22 Quick and Easy Recipes in 30 Minutes (or less) + 5 Chef Secrets To Make You A Better Cook!

Chocolate Mousse

Tested & Perfected Recipes
Chocolate Mousse

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.

This classic chocolate mousse is light yet intensely chocolate. Don’t be fooled by the French name — it’s quick and easy to make!

Chocolate mousse in stemmed glasses.

Don’t let the French name fool you: chocolate mousse is one of the easiest desserts to make. Seriously, if you have a microwave, a hand mixer, and a rubber spatula, you can make homemade chocolate mousse to rival any French restaurant’s version — and you can do it in 20 minutes. This recipe from Tyler Florence is virtually foolproof. I have experimented with adding a hit of coffee or booze to enhance the flavor; both versions are good but 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. Or, if you’re hosting a party and want to give your guests a small taste, you can serve the mousse in Asian-style porcelain soup spoons. Finally, note that chocolate mousse needs to set in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving, so plan accordingly.

What You’ll Need To Make Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients for Chocolate MousseChocolate mousse has very few ingredients so it’s important to use the best 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. Remember, the higher the cacao percentage, the less sweet the chocolate.

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).

butter and chocolate pieces in mixing 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. 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.) smooth and shiny melted chocolate and butter mixture

Let the mixture cool for a few minutes, then add the egg yolks one at a time.

adding egg yolks one at a time to chocolate and butter mixture

Whisk until smooth after each addition and then aside.

whisked chocolate and egg mixture

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).

beating the egg whites to soft peaks

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).

beating the egg whites to stiff peaks

Using a large rubber spatula, fold the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture.

folding egg whites into chocolate mixtureMix only until uniform, then set aside.

mixed egg white and chocolate mixture

In another bowl, beat the heavy cream until it begins to thicken up. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and the vanilla.

very lightly whipped cream with sugar and vanilla in mixing bowlContinue beating until the cream holds medium peaks.

finished whipped cream in bowl

Add the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.

adding whipped cream to chocolate mixtureGently fold the cream into the chocolate mixture, making sure not to mix any more than necessary.

folding whipped cream into chocolate mixture

Divide the mousse between 6 individual glasses, cover, and chill until set, at least 2 hours.

spooning the chocolate mousse into serving glasses

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.

chocolate mousse with a bite taken out of it

You May Also Like

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

This classic chocolate mousse is light yet intensely chocolate. Don’t be fooled by the French name — it’s quick and easy to make!

Servings: 6
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Total Time: 20 Minutes, plus at least 2 hours to chill

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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

Powered by Edamam

  • 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.

See more recipes:

Comments

  • It was light and decadent. Absolute perfection!

    • — Meera on March 9, 2024
    • Reply
  • Perfect. I love that this recipe uses the whole eggs, so I’m not scrambling to find a use for leftover yolk/whites. Family favorite for sure.

    • — Chloe on February 2, 2024
    • Reply
  • Great simple, tasty recipe. From raw ingredients to a finished mousse in a shade over 30 minutes.

    • — Nigel Ainscoe on December 1, 2023
    • Reply
  • Absolutely LOVE all your recipes, Jenn but I’m wondering if you think this would be too much to serve for a lunch dessert.

    • — Catherine on November 11, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Catherine, so glad you like the recipes! While this is very chocolatey, it’s still pretty light, so I think you could definitely serve it for a lunch dessert. Hope everyone enjoys if you make it!

      • — Jenn on November 13, 2023
      • Reply
  • Amazing! Thank you for the recipe. I will definitely make again!

    • — Nicolas on October 30, 2023
    • Reply
  • Can I put between cake layers.

    • — Ella on October 22, 2023
    • Reply
    • Yes, I think that would work.

      • — Jenn on October 23, 2023
      • Reply
  • Hi! Can I pipe these into cups and then cover and refrigerate overnight? Or will it deflate too much? Im making them for a wedding and was planning on making them the night before and serving them the next evening. So that would be about 24 hours. Thanks!

    • — Hailey on October 9, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Hailey, that should be fine. 🙂

      • — Jenn on October 9, 2023
      • Reply
  • Have made this a few times and really like it overall. I made a couple small modifications – reduced to 1/4 T cream of tartar, cut added sugar in half. One thing I’ve learned is super important – when incorporating the egg yolks and fluffy egg white mixtures, mix in a third at a time; this really helps achieve the desired consistency (author notes this but I missed it the first time and noticed the difference). Great recipe!

    • — Marissa M on October 1, 2023
    • Reply
  • More a question than a comment. I see the recipe calls for sugar, is this regular granulated sugar, or powdered sugar? Only asking because I always use powdered sugar in my whipped cream. Thanks, sounds delicious.

    • — Karen Mac on October 1, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Karen, it’s granulated sugar. (If a recipe of mine requires confectioners’ sugar, I’ll specify that in the ingredients.) 🙂

      • — Jenn on October 2, 2023
      • Reply
    • This mousse was light, airy and delicious and for that I give it 5 stars. I prefer a slightly more dense mousse, but everyone I served this to loved it!

      • — Sandra on October 21, 2023
      • Reply
  • I am very happy with how this came out. The instructions are very simple and easy to follow. There are great photos to make sure it is the same thing. (tip) For me I added a thin layer of chocolate cake in the middle and on top and it made it a lot better.

    • — kyle on September 24, 2023
    • Reply
  • Can you freeze this recipe? I love to make this as a filling for my cakes and people love it. However sometimes I have extra and would like to freeze it for my next cake which most times is a few days later.

    • — JV on September 1, 2023
    • Reply
    • Sure, I think it should work. 🙂

      • — Jenn on September 1, 2023
      • Reply
      • thank you so much for the quick response! appreciate it.

        • — JV on September 4, 2023
        • Reply
  • The mousse was delicious. It was fine restaurant quality. The only change I made was that I used high quality milk chocolate instead of semi-sweet. I do not like darker chocolate. It was very rich and decadent. Will be making this again.

    • — Mary Ann Best on July 16, 2023
    • Reply
  • This recipe was amazing as it is so quick!! I was trying hard 2 find a recipe that didn’t need to be chillled overnight and this recipe worked so well!

    • — Naomi on June 19, 2023
    • Reply
    • There is raw eggs, now that I know I won’t make it. I didn’t think raw eggs should be eaten by anyone. It looks good but not the raw eggs part

      • — Sandee on July 26, 2023
      • Reply
      • Depending on the country you live in, most store bought raw eggs are completely safe as it is standard practice to pasteurize the eggs (you probably don’t notice because only the shells need to be heated and can be flash pasteurized pretty easily). In fact, this is the reason that you have to refrigerate store bought eggs but not farm bought ones (side note, make sure you thoroughly wash any eggs from a farm before using them, but all bacteria is on the shell so that’s all that’s needed to make them safe for this recipe).

        While I would applaud your caution when it comes to food borne illnesses, there are a lot of things (like raw eggs or medium to medium-well pork) that have a bad reputation due to historic issues. Thankfully, in almost any first world nation (and definitely in the United States, where I live) many of these issues are solved at the manufacturing stage. Just make sure you’re purchasing your food from a reputable source (hopefully you already are) and you won’t have any issues.

        • — Chef Adam on August 16, 2023
        • Reply

Add a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.