This homemade chocolate mousse is one of my favorite things I have ever made and one of the best desserts on the blog. It is fluffy, creamy, melts in your mouth, wonderfully decadent and has the perfect chocolate flavor. Not only is it delicious, but it is easier to make than you think.
Why you will love this homemade chocolate mousse
- The texture. The texture of this mousse is incredibly soft, so creamy, and remarkably fluffy. Each spoonful melts in your mouth.
- The chocolate flavor. The flavor in the mousse is absolutely spectacular. We use 8 oz of good quality semi-sweet chocolate to really enrich the chocolate flavor.
- The whipped cream. Topping this mousse with a little bit of light whipped cream makes it absolutely *mwah* chef's kiss.
Key ingredients
- Egg yolks: egg yolks are needed to thicken the mousse mixture and bind all the ingredients together.
- Granulated sugar: granulated sugar is the sugar of choice to sweeten up the mousse a bit. We also use a little powdered sugar in the whipped cream.
- Heavy whipping cream: we use a lot of heavy cream in this recipe, so make sure to splurge on the good quality stuff!
- Semi-sweet chocolate: the star ingredient! We use a total of 8 oz of semi-sweet chocolate in this recipe, so make sure to use good quality chocolate. Chocolate chips don't melt as easily as chocolate bars, so chocolate bars are ideal here. I like to use Ghirardelli 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate bars!
Steps
- Pasteurize the eggs. Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a heat proof bowl. Place the bowl over a sauce pan with 2 inches of simmering water and heat for about 5 minutes until the mixture is about 160F. Add the warmed heavy cream and whisk to combine. Remove from the heat and mix in the vanilla.
- Melt the chocolate. Finely chop the chocolate and microwave it in 30 second increments until completely melted. Add the melted chocolate to the egg mixture and mix until combined.
- Whip the heavy cream. Whip your heavy cream for 3-4 minutes until soft peaks form. Add the chocolate/egg mixture to the whipped cream and fold until combined.
- Leave to set. Pour the mixture into a bowl/serving cups and place it in the fridge to set for at least 3 hours.
- Make the whipped cream. Whip together the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Enjoy! Dollop a bit of the whipped cream on the mousse and top with chocolate shavings, fruit, etc. and enjoy!
FAQ
Why is my chocolate mousse soupy?
A soupy chocolate mousse can be from two things. One - you can over mix the chocolate mousse mixture. After you add the eggs/chocolate mixture to your whipped cream, make sure to only fold until JUST combined, otherwise the whipped cream can deflate.
Two - you didn't whip the heavy cream enough. If you don't whip the heavy cream to medium peaks, there will not be enough body to the mixture and it will be too loose.
What are medium peaks?
You will notice this mousse recipe calls for whipping the heavy cream until medium peaks form. Medium peaks are in between soft peaks and stiff peaks - so not fully formed into whipped cream yet, but not super soft either. They hold their shape well, but the tip of the peaks slightly curl at the end, as opposed to them sticking straight up.
How do I store the mousse?
Store both the mousse and the whipped cream in an airtight container in the fridge. The mousse will keep for 4-5 days.
You can also freeze the mousse in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge.
What is the best type of chocolate to use?
The chocolate you choose to use is very important here. First, make sure to use chopped chocolate from a bar as opposed to chocolate chips. Chocolate chips have an agent in them to help them keep their shape when heated, so they don't melt as easily as a bar would.
Optional toppings
- More chocolate. Chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips can be sprinkled right on top to elevate this decadent dessert.
- Fruit. I love to add some raspberries or sliced strawberries to my mousse!
- Easy Homemade Chocolate Fudge. If you are a decadent dessert lover like me, cut up some fudge and mix it through your mousse.
- Homemade Caramel. The best topping to any dessert.
Baking in grams
While I provide volume measurements for the recipes on my blog, I highly suggest baking these recipes using weight. It is the most standardized and accurate way to bake. I carefully recipe test all of my recipes using a kitchen scale, not by using cups, and therefore I cannot guarantee the success of my recipes when using volume measurements.
Other pie recipes you may like
- Chocolate Mousse Pie
- Dark Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Easy Homemade Chocolate Fudge
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Homemade Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
Chocolate Mousse
- 4 egg yolks
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (480 grams) heavy whipping cream divided
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate bars chopped
Whipped Cream
- ½ cup (120 grams) heavy whipping cream cold
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Chocolate Mousse
- Pour 2 cups (480 grams) of heavy whipping cream into a measuring cup. Pour ¾ cup (180 grams) of that 2 cups into a separate cup/bowl, and put the 1 ¼ cups (300 grams) of heavy cream back into the fridge. You will use this later.
- Chop your chocolate and set aside.
- Fill a sauce pan with two inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- In a medium-sized heat proof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and salt until smooth. Place the bowl on the pot over the simmering water and continuously whisk while the mixture heats up. It should get to about 160F, although you don’t actually need to use a thermometer if you don’t have one. This should take about 4 minutes on medium heat.
- Meanwhile, microwave the ¾ cup (180 grams) of heavy cream that you set aside for 30-45 seconds. It should be luke warm. Once the egg mixture has reached 160F or it has been 4-5 minutes, slowly pour the warmed heavy cream into the eggs while continuously whisking. Keep whisking the mixture for another 2 minutes. Remove the bowl from on top of the saucepan, add the vanilla extract, and stir to combine.
- Add the chopped chocolate to a microwave safe bowl and microwave it in 30 second increments, stirring in between each increment until completely melted and smooth. You can also do this over the stove using a double boiler.
- Add the melted chocolate to the egg mixture and whisk until completely combined. Set aside.
- Remove the 1 ¼ cups (300 grams) of heavy cream you put in the fridge and pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a large bowl if using a handheld mixer. Beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until medium peaks form. Medium peaks are in between soft peaks and stiff peaks - so not fully formed into whipped cream yet, but not super soft either.
- Pour the chocolate/egg mixture into the whipped cream and fold them together using a rubber spatula until combined. Avoid over mixing, as the whipped cream can lose all the air you just whipped into it and deflate.
- Pour the mixture into a large bowl, or serving cups, and place in the fridge for 3 hours or until set. It normally looks set sooner than 3 hours, but I like to do at least 3 hours just to be safe.
Whipped Cream
- Once the mousse has set, make the whipped cream. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, beat together the whipped cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until combined and stiff peaks form. About 3-4 minutes on high speed.
- Dollop the whipped cream on top of mousse. Add chocolate shavings, fruit, etc., and enjoy!
Tried this recipe? Make sure to rate and review and tag @sturbridgebakery on Instagram!
Donna
So decadently delicious!
Jess Italiano
Thank you!! I am glad you like it 🙂