How to Make Chocolate Mousse

This classic chocolate mousse recipe produces a mousse that is light, airy, and silky smooth. This step-by-step tutorial will walk you through how to make traditional chocolate mouse and you will be surprised at just how easy it is to make. Use this mousse to fill a cake, as a tart or pie filling, or serve as is with whipped cream on top! 

Overview

• Skill Level: Beginner
• Techniques Used: Folding, Melting Chocolate in the Microwave
• Components Used: Easy Meringue, Whipped Cream

Chocolate mousse is intensely rich in chocolate flavor but is also light and airy in texture. I think of it as a hybrid between pudding and whipped cream. Once it is chilled, chocolate mousse sets up and can be used as a filling in pies, tarts, and cakes or simply enjoyed as is with a dollop of whipped cream and chocolate shavings or fruit.

There are many different techniques used to make mousse but today I’m showing you my preferred method. This method involves 3 components: melted chocolate, meringue, and whipped cream. All 3 are folded together to make the most incredible, chocolatey mousse you’ve ever had.

What is Chocolate Mousse?

In French, the word “mousse” means foam or froth. When you look at how to make a mousse, a foam (such as meringue and whipped cream) is folded into a base (such as chocolate).

Mousse can be made in many different flavors both savory and sweet. Chocolate mousse is perhaps one of the easiest and most popular kinds to make. While most other mousse recipes call for gelatin, chocolate mousse is unique in that it doesn’t need it. Melted chocolate stiffens once it cools down keeping the mousse stable.

How to flavor chocolate mousse

This chocolate mousse is amazing as is but here are a few ideas if you’re looking for a new variation.

• Add warm peanut butter or cookie butter into the melted chocolate. Whisk until smooth and continue with the recipe steps.
• Add flavored extracts into the melted chocolate such as peppermint or vanilla. Start with a small amount, taste, and adjust.
• Add spices or finely chopped herbs into the melted chocolate like cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne, rosemary, basil, or mint.
• Whisk in other flavors like citrus zest or instant espresso powder into the melted chocolate.
• Add one tablespoon of dark rum or your favorite liquor into the melted chocolate mixture.

How to Make Chocolate Mousse

Making chocolate mousse combines a few easy pastry techniques. We will start with a melted chocolate mixture and then make a simple meringue and a simple whipped cream. These three mixtures are then folded together to make chocolate mousse.

STEP 1: Melt the Chocolate

Start with the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate in a large mixing bowl. This will be the bowl that you will fold the other ingredients in to to make the chocolate mousse.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave in short bursts until melted and glossy. Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate over a double boiler.

STEP 2: CREATE AN EMULSION

Water and chocolate typically don’t mix well together.  In fact, water can cause the chocolate to seize up with no chance of returning. But we are going to make the un-mixable mixable and create an emulsion with the chocolate and water.

Pour the hot water in to the bowl of melted chocolate and immediately start whisking quickly and vigorously until all of the water is incorporated into the chocolate and the mixture is very smooth. Whisk in the salt.

Set the bowl aside to cool down while preparing the other components.

STEP 3: MAKE the MERINGUE

To make a basic meringue, we will begin by whipping egg whites with a bit of sugar. This is one of two foams that will be folded into the chocolate base to make the mousse.

If you are concerned about using raw egg whites in your mousse, make sure you use pasteurized egg whites which have been heated to kill bacteria.

Starting with room temperature egg whites, whip them to soft peaks. Room temperature whites will whip up easier and with more stability than cold egg whites.

Slowly stream in the granulated sugar while continuing to whip to just barely stiff peaks. Be very careful not to over whip the meringue or it will get too dry.

STEP 4: WHIP the CREAM

Next, we will make the second foam that will be used to lighten the mousse – whipped cream. Although we used room temperature egg whites for the meringue, we must use very cold heavy cream for this step otherwise the cream won’t thicken.

Whip the heavy cream on high speed until you get a firm, stiff peak. You want to be careful because if you whip too far you will make butter.

STEP 5: FOLD IN THE MERINGUE

Folding is a technique used in baking when adding a delicate mixture into a heavier mixture. The goal is to keep the air in the foams while incorporating them into the chocolate base.

Chocolate is dense and heavy so it is inevitable that we will lose some of the air trying to get them all incorporated but go slow, be gentle, and it will pay off!

Before folding, lighten the chocolate by adding about a third of the meringue and stir it in completely using a rubber spatula. You don’t necessarily need to be that gentle for this step, we are simply lightening the chocolate so that it’s easier to fold in the rest of the meringue.

Now add another third of the meringue into the chocolate and fold it in. Starting on side opposite you, cut down from the center of the mixture to the bottom of the bowl then draw the spatula toward you against the edge of the bowl and out. Turn the bowl 90° and repeat.

Here’s a quick video demo on how to gently fold components together.

Essentially you are bringing a bit of the chocolate up over the egg whites and “folding it”.  Do this a few times. Add the last third of the meringue and fold it in. At this point, the mixture should still have white streaks but as we continue with the next step it will all get incorporated.

STEP 6: FOLD IN THE WHIPPED CREAM

After all of the meringue has been folded in, fold in the whipped cream using the same folding technique. Fold in about a third of the whipped cream at a time. Be gentle not to deflate the whipped cream and keep folding until you no longer see any white streaks and then stop.

Step 7: chill

The next step is to simply chill the mousse. The mousse needs at least 1 hour in the refrigerator for a soft set that would be perfect for filling a pie or tart, something that has sides. To fill a cake, I recommend chilling at least 2 hours for a firmer set and up to 4 hours for a fully set mousse.

If you plan to serve the mousse as is, go ahead and portion it into individual cups or bowl and then refrigerate. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings right before serving.

Storage

Chocolate mousse should be kept in the refrigerator tightly covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight storage container. It is best enjoyed within 3 days.

MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!

If you enjoyed this recipe, you might like to try other intensely rich chocolate desserts.

• Chocolate Cream Pie
• Chocolate French Silk Pie
• Homemade Chocolate Fudge
• Chocolate Souffle