Easy Chocolate Mousse Recipe - House of Nash Eats (2024)

Light and airy Chocolate Mousse is rich, decadent, and unfussy but still sophisticated finish to any meal! This easy dessert recipe is great for making ahead for elegant entertaining, and divine with a dollop of whipped cream and some fresh raspberries or strawberries served with it!

Chocolate Mousse Recipe

If you are having guests over and need a make-ahead dessert that will impress but is easy enough for any home cook, chocolate mousse is one of my go-to recommendations. It’s only 5 ingredients, takes maybe 20 minutes of your time, and can be made a couple days in advance and refrigerated until you are ready to serve them. Plus, you can serve them individual glasses or small jars with a few berries or chocolate curls on top so they look fancy and like you spent hours on them!

What is Chocolate Mousse?

Chocolate mousse is a luscious French dessert made from melted chocolate, whipped cream, egg yolks, and sugar, creating a velvety, airy texture. The melted chocolate is folded into whipped cream to achieve a light, fluffy consistency. Refrigeration sets the mousse, intensifying its rich, creamy flavor.

We love our classic French dessert recipes like this chocolate mousse! Some of our other favorites are Cream Puffs, an Authentic French Fruit Tart, and French Macarons.

Why You'll Love this Chocolate Mousse Recipe

• This is one of the best desserts to make ahead of time. You can make it up to 4 days in advance. When you are ready to serve, simply add a dollop of sweetened whipped cream and chocolate curls on top.
• Keep the elegance casual by piping or spooning the mousse into half-pint mason jars, or up the wow factor by using fancy glass dessert cups.

What is Chocolate Mousse made of?

Isn't it incredible how something so divine can be made from so few simple ingredients? This easy chocolate mousse only has 5 ingredients, unless you are counting some addition cream or berries to garnish at the end.

• Egg yolks: This key ingredient for chocolate mousse thickens the mousse up and adds richness without any eggy taste. Use leftover egg whites for making a pavlova or macarons!
• Sugar: Simple granulated sugar is all you'll need for this recipe! You don't even need too much, as long as you are using semi-sweet chocolate.
• Cream: The heavy whipping cream is divided and used in two steps of this recipe. Some of it is heated and used to melt the chocolate and temper the eggs. The reserved cream gets whipped into stiff peaks and folded in to form a light and airy chocolate mousse.
• Chocolate: Chopped semi-sweet chocolate melts best, although chocolate chips can be used. I recommend using the best quality chocolate you can find for this recipe.
• Vanilla extract: I added myhomemade vanilla extractwhich brings out the sweet flavors of this chocolate mousse.

How to Make Chocolate Mousse

1. Beat and sweeten. Firstly, beat the egg yolks in a large bowl with a hand mixer on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until they have turned a light yellow color and thickened. Gradually add the sugar while beating, then set aside.
2. Heat the cream. Secondly, pour 1 cup of the cream into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes, just until the cream is hot and small bubbles begin to form around the edges of the pan. Do not let the cream boil!
3. Temper the egg yolks. Next, remove the cream from the heat and slowly pour half of the hot liquid into the egg yolks while whisking. This process is called "tempering" and it's purpose is to gently raise the temperature of the eggs without scrambling them.
4. Return the mixture to the pan and continue to cook. After tempering the egg yolks, add them back to the saucepan with the remaining cream and decrease the heat to medium-low. Continue to cook and stir for about 3-4 minutes until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and reaches 160°F on a thermometer.
5. Melt chocolate in mixture and cool. Add the chopped chocolate and stir with a sturdy spatula until it is completely melted and combined with the cream mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract. Let cool completely at room temperature (about 1 hour).

6. Whip the cream. Once the chocolate mixture has cooled, beat the remaining cream in a bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until it reaches stiff peaks. Add ⅓ of the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture, folding it in gently. Add the remaining whipped cream and fold this in as well.

7. Pipe or spoon into dessert cups. Transfer the chocolate mousse mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large open tip and pipe it into eight 6-ounce glasses or dessert cups. You could spoon the mousse in if you prefer not to pipe, but the presentation is neater with piping. It's the little things that make you look like a pro in the kitchen!
8. Chill and serve. Finally, cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours to set. You can leave the mousse in the fridge for 4 days. Top with sweetened whipped cream, shaved chocolate, and fresh berries to garnish when ready to serve!

Easy Chocolate Mousse Recipe Tips

• Don't scramble the egg yolks. Temper them by adding a small amount of hot cream to the eggs to gently bring up their temperature without scrambling them.
• Freezing: You can freeze chocolate mousse for up to 2 months. It freezes best in individual portions. Let it thaw completely in the fridge or on the counter before enjoying, but do not attempt to heat it in the microwave.
• Don't burn the cream. Avoid cooking the cream too quickly over too high of heat, which can cause it to scald on the bottom of the pan.

How to Store Mousse

Chocolate mousse should be stored in the refrigerator. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container before placing it in the fridge. It's best to consume it within 2-3 days to enjoy its freshness and flavor.

Can you Freeze Chocolate Mousse?

You can freeze this chocolate mousse recipe for up to 2 months. Be sure to cover it well with a protective layer of plastic wrap before freezing to protect it from freezer burn. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight, then sit on the counter for 30 minutes before enjoying. If you top it with a dollop of fresh homemade whipped cream and a sprinkle of chocolate shavings or curls, no one will even know it was frozen!

Best Chocolate Mousse Recipe FAQs

More like this Easy Chocolate Mousse

• Triple Chocolate Cheesecake
• Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream
• Chocolate Cream Pie
• Raspberry Chocolate Tart