Last updated: November 13, 2026.
Chocolate mousse is the lightest way to eat dark chocolate: a spoonful that is mostly air, held together by melted chocolate, whipped cream and fluffy egg whites. This easy chocolate mousse recipe is the classic French version — no gelatin, no cooking the eggs, just good chocolate folded with cream and whites until it is impossibly light. Twenty minutes of work, two hours in the fridge, and you have the dessert that makes a plain dinner feel like a celebration.
If you have never made mousse at home, this is the version to start with. There is no baking and no special equipment beyond a bowl, a whisk and a hand mixer. The whole secret is temperature: let the melted chocolate cool a little before folding, whip the cream to soft peaks (not stiff), and fold gently so you keep the air in. Get those three things right and the mousse sets up light, silky and deeply chocolatey.
Chocolate mousse belongs in our chocolate desserts collection, and it is the make-ahead dessert to reach for when you want something elegant without turning the oven on — the dinner-party dessert, the date-night dessert, the one that looks far harder than it is. If you are still choosing what to make, our dessert recipes hub has the full list of ideas.
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Mousse
- Light as air. Whipped cream and egg whites folded into dark chocolate make a mousse that is silky, not heavy — a spoonful dissolves on the tongue.
- No gelatin, no baking. The classic French method sets with chilling alone — no oven, no gelatin, no fuss.
- Twenty minutes of work. Melt, whip, fold, chill. The fridge does the rest while you get on with dinner.
- Make-ahead magic. Mousse is better made the day before — it sets overnight and waits in the fridge until you need it.
- Endlessly dressy. Serve it plain, or top with whipped cream, fresh berries and chocolate shavings for a restaurant look.
Ingredients
Chocolate mousse
- 200 g (7 oz) dark chocolate (60–70% cacao), chopped — where to buy
- 30 g (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract — where to buy
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 240 ml (1 cup) heavy cream, cold
To serve
- Whipped cream, for topping
- Fresh raspberries or strawberries
- Chocolate shavings
Equipment
- Medium heatproof bowl
- Small saucepan, for the double boiler — where to buy
- Large mixing bowl — where to buy
- Hand mixer — where to buy
- Whisk — where to buy
- Spatula
- 6 ramekins or small glasses
- Measuring cups and spoons
How to Make Chocolate Mousse
Step 1 — Melt the Chocolate and Butter
Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water — the bowl must not touch the water. Add the chopped chocolate and the butter and stir until smooth and glossy, then take the bowl off the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes. The chocolate should be warm, not hot — hot chocolate deflates the egg whites.
Step 2 — Whisk in the Egg Yolks
Whisk the egg yolks into the warm chocolate one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract and the salt. The mixture will thicken slightly and turn glossy — that is the mousse base.
Step 3 — Whip the Cream
In a cold bowl, whip the cold heavy cream with a hand mixer or whisk until it holds soft peaks — the cream should flop over when you lift the whisk, not stand up stiff. Over-whipped cream makes a grainy mousse.
Step 4 — Whip the Egg Whites
In a separate clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until foamy, then add the sugar a spoonful at a time and beat until the whites hold stiff, glossy peaks. Any grease or yolk in the bowl stops the whites from whipping — wipe the bowl clean first.
Step 5 — Fold the Whites into the Chocolate
Stir one-third of the whipped whites into the chocolate base to lighten it, then add the rest and fold gently with a spatula — cut down through the middle, scoop up the sides, and turn the bowl. Stop as soon as no white streaks remain; over-folding knocks the air out.
Step 6 — Fold in the Whipped Cream
Add the whipped cream and fold the same gentle way, just until combined. The mixture should look light, moussey and evenly chocolate-colored, with no streaks of cream or white.
Step 7 — Spoon into Ramekins and Chill
Divide the mousse among 6 ramekins or small glasses, smooth the tops, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours — overnight is even better. The mousse sets as it chills.
Step 8 — Serve
Top each mousse with a spoonful of whipped cream, a few fresh berries and some chocolate shavings. Serve cold, straight from the fridge.
Tips for Perfect Chocolate Mousse
- Cool the chocolate first. Five minutes off the heat is enough — warm chocolate folds in smoothly, hot chocolate melts the whites and the mousse goes flat.
- Soft peaks for the cream. The cream should flop, not stand up. Stiff cream makes a grainy, buttery mousse instead of a silky one.
- Clean bowl for the whites. Any trace of yolk or grease stops egg whites from whipping. Wipe the bowl and beaters with a little vinegar first.
- Fold, do not stir. Cut down, scoop up, turn the bowl — stirring knocks out the air you just whipped in, and flat mousse is the result.
- Use good chocolate. Mousse is mostly chocolate, so the flavor comes from the bar. A 60–70% dark chocolate gives the best balance — milk chocolate makes it too sweet.
- Chill it properly. Two hours is the minimum; overnight is better. A mousse that has not set looks like chocolate soup.
Storage, Make-Ahead and Freezing
- Leftovers: cover and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. The mousse is at its best in the first 24–48 hours — after that it slowly loses its lift.
- Make ahead: this is the ideal make-ahead dessert — make it the day before, chill overnight, and add the toppings just before serving.
- Freezing: not recommended — frozen and thawed mousse turns grainy and weepy. Make it fresh, or keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days instead.
- Serving: serve cold, straight from the fridge. Add whipped cream and berries at the last minute so they stay fresh and perky.
Variations
- Mocha mousse. Stir 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder into the melted chocolate — coffee deepens the chocolate flavor without tasting like coffee.
- Orange chocolate mousse. Add 1 teaspoon of finely grated orange zest to the chocolate base — the classic chocolate-orange pairing.
- Mint chocolate mousse. Add 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract with the vanilla and top with fresh mint.
- White chocolate mousse. Swap the dark chocolate for white chocolate and skip the butter — sweeter, paler and lovely with raspberries.
- Spiced chocolate mousse. Add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and a pinch of chili powder to the chocolate base for a Mexican-chocolate warmth.
Nutrition
One ramekin (1 of 6) has about 400 calories, 21 g carbohydrates, 6 g protein, 32 g fat, 19 g saturated fat, 13 g sugar, 2 g fiber and 60 mg sodium. Nutrition information is an estimate only.
Dietary notes: Contains milk, egg and chocolate (which may contain traces of nuts depending on the brand). Not suitable for dairy or egg allergies as written — a dairy-free version needs coconut cream and dairy-free dark chocolate, and the egg whites cannot be skipped in this classic version.
| Calories | 400 |
|---|---|
| Carbohydrates | 21 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Fat | 32 g |
| Saturated fat | 19 g |
| Sugar | 13 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sodium | 60 mg |
How we write our recipes: Every Desert Dishes recipe is written with US home cooks in mind — ingredients are given in cups and grams, temperatures in Fahrenheit and Celsius, and times are stated as ranges where ovens vary. Our Recipe Testing Policy explains how recipes are checked and corrected. Found an error? Contact us and we will fix it — see our Corrections Policy.
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Ingredients
200 g (7 oz), chopped
1 teaspoon
Baking Equipment
for the double boiler
for this recipe
for this recipe
for this recipe
FAQ
Can I make chocolate mousse without raw eggs?
The classic version uses raw egg whites (whipped) and yolks (stirred into warm chocolate, but not cooked through). If raw eggs are a concern, use pasteurized eggs — they whip and fold exactly the same way and remove the food-safety worry. There are also cooked-base mousse recipes, but they are a different recipe; this one is the classic no-cook French method.
Why did my chocolate mousse go flat?
Flat mousse almost always means the air was lost. The usual causes: the chocolate was too hot when the whites went in, the cream was over-whipped, or the folding was too rough and too long. Let the chocolate cool for 5 minutes, whip the cream to soft peaks only, and fold gently — cut down, scoop up, turn the bowl — stopping as soon as the streaks disappear.
How long does chocolate mousse keep in the fridge?
Covered in the fridge, chocolate mousse keeps for up to 3 days, and it is at its best in the first 24–48 hours. After that it slowly loses its lift and the texture turns denser. Do not freeze it — thawed mousse is grainy and weepy.
What chocolate is best for chocolate mousse?
A dark chocolate with 60–70% cacao gives the best balance — deep chocolate flavor without too much sweetness. Below 60% the mousse tastes too sweet and a little flat; above 75% it can taste bitter unless you add a little extra sugar. Use a bar or squares you would enjoy eating on their own, chopped small so it melts evenly.
Sources: Clemson HGIC — Safe Handling of Eggs (egg safety for recipes that use raw or lightly cooked eggs).
Times, servings and nutrition values are standard guidance and may vary.
Chocolate Mousse Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Melt the chocolate and butter. Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water — the bowl must not touch the water. Add the chopped chocolate and the butter and stir until smooth and glossy, then take the bowl off the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes. The chocolate should be warm, not hot — hot chocolate deflates the egg whites.
- Whisk in the egg yolks. Whisk the egg yolks into the warm chocolate one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract and the salt. The mixture will thicken slightly and turn glossy — that is the mousse base.
- Whip the cream. In a cold bowl, whip the cold heavy cream with a hand mixer or whisk until it holds soft peaks — the cream should flop over when you lift the whisk, not stand up stiff. Over-whipped cream makes a grainy mousse.
- Whip the egg whites. In a separate clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until foamy, then add the sugar a spoonful at a time and beat until the whites hold stiff, glossy peaks. Any grease or yolk in the bowl stops the whites from whipping — wipe the bowl clean first.
- Fold the whites into the chocolate. Stir one-third of the whipped whites into the chocolate base to lighten it, then add the rest and fold gently with a spatula — cut down through the middle, scoop up the sides, and turn the bowl. Stop as soon as no white streaks remain; over-folding knocks the air out.
- Fold in the whipped cream. Add the whipped cream and fold the same gentle way, just until combined. The mixture should look light, moussey and evenly chocolate-colored, with no streaks of cream or white.
- Spoon into ramekins and chill. Divide the mousse among 6 ramekins or small glasses, smooth the tops, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours — overnight is even better. The mousse sets as it chills.
- Serve. Top each mousse with a spoonful of whipped cream, a few fresh berries and some chocolate shavings. Serve cold, straight from the fridge.
Notes
More Recipes to Try
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