Dark Chocolate Mousse
When I was a kid, chocolate mousse seemed like one of the fanciest desserts I could imagine. Weeknight desserts usually consisted of Jell-O with Cool Whip, and aside from that, there were sometimes cookies or Entenmann’s goodies at my grandma’s, and the occasional cake at a birthday party. I can only remember a couple of instances during my childhood that mousse was placed in front of me. It always stood out as something special. Served in a fancy glass goblet, topped with whipped cream and a garnishment… that was something to behold! It was chocolate, therefore I loved it, but it wasn’t until much, much later that I was really able to appreciate a wonderful mousse dessert. While I placed chocolate mousse on my 100 list years ago, I just recently got around to making it. As is always the case when it comes to great recipes… better late than never.
Part of the reason it took me so long to make homemade mousse is that I could never settle on a recipe. I wanted something that would be smooth, light and almost foam-like. I didn’t want merely a lightened-up version of pudding, but something much more spectacular. Surprisingly, hardly any of my tried-and-true cookbooks contained a recipe for chocolate mousse, but one of my newest favorites – The Science of Good Cooking – had a version that sounded like it fit the bill perfectly.
In less than 30 minutes, I had the mousse made and it was in the refrigerator chilling. Once chilled and set, the mousse was everything I had hoped it would be… bursting with a clean chocolate flavor, a light, melt-in-your-mouth texture and silky smooth. I topped the mousse with fresh whipped cream and chocolate shavings; it would also be wonderful with some fresh berries on top. This is a perfect dessert to serve to company since it can be prepared in advance easily and served in individual glasses or dishes.
It doesn’t take a lot of time, fancy equipment or hard-to-find ingredients to make something that’s extra-special… especially when you make it with love. This fabulous mousse recipe is a testament to that, and it’s one that I’m going to tuck away as a “tried-and-true” for decades to come.
One year ago:Â General Tso’s Chicken
Two years ago: Classic Egg Salad and Ginger-Tea Lemonade
Four years ago:Â Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte
Five years ago:Â Homemade Marshmallows
Dark Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) bittersweet chocolate, 60% cacao, finely chopped
- 5 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon brandy
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 2 eggs, separated
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided
- â…› teaspoon (0.13 teaspoon) salt
- 1 cup (238 ml) + 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Combine the chocolate, water, cocoa powder, brandy and espresso powder in a medium bowl. Place the bowl over a small saucepan filled with about 1 inch of water set over low heat, so that it is barely simmering. Stir the mixture frequently until it is completely melted and smooth; remove the bowl from the heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 1½ teaspoons of the sugar and the salt until it is slightly thickened and pale in color, about 30 seconds. Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and whisk to combine. Let cool until it's slightly warmer than room temperature, about 5 minutes.
- Whip the egg whites using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Add the remaining 1½ teaspoons of sugar and increase the speed to medium-high. Continue to whip until soft peaks form, about 1 more minute. Gently whisk one-quarter of the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Add the remaining egg whites and gently fold into the chocolate mixture using a rubber spatula until just a few white streaks remain.
- Wipe out the mixing bowl and then add the heavy cream to the bowl. Again using the whisk attachment, whip the cream on medium speed until it begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, at least another 15 seconds. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the mousse until no white streaks remain. Spoon the mousse into individual serving cups, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set and firm, at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
Notes
- If you are concerned about using raw eggs in this recipe, look for pasteurized eggs - almost all grocery stores carry them now.
- You can omit the brandy if you do not drink alcohol. You may substitute vanilla extract, adding it to the egg yolks, sugar and salt in step #2.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Excellent recipe. I have made it time and again. Thanks 👌🤗
The copy you wrote as a lead-in to this recipe not only is well written but is rich with a heart felt comfort that makes someone want to try it. And so I will.
Excellent. Have made it several times – thanks for the recipie 🌹
Hi Michelle, thank for the recipe. I have an story like yours about chocolate mousse, since my mum was always busy with her teaching work she never had time for special desserts, but she will take time off to make me and brother her chocolate mousse once in a while. Thank you for being a dame with ‘all’ the comments, it is not easy I know. ;-) …will make it for sure it really looks yummy ♡ Take care!
Very good recipie. Made it time and again 😊
This looks absolutely beautiful – me and my girlfriend have got to make this sometime! Thanks for the recipe!
Always delicious. It’s my go to when I have a chocolate craving.
Just made this Mousse for our company over the weekend…
It was so thick you could use it as icing on a cake.
I was a little embarrassed and very disappointed.
The dark chocolate flavour was definately there but it wasn’t light and fluffy like I was expecting.
Would this recipe work for a chocolate trifle?  I have a few recipes that call for mousse and this sounds sooo good but I don’t know if it would hold up.  I would so prefer this to pudding.  Thank you.Â
Absolute beaut recipe…lovely light mousse.
I used bournville chocolate which worked brilliantly…not too strong.
This is an AWESOME recipe!! I’ve made it more than once and works every time! Love it!! :)
Hi, im gonna make this today and was just wondering about how many teaspoons/tablespoons I need to substitute the brandy for vanilla extract?
Also, is the plastic wrap supposed to touch the “skin of the mousse” before putting it in the refrigerator?
It can, but it’s not necessary.
The same amount.
This was the first mousse I’ve ever made, and oh my GOSH, this is the deep, chocolatey flavor I’ve been looking for in a dessert! I didn’t have brandy, so just omitted it. Two things I wanted to share, if anyone has these issues. My heavy cream did not whip up right away, so if yours doesn’t either, just keep going – mine took 6 or 7 minutes. Also, you can find the espresso powder in the Mexican food section, at least in my local chain supermarket. Thank you so much for this recipe, it totally satisfies my never-ending chocolate craving!
i made your mousse and it turned out great. Used raspberry chambord and it tasted heavenly. Thank you and all my guests thank you.
this seems absolutely brilliant, but I was wondering what could be a substitute for the brandy?
You can omit the brandy without a problem, no need to substitute.
When I arrived in Belgium, I had this recipe from my sister – in – law: 4 eggs, 4 bars of chocolate, 4 spoons of icing Sugar … liqour ( optional ) … I have made my chocolate mousses for more tha twenty years only with this recipe!
It is so cute how the recipe says 6 to 8 servings! It is 2 servings if my husband is at home and 1 serving if he isn’t! Chocolate Mousse is absolutely my favorite dessert!
This looks so so yummy! I was planning on making this for my dad but he hates coffee flavors in anything, so could I just substitute it with a little more cocoa powder? Thanks so much :)
Hi Abigail, You can just omit the espresso powder, you don’t need to substitute anything.
This looks so delicious! I really want to make it for christmas eve and I’m wondering how big one serving is – is the bowl shown in your pics one? I don’t want to have too much chocolate mousse (if thats even possible) ;D Never made it before so I’m excited for my first try!
Hi Anna, A serving is really as much as you want :) But yes, one of those small bowls would probably be indicative of a normal serving size.
Thanks for your reply! (Even though it was a bit too late – I had already made the mousse when I got the email).
I divided the whole batch between 7 people and it was quite a lot. At first it didn’t look like much but it was super rich and everyone agreed that half as much would have been enough as a dessert. But my whole family loved it and all the bowls were empty :D The mousse was really easy to make and tasted just like in a fancy restaurant!
I will definitely make it again :D
Help! I’m in the grocery store aisle trying to buy all the ingredients to make this fab dessert! Is “Instant Expresso” the same as “Instant Expresso Coffee”? And Dutch Process Cocoa Powder…I can’t seem to find it. Is there a certain brand? Is it different from naturally unsweetened Cocoa powder (by Hershey, Nestle, Ghiradelli, etc)? Thanks!!
Hi Jessica, I’m not sure if the instant coffee would be the same. Instant espresso powder is extremely fine, which makes it dissolve very easily into liquids. There are a lot of brands of Dutch process cocoa powder; it is different from natural unsweetened cocoa powder. I typically do not buy it at the grocery store; you can get it on Amazon, from King Arthur Flour, Penzeys, etc.
Enjoyed making this and it turned out perfect..thank you for sharing.
Hi Michelle,
I’m looking to do your mousse recipe for a white chocolate mousse, would you have a recipe for that?
Thanks
Hi Maggie, Unfortunately, I haven’t done a white chocolate mousse, I need to add it to my list!
Michelle, of all the questions to ask mine is about your little white serving bowls
Where did you get those? So cute. The chocolate mousse is on my menu soon.
Thanks!
Hi Linda, They are from Crate & Barrel :)
Once it sets do you think it could be piped? I made the little chocolate bowls from the Wilton molds and wanted to see if I could pipe the set mouse I to them. Thanks!
Hi Danielle, Yes, I think this could be piped for sure. Sounds like a pretty presentation!
I made this mousse for dessert for our friends last night at our monthly dinner get together. It was a hit! Everyone loved it. I added a fancy little wafer and caramel cookie in each ramekin wit it and it looked very “fancy restaurant” as my best friend said. I’m so glad I made it.
Is it possible to substitute the bittersweet chocolate with semi-sweet or milk chocolate? I am making this mousse for my sister but she prefers milk chocolate. What alterations do you recommend? Thank you.
Hi Tat, I would use semisweet chocolate, but I don’t think I’d go the whole way to milk chocolate. You’re such a nice sister! :)
Hi Michelle, thank you so much for the recipe. I tried it out yesterday and my sister really liked it. It had the perfect consistency she was looking for. I appreciate your time in replying to me and look forward to trying more of your recipes!
Hello,
What does seperated eggs mean?? Like seperating the yolk from the whites??
Hi Noelle, Yes, the yolk separated from the white.
I made this for New Year’s Eve and it is delicious. I substituted amaretto for brandy. The texture was perfect! I was really surprised that it was so easy to make. I think this is one of those recipes that you can dress up or down. If you wanted, it would be the perfect dessert for a fancy dinner, but you can keep it really simple too. It’s definitely a recipe that I’ll keep bookmarked.
How would one substitute the liquid eggs, since the recipe calls for the eggs to be separated? Also, do pasteurized eggs whip well? Pregnant but now I REALLY want to try this recipe!!!
I am not sure of a substitute for real eggs in this particular recipe due to the nature of the recipe, but you can use pasteurized eggs, they will work just fine. Enjoy! :)
Heyy!! This looks fabulous! !! And I want to try it as soon as possible but first I want to ask you, is there a substitution for the Brandy? Or can I completely ommit it?? Thanks sooo Much!
Judi
Hi Judi, You could just omit the brandy.
Do you recommend a specific brand of brandy?
Hi Samantha, No, whatever brand you buy is fine.
Oh, and since I didn’t have any espresso powder on hand, I just left it out, hoping it would be fine without it. And I was relieved to read the comment where you said it’s okay to omit it!
I just made it for my brother’s birthday, and it is setting right now; can’t wait to try it cause it looks delicious!! Thank you for the great recipe. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Could the brandy be substituted with rum or chocolate(or mint) liquor? The only brandy I could afford to get right now would definitely clash with the semi sweet chocolate, however I do have some rum and flavored liquors I wouldn’t mind putting to use for this. Any thoughts? Thank you in advance for any advice and for sharing your recipe!
Hi Katie, I think you could use other types of liquors. Enjoy! :)
Hi Michelle! I’m on expat assignment in Trinidad and Tobago and unfortunately was not able to pack my stand mixer or hand mixer. I have access to a food processor and an okay blender. Could I use either instead of using the stand mixer as recommended above or will it not be as smooth? Thank you kindly, -Angie
Hi Angie, Unfortunately, I don’t know that you could whip egg whites with a blender or food processor. At least, I’ve never heard of it (I guess anything is possible!). You could try it, although I’m not sure what the results would be. Or, you could whip the egg whites by hand with a whisk. I’ve never done it, but I’ve heard it takes a ton of elbow grease ;-)
Can this mousse recipe be replaced and used in the Chocolate Cream Pie recipe?
https://www.browneyedbaker.com/2012/08/21/chocolate-cream-pie-recipe/
I have not tried that, but it might be delicious! If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
Looks wonderful.
I made this for dessert today for my boyfriend’s family. Unfortunately, nobody was a fan…..the mousse was very bitter, even for me and I LOVE dark chocolate. (Followed the recipe exactly). Even a generous helping of fresh whipped cream on top wasn’t enough to tone down the overwhelming flavor…. On the plus side, the texture of the mousse was perfect and it looked great!!!
Is it best to make the night before or the day of want to serve it
Hi Amanda, Per the recipe instructions above, you can make this up to 24 hours in advance.
Vanilla extract or Vanilla essence is not always a good substitute for someone who does not drink Alcohol. For example Hansells Natural Vanilla Essence has 59% Alcohol by volume.
This mousse recipe looks delicious! I’m just wondering about the instant espresso powder. I have never been able to find it, and I’m wondering if I could use a shot of espresso instead. What do you think?
Kim, you could replace a Tbsp or so of the water in the recipe with the same amount of brewed espresso.
Or just use regular instant coffee, but use 2 times the instant espresso, ie, use about 2 tsp instant coffee as a sub for the 1 tsp instant espresso. However, I think the first option would be the best one.
Hi Kim, I would not add any liquids to the recipe, but as Meryl suggested, you could substitute 1 tablespoon of the water for espresso. Otherwise, you can just omit it altogether. You can’t taste it, it just helps to enhance the chocolate flavor.
Thanks, Michelle! I had a feeling that adding more liquid wouldn’t be a good idea. Just thought I’d ask. (Also, I’m not meant to be having coffee, anyway, since I’m pregnant, so omitting it seems the best choice for me.)
I absolutely love this chocolate mousse! I’ve made it many times.
Like other readers, I just want to jump through my screen into your kitchen! MMM! What type of brandy did you use?
Looks absolutely delicious! I would so love to try some. I am sure it tastes amazing.
I just made this and it was delicious! Nothing too over the top, but still with a strong chocolate flavor. A big helping of whipped cream on top is a must :) !
My childhood memories of chocolate mousse are much the same. Whenever we would go out to eat after church on Sunday, I would get a dish of chocolate mousse. It was such a big deal! The way you describe the “foamy” texture sounds just as I remember too. Love these gorgeous photos.
one inch of…. well, its good i knew. please fix for others. :)
This sounds amazing!
That looks so good!
It is hard to beat mousse in the dessert department. I’ve made it for my hubby and kids a couple times, but would love to test out a new recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Love it!Thanks for recipe :)
This looks very yummy. I’m not a fan of the bitterness of dark chocolate, and I’m wondering if the other ingredients (the sugar?) mask a lot of the bitterness.
Hi Kate, 60% cacao chocolate isn’t overly bitter and the mousse is very well-balanced in terms of flavor. I don’t think you’ll find it bitter at all.
Terrific! Thanks for the reply. I’m making this mousse this weekend. :)
I love making a chocolate mousse from scratch! And now, I’m going to have to replace my old recipe with this one! I can just tell it’s going to be absolutely amazing!
I seriously feel like I can taste this mousse through the screen! This looks absolutely delicious!
This looks like the perfect chocolate mousse! Yum!!
I love chocolate mousse and yours looks perfect! Your photos are amazing!
This looks luscious, I’m definitely making some mousse this weekend!
Oh my goodness, this looks sooo wonderfully light and airy! Gorgeous pics as always Michelle:)
Chocolate is my weakness. I love the chocolate shavings on top! Great presentation.
This looks…scrumptious. The pictures are amazing, and I love the perfect little chocolate curl in the second picture.
How do you think it would be if, instead of the brandy, a raspberry schnapps was substituted? Too sweet?
I think that would be fabulous! I don’t think it would be too sweet since the flavor is disseminated over the entire dessert, plus we’re using dark chocolate so that takes the edge off of any sweetness. Enjoy!
Looks so light and fluffy. Can’t wait to try it!
Look at how thick that is – gorgeous!!
I always include a touch of brandy in my chocolate mousse too! Great recipe, I can’t wait to try it!
What a wonderful dessert! My family loves chocolate so this would make them very happy.
Chocolate heaven-ness! Love it’s poofy texture :)
Such a beautiful dessert! I love this mousse is dark chocolate, my favorite kind of chocolate!
I always love chocolate mousse because it just feels so decadent. And dark chocolate sounds even MORE decadent! I love it!
I just made chocolate mousse and it was fantastic! Your shots look beautiful!
This looks wonderful. I had to chuckle, though, when I saw your note about substituting vanilla extract for brandy if you don’t drink… I think vanilla extract is 40% alcohol!
Love your website and recipes!!!!
This looks amazing! I have a question though, is there any dairy-free cream substitute available out there? Several family members(myself included) can not eat dairy products, but this looks sooooo good.
Hi Abi, I am not familiar with dairy-free products, but the cream is whipped and folded into the chocolate mixture. If you have something you routinely substitute to make fresh whipped cream, use that.
Hi Abi
I’m lactose intolerant and am able to find lactose free cream in Canada.
It’s made by the brand Natrel. Ill be making it tomorrow and will let you know how it turns out.
This chocolate addict would die and go to Heaven if this was in front of me now!! Yum :)
You can’t go wrong with a classic dessert like this. Yours looks heavenly!
I think we can forget how amazing the simplicity of a dessert can be in our efforts to make something fabulous. One of my all time favorites desserts is Pots de Creme…another very basic chocolate recipe using the best ingredients. This is NOT your mother’s chocolate pudding! :)
This looks amazing! I’ve had chocolate mousse on my list of things to make for quite some time and have never gotten around to making it!
Yum, Shane would *love* this!! The texture looks absolutely amazing!
Ooooooh…I want some right now! lol. It looks so light and airy. I’m so excited to give it a try! My family will go crazy for it!
how many eggs?
Two, as stated in the recipe above.
My husband loves any type of mousse. This sounds great!
This looks amazing . I can not wait to try it.
This sounds soooo good! And I love how east it is!
I love, love, love chocolate mousse!! Your looks so light, airy and fluffy!! Oh my gosh I just want one giant spoon!! Looks amazing!
Similarly, I had never made pudding for dessert, as it always seemed like it was too much trouble. Once you make it once though, you realize how easy (and deeply comforting!) it is. Thanks for posting this, now I’m sure to add chocolate mousse to my sweet arsenal!
better late than never is right! This looks scrumptious!
Dark Chocolate … Mmmmm …. my husband will kill me if I don’t make this.
Michelle, It looks decadent. Might make this for a Mothers Day get together.
I’m excited to try this!! Do you know if it would work with lactose-free cream??
Hi Lisa, I am not familiar with lactose-free products, but the cream is whipped and folded into the chocolate mixture. If you have something you routinely substitute to make fresh whipped cream, use that.
I want to just jump into the screen and gorge on this delight! Wow. You do know how to click most tempting and seductive foodie pictures! Love ’em! I have been following this blog for quite sometime now and I just love it! Hope you do many many more!
P.S: I long for BEB mails more than anything for in my mailbox! :)
My husband and I just love Chocolate Mousse, and we will have to try your recipe, Michelle. However, I have a personal story concerning Chocolate Mousse. Many years ago, there used to be a restaurant in Monroeville, PA by the name of “Victoria Station”, which was one of our favorite places to dine, who served Chocolate Mousse as one of their desserts. So one evening while dining with a few friends of mine, I asked our server if he could please ask their pastry chef if he would be so kind as to part with his recipe for Chocolate Mousse. Well, much to my surprise, our server came back to our table with a small slip of paper, which they used as a bar tab, that listed 4 ingredients in mammoth proportions and with absolutely no directions to go along with these ingredients, whatsoever. And they were a gallon of heavy whipped cream, 16 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate; 16 egg yolks; and 2 cups of sugar. Of course, with amounts like these, I would have had to set up a stand on a street corner and give it away — LOL! However, I went back home, broke down the ingredients into a much more manageable recipe for 2-4 people and also figured out exactly what to do with those ingredients by consulting one of my cookbooks which happened to have a recipe for Chocolate Mousse. To this day, I still make that recipe, but usually only for special occasions, since it is a rather rich dessert.
I too have always wanted to make my own chocolate mousse but not able to settle on a recipe and can say that 100% this is the one I will make when I get around to it! :) That last photo just sums up what a good mousse should be like to me. Awesome recipe for sure :)
This looks insanely delicious!!!!! It’s so fluffy looking-the pictures are amazing!
This looks lovely. The first time I made chocolate pudding from scratch I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I’ve made several different chocolate mousse recipes, and I never get tired of it. Can’t wait to try this one.
This mousse looks like pure chocolate heaven!
Lovely! It’s fluffy and almost foam-like, as you wanted. Not merely a lightened-up version of pudding. I can tell the texture is just wonderful and settling on a recipe for something you really want to nail can be tricky. I have spent months before researching something until one day, finally, I just do it. Glad you just did it. Pinning!
This is absolutely gorgeous mousse! I love that it’s dark chocolate