French · Dessert · Easy
Chocolate Mousse
Impossibly light and deeply dark, this mousse is pure chocolate velvet in a glass. Three ingredients, a little patience, and a spoon are all you need.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Chocolate Mousse, in 5 ideas
- Whipping the cream to soft peaks only is the secret to a cloudlike texture
- Cooling the melted chocolate slightly keeps the yolks from scrambling
- Folding gently protects the air you whipped in, which is what makes mousse airy
- A pinch of salt sharpens the chocolate flavor without making it salty
- Chilling overnight deepens the flavor and sets the texture perfectly
What you need
Ingredients
- 200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 240ml heavy cream
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Cocoa powder, for dusting
How to make it
Directions
- Melt the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes until warm but not hot.
- Whisk the egg yolks, one at a time, into the warm chocolate along with the vanilla extract until glossy and combined.
- In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in the sugar and beat until firm, glossy peaks hold.
- In another bowl, whip the heavy cream until it forms soft, billowy peaks that just barely hold their shape.
- Fold one third of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture to loosen it, then gently fold in the rest.
- Fold the beaten egg whites into the chocolate cream in two additions, using a spatula and slow, wide strokes, until no streaks remain. Do not overmix or the mousse will deflate.
- Spoon into six small glasses or ramekins, cover, and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Dust lightly with cocoa powder just before serving.
Buy supermarket own-brand 70% dark chocolate rather than a fancy bar. It melts beautifully and costs half as much, and once whipped into mousse nobody can tell the difference.