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Mousse Au Chocolat (Easy French Chocolate Mousse)

If you love creamy, rich, dark chocolate, then Mousse Au Chocolat is for you. This classic French Chocolate Mousse is incredibly easy to make and requires only a few ingredients!

If you love creamy, rich, dark chocolate, then Mousse Au Chocolat is for you. This classic French Chocolate Mousse is incredibly easy to make and requires only a few ingredients! | www.CuriousCuisiniere.comWhat Is A Mousse?

I feel like I should insert some witty comment about the large, antlered animal that lives in northern regions.

However, I’ll save you the eye rolling and get right to the point.

Mousse is the French word for “foam.” So a culinary mousse is a preparation of food that results in a light and airy, creamy, foam-like texture.

Notice I didn’t say mousse is a French dessert.

Technically speaking, you can have sweet OR savory mousse.

Think of a light and creamy salmon mousse or goat cheese mousse atop sliced vegetables or toasted bread to make a fancy canape appetizer.

A savory mousse!

But, today we’re talking about probably the best known kind of mousse. (And, arguably, the most tasty.)

CHOCOLATE mousse!

But first…

If you love creamy, rich, dark chocolate, then Mousse Au Chocolat is for you. This classic French Chocolate Mousse is incredibly easy to make and requires only a few ingredients! | www.CuriousCuisiniere.com

What Is The Difference Between Pudding And Mousse?

Both pudding and mousse are creamy, no-bake preparations (that often involve chocolate). This puts them in contrast to the French Pots De Creme, which are creamy custards that are baked.

The difference between pudding and mousse really comes down to the ingredients.

Traditionally, pudding is made with a milk and sugar base that is cooked with cornstarch to thicken it. Since pudding has cornstarch as a thickener, it tends to be a bit on the denser side.

Mousse, on the other hand, is traditionally not cooked at all. It is made by mixing your flavor base into whipped egg whites. This makes mousse lighter and fluffier, with nice air bubbles throughout.

How To Make Mousse Au Chocolat (French Chocolate Mousse)

There are a couple of ways to make chocolate mousse, and each will give you a bit of a different result.

All mousse should start out with your flavor base (in this case, melted chocolate) and eggs.

This is a must.

However, a common, American, adaptation is to add some whipped cream to the mixture, giving the chocolate mousse a VERY light and airy consistency.

Traditional French chocolate mousse, on the other hand, omits the whipped cream. This means that your true French mousse au chocolat is airy, but it is also rich and dense.

If you love creamy, rich, dark chocolate, then Mousse Au Chocolat is for you. This classic French Chocolate Mousse is incredibly easy to make and requires only a few ingredients! | www.CuriousCuisiniere.com

Using Eggs In Mousse Au Chocolat

Since the eggs used in this dessert are not cooked, we recommend using extremely fresh or even pasteurized eggs.

Whichever type of eggs you choose, they MUST be at room temperature before you start making your mousse.

If the egg yolks are the slightest bit cold, when you mix them with the melted chocolate, your chocolate will seize!

Ask me how I know…

The good news is that if your chocolate seizes, there is an easy fix. Simply mixing a little boiling water into your seized chocolate, 1 teaspoon at a time, will bring it back to a smooth consistency.

Crisis averted.

But, do yourself a favor and avoid the extra steps by using room temperature eggs.

Our French Chocolate Mousse Recipe

We’ve followed the traditional French method of making mousse au chocolat, using just a few ingredients to make this decadent dessert.

While this recipe is incredibly simple, there are a few important things to note.

First is the temperature of the eggs, which we mentioned above, but is so important it bears repeating.

Second, when you stir your chocolate/egg yolk mixture into your beaten egg whites they will deflate quite a bit.

Don’t panic!

Your mousse mixture should be pour-able as you’re putting it into your serving dishes. That’s why we let it chill for 4 hours to set.

All will be good after some time in the refrigerator.

Ready?

Let’s make some mousse!!!

 

Yield: 4 servings

Mousse Au Chocolat (Easy French Chocolate Mousse)

If you love creamy, rich, dark chocolate, then Mousse Au Chocolat is for you. This classic French Chocolate Mousse is incredibly easy to make and requires only a few ingredients! | www.CuriousCuisiniere.com

If you love creamy, rich, dark chocolate, then Mousse Au Chocolat is for you. This classic French Chocolate Mousse is incredibly easy to make and requires only a few ingredients!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 oz bittersweet chocolate
  • 4 eggs, divided, at room temp*
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • Pinch salt

Instructions

  1. Melt the chocolate either in a double boiler or in the microwave on low heat. Set it aside to cool slightly.
  2. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks.
  3. Lightly beat the room temperature egg yolks with the sugar, vanilla, and salt to mix.
  4. Slowly add the egg yolk mixture to the melted chocolate.*
  5. Gently stir the chocolate mixture into the stiff egg whites, using 1/3 of the chocolate at a time.
  6. Pour or spoon the mixture into serving bowls.
  7. Refrigerate for 4 hours before servings.
  8. (Finished mousse au chocolate will keep nicely in the refrigerator for 4 days.)

Notes

*If the egg yolks are too cool, they will cause the chocolate to seize. If this happens DON’T PANIC. Stop adding the egg yolks to the chocolate. Then, simply mix some boiling water into your seized chocolate, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the chocolate loosens back to a good, thin consistency. After your chocolate is back to a good consistency, you can continue adding the egg yolks (once they’re warm enough).

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1/4 of recipe

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 360Total Fat: 27g

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lexie

Sunday 13th of August 2023

I have made this before, and it was so good, though it took forever to eat, because my pallet is not use to that rich of flavor or desert

Sarah - Curious Cuisiniere

Monday 14th of August 2023

Hi Lexie. We're so glad you enjoyed it. Yes, it is definitely a rich dessert. One for slowly savoring!

Luke

Saturday 17th of June 2023

Is the vanilla extract required? Ive been looking for some recipes and basically all of them say vanilla extract but I have none

Adam

Tuesday 21st of November 2023

My mother made this mousse often for dinner parties, she would sometimes substitute the vanilla with a tablespoon of rum or other liqueur like Grand Marnier.

Sarah - Curious Cuisiniere

Tuesday 20th of June 2023

Hi Luke. No, you could make it without, it just adds a hint of extra flavor to the mousse.

Niamh

Saturday 22nd of October 2022

These turned out beautifully! Thank you so much for the boiling water tip for seized chocolate. I swear those yolks were room temperature but the chocolate seized all the same. The mousse still turned out great and was hit all around.

Sarah - Curious Cuisiniere

Tuesday 25th of October 2022

So glad you enjoyed it. Sometimes even the most careful process can seize the chocolate. It is a temperamental one, that's for sure.

Samantha

Monday 7th of February 2022

How long can it be in the refrigerator for

Sarah Ozimek

Friday 11th of February 2022

Hi Samantha. It will be good in the refrigerator for up to days.

Aishi Shukla

Wednesday 14th of July 2021

I tried this recipe today, it was really easy and tasty. I loved it!!

Sarah Ozimek

Friday 16th of July 2021

So glad you enjoyed the mousse!

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