Classical French Chocolate Mousse Recipe

Published: Aug 2, 2020 · Modified: May 29, 2021 by Chef Dennis Littley

4.82 from 79 votes

Have you ever tasted French Chocolate Mousse? I’m talking about real chocolate mousse, not the instant or quick versions that use gelatin or cool whip.

They may make fine cake fillings, but once you’ve had the real thing, there is no substitute for Real Chocolate Mousse.

Trust me when I tell you, once you taste this chocolate mousse, you’ll never be happy with the imitators.

Table of Contents:

What ingredients do I need to make Real Chocolate Mousse?

Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Chocolate Mousse. In Chef Speak this is called the Mise en Place which translates into Everything in its Place.

Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

melting chocolate in a stainless steel bowl with a blue plastic spatula

The first step in making this classical French dessert is melting the chocolate. Using a stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water will melt the chocolate easily.

Once the chocolate has melted add the butter to the chocolate and fold it into the melted chocolate. Set aside and let the chocolate cool.

two images showing whipped eggs in mixer bowl and adding sugar to eggs while beating in a stand mixer

Add the egg yolks to the bowl of your mixer and begin to whip them until doubled in size, then begin to slowly pour the sugar in a steady stream into the yolks. Continue to whip for another minute.

added Kahlua and coffee into whipped eggs

Add the Kahlua and coffee to the whipped eggs.

Can I add another liqueur to my Chocolate Mousse?

You sure can! Some of my other favorite liqueurs to add to chocolate are:

Peppermint Liqueur
Chambord
Frangelico
Gran Mariner or Cointreau

**You can also add your favorite extract instead of using liqueurs

two images, one of sabayon in a stainless steel bowl with a wire whisk and one with the sabayon in a stand mixer

Using a double boiler method whip the mixture over a pot of simmering water until it thickens. **This will also cook the egg yolks.

Transfer the mixture to your stand mixer bowl and whip until it cools (2-3 minutes).

mixer bowl with chocolate being folded into sabayon

When the sabayon has cooled fold the chocolate into the sabayon. Completely incorporate the chocolate into the sabayon.

**Do this by hand, don’t use an electric mixer.

whipped cream in a mixer bowl with a red rubber spatula

Slowly whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks.

What’s the secret to making Whipped Cream?

The mistake that everyone makes when whipping cream is doing it too quickly. The secret to whipped cream that will last for days is doing it slowly.

Start out at a low setting and gradually turn up the speed of the mixer over 10 minutes. Don’t over whip the cream or you’ll get butter!

Chef Dennis Tip:

I prefer using heavy whipping cream vs. whipping cream. It holds its shape longer and produces a creamier result. Most heavy cream in grocery stores is 36% but if you can find 40% cream go for it.

mixer bowl with whipped cream folding into chocolate mixture

Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the whipped cream.

large bowl of chocolate mousse with a blue rubber spatula

After you’ve folded the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture, you’re done.

The chocolate will firm up the colder it gets. It’s best to place the Chocolate Mousse into the serving dishes before it fully sets up.

**The chocolate mousse can be rewhipped if necessary.

The chocolate mousse is perfect by itself, or served with berries. But you can also use the mousse to make other desserts:

Chocolate mousse pie (pie shell or springform pan)
Second layer on a cheesecake
Used between layers of a cake

Recipe FAQ’s

What is chocolate mousse made of?

Pudding is usually made with milk and cooked. It’s thickened with cornstarch which activates when heated with the milk. Mousse is not cooked and is thickened by adding whipped heavy cream to the mixture. As the melted chocolate cools, it thickens the mousse and gives you that rich silky texture which is due to the cooked egg sabayon, which is folded into the mousse. Pudding is semisolid and dense, while chocolate mousse is lighter and much richer.

What should I do if the mousse is to thick to serve?

If you want to make the mousse look lighter and airier after being refrigerated, simply re-whip the mousse. that will fluff it up a bit and make it easier to serve and more visually appealing.

What kind of chocolate can I use to make mousse?

Traditionally mousse is made with dark chocolate to give it that rich taste that only dark chocolate can give. You can, of course, use milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate to make the mousse. Just don’t use baking chips! Baking chips will work, but they have ingredients added to keep them solid. Use the best bar chocolate you can find.

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4.82 from 79 votes

Chocolate Mousse

For a truly decadent dessert try my Chocolate Mousse. This is the real deal, a classic chocolate mousse recipe that will rival the best restaurants in France.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Servings:

Calories: 511kcal

Author: Chef Dennis Littley

Ingredients

13 oz semisweet chocolate finely cut (milk or bittersweet chocolate can be used)
6 tbsp butter softened 3 oz
½ cup sugar
6 egg yolks
¼ cup strong black coffee or espresso
¼ cup Kahlua **If you can't use alcohol, substitute with black coffee or espresso
3 cups heavy cream

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Chocolate

Place the chocolate in a stainless steel bowl, over a pot of simmering water, stir with a rubber spatula as the chocolate melts, if the pan starts to get too hot, remove it from the heat.
Continue to stir the chocolate until it has melted completely, then remove from the heat.
Cut the butter into 8 pieces and mix it into the melted chocolate until it has been completely absorbed by the chocolate.
Set the chocolate aside to cool to room temperature

Sabayon

Add the egg yolks to the bowl of your mixer and begin to whip them until doubled in size, then begin to slowly pour the sugar in a steady stream into the yolks. Continue to whip for another minute.
Add the coffee and Kahlua to the egg yolk mixture and place your mixing bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk the yolk mixture until it becomes very thick.
When the egg yolks have thickened, continue to whip in your stand mixer until the mixture has cooled.

Combining

When the sabayon has cooled, fold it into the chocolate mixture until well blended.
Whip the cream in your stand mixer until it holds its shape, then fold it into the chocolate mixture.
The secret to making perfect whipped cream is to do it slowly. Start at a low speed and increase the speed over 10 minutes until firm peaks have formed.
The chocolate mousse will set as it gets colder. Place the mouse in serving dishes berfore it completely chills.
The chocolate mousse can be re-whipped if it sets before you put it into serving dishes.

Notes

* for an even more intense chocolate flavor, reduce the heavy cream by half, to 1 ½ cups.

For a lighter chocolate flavor use milk chocolate.

Nutrition

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