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.
Audio Player
Trust me when I tell you that once you taste this chocolate mousse, you’ll never be satisfied with imitators.
Ingredients
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Chocolate Mousse. In Chef’s Speak, this is called mise en Place, which translates to “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.
How to Make Chocolate Mousse
Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make chocolate mousse in your home kitchen.
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.
Add the egg yolks to the bowl of your mixer and begin to whip them until they have doubled in size. Then, slowly pour the sugar into the yolks in a steady stream. Continue to whip for another minute.
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
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).
When the sabayon has cooled, gently fold in the chocolate. Thoroughly incorporate the chocolate into the sabayon.
**Do this by hand, don’t use an electric mixer.
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 making whipped cream that lasts for days is to do it slowly.
Start at a low setting and gradually increase 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.
Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the whipped cream.
After you’ve folded the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture, you’re done.
The chocolate will firm up as it gets colder. 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 on its own or served with berries. But you can also use the mousse to make other desserts:
- Chocolate mousse pie (pie shell or springform pan)
- The second layer on a cheesecake
- Used between layers of a cake
Recipe FAQ’s
Pudding is usually made with milk and cooked. It’s thickened with cornstarch, which activates when heated with the milk. Mousse is not cooked, but rather thickened by adding whipped heavy cream to the mixture. As the melted chocolate cools, it thickens the mousse, giving it a rich, silky texture. This texture is achieved by folding the cooked egg sabayon into the mousse. Pudding is a semisolid and dense dessert, while chocolate mousse is a lighter and richer treat.
To make the mousse look lighter and airier after refrigeration, re-whip the mousse until it reaches the desired consistency. That will fluff it up a bit and make it easier to serve and more visually appealing.
Traditionally, mousse is made with dark chocolate to achieve that rich taste that only dark chocolate can provide. 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 contain added ingredients to keep them solid. Use the best bar chocolate you can find.
More Dessert Recipes You’ll Love!
Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- 13 oz semisweet chocolate finely cut (milk or bittersweet chocolate can be used)
- 6 tablespoon unsalted 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
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.
Lisa Ribeiro says
Hi dennis just wanted to know can i use tia maria ans can i use any other that taste good in cholcolate and white chocolate i dont wanted it to be over powering.. it for my husbands birthday and i wanted to suprise him . So i reallt need your help thank chef dennis
Chef Dennis Littley says
hi Lisa
you can use any type of liqueur that goes with chocolate, tia maria is fine, chambord is nice too. I just like the way coffee goes so well with chocolate which is why I use Kahula
Let me know how it turns out
Dennis
Portland says
Hi Chef,
If I choose to leave out the coffee and khalua, should I modify any of the other ingredients? I’m trying to avoid a trip to the store on this wet, windy Oregon day.
Chef Dennis Littley says
no you should be fine just eliminating them, no need to add any other liquid
Claire says
I made this recipe 2 days ago, and loved it. Wasn’t too hard and tasted great.
But today I tried the leftovers and they had set into clumps. This is a problem as I want to use the recipe for a party where the mousses need to be made 1-2 days ahead, but still be smooth and fluffy. Does the sabayon in the recipe mean that I can’t make this recipe that far in advance, because it will set too hard?
I could I suppose make a standard mousse with egg whites, but I would have preferred not to use raw eggs.
Chef Dennis Littley says
hi Claire
if you let the mousse warm up a bit you may be able to re-whip it so its not as set. Another fix would be to use less chocolate, the chocolate is what really firms is the up , not so much the sabayon. thinning out the chocolate with a big of heavy cream might also keep it from setting up as much, I’ve never tried that process but it should work as long as you don’t make the chocolate too thin.
Dennis
Claire says
Hi Dennis – thanks for your fast reply – I really appreciate it.
Don’t really have the chance to re-whip them as they are in individual portions in glasses – would be too difficult. But I will try with a smaller amount of chocolate.
Also – would the cream make a difference? I am in Australia so our cream terminology is different. I used double cream which is 48% fat, whereas our whipping cream is 35%. Whenever I’ve made mousse before (using raw egg whites) I’ve used whipping cream and the texture has been fine.
P.S. I have tried your tiramisu recipe as well and loved it – I will be making it for the same party – which is actually our wedding reception. Glad to have finally found a great tiramisu and even better that it doesn’t contain raw eggs.
Chef Dennis Littley says
hi Claire
the cream may very well make a difference, in the states our Heavy cream runs from 36 -40% and I’ve never used double cream so I can’t really compare how it works but that’s quite a difference in fat.
As for the chocolate it is definitely the reason its so firm, and either cutting the amount back and / or using a lighter chocolate should help, but the chocolate is still going to want to become solid again unless you smooth it out with cream to keep it in a creamy state rather than a solid.
I’m very flattered to hear its for your wedding reception, and I’m very happy to hear my Tiramisu worked out for you.
Let me know how the mousse works out.
Dennis
TexasMichelle says
Delicious! Made it for the first time tonight and it was perfect! I used 12 oz semi sweet chocolate and 1 oz bittersweet chocolate and left out the coffee and alcohol. It was a huge hit with my family! Thank you for this amazing recipe!!
Chef Dennis says
hi Michelle
thanks so much for letting me know that you made and enjoyed my chocolate mousse! it is such a wonderful dessert! Next you’ll have to try my tiramisu.
cheers
Dennis
Carol H says
I just finished making this and I can truly say this is the best mousse I have ever had. I wanted to test it before making for a baby shower and I am sure it will be the hit of the party. Thank you so much!
Chef Dennis says
thank you Carol, I’m very happy to hear that you enjoyed my mousse!
Alexandra says
Hi Chef,
I’ve made this mousse before without a problem (and loved it!) but the last time I tried to make it, it had a slightly eggy taste, which was definitely more pronounced when I tasted the sabayon by itself. The taste/smell seemed off, but I was whisking the entire time I cooked the sabayon. I did skip the coffee and alcohol this time in exchange for a fruit puree… I didn’t have any noticeable pieces of cooked egg though. Any thoughts? Also, what should the sabayon look like when it has thickened properly? And is it necessary to whip the yolks until doubled before adding the sugar and liquids? Many sabayon recipes I’ve seen just instruct for a brief whipping together by hand before cooking. Thanks for the help!
Chef Dennis says
hi Alexandra
considering this is the first problem with the sabayon, I’m wondering if it could have been the eggs? Especially if you had a more eggy flavor and an odor, I notice a big difference in store bought eggs vs. farmers market eggs.
The sabayon should have a very creamy texture and I do prefer to whip it until its doubled in volume, and you can stream the sugar into the eggs after an initial whipping, but I would definitely get it to a nice thick stage before finishing adding the liquid.
I make sabayon differently for my tiramisu, as I do it all over a double boiler whipping the eggs and sugar until at least doubled and light in color, you could always try that method for a fruit mousse, it may actually work better for you. Chocolate is relatively easy because the chocolate does a lot of the thickening for you.
With a fruit mousse you may find you want to add a little gelatin to the mix as well, depending upon how loose the puree is.
Dennis
K says
Dear Chef Dennis,
Thank you for this recipe! I just made it, and the taste and consistency are perfect! But my mousse didn’t come out creamy smooth like yours appears in the photo above. It looks like there might be tiny pieces of chocolate in my mousse, which I don’t taste when I eat it. Do you know what I might have done wrong? Perhaps I was too slow while making the sabayon. Did I overmix the chocolate and butter? Or was the sabayon a little too warm when I mixed it with the chocolate?
Excellent dessert!
K
Chef Dennis says
from what you described it sounds as though your chocolate didn’t completely melt. That could have been due to the age of the chocolate used, or it just have enough time to melt. not seeing it makes it hard to tell for sure. But I’m glad it didn’t effect the taste of the mousse. Next time check the chocolate carefully to make sure it was all melted. Also make sure it doesn’t get too hot while melting to ensure its smooth.
cheers
Dennis
lisa says
hi dennis I really need your help my daughter is turning 3 and she loves vanilla cake.. just wanted to know if you called tell me the recipe of caramal mousse please .. thank u dennis
Chef Dennis says
hi Lisa
I’m sorry to say I’ve never made a caramel mousse,but my inclination would be to just replace the chocolate part of the recipe with Caramel or even a dulce de leche. That should make a very tasty quick mousse that would work with a cake.
kaiyun says
dear chef dennis, i have been reading your blog for some time and i have always loved your tiramisu recipe – will be trying this one out tonight with a green tea variation and see how it goes! thank you so much for sharing awesome stories from mama jeanette, your blog has really inspired me to try out so many things! 🙂
Chef Dennis says
Thank you Kaiyun! Please let me know how the mousse turns out!
Cheryl Saltzman says
Thank you for this recipe! I’ve been begged by a good friend, who is a struggling newly single mom and not a baker at all, to make a chocolate mousse cake for her daughter’s high school graduation. This recipe sounds wonderful. Would you please give me any advice (via email) as to how to make this into a cake form? I don’t think she wants any actual cake, but a cake made of mousse. I would sincerely appreciate any help you can give. After the horrible year they’ve had, I’d love to make this over the top special for her.
Thank you!
Chef Dennis says
hi Cheryl
This Chocolate Mousse will make her very happy and hopefully forget her problems at least for a little while, its so kind of you to make this for her.
The Mousse can be very simply made into a Cake (springform pan) or in a Pie Shell, I would make a crust out of Graham crackers, or some kind of cookies. If you freeze it it will make slicing much easier and it will thaw fairly quickly. The best topping would be some fresh whipped cream and some chocolate shavings.
if you have any other questions don’t hesitate to ask
Cheers
Dennis
Cheryl says
Thank you, Dennis! 🙂
Cheryl S. says
I made it!!! It came out FANTASTIC. I combined it with a from scratch chocolate round cake that I sliced into three layers, and made sort of a cake/mousse lasagne. Tomorrow I will make a chocolate band to wrap around it.
Thank you so much.
Chef Dennis says
I’m very happy to hear my recipe worked out for you, combined with your chocolate cake I’m sure it will be an amazing dessert! All you need is a layer of chocolate ganache for the top and you’d have your own version of Death by Chocolate!
Cheers
Dennis
Tassha says
I’ve only made chocolate mousse once before (not your recipe) and I was not happy with the bitter after taste of the semi sweet chocolate baking chips (Ghiradelli) I used. Is there a brand that you would recommend that for this recipe? I will like to try your recipe before I give up on chocolate mousse. Thanks!
Chef Dennis says
hi Tassha
I would recommend using the best chocolate you can find, and usually Ghiradelli is acceptable. I use a Belgian Chocolate that I either pick up at a restaurant supply house (5 Kilo Block) or I order it on the internet. It might be the semi sweet just isn’t too your taste, you could also try milk chocolate that shouldn’t have any of the bitter taste.
Dennis
mshreck says
So excited to try this! I plan on making it tomorrow for a dinner with friends. One question though – I don’t own a mixer of any type and tend to cook by hand. Will I be able to successfully make this with just a whisk and some elbow grease?
Chef Dennis says
it is a very rich and decadent mousse, and yes you can make it by hand it requires a fair amount of whisking to get all the components thickened properly. Of course this is how it was made in the days without having mixers so I’m sure it will come out fine.
let me know how it comes out!
mshreck says
Delicious!
Bozena says
Hallo,
It is very late at night and I am searching internet for a good – no raw eggs – recipe for chocolate mousse. Here I am – this the first site I opened – and I am so glad I found it. I really enjoyed reading the story. You not only have the culinary talent but you know how to write very interesting very warmth from the hearth and fun to read story.
In few months I am planning to open a small cafe – it is my long time dream. I am not a chef and have no schooling in this subject. All my life I was somewhat professional hard working person. I am first generation emigrant to USA and love it here. Having master degree in mathematics I worked as a teacher, computer programmer, general contractor, developer, cleaning women – when it was necessary to survive and in between mother, wife and yes for short time we also had a restaurant business which we get a lot of good reviews on, and many complements from our customers- but unfortunately we did not survive for a very long time – it was to hard on us and we were close to loose all we had. I do not now why, but I am back to the idea and I am getting very close to get ready to open small cafe of my dream. This time in the small place but with few tables outside in the paved patio. I want it to be a little European style and serving healthy but also satisfying sandwiches and salads and not so sweet and gluten free deserts. I am also searching for a good recipe of hot drinking chocolate and frozen coffee which I remember from my young years when leaving in Europe. Also, I am looking for a good recipe to make good meringue – which always will work well – not to hard little soft inside, and flour-less chocolate cake.
I hope I am not asking for to much but I would really appreciate some tips and advise.
Sincerely,
Bozena
Chef Dennis says
hi Bozena
I wish you success with your business, and an easy way to make a nice chocolate mouse without eggs, is to simply melt down your chocolate and fold it into already whipped cream. I would of course add a little cream into the chocolate, and a little coffee, that will help smooth it out and give the mousse a better consistency.
Dennis
josh says
chef D, when you say liquid are you refering to the kahlua?
Chef D says
yes the 1/4 cup of Kahlua and the 1/4 cup of coffee. Both of which are not deal breakers and can be left out.
Mel Reynolds says
Hello Chef Dennis,
Last week I made your Tiramisu and today I made the chocolate mousse.
I found the mousse more difficult & time consuming to make and my egg yolks took a long time to thicken up. But in the end it all looked and tasted fantastic. It has a decadent and creamy taste. I’ve served it in individual glasses with rasperries and a dollop of cream on top.
Thanks for another great recipe!
Mel
Chef D says
hi Mel
thanks for letting me know about the mousse, It is a little different than the tiramisu recipe, but well worth it. I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed it!
Dennis