Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate mousse is a dreamy dessert. Its light and airy texture is nearly cloud-like, but it's super-rich in flavor. With a good semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, the mousse is deeply chocolaty and not too sweet. It's also highly impressive to bring out at a dinner party or just as a birthday cake alternative for someone who's fond of special desserts.

Despite the fancy name, chocolate mousse is not at all complicated. In fact, you don't have to cook or bake anything. This entire dish is brought together with just a microwave and a mixer. But by the nature of the dish, it requires some planning to make it ahead of time so it can set and chill.

Learn how to make chocolate mousse, and enjoy it at your next dinner or holiday meal. We even have a few topping suggestions to make it more fun.

Chocolate Mousse Ingredients

This chocolate mousse calls for just seven ingredients, making it an incredibly easy dessert for all sorts of occasions:

• Chocolate: We prefer semisweet or bittersweet chocolate so the flavor of the final mousse is intensely chocolaty and not overly sweet.
• Heavy cream: Whipped, it adds incredible body and richness.
• Instant espresso: Bakers know that instant espresso doesn't add a strong coffee flavor to chocolate desserts. Instead, it helps enhance and deepen the chocolate flavor.
• Egg whites: This is the secret to the perfectly aerated mousse texture.
• Kosher salt: A small bit of salt will balance all the sweetness.
• Cream of tartar: This helps egg whites whip better and faster, and it keeps the whipped egg whites stable.
• Sugar: Granulated white sugar is added to the whipped egg whites and the whipped cream for a hint of sweetness.

How To Make Chocolate Mousse

Grab your mixer! This chocolate mousse is quick and easy to whip up, but before you can enjoy it, it needs to chill for a few hours. Here's a brief outline of that process; the full recipe is further below.

• Step 1. Melt chocolate and some of the cream in a microwave-safe bowl until it's smooth. Stir in espresso powder.
• Step 2. Whip egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add some of the granulated sugar and continue to mix until the egg whites are stiff and form shiny peaks. Stir in some of the egg whites to the chocolate mixture; finish by adding all the egg whites and folding until incorporated.
• Step 3. Whip the remaining cream until medium peaks form. Add remaining sugar, then fold most of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Save some for topping the mousse when you're ready to serve.
• Step 4. Divide the mousse among six bowls, glasses, or cups. Cover and chill at least 3 hours. Top with remaining whipped cream before serving.

Our Tips for the Best Chocolate Mousse

With something as easy as this chocolate mousse recipe, there are a few tips that will make the final result even better:

• Plan ahead. The mousse will need to chill at least 3 hours before serving, so make sure to plan ahead and have these in the fridge while you're working on the rest of the meal.
• Quality counts. With something like mousse, the quality of the ingredients really matters because there are so few. Make sure you use a good chocolate for the most intense chocolate flavor.
• Use the right chocolate. You want the chocolate in the baking aisle, not the kind at the cash register. Again, quality counts.
• Fold gently. To keep as much air as possible in the whipped egg whites and whipped cream, you want to be efficient with your folding. it's important to mix the mousse well without over folding and pushing out that air.

Ways To Serve Chocolate Mousse

For the best results, you should go ahead and spoon the mousse into the cups or bowls you plan to use for serving. But you can have a little fun with your serving vessels: Adorable juice glasses are fun. For a more upscale presentation, reach for Champagne flutes or martini glasses. Gorgeous coupe glasses are always a good idea. For a classic look, reach for antique sorbet bowls.

Topping Suggestions for Chocolate Mousse

With a scoop of fresh whipped cream, everything about chocolate mousse is perfect, but you can get a little creative, especially if you're serving to guests.

• Add shaved chocolate or a sprinkle of cocoa powder.
• Top with a raspberry, blackberry, or sliced strawberry.
• Finish with a fresh mint leaf.
• For something a little unusual, add caramel popcorn.

Can You Make Chocolate Mousse Ahead of Time?

Yes, you can make chocolate mousse ahead of time. In fact, you should. Chocolate mousse needs to chill for at least three hours so it will firm up and set. However, after 24 hours, the mousse and whipped cream might begin to deflate.

More Favorite Chocolate Desserts

If you love the incredible chocolate flavor of this mousse, try one of these next:

• Fudge Cake
  
• Chocolate Lasagna
• Best-Ever Brownies
• Chocolate-Raspberry Cheesecake
• Little Layer Chocolate Cake