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!
What 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...
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.
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!!!
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!
Ingredients
- 6 oz bittersweet chocolate
- 4 eggs, divided, at room temp*
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate either in a double boiler or in the microwave on low heat. Set it aside to cool slightly.
- In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks.
- Lightly beat the room temperature egg yolks with the sugar, vanilla, and salt to mix.
- Slowly add the egg yolk mixture to the melted chocolate.*
- Gently stir the chocolate mixture into the stiff egg whites, using ⅓ of the chocolate at a time.
- Pour or spoon the mixture into serving bowls.
- Refrigerate for 4 hours before servings.
- (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:
4Serving Size:
¼ of recipeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 360Total Fat: 27g
Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
I tried this recipe today, it was really easy and tasty. I loved it!!
So glad you enjoyed the mousse!
Thank you for sharing this recipe and the essential tips for success - I had never made mousse au chocolat before and was quite apprehensive, and it turned out fantastic. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Can I freeze this mousse?
Hi Berta. We haven't tried freezing it. I'm not sure how well it would thaw. But, I bet it would be delicious frozen.
Can this recipe be made a day ahead and refrigerated until ready to serve?
Bob
Yes they can. They will keep well for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
In the middle of trying to make this. I think my yolks weren't tempered as the chocolate seized. I did has you suggested and didn't panic! But adding a little boiling water didn't help, seemed to make the situation worse! Good thing I have more chocolate to try again.
Hi Courtney. This is the trickiest part with this. Possibly you didn't add enough boiling water, or didn't stir long enough. It will look like it's getting worse, but with stirring will get better. Hopefully your next attempt turns out better!
I decided to lightly mix the chocolate mixture into the egg whites vs gently stirring. The consistency after chilling may be slightly more dense than designed, but it is fantastic. Its like eating chocolate butter.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Hi
Is it safe to use raw eggs
Hi Anita. That all depends on your comfort level. We do. But, if you are not comfortable, you can purchase pasteurized eggs from a brand like Eggland's Best that are definitely safe to eat raw.
@Jonathan, I did the same thing .
Hi can this mousse be used to fill in cakes as in mousse cakes?
Hi Dano. I have never tried to use this mousse to fill cakes. In theory it should work. I would use it to fill the cake after it is firm from chilling. I would also make sure the cake is frosted, so that the mousse doesn't squish out from between the layers when it is cut. If you give it a try, let us know how it turns out!
I have made this a few times and actually put the egg whites into the chocolate. Looks weird at first but then gets a beautiful smooth consistency to it. So delicious. As a French gal this is reminiscent of what I use to eat back home. Great recipe.
Thanks for sharing Nadine!
Hi! What type of sugar would you recommend for this recipe?
We typically use fine cane sugar. Enjoy!
Hi! I was planning on making this tomorrow and wondering if I could add some brandy or similar without ruining the texture? If so how much?
Hi Susan. That sounds like a great addition! You could substitute brandy for the vanilla, or just att in a teaspoon or two of brandy in addition. Let us know what you do and how it turns out for you!
does the chocolate have to be bitter-sweet?
Hi Lila. It does not. We like the way bittersweet chocolate give this a dark, rich flavor. But, if you prefer lighter chocolate, or can’t find bittersweet, other will work just as well. The flavor of the mousse will just follow the flavor of your chocolate. Enjoy!
My mousse isn’t light and fluffy. Where could I have gone wrong?
Hi Tanysha. It’s hard to say without more info about your process, but my best guess is that you overworked the egg whites when you mixed in the chocolate mixture. If you deflate the egg whites, that would cause the mousse to not be as fluffy.
I agree, I think that was it. I was vigorously beating the egg whites when I realized the recipe called for a gentle stir. I had hoped it wouldn’t make a difference, but it did. Thanks, I’ll try again!
Glad you figured it out! Hope you get a chance to try again.
Hi.
I used to struggle with chocolate mousse, but not anymore. I always mix the egg yolks in the whipped whites before i add the chocolate et voilá - no problem. This way I never have to worry about the temperature of the eggs - I can use them straight from the fridge. I also find that less chocolate and more egg white gives a fluffier mousse that's easier to handle, and delicious to eat STRAIGHT AWAY ???
Great tip! Thanks for sharing!
@Lisa von Boisman, thx I will do same in future . My mousse was not soft and fluffy after refrigerating. I had a hard time folding egg whites into mixture so I will do it your way next time
When would you this kind of dessert? Im doing a school project and we arent familiar with the chocolate mousse so any info would be great!!
Hi Sophya. This is a wonderful dessert that is just as at home at the end of a fancy meal or after a casual meal. Really any time you would enjoy pudding, you could enjoy a chocolate mousse.
Hello, I was wondering what size eggs I should use?:)
Hi Makenzie. We use large eggs for this mousse au chocolate. Enjoy!
If we just use regular eggs and want to get around the raw egg conundrum, could we treat the whites like a meringue and add a hot simple syrup as its whipping so it would be similar to cooking the egg whites?
Ho Ronisha. That's an interesting thought. We haven't tried making the mousse that way, but in theory, I don't see why it wouldn't work. If you give it a try, let us know how it turns out for you!
Oh its my first time making the mousse and its coming out watery did I do something wrong
Hi Martha. Keep going. The mixture is liquidy before it is refrigerated. The mousse should set up nicely in the refrigerator.