Chocolate Mousse
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Need a dessert that’s both impressive and easy? This chocolate mousse recipe delivers rich, silky chocolate goodness in just 20 minutes (plus a bit of chilling time)—the perfect treat for chocolate lovers!
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 spatula, you can whip up a batch that rivals any French restaurant’s version—in just 20 minutes! This recipe from Tyler Florence is practically foolproof. I’ve tried adding coffee or a splash of booze, but my family agrees—plain chocolate is best. Sometimes, simple is just better, and this one delivers deep chocolate flavor.
For serving, anything goes—juice glasses, martini glasses, small bowls, or even espresso cups. Hosting a party? Try serving it in porcelain soup spoons for a fun, elegant touch. Just make sure to let the mousse chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours to set properly.
“I made this classic chocolate mousse for Valentine’s day and it was delicious! The instructions were easy to follow and the results were amazing.”
What You’ll Need To Make Chocolate Mousse
- Butter: Adds richness to the chocolate mixture.
- Semisweet chocolate: Use good-quality chocolate since it’s the key ingredient. For a darker, less sweet mousse, go with bittersweet chocolate. You can also add shavings for serving. (Use a vegetable peeler on a chocolate bar for easy shavings.)
- Large eggs: Essential for structure and richness; yolks create a creamy base while whipped whites add lightness. Chocolate mousse is made with raw eggs, so if that’s a concern, look for pasteurized eggs. They’re gently heated to kill any potential bacteria without cooking the egg.
- 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 flavor that enhances the chocolate.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Melt the chocolate. Place the butter in a medium heatproof bowl and break the chocolate into pieces right over it—no need to chop. Microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring in between, until about 75% melted, then stir until smooth. The residual heat will finish the job without risking scorched or seized chocolate. Alternatively, melt the butter and chocolate together over a bowl of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth.
Step 2: Whisk in the egg yolks. Let the mixture cool slightly, then whisk in the yolks one at a time, working quickly so the yolks don’t cook. Adding the egg yolks one at a time ensures they blend in smoothly and evenly thicken the mixture. Set the chocolate mixture aside.
Step 3: Beat the egg whites. In another medium bowl, use an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment to beat the egg whites until foamy. (Be sure your bowl and beaters are completely clean and dry—any fat or moisture can keep the whites from whipping properly.)
Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form—they should just hold their shape before folding back into themselves. Slowly add the ¼ cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form, meaning the peaks stand straight up without drooping when you lift the beaters.
Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. This technique helps keep all that air you just whipped in, which gives the mousse its light, airy texture. Scoop from the bottom and lift up and over until the mixture is just combined—don’t overmix. Set aside.
Step 4: Whip the cream. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream until it starts to thicken. Add the remaining sugar and vanilla. Beat until medium peaks form—they’ll look thick and creamy but still soft. Avoid overwhipping; medium peaks are ideal because they fold smoothly into the mousse without turning grainy or stiff. If in doubt, stop early and finish whisking by hand. Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture until uniform.
Pro Tip: If you have a few extra minutes, chill the bowl and beaters in the fridge for a few minutes before whipping the cream; this makes for faster whipping and more stable peaks.
Step 5: Assemble and chill. Spoon the chocolate mousse into six individual glasses, cover, and chill until set, about 2 hours.
A few hours before serving, make sweetened whipped cream and dollop on top. Finish with chocolate shavings and serve. The mousse (without the whipped cream topping) can be made up to 1 day ahead.
Video Tutorial
More Chocolate Desserts You May Like
Chocolate Mousse
Whip up a batch of this decadent chocolate mousse—it’s light, airy, and irresistibly creamy. The perfect make-ahead dessert for any 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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Comments
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Thank you for another beautiful recipe. When I want to do something right, I find a recipe from your sight and am never disappointed.
Hi. I hate to say it, because I always have had good luck making recipes from your site, but every time I would add an egg yolk, even though the chocolate was cooled, the egg yolks were at room temperature, it would seize up every time. I wasted a lot of really good Valhona chocolate trying to make this, and all of the tips on the Internet to try to unseized the chocolate with the egg yolks in there, did not work. I am incredibly disappointed, and I wish that you had provided some comments about what to do in case this happens, and even to expect that it could happen.
Hi Jan, I’m sorry you had a problem with this! I don’t generally get comments that people run into that problem, and you mentioned the chocolate was cooled and the eggs were room temperature, so the only other thing it could be is that water is somehow being introduced. Is there a chance the bowl the chocolate is in or a utensil you’re using has any water at all on it? That can quickly cause chocolate to seize up.
I just made this recipe for the first time. I doubled the ingredients and thought I would share my experience as it was very similar to Jan’s. After adding each egg yolk to melted chocolate the texture changed and became very “grainy”. I thought I will have to throw it all out. I decided to keep mixing and after a while most “grains” dissolved and consistency improved. So I added egg whites and the whole thing became kind of soupy and I thought it was the end of it. But again, I kept mixing with large spatula for quite a while until the texture improved. After adding whipped cream the mousse started to look “right”. The end result was quite good and I got complements. If you struggle with the texture don’t give up – keep mixing and it might come out just right. Just be careful not to over mix after adding whipped cream. Hope this will help somebody. I will make this again!
Just put the chocolate mousse into the refrigerator. I had to pay a review before cleaning up!
I have been intimidated by making this elegant dessert, the meringue is the intimidation…the meringue turned out perfectly, despite the humidity where I live.
I have followed you for a long time, the recipes I make of yours never disappointed.
Thank you for sharing with all of us.
💜
Quick question…you suggest making sweetened whipped cream to add just before serving. I’m assuming that means whipping cream (35%) with sugar added. Do you recommend confectioners sugar or granulated sugar for this and what would be a good ratio to use? Thanks so much. I am a big fan of your website. Your recipes are so user friendly and I use them pretty much every week. I can honestly say that you have made me a better cook!
Hi Elisa, thanks for your nice words about the recipes – so glad to hear they’ve increased your confidence as a cook! You may have overlooked it, but there’s actually a recipe for whip whipped cream underneath the recipe for the chocolate mousse (see the ingredient section for the measurements). Hope that clarifies!
Thank you for so many great recipes! You are inspiring! Do you have a recommendation for whipping egg whites so that there isn’t any residual liquid in the bottom of the bowl? I always seem to have some liquid let over.
Hi Roberta, thanks for your nice words about the recipes – so glad you like them! I’ve never experienced what you’re referring to. Are you bathing the mixture until stiff peaks form?
I usually use liquid egg whites (as opposed to cracked eggs) and I don’t add any water. But for some reason after the whites are whipped on top, there is a bit of liquid left in the bottom of the bowl. Am I not whipping long enough? Any other thoughts ? Thank you.
Hi Roberta, it could be one of two things—it may be that you’ve over-whipped the egg whites, but more likely, it’s the liquid egg whites you’re using. Liquid egg whites are not ideal when whipping them this way.
I have made several of your recipes. They have always worked out. I like your style, not too fancy, easy to follow and to the point. There is one thing you do that is absolutely essential you dont ever use pints, quarts or gallons as measures. First of all the entire world outside the US is almost all metric. If you use pint, quarts or gallons there are two different sizes for each. The US gallon is 128 oz.., quart is 32 and pint is 16. The commonwealth gallon is 160 oz, quart is 40 and pint is 20 so when I see these measures have no idea which one?? Thanks for NOT using these measures.
Can the recipe be made and chilled in one bowl, rather than individual servings? Having read the comments, I can’t wait to make it..
Sure, Susan, that’s fine. Enjoy!
How many grams is of each serving?
I wish I could help but I don’t weigh the servings – Sorry!
I’m craving a chocolate & coffee combination. Would it be as simple as adding some instant espresso powder?
Thanks
Sure –please LMK how it turns out if you try it!