Easy Chocolate Mousse

Rich and creamy, this easy chocolate mousse is an egg-free recipe, made super easy. Prepared with just five main ingredients including semi-sweet chocolate, heavy cream, vanilla, a pinch of salt and a kiss of cocoa powder, this recipe is your next chocolate fix when that craving hits!

A luxurious yet easy chocolate treat

Whenever my sweet tooth hits, it's typically something chocolatey that I crave, and that I ultimately reach for.

If I'm in the mood to bake, maybe I'll whip up a batch of my chocolate chip cookies with roasted hazelnuts, my brownie cake, my Mexican hot chocolate brownies, or even my double chocolate chip muffins (a real fave)!

But on those occasions when I'm not quite in the mood to turn on my oven, or the temps are just a bit too hot, whipping up a dreamy and easy chocolate mousse is the perfect way to feed my craving!

This easy chocolate mousse recipe has just five basic ingredients, and just a couple of steps. Honestly, the hardest part is waiting for the mixture to chill!

So if an easy version of a decadent chocolate mousse sounds like the perfect indulgence, this elegant yet simple version is just the pick. It's terrific as a snack or served after a lovely meal to seal the deal with something sweet!

My recipe for easy chocolate mousse

Back in culinary school, I remember making chocolate mousse and thinking, “I kinda wish this was a little less involved, a little easier...”.

That's because classic chocolate mousse involves using egg yolks to create a custard base. It also calls for whipped egg whites to help create aeration, even gelatin (depending on the recipe) to help stabilize it.

And while I can appreciate this more labor-intensive technique, it can be a bit too much work for my taste. That's especially true when I'm looking to enjoy a simple, light and fluffy, and intensely chocolatey treat made lickety-split.

Easy chocolate mousse typically makes use of just heavy whipping cream and chocolate, perhaps a pinch of salt or dash of vanilla. The chocolate is melted by heating the cream and combining the two, to basically create a ganache.

In most recipes, only a portion of the cream is heated and added to the chocolate. The rest of the cream is whipped, then folded into the cooled chocolate ganache to create the chocolate mousse.

The issue I find with this version is that if the prepared chocolate mousse is kept cold in the fridge for longer than an hour or so, it begins to become quite thick and a bit too stiff—less airy and fluffy.

The method that I like to use, which is loosely inspired by Justin Chapple's recipe from his book “Just Cook It”, makes use of all of the heavy cream being heated and added to the chocolate to melt. It creates a thinner chocolate mousse base, which then gets cooled.

And once that base is cold, it's whipped for a couple of minutes until it becomes the chocolate mousse, in all of its light, fluffy glory. There's no folding separately whipped cream into it, as it's all just whipped together at once. It actually stays light and fluffy for a lot longer, rather than becoming too thick and stiff.

For my recipe here, I like to use semi-sweet chocolate, heavy cream, a splash of vanilla, a sprinkle of cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt to balance out the flavors.

If I want to make the mousse ahead, to serve later, I just make the base, and then keep it cold in the fridge. When ready to enjoy, I whip it until fluffy, spoon or pipe into glasses or mousse cups, and garnish with whatever goodies I like!

Here's a sneak peek at my recipe for easy chocolate mousse:

(or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I heat my heavy cream and vanilla, then pour that mixture over my chopped semi-sweet chocolate, or semi-sweet chocolate chips, and salt.
2. I whisk those ingredients together to melt the chocolate, until smooth.
3. Next, I add in my cocoa powder, and whisk once more to blend that in.
4. I cool the chocolate mousse “base” to room temp, about 30 to 45 minutes, and then place it into the fridge to chill for at least 1 ½ hours (or even longer, if making ahead).
5. Once the base is cold, I whip it for a few minutes using a hand mixer, until light, fluffy, and creamy (with stiff peaks)—until it becomes the chocolate mousse.
6. Then, I whip up some whipped cream to have as optional topping.
7. Finally, I spoon or pipe the chocolate mousse into glasses, top with some whipped cream (if desired), plus raspberries, chopped nuts, and/or chocolate shavings, and serve.

Recipe

Easy Chocolate Mousse

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

Rich and creamy, this easy chocolate mousse is egg-free, and made with only five sweet ingredients for the perfect indulgent treat!

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Yield: 6 servings

Nutrition info: 515 calories (per serving)

Prep time: 10 minutes (does not include chill time)
Cook time: 10 minutes (to melt chocolate)
Total time: 20 minutes

Easy Chocolate Mousse Ingredients:

• 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped, or 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Pinch salt
• 2 cups heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cocoa powder (sifted, if lumpy)
• Square of dark chocolate, to shave or curl over top, as optional garnish
• Chopped, roasted hazelnuts or almonds, optional garnish
• Raspberries, optional garnish

Basic Whipped Cream Ingredients (for topping):

• ½ cup heavy cream, cold
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your chocolate mousse ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Add the semi-sweet chocolate or chocolate chips to a large bowl, and sprinkle in the pinch of salt (a scant ⅛ teaspoon). Set aside for a moment.
3. Next, to a small saucepan, add the 2 cups of heavy cream, along with the ½ teaspoon of vanilla. Heat the cream until hot on medium or medium-low for a few minutes, just until bubbles begin to form around the edges, and steam begins to rise. (Stir occasionally so as not to scorch the cream on the bottom of the saucepan.)
4. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate in the bowl, and allow it to sit for 30 seconds. Then, whisk this hot cream and chocolate until it melts. Add in the cocoa powder, and gently whisk that in to completely incorporate, until the chocolate and cream mixture is completely smooth. (This chocolate mousse “base” will be quite thin at this point, which is perfect.)
5. Allow the chocolate mousse base to cool at room temp for 30 to 45 minutes. Then cover the bowl with plastic wrap, place into the fridge, and allow it to completely chill, at least 1 ½ hours more, or until ready to whip and serve the mousse (can be done the day before).
6. In the meantime, gather and prep all of your basic whipped cream ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use, if preparing to use as optional topping.
7. To make the whipped cream, add the cold cream to a bowl, along with the vanilla and powdered sugar, and using a hand mixer, whip the cream for a few minutes until soft or medium-soft peaks form. Keep chilled in the fridge until ready to use.
8. When ready to prepare the chocolate mousse, use a hand mixer and whip the cold chocolate and cream mixture (chocolate mousse base) for a few minutes on medium-low, just until stiff peaks form, and the mousse is fluffy and creamy. Take care not to overmix, so as not to make the mousse curdled or grainy.
9. Spoon or pipe equal amounts of the chocolate mousse into 6 ramekins or small glasses, top with a dollop of the whipped cream, and garnish with shaved or curled chocolate and nuts, berries, etc., and serve. Or, keep the mousse chilled in the fridge for up to 4 hours (any longer may firm it slightly).

Tips & Tidbits for my easy chocolate mousse recipe:

• Good quality, semi-sweet chocolate bar, or chocolate chips: Use the best quality semi-sweet chocolate you can, as this will help create the best tasting chocolate mousse. I use either bar chocolate, finely chopped, or even good quality chocolate chips (Guittard) for convenience. Use 46 percent (semi-sweet) for a sweeter taste, or up to 60 percent cocoa for less sweetness. You can use even darker chocolate, if desired. Just know that it may come without added sugar, so the taste will be more intense and less sweet.
• Keep your heavy cream cold for better whipping: A secret to making the best whipped cream is to keep your cream, as well as the bowl that you will be whipping the cream in, cold until ready to whip. It helps the cream stay set, with good texture, and it whips up quickly.
• Chill this easy chocolate mousse for best texture: When preparing this recipe, I actually like to prep the chocolate mousse base the day before serving. I just keep it chilled overnight. When ready to serve the mousse, I whip it fresh, spoon it into glasses, garnish, and serve.
• What to garnish this easy chocolate mousse with: Simply dolloping some whipped cream over the top may be enough. But I like to shave or curl a square of dark chocolate for a pretty topping, and even some chopped hazelnuts or a few raspberries.

Craving more sweet and chocolatey desserts like this one? Check out my recipe for Brownie Cake, Chocolate Truffles, Chocolate Bark, Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies, Double Chocolate Chip Muffins, or even my recipe for Chocolate Pudding!