This Chocolate Mousse is rich, velvety, and full of deep chocolate flavor. A classic French dessert you can make in advance, and will always impress!
This recipe is part of my series of classic French dessert recipes I learned in pastry school and have recreated in a more accessible format for a home baker (you probably don’t need to make 30 at a time!). You might want to check out my Vanilla Crème Brûlée and Tarte aux Fraises recipes as well.
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This is The Best Chocolate Mousse Recipe
Have you ever ordered chocolate mousse in a restaurant and were then served a light and airy confection that barely tastes of chocolate? Me too. But after learning this recipe in pastry school, I finally figured out what the hype was all about. While this mousse is still lightened with whipped cream and egg whites, it has a firm structure that melts in your mouth with the taste of rich, dark chocolate.
French Chocolate Mousse Recipe Ingredients
- Heavy Cream: Don’t skimp on this. Heavy whipping cream gives you the richest, creamiest texture for this mousse.
- Dark Chocolate and Milk Chocolate: I recommend a combination, as that gives you the best chocolate flavor. Not too sweet, but not too dark either. Good quality chocolate is recommended. I prefer 60% cacao chocolate for the dark chocolate in this recipe, but you can look for either semisweet or bittersweet chocolate.
- Corn Syrup: I generally try to avoid corn syrup in my recipes, but just a couple of tablespoons really helps prevent any crystallization in the mousse, so you don’t get a gritty texture.
- Eggs: You’ll use both the yolk and white, but separately.
- Port: This is optional, but I love the flavor of a little bit of aged tawny port in my mousse. You could also play around with adding other flavors like rum, bourbon, brandy, or a coffee liqueur.
How to Make Chocolate Mousse
- Start by separating two whole eggs into yolks and whites.
2. Using a stand mixer, whip 1 cup heavy cream until medium peaks form, about 30 seconds. Then put into the refrigerator if it’s really hot in your kitchen—otherwise keep it out at room temperature while you continue the recipe.
3. Chop 5 ounces dark chocolate and 3 ounces milk chocolate into small chunks, then put into a microwave-safe large bowl. Melt chocolate in microwave by heating for 2-3 minutes at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted. Stir in ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons corn syrup in microwave for 10-15 seconds, until almost boiling. Whip 2 egg yolks using an electric mixer, drizzling in corn syrup. Continue to whip until the eggs and syrup thicken to the point that if you lift the beaters, the mixture pours down in thick ribbons (ribbon stage). This will take around 3-4 minutes.
5. Pour the egg yolk mixture over the melted chocolate and do not stir.
6. Wash the egg beaters, and get out a clean bowl.
Add 2 egg whites to the bowl and whip to stiff peaks, about 30-40 seconds.
7. Stir together the chocolate and egg yolk mixture, adding in a scoop of the reserved whipped cream. Fold the rest of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Stir in 1 tablespoon port (if desired), then fold in the whipped egg whites.
8. Use a rubber spatula to scrape mousse into single serving cups (or whatever serving dish you want to use). Chill for 3 hours.
9. Remove from the refrigerator 15-30 minutes before serving so they will soften up a bit, giving you the most luscious texture. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings to serve, if desired.
Storing Homemade Chocolate Mousse
Store chocolate mousse in its serving dish/es, tightly covered with plastic wrap. Wait to top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings until ready to serve. Mousse will stay fresh for 3-4 days.
Dark Chocolate Mousse Recipe FAQs
Chocolate mousse is much lighter and airier than chocolate pudding, thanks to the inclusion of whipped cream and whipped egg whites. Chocolate pudding often includes cornstarch or flour, and is usually cooked on the stovetop. Conversely, chocolate mousse is never cooked.
Ribbon stage is a term used by pastry chefs to describe the texture of a batter as it thickens. If you lift up a beater and allow the batter to fall from it back into the bowl, it will fall in thick ribbons if you have reached ribbon stage.
Tips For Making Homemade Chocolate Mousse
Work as quickly as you can with this recipe—the mousse will come together best if the chocolate does not cool too much. You want to be able to combine the melted chocolate with the rest of the ingredients before the melted chocolate gets too cold. If it seems like the chocolate is starting to harden as you mix in the whipped cream or egg whites, stir together as quickly as possible.
For this recipe, I suggest the use of a hand mixer for whipping the egg yolks and syrup. You can use a stand mixer, but I find that it’s sometimes hard for the beater to reach only 2 egg yolks in the bottom of the mixer bowl.
This recipe contains raw eggs. If you are concerned at all about not cooking your eggs, look for pasteurized eggs to use in this recipe.
Make sure you separate your eggs carefully—getting a little bit of egg yolk into the whites will make the whites much harder to whip into peaks. (Getting a little bit of white into the yolks is fine!)
To decorate your mousse with chocolate shavings, use a microplane grater or vegetable peeler with a chocolate bar. For chocolate lovers, that really takes this mousse recipe over the top! You can also add mini dark chocolate chips.
Love a chocolate dessert? Try my chocolate madeleines or these sweet little mini chocolate tarts next. And, don't miss my super chocolatey French Hot Chocolate!
Other French Dessert Recipes
If you love this classic Chocolate Mousse recipe, you might want to check out some more delicious French dessert recipes like my Easy Apple Galette or one of these:
If you try this homemade Chocolate Mousse recipe, I would love to hear from you! Please rate this recipe and leave a comment below—your feedback is invaluable to me.
And please follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or subscribe to my newsletter. I’d love to inspire you with more delicious, healthy, and seasonal recipes!
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Dark Chocolate Mousse Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 5 ounces dark chocolate 60% cacao recommended
- 3 ounces milk chocolate
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 egg whites
- 1 tablespoon port optional
- Additional whipped cream to serve (optional)
- Chocolate shavings to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer, whip cream until medium peaks form, about 30 seconds. Then put into the refrigerator if you are working in a warm kitchen. Otherwise, keep it out on the counter.
- Chop both types of chocolate into small chunks, then put into a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat chocolate in microwave for 2-3 minutes at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted. Stir in salt.
- Heat corn syrup in microwave for 10-15 seconds, until almost boiling.
- Whip yolks using a hand mixer, drizzling in corn syrup. Continue to whip until the eggs and syrup thicken to the point that if you lift the beaters, the mixture pours down in thick ribbons (ribbon stage). This will take around 3-4 minutes.
- Pour the egg yolk mixture over the melted chocolate and do not stir.
- Wash the egg beaters, and get out a clean bowl.
- Add egg whites to the bowl and whip to firm peak, about 30-40 seconds.
- Stir together the chocolate and egg yolk mixture, adding in a scoop of the reserved whipped cream.
- Fold the rest of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.
- Stir in the port (if using), then fold in the whipped egg whites.
- Put mousse into single serving cups (or whatever serving dish you want to use). Chill for 3 hours.
- Remove from the refrigerator 15-30 minutes before serving.
- Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings to serve, if desired.
Notes
Work as quickly as you can with this recipe—the mousse will come together best if the chocolate does not cool too much. You want to be able to combine the melted chocolate with the rest of the ingredients before the melted chocolate gets too cold. If it seems like the chocolate is starting to harden as you mix in the whipped cream or egg whites, stir together as quickly as possible. For this recipe, I suggest the use of a hand mixer for whipping the egg yolks and syrup. You can use a stand mixer, but I find that it’s sometimes hard for the beater to reach only 2 egg yolks in the bottom of the mixer bowl. This recipe contains raw eggs. If you are concerned at all about not cooking your eggs, look for pasteurized eggs to use in this recipe. Make sure you separate your eggs carefully—getting a little bit of egg yolk into the whites will make the whites much harder to whip into peaks. (Getting a little bit of white into the yolks is fine!) Storage Tips:
Store chocolate mousse in its serving dish/es, tightly covered with plastic wrap. Wait to top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings until ready to serve. Mousse will stay fresh for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
Instagram Users: Now that you've made this Mousse au Chocolat recipe, tag me @vanillabeancuisine or #vanillabeancuisine because I’d love to see your results!
More About Molly
Cooking healthy(ish) meals with seasonal ingredients is my passion. Trained as a French pastry chef, I spent over 10 years as a personal chef. Here you'll find well-tested recipes that you and your family will love!
Louise White says
I made this for my family during a big weekend beach trip — it was excellent and got rave reviews! Easy to whip up and I liked being able to make ahead of time and then serve individually which made it easy when serving many folks. Ended up doubling the recipe since we were a big group and it came out great. Deliciously rich but not overly sweet. Served well with whipped cream and some raspberries.
Yaritza says
This is SO good. This was my first time making chocolate - or any - mousse, so I appreciate the very clear steps and helpful tips. 10/10 will absolutely be making again.
sherry says
I have made a similar recipe for a French choc mousse for years and there was no need for corn syrup, which is not good for you! Not an ingredient i would ever suggest using.
sherry
https://sherryspickings.blogspot.com/
Molly Pisula says
Feel free to leave out the corn syrup. I agree with you that I try to avoid using large quantities of corn syrup. But in small amounts, I really don't believe that corn syrup is at all dangerous or even significantly more unhealthy than sugar itself. And for this recipe, the corn syrup really helps avoid any grittiness in the mousse and adds to the velvety texture. But of course, do what makes sense for you!