Chocolate Mousse
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This classic chocolate mousse is light yet intensely chocolate. Don’t be fooled by the French name — it’s quick and easy to make!
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.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Chocolate Mousse
Chocolate 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).
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
This classic chocolate mousse is light yet intensely chocolate. Don’t be fooled by the French name — it’s quick and easy to make!
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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Hello Jenn. Love all your recipes and have been making quite a few from both your book and blog as we are all at home. (Made your fresh strawberry cake last week and it was so good that my teenage boys devoured it before my husband could even get a piece!) On this recipe, as I am not wanting to venture out to the store these days, I wonder if I can use chocolate chips instead? They are good quality if that helps…but I have only those and unsweetened chocolate at the moment! Thank you so much.
So glad you and your boys are enjoying the recipes! 🙂
While it might work with chocolate chips, I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure whether it would have an impact on the consistency of the mousse. One reader did mention that she tried it with good quality chocolate chips and was happy with the result, so it may be worth a try. Please report back if you try it!
Freaking out a little because I didn’t realize the eggs were uncooked until I had completed the recipe and spread it over prepared brownies for my husband’s birthday. Any chance you could reassure me that raw eggs are ok before I feed this to my family? I licked the spoon and it was delicious 😊
Hi Katie, While there are raw eggs in this, I’ve not gotten feedback from anyone that they’ve gotten sick from eating it. If you used fresh, properly refrigerated and clean grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoided contact between the yolks or whites and the shell, you should be okay. That said, there are certain risks associated with eating raw eggs and it’s not advisable for pregnant women, babies, the elderly, or anyone with a compromised immune system.
Thanks, Jenn. I wound up making it with the chocolate chips and it turned out great. I had to add a bit of heavy cream to the chocolate/butter mixture as it was not as silky as you would get with baking chocolate. Delicious and deceptively light tasting.
So glad it worked out!
This is a lovely recipe. I used 70% Lindt chocolate because that’s all I had on hand, but I added an additional 2 tbsp of sugar to compensate – it worked out perfectly. The texture is authentic – spongy yet melts in your mouth. I tried heating the chocolate in the microwave, however, I found that the Bain Marie gave a smoother result. This recipe is a keeper and I will make it whenever my family has a craving for chocolate mousse. Thank you!
Enjoyed it, I didn’t have an electric heater but whisked the egg as much as possible, turned out good but very much like a chocolate fudge instead, still delicious!
Hi Jenn. I love all your recipes and never had a problem with making them. Until now. I followed the recipe exactly but the mousse ended up being “sandy”. What could have happened?
Hi Eliana, Sorry you had a problem wtih this. What type of chocolate did you use? Did you beat the egg whites and sugar until stiff peaks formed?
Not great
Very easy to make and yummy!
Great easy recipe. I’d just suggest using confectionary sugar for the whipped cream though. The regular sugary made it very grainy.
Perfect..I have found my go to chocolate mousse..however I did make changes. I used Lindt “a touch of sea salt” dark chocolate. Used no sugar at all in the egg whites or the heavy cream. The resulting mousse was more than sweet enough. I topped it with some berries as well as the whipped cream topping (also unsweetened). Quick and easy..Loved it.
Could you add less chocolate for a more mild chocolate flavor?
I wouldn’t recommend it — sorry!
This is a good recipe! I actually wanted to make a chocolate pie, so I just kinda doubled up on this recipe to make a pie filling. I would buy a lot of extra chocolate bars because once you add in the butter, whipped cream, etc the chocolate will become lighter so if you want to darken it up a bit you’ll have to have more chocolate on hand to add in
Made this tonight and thought I followed the recipe correctly. I noticed when mixing the creams into the chocolate mix that I have little chocolate speckles in it. Assuming my chocolate must not have melted all the way? It has a good taste, but a weird almost salty aftertaste. 🙁
Yes, Ines, it sounds like maybe the chocolate was not fully melted. Sorry you had a problem with it!
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.
I made this for a dinner party and it was a big hit! Made it the day of the party and would not recommend doing it the day before, as the texture was very different the second day – less creamy, too firm for my taste. Thanks for another winner, Jenn.
Made this the other night and it was a hit! Suggest small serving sizes as it was very rich.
I made this delicious yummy for New Year’s Eve. I had never made Mousse before and was a bit apprehensive. The recipe was uncomplicated, decadent and a big hit. Will definitely make again.
Excellent Recipe… We all loved it… Thankyou
I made this recipe for a small group of French tourists and it was a hit. I did have to change the whipped cream to a “sturdy” whipped cream as I needed the mousse to withstand 4 hours outside of refrigeration. However, the mousse was chocolatey and rich. And if the French liked it, you know it had to be great!
No concern re risk of salmonella from raw eggs?
Anne
Hi Anne, If you’re concerned about it, 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.) Hope that clarifies!
I’ve been trying to find the perfect mousse recipe for ages. After so many failed attempts, this one really pulled though. Phenomenal.
This recipe was dope! I had been looking for a long time for a mousse recipe and this was really fun to make and really fun to eat. My 7 year old daughter helped me and even she loved it. We would like to the know the appropriate amount of time one needs to wait to make it again . . . you know so it doesn’t become a problem. This recipe has been printed and emailed so I never lose it.
LOL – glad you enjoyed it!
Can I put this mousse on a premade pie crust?
Sure – enjoy!
made this for my foodie in-laws and everybody loved it! Thanks for the recipe!
I plan to make 12 of these for our annual mahjongg holiday luncheon. Do you think I can double the recipe or should I make 2 separate batches? Thanks so much for all your wonderful recipes.
Glad you like the recipes! I do think you could double this without a problem. 🙂
I want to make these as christmas gifts for my friends! Can I add a peppermint flavor to this? If so, what would you use, how much would you use, and when would you add it? Thank you so much! I’ve been looking for a good mousse recipe for days and this is by far the best one I have found!
Hi Z, You could replace the vanilla extract with peppermint extract (and double it to a full teaspoon). Hope that helps!
My end result became watery not foamy. I need help.
Hi Nour, I’m sorry you had a problem with this! Did you beat beat egg white/sugar mixture until they formed stiff peaks and the heavy cream mixture until they formed medium peaks?
Hi! Can I use this as a cake filling?
Sure, Lamya, I think that should work. 🙂
I love it. it looks so good but can there be other flavors mixed with chocolate Like ummmm…..rasberry?
Hi Yn, I suppose you could add a tablespoon of fruit-flavored liqueur to the mixture. You could also layer the mousse with fresh berries. Hope that helps!
I made this last night for friends, and it earnt rave reviews! We used to go to this one particular Belgian Beer Cafe for their chocolate mousse at $13 a pop – but this recipe is far superior. Totally indulgent. I made it with 60% Whittakers chocolate.
Thanks for the recipe
Hello! May you please help me, when I add the egg to the chocolate the chocolate hardens and becomes moldable, I did it just like the recipe said is there anything I can do? Thank you!
Hi Susie, It’s possible that your chocolate is too warm and your eggs are too cold. This could cause the eggs to seize up when added. I would let the chocolate mixture cool to room temperature, and be sure your eggs are at room temperature as well.
I like that your recipes try to use metric measures but in this case you are using grams to measure sugar and instructions refer to adding cups of sugar. When adjusting quantities for number of servings it is difficult to reconcile the ingredients with the instructions.
Hi Carol, Sorry about that – I just corrected it. (1/4 cup of granulated sugar is the equivalent of 50 grams). Hope you enjoy the mousse!
Me and my mom are confused. We don’t know how much butter or eggs we need. plz help.
Hi Tayler, you’ll need 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter and 3 large eggs. Perhaps you are just looking at the portion of the page that has the pictures with some instructions underneath. If you scroll down a bit to under the pictures, you’ll find the full recipe. Alternatively, at the very top of the page, to the right of the recipe name, you’ll see an orange/red button that says Jump to Recipe – if you click on that, it will take you directly to the recipe. Hope that clarifies!
I made this today and I have made mousse before. It was much thicker than what I’ve had before. What do you think?
Hi Donna, Did you make any adjustments to the recipe?
Fabulous as written. I have made many of your recipes and all have been excellent.
Hi Jenn,
You are my go-to person for all my sweet recipes! They are all super successful and decadent!
How many actual cups of mousse does this recipe make? I need to make 24 mini size servings for a party, each 1/3 c size.
Thank you!
Kim
Hi Kim, So glad you enjoy the desserts on the site! Regarding the volume this makes, I’m honestly not sure – I would guess each of the 6 servings is about 3/4 cup each, but you may want to make a batch to see what it comes out to and then you’ll know for sure how many you’ll need for the party. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
This is a lovely, light and decadent dessert. I’m French, so I grew up with this classic dessert. This is a keeper! I think the only reason I would be reluctant to serve it to anyone outside my husband and kids, is because people are worried about raw eggs. Will be making it again! Delicious!
How far ahead can the mousse be made? How about the whipped topping? Night before a luncheon? Thanks.
Hi Carol, You can make it a day ahead. I like to make the whipped topping within a couple hours of serving, but it’s not a big deal if you need to do it earlier…it will be fine. Hope everyone enjoys!
This chocolate mousse got rave reviews today at my Easter dinner. I doubled the heavy whipping cream topping and added a splash of almond extract. Thanks Jenn for another outstanding recipe. I will make this decadent dessert again!
Yum! I halved the recipe and used just one egg for the egg white and yolk. Just put them in the fridge. Couldnt resist licking the spoon. It tastes amazing. I used 70% dark chocolate. Will make again. 😊
Thank you Jenn for another fantastic recipe! I bought your book after making your French Apple Cake (unbelievably delicious) and your chocolate cake from there is now our favourite chocolate cake ever. It seems we now have a new favourite chocolate mousse recipe! This was the first time I have used butter in a mousse and it made such a difference. The mousse has a deep, smooth, chocolate flavour, is extremely light and fluffy and melts in your mouth. It matches what we consider to be the best chocolate mousse we ever had in Paris several years ago!
Which chocolate cake are you referring to? I would love to have a good recipe.
Hi Charlene, She’s referring to the Chocolate Lover’s Birthday Cake on page 275 of my cookbook. If you don’t have the cookbook, let me know and I can email you a copy of the recipe. 🙂
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I was thinking of sprinkling frozen blueberries on the top of each dessert dish. Should I roll the berries in sugar, or just use frozen ones?
I don’t think you could go wrong either way, Lorene. Fresh berries would be nice, too.
Made this for dessert last night. I was in a hurry at the grocery and could only find milk chocolate and dark chocolate so I mixed the two…Newman’s Own brand. Everyone loved it. I always look foreword to trying each new recipe you post and others usually want the recipe as was the case last night. Thanks.
Would be more helpful to add your use of raw eggs NOTE at the top of the recipe rather than at the bottom of the section titled “How To Make Chocolate Mousse”. I often jump straight to the recipe and would have missed what I consider an important NOTE.
Done!
I’m am so glad you posted the Chocolate Mousse recipe. I am adding it to my Easter menu as a gluten free option for my gluten free guests. I was pleasantly surprised to easily find pasteurized eggs at my local Giant Eagle grocery store. I thought it would be best to use pasteurized eggs in this recipe as I am entertaining two elderly moms! The only remaining question is…how do you recommend shaving the chocolate?
That’s great they were so easy to find, Kathy. I use a vegetable peeler to shave the chocolate. Hope everyone enjoys!
This looks delicious!
We always hear in the media that we shouldn’t eat raw cookie dough due to the fear of salmonella poisoning from the eggs. In this receipe, the eggs are not cooked- any concern around the raw eggs in the recipe?
Hi Stephanie, The risk is very low with fresh eggs but you can always use pasteurized eggs if it’s a concern. Pasteurized eggs have been briefly exposed to heat to destroy any potential bacteria. Whole Foods usually carries them but be sure to call your local store to be sure before making a special trip.
What is the purpose of the butter? My favorite Chocolate Mousse recipe has no butter and 2 more eggs. I’m concerned about changing something we love, but trust you!
Hi Sammy, The butter smoothes out the flavor – I highly recommend using it. 🙂
Can I use good quality chocolate chips such as Ghardelli for the recipe?
Hi Marina, While it might work with good quality chips, I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure whether it would have a negative impact on the consistency of the mousse. I’d recommend sticking with bar chocolate here. Sorry!
I already had the chocolate chips mentioned above on hand so I used them and the recipe turned out great with them. I may try with darker chocolate next time to cut the sweetness a bit but otherwise a great Easter treat.
So glad it worked, Marina. Glad you enjoyed!
I had the chips mentioned above on hand also used them and it turned out delicious. I may try with dark chocolate next time to cut the sweetness a bit. I’ll definitely make again.