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.
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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. 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.
You Will Love These Other Chocolate Desserts:
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
- ⅛ 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!
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.