Have you ever tasted French Chocolate Mousse? I’m talking about real chocolate mousse, not the instant or quick versions that use gelatin or cool whip.
They may make fine cake fillings, but once you’ve had the real thing, there is no substitute for Real Chocolate Mousse.
Trust me when I tell you, once you taste this chocolate mousse, you’ll never be happy with the imitators.
What ingredients do I need to make Real Chocolate Mousse?
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Chocolate Mousse. In Chef Speak this is called the Mise en Place which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
The first step in making this classical French dessert is melting the chocolate. Using a stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water will melt the chocolate easily.
Once the chocolate has melted add the butter to the chocolate and fold it into the melted chocolate. Set aside and let the chocolate cool.
Add the egg yolks to the bowl of your mixer and begin to whip them until doubled in size, then begin to slowly pour the sugar in a steady stream into the yolks. Continue to whip for another minute.
Add the Kahlua and coffee to the whipped eggs.
Can I add another liqueur to my Chocolate Mousse?
You sure can! Some of my other favorite liqueurs to add to chocolate are:
- Peppermint Liqueur
- Chambord
- Frangelico
- Gran Mariner or Cointreau
**You can also add your favorite extract instead of using liqueurs
Using a double boiler method whip the mixture over a pot of simmering water until it thickens. **This will also cook the egg yolks.
Transfer the mixture to your stand mixer bowl and whip until it cools (2-3 minutes).
When the sabayon has cooled fold the chocolate into the sabayon. Completely incorporate the chocolate into the sabayon.
**Do this by hand, don’t use an electric mixer.
Slowly whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks.
What’s the secret to making Whipped Cream?
The mistake that everyone makes when whipping cream is doing it too quickly. The secret to whipped cream that will last for days is doing it slowly.
Start out at a low setting and gradually turn up the speed of the mixer over 10 minutes. Don’t over whip the cream or you’ll get butter!
Chef Dennis Tip:
I prefer using heavy whipping cream vs. whipping cream. It holds its shape longer and produces a creamier result. Most heavy cream in grocery stores is 36% but if you can find 40% cream go for it.
Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the whipped cream.
After you’ve folded the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture, you’re done.
The chocolate will firm up the colder it gets. It’s best to place the Chocolate Mousse into the serving dishes before it fully sets up.
**The chocolate mousse can be rewhipped if necessary.
The chocolate mousse is perfect by itself, or served with berries. But you can also use the mousse to make other desserts:
- Chocolate mousse pie (pie shell or springform pan)
- Second layer on a cheesecake
- Used between layers of a cake
Recipe FAQ’s
Pudding is usually made with milk and cooked. It’s thickened with cornstarch which activates when heated with the milk. Mousse is not cooked and is thickened by adding whipped heavy cream to the mixture. As the melted chocolate cools, it thickens the mousse and gives you that rich silky texture which is due to the cooked egg sabayon, which is folded into the mousse. Pudding is semisolid and dense, while chocolate mousse is lighter and much richer.
If you want to make the mousse look lighter and airier after being refrigerated, simply re-whip the mousse. that will fluff it up a bit and make it easier to serve and more visually appealing.
Traditionally mousse is made with dark chocolate to give it that rich taste that only dark chocolate can give. You can, of course, use milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate to make the mousse. Just don’t use baking chips! Baking chips will work, but they have ingredients added to keep them solid. Use the best bar chocolate you can find.
More Dessert Recipes You’ll Love!
Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- 13 oz semisweet chocolate finely cut (milk or bittersweet chocolate can be used)
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter softened (3 oz)
- ½ cup sugar
- 6 egg yolks
- ¼ cup strong black coffee or espresso
- ¼ cup Kahlua **If you can't use alcohol, substitute with black coffee or espresso
- 3 cups heavy cream
Instructions
Chocolate
- Place the chocolate in a stainless steel bowl, over a pot of simmering water, stir with a rubber spatula as the chocolate melts, if the pan starts to get too hot, remove it from the heat.
- Continue to stir the chocolate until it has melted completely, then remove from the heat.
- Cut the butter into 8 pieces and mix it into the melted chocolate until it has been completely absorbed by the chocolate.
- Set the chocolate aside to cool to room temperature
Sabayon
- Add the egg yolks to the bowl of your mixer and begin to whip them until doubled in size, then begin to slowly pour the sugar in a steady stream into the yolks. Continue to whip for another minute.
- Add the coffee and Kahlua to the egg yolk mixture and place your mixing bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk the yolk mixture until it becomes very thick.
- When the egg yolks have thickened, continue to whip in your stand mixer until the mixture has cooled.
Combining
- When the sabayon has cooled, fold it into the chocolate mixture until well blended.
- Whip the cream in your stand mixer until it holds its shape, then fold it into the chocolate mixture.The secret to making perfect whipped cream is to do it slowly. Start at a low speed and increase the speed over 10 minutes until firm peaks have formed.
- The chocolate mousse will set as it gets colder. Place the mouse in serving dishes berfore it completely chills. The chocolate mousse can be re-whipped if it sets before you put it into serving dishes.
Pam Wattenbarger
Chocolate mousse with an added touch of Kahlua? Count me in. It looks so rich and decadent.
HELEN KRISTIANOPULOS
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING TO DIE FOR
Christine Vercoe
I wanted to treat my family with something special for dessert with our New Year’s Day lunch. I have never made chocolate mousse before and thought this recipe would be a great choice. They all loved it! I waited for my husband’s response since he loves chocolate mousse and order’s it frequently when we go out to dinner at a fancy restaurant. He loved it so much that he wanted to have another portion! He will have to wait and eat it tomorrow. I served it in small mason jars, topped with whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and fresh raspberries on the side. I will surely use this recipe again and share it with others.
Zoe
How far in advance can I make this recipe?
Chef Dennis Littley
the mousse will hold up well for up to a week. But it will set pretty well once and will need to be re-whipped to be placed in different containers.
Zoe
Thank you! Thinking of bringing to a party in a trifle dish. Hope it’s not too dense the next day.
hailey
Chef D,
I was wondering since I don’t have any heavy whipping cream am I able to use half and half?
Chef Dennis Littley
I don’t think half and half will whip up enough to make the mousse. You do need whipped cream for the recipe
hailey
thanks for replying! I just went and got some heavy cream instead of half and half. Having to do the recipe over again but will be exciting!
Chef Dennis Littley
if you ever make something that doesn’t thicken, get a pie shell and freeze it in the shell. I did that the first time I tried to make chocolate tiramisu. It made a hell of chocolate pie!
Heather
I’ve made this recipe many times and love it! Do you think the recipe would work as well with coconut sugar?
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Heather
I have never used coconut sugar but theoretically, it’s a 1-1 swap so it should work. Let me know if it works for you
Anonymous
This is an amazing recipie!
Can you please tell me which brand of chocolate do you use?
Chef Dennis Littley
Thank you, I use Callebaut chocolate for almost all of my chocolate needs. But any good quality chocolate will work.
Jane A
To die for!!! I’ve been searching for a perfect dense, rich chocolate mousse recipe ever since I sampled a delectable version prepared by a former WH pastry chef. When I asked her for the recipe I was told that hers used glucose syrup and other ingredients that “Weren’t available to a home chef.” Well this recipe is, if not the same, even better. I prepared it as written with the smaller quantity (1 1/2 cups) of top quality cream and it was the hit of my celebration dinner – served to gourmands and gourmets who have dined at 5 star restaurants around the world. Thank you so much Chef Dennis for sharing this treasure of a recipe! (Beautifully written story too.)
Chef Dennis Littley
Thank you Jane! I am so happy you tried my chocolate mousse. In the age of cool whip no one takes the time anymore to make a real chocolate mousse and OMG there is a difference!
I’m going to be updating the post with more pictures in the near future and republish it, its one of my older posts that never got the attention it deserved.
Thanks again- Dennis
Emma
Hey! I gave this recipe a go and it seems great, silly me added my cream cold though and after this everything seemed to go too stiff with little lumps of chocolate. It still tastes great but is far too stiff, even more after setting in the fridge. Is there any way for me to save the texture a bit? Can I add something to make it less stiff?
Chef Dennis Littley
did you whip the cream Emma? If there are little bits of chocolate you didn’t melt the chocolate enough. The mixture will be very firm after setting and the only way to make it less firm is to add more whipped cream into the recipe.
paula
Hi
, I was wondering if I have to use Kahlua or liqueur? Can I just use a extra 1/4 cup of black coffee instead?
Thanks
Chef Dennis Littley
you don’t have to use any liqueur Paula, its just an added flavor enhancement. A little black coffee would work too, but isn’t necessary.
Wilma Lopez
Hello Dennis
Can the liqueur be substituted in this recipe? Amaretto perhaps.
Thanks
Wilma
Chef Dennis Littley
it certainly can Wilma, use any liqueur that you enjoy.
Serena Leo
Hi Dennis,
I made your recipe years ago and loved it! But for the life of me I couldn’t find it again and couldn’t remember what the word for sabayon was (which was a super delicious step). It’s so tasty and thank you so much for sharing the recipe! I’m so glad I found it again 😀 Thank you!
Chef Dennis Littley
Thank you for the great rating Serena, and I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Meena Viswanathan
Hi again Chef D, Glad you could understand the reply I left using my phone. Thanks for clarifying that this is the french recipe for a mousse. The recipe sounds decadent ! I am going to give this a shot this weekend- I do have one more question… I have read the remarks and your response here- so it wouldn’t be a great idea to make this mousse a day ahead – am I right. Best made on the same day? I am excited- now just need to access ‘fresh’ eggs!
Chef Dennis Littley
Just remember to put the mousse in the serving dishes right after you make it. The mousse gets pretty firm and won’t look as nice served after it has set unless you re-whip it. Or you can use a large pastry bag and pipe it into your dishes.
A day ahead lets the flavors really build but its amazing right after its made.
Meena
Chef D , I have a question. As silly as this might sound- many other recipes for choc mousse seem to use egg whites. They are beaten till stiff and then folded in… now your recipe doesn’t incorporate this. I am going to give this recipe of yours a shot in its entirety
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Meena
French chocolate mousse does not use egg whites. This a classical recipe and once you taste it nothing else will compare.
Taylor
I LOVE this recipe. Every time that I make it for my family it is a hit. They beg me to bring this mousse to family events. Thank you chef Dennis!
Chef Dennis Littley
Thank you so much for letting me know you’ve been enjoying the chocolate mousse, it is amazing! Have you tried my tiramisu yet?