This chocolate mousse recipe is a classic dessert that’s simple, elegant, and always a crowd-pleaser. It’s light, airy, and silky smooth, with a rich chocolate flavor that melts in your mouth with every spoonful.
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Mousse Recipe
This chocolate mousse recipe is inspired by the classic French method but finished with whipped cream for a richer, creamier texture and better stability — perfect for entertaining or preparing ahead. It’s indulgent yet light, elegant yet easy, and sure to impress anyone you serve it to!
Light & Airy
Whipped egg whites give it a delicate, airy lift so it doesn’t feel too heavy despite the richness. The egg whites provide a texture that simply cannot be achieved with anything else!
Rich & Creamy
The whipped cream adds a silky smooth texture that makes every spoonful luxurious and melt-in-your-mouth.
Make-Ahead Friendly
It sets beautifully in the fridge, making it an ideal dessert to prepare hours or even a day in advance.
Elegant Presentation
Serve in ramekins, glasses, or a trifle dish — it looks just as impressive as it tastes.
Customizable Toppings
Top with whipped cream, chocolate shavings, or berries for a personal touch that elevates the dessert.
About the Eggs
Using raw eggs is common in many classic desserts, and for a traditional chocolate mousse, raw eggs are essential to achieve that light, airy texture and rich flavour that results in the perfect chocolate mousse. I know it may seem strange, but many other desserts like classic Tiramisu also use raw eggs!
If you live in a country where it’s not advised to eat raw eggs, you can use pasteurised eggs for extra safety. Just keep in mind, raw eggs are not recommended for pregnant women or young children.
How to Make Chocolate Mousse
You can find the full list of ingredients for this chocolate mousse recipe in the recipe card at the end of the blog post (for easy navigation, hit the ‘jump to recipe’ button at the top of the blog post). Here is a quick visual breakdown of the recipe (video tutorial is also provided in the recipe card below).
Add chocolate, butter, and salt to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between each burst, until melted and smooth. Do not overheat. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks with half of the sugar (25g or 2 tbsps) using an electric mixer (hand or stand mixer) fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until pale, thick, and creamy. Set aside.
In a clean medium bowl, whip egg whites with the remaining sugar (25g or 2 tbsps) using a hand or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed for 3–5 minutes, until stiff peaks form. Ensure the beaters and bowl used are very clean with no fat residue. Set aside.
In another medium bowl, whip cold cream with the vanilla using a hand or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed until soft peaks form. The cream should be lightly thickened but still loose (see video for demonstration). Set aside.
Gently fold half of the warm, melted chocolate into the egg yolk mixture using a rubber spatula, then fold in the remaining chocolate until just combined.
Next fold in half of the whipped cream to loosen the chocolate mixture, then gently fold in the remaining cream until almost combined.
Lastly, gently fold in the whipped egg whites in two additions, mixing until just combined and being careful not to deflate the mousse.
Spoon the mousse into serving glasses or ramekins and smooth the tops. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight, until fully set. Cover if needed to prevent absorbing fridge odours.
Serve chilled, topped with whipped cream and grated chocolate if desired. Raspberries work amazing too!
How to Store This Chocolate Mousse Recipe
Store the mousse in the fridge in an airtight container or covered with cling wrap to prevent it from absorbing other flavours. It will keep well for up to 3 days, making it perfect for preparing ahead. Avoid freezing, as this can affect the texture.
Chocolate Mousse Recipe (Rich & Airy!)
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups (212 g) semi-sweet chocolate - I use 50% dark chocolate. Roughly chopped or broken into smaller pieces.
- 1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter
- ⅛ tsp salt - omit if using salted butter
- 3 large eggs (separated) - Room temperature. Whites and yolks separated. Purchase pasteurized eggs if you need to (see note 4)
- ¼ cup (50 g) white granulated sugar - Divided in half — 2 tbsps each
- 2 cups (480 g) heavy cream - cold
- 1 tsp vanilla extract/essence
Instructions
- Add the chocolate, butter, and salt to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between each burst, until melted and smooth. Do not overheat. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with half of the sugar (25g or 2 tbsps) using a hand or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until pale, thick, and creamy. Set aside.
- In a clean medium bowl, whip the egg whites with the remaining sugar (25g or 2 tbsps) using a hand or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (see note 1) on medium speed for 3–5 minutes, until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In another medium bowl, whip the cold cream with the vanilla using a hand or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed until soft peaks form. The cream should be lightly thickened but still loose (see video for demonstration). Set aside.
- Gently fold half of the warm, runny chocolate (see note 2) into the egg yolk mixture using a rubber spatula, then fold in the remaining chocolate until just combined.
- Next fold in half of the whipped cream to loosen the mixture, then gently fold in the remaining cream until almost combined.
- Lastly, gently fold in the whipped egg whites in two additions, mixing until just combined and being careful not to deflate the mousse.
- Spoon the mousse into serving glasses or ramekins (see note 3) and smooth the tops. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight, until fully set. Cover if needed to prevent absorbing fridge odours.
- Serve chilled, topped with whipped cream and grated chocolate if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
