect treat for any special occasion!
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
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.
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I loved the chocolate flavour of this mousse. It wasn’t as silky as I thought it would be. Is it possible that I added the yolks too soon???
Hi Anne, Did the yolks seize up when you added them or were you able to get a smooth chocolate mixture?
The mixture just wasn’t as smooth/silky as I thought it should be. I don’t know what seizing up would be…similar to getting ‘cooked’?, if I added them too soon?
Yes, seizing up means that the eggs began to cook when added. I don’t think you added them too soon because if you had, you would have chunks of cooked egg in the mousse. I’m thinking that perhaps you didn’t do anything wrong at all but were just anticipating a slightly different texture.
Looking at the ‘how to make’ photos, I realize now that I beat the yolks before adding them. Would that be a problem?
No, that shouldn’t have presented a problem.
This recipe is delicious – thank you !!!
Can you make this same recipe using white chocolate?
Glad you like it! I wouldn’t recommend it with white chocolate. Instead, I’d recommend looking for a recipe specifically for white chocolate mousse.
This mousse is so delicious! Not too sweet, and VERY chocolatey. The only thing I would change is to divide it into more servings, maybe 10 or 12. The portions didn’t look big, but they were almost too rich to finish for us. This would be great in mini dessert cups for a dinner party.
My husband and I made this last night for Valentine’s Day, we shared with our kids too. We all loved it. We colored the whipped cream topping with red food dye to make a pinkish color. So yummy! Thanks for the recipe it was really easy to make.
Looks fine. I have made many mousses from similar recipes. Recipes taste best the way you have it with both cream and separated eggs. Many recipes skip the cream of tartar – this may not be necessary in this. And I like another reader’s suggestion re reducing the sugar since the bittersweet or semisweet chocolate already has sugar in it. I’ll try it as is, but I’m tempted to add in an additional 1 T of good quality cocoa and reduce the creme of tartar to 1/4 t.
Hello Jen!
How could I make this recipe for just two people?
Hi Sonia, You can cut all the ingredients in half. For the egg yolks, I’d add one of them to a measuring cup, beat it gently, and discard half of it. Hope you enjoy!
Hello! I’m making this for Valentine’s Day, but don’t need the full recipe — would you recommend halving/thirding the recipe? I imagine freezing it wouldn’t work out well, right?
Hi Caitlin, I think you could get away with halving the recipe (and I wouldn’t recommend freezing it).
How would this recipe turn out without the eggs? or is there a substitute?
This recipe really relies on eggs, so I wouldn’t omit or substitute them — I’m sorry!
Delicious and I don’t even like chocolate!
Came out as advertised – kids and adults loved it. I’m not as skilled at making desserts but this was definitely do-able.