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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Can you combine bittersweet and semisweet for more depth of chocolate? If so should the sugar be adjusted?
Sure. You can even use all bittersweet chocolate without any modifications. Hope you enjoy!
Considering making this for a dinner for 8. Have you ever doubled the recipe or would you recommend making two batches
Hi Eugenia, I think it would be fine to make 1 double batch. Hope everyone enjoys!
Oh man, what a disaster and waste of expensive chocolate. When I added the egg yolks to the butter and chocolate it all seized up and turned into a lumpy greasy mess. Not sure what I did wrong. I’ve made souffles and custards before successfully but this was my first try at mousse.
Hi Chrys, I’m sorry you had a problem with this. It’s possible that your chocolate was too warm and your eggs too cold. This could cause the eggs to seize up when added. I would let the chocolate mixture cool to room temperature and bring your eggs to room temperature if you try this again.
I made this for Valentines Day dessert. My husband who has traveled the world dining in fine dining restaurants said it’s the best he has had! I want to make it for St Patrick’s Day. I know you have not tested it, but just wondering if you have any thoughts about replacing some of the heavy cream with Bailey’s Irish Cream.
So glad you both enjoyed it, Rochelle! I think the taste would be delicious but I don’t think you’ll be able to whip the cream properly if you cut it with Baileys. However, you can make the whipped cream first and then add a tablespooon or so of Baileys.
You could warm the bailys up in the microwave and drip it into the chocolate and egg/ butter mixture like in a ganache. Trick is not to get it too warm. I didn’t like the consistency that my egg/chocolate mixture made last night when I made this (probably eggs too cold), so I fixed it up with hot milk; made it come back to being glossy, creamy and smooth chocolate ganache, loose enough to incorporate into the egg whites and then whipped cream. I easily added 2-3 tablespoons of hot milk, so you could surely add a quarter of a cup of bailys at that stage.
Wow! Quite delicious! It was a last minute dessert choice for dinner last night, and my husband and our friends were impressed. Will definitely add this to my dessert recipe bank.
A winner for our dinner party! Not hard to follow and results were fantastic. I added fresh raspberries instead of more chocolate shavings and I don’t think I’ll ever do it any other way! Thank you Jenn!
Hello Jenn,
I don’t have the cream tartar. Can I remove or sub with lemon juice? If so how much ?
Thank you so much
Yes that will work. I would use an equal amount.
I’ve made this recipe several times and it’s been a big success every time. The instructions are clear and if you follow them closely you will get a consistently excellent result.
I wonder if this recipe could be used to make a layer of mousse for a cake?
I’m somewhat surprised and amused at some of comments of disgruntled reviewers who seem to be more upset about the fact that chocolate mousse is the way it is (yes it is sweet, yes there are raw eggs, yes you have to pay attention to technique, that’s the whole deal with any proper chocolate mousse) and are somehow blaming the author.
So glad you’ve enjoyed this! Yes, I think you could use this in between layers in a cake. 🙂
This is a wonderful recipe, it turned out extremely well. Really enjoyed it, thank you.
Susan
Do you chill in in a fridge or freezer
Hi Jacob, it should be chilled in the fridge. Hope you enjoy!
How many cups does this recipe make?
Hi Jenna, I don’t know exactly, but I’d guesstimate it would make 4.5 – 5 cups of mousse. Hope that helps!
I’m a professional baker and in one of the bakeries I used to work at we made a chocolate mousse recipe to fill out cakes and always froze the leftovers. Then we would simply defrost in the fridge, mix it a little and it was good to go but from what I remember, the recipe only used yolks and whipped cream, no egg whites. I want to try this recipe to fill out cakes too but I’m not sure it will freeze the same. If anyone has any insight into this or if by chance has frozen some of the recipe, please let me know what were your results! The chocolate I use is fairly expensive where I’m from and I want to avoid any waste.
Hi Michelle, I’m not sure how the texture would be after being frozen, so I wouldn’t recommend it — sorry!
May I substitute milk chocolate for the semi sweet?
Hi MJ, I wouldn’t recommend it because you need to tweak the amount of sugar as well and not sure that you would get predictable results. Sorry!