Easy Chocolate Mousse
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With only three ingredients and no eggs, this Easy Chocolate Mousse recipe is, without a doubt, the easiest recipe I have ever posted on this blog. But don’t let the simplicity fool you – it has all the rich chocolate flavour of a classic chocolate mousse!
This simple chocolate mousse recipe actually wasn’t even supposed to be a recipe on its own. A while back I was working on another recipe when I realised this mousse was so ridiculously good on its own that I should share it like this too.
Of course, we all know that making a traditional French-style chocolate mousse usually involves eggs, beating egg yolks with sugar, adding melted chocolate, whipping the egg whites separately and then very gently, gently, gently folding them in so you don’t ruin all those perfect little air bubbles lest you end up with thick chocolate soup.
Although chocolate soup may not be that bad. I’d be happy to list chocolate soup as my second favourite after chicken soup. But I digress.
This 3 ingredient chocolate mousse, on the other hand, is easy. If you can heat cream, and then whip it, you can probably make this with your eyes closed and a coffee in your other hand. Decaf, in my case, since caffeine makes my heart go bat-sh*t crazy. So, whatever beverage you’re into.
It’s almost not even a recipe, it’s a ratio and some instructions. This means you can easily scale the ingredients up or down depending on how much you want to make.
Want to make mousse for a crowd at a party? Just double or triple (or quadruple… you get the picture) the recipe, and you’ll have enough mousse for all your friends.
You can even leave out the vanilla and make it 2 ingredient chocolate mousse. I don’t know why you would, because chocolate + vanilla = happiness. But if you were stuck on a desert island with only chocolate, cream and a whisk… then, er, how on earth did that happen?
Anyway, where were we? Oh yes…
Mousse Ingredients
Let’s quickly talk about the ingredients you need for this mousse. There are only three, but using the right products will make sure this is The Best Mousse you’ve ever had.
Chocolate: The flavour of your chocolate mousse will be directly dependant on the quality of chocolate you use, so use something good.
For the best flavour, a good quality dark chocolate with between 50 – 60% cocoa solids is ideal. Anything less than 50% and you won’t get a rich chocolate flavour. Anything much more than 60% may be a bit too bitter, but if you like your chocolate on the bitter side, then you can use chocolate that is over 60%. Go crazy. I used my favourite Whittaker’s 50% dark chocolate.
If you find the mousse isn’t sweet enough with the chocolate you have used, you can simply add a bit of icing sugar to the mixture before you whip it. I know, I know, that technically makes it four ingredients, but I feel like at this point we can probably stretch that far.
Cream: The cream you need for this recipe is known by different names in different countries. Here in NZ it’s usually called standard cream or whipping cream, in other countries, it may also be known as single cream or full cream. Heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream) and double cream are generally too thick for this recipe as they contain a lot more fat (although the fat content can vary by country.) If heavy cream is all you can get, make sure you don’t overwhip the mousse as it will get too thick.
Long story short: you need a pourable, un-whipped cream that is around 35% fat. It should say on the bottle/carton that it is suitable for whipping.
Vanilla: I recommend using a good quality vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste in this recipe. As I said, the vanilla could be considered optional, although to me chocolate without vanilla is like fries without salt, so I’ll be leaving that in, thankyouverymuch.
How to Make Easy Chocolate Mousse
The process for making this mousse is almost exactly the same as making a ganache, the main difference here is we’re reversing the ratio of ingredients: 2 parts cream to 1 part chocolate.
All you have to do is heat half of the cream until just below boiling point. Add it to the roughly chopped chocolate along with a splash of vanilla.
Whisk it gently until the chocolate is melted, then whisk in the remaining cream (I recently adjusted the recipe to do it this way because adding the cold cream helps cool the mixture down faster).
Then pop it in the fridge and put your feet up for a bit. Leaving it overnight gives the best results, but I have some suggestions below for speeding this process up if you need to make and whip this on the same day.
Once the chocolate mixture is thoroughly chilled, all you need to do is whip it until peaks form.
That’s it. Seriously.
What sounds like “just chocolate whipped cream”, tastes like rich, fancy, smooth-but-fluffy chocolate mousse.
Just spoon or pipe it into your mouth serving glasses or bowls. You can serve it straight away, or chill it again to firm it up a little more.
This is a great recipe for dinner parties because you can make the mousse mixture the day before, and then just whip it up on the day, and store it in the fridge until ready to serve.
To fancy it up, you can sprinkle it with chocolate shavings, chocolate chips, your favourite berries or other fruits, chopped nuts, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, chocolate caramel sauce, the list is really endless.
Is This Really Chocolate Mousse?
Because this recipe is always so popular, I share it regularly on my social media pages and every now and then someone comments to tell me that this “isn’t actually chocolate mousse.”
Sure, as I mentioned above, traditional French-style mousse is made with whipped egg whites and/or yolks, but that doesn’t mean this recipe isn’t a mousse.
In fact, according to most definitions (including good ol’ Wikipedia and my go-to baking and dessert bible “Professional Baking” by Wayne Gisslen), mousse can be made using either eggs; whipped cream, or both.
So yep, I’m more than happy to call this recipe mousse.
I think a lot of people are surprised by just how good the texture of this mousse is despite only having 3 simple ingredients. They love that it’s so easy to make and because it is an egg-free chocolate mousse, there are no worries about eating uncooked eggs.
I also get a lot of comments from people who are allergic to (or choose not to) eat eggs saying they are so glad they can have mousse again, which makes my mousse-loving heart happy 💜
Mousse Troubleshooting Tips
Before we get to the recipe, I should mention a few troubleshooting tips, just in case you need them. While this is a really simple basic recipe, there is one thing that can really ruin your chocolate mousse dreams – the mixture splitting when you whip it – *insert inconsolable crying noise here*.
There are two main culprits here. The first is over-whipping. If you whip the mixture for too long, the same thing will happen that would happen if you whipped plain cream for ages – you’ll make butter. So make sure you just whip the mixture until peaks form.
The other thing that can cause splitting is not chilling the unwhipped mixture for long enough.
It really does need to be super chilled before you get your mixer anywhere near it.
Chilling the mix overnight is the safest way to make sure that it is cold enough, but if you’re having a sudden Mousse Emergency, you can speed up the process by popping the mixture in the freezer. You will need to make sure you stir it regularly though, don’t just chuck it in there and forget it. Regular stirring will make sure it doesn’t actually start to freeze around the edges.
But what can you do if the mixture does split when you’re mixing it?
It’s an easy (if a little inconvenient when you’re in a hurry) fix- put the mixture back in a saucepan over low heat, and whisk it until it comes back together. Generally, that will do the trick. Then you’ll just have to chill it again (see the tips in the recipe card for chilling it faster), and re-whip.
Don’t let any of this put you off though, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve made this mousse and I’ve only ever only had it split twice – when I’ve been particularly impatient and whipped it too soon. But as long as you know what not to do, making this mousse should be as easy as 1…2…3…
Easy Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- 500 ml whipping cream see notes
- 250 g dark chocolate roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat half of the cream (250mls) in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until bubbles begin to form around the edges.
- Place the chopped chocolate into a heatproof bowl. When the cream is heated, pour it over the chocolate and add the vanilla. Leave to melt for a minute, then stir with a whisk until all of the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Whisk in the remaining 250ml of cream. Adding this cold cream helps to cool the mixture down faster.
- Taste the mixture, and if the chocolate is a little too bitter you can add some caster or icing (confectioner’s) sugar until it’s as sweet as you want it.
- Cover and chill the mousse mixture until it is very cold. This can either be done in the fridge or freezer.Fridge – refrigerate for several hours or overnight.Freezer – place in the freezer for 1 hour, stirring every 10-15 minutes to make sure it doesn't freeze around the edges.Chilling overnight in the fridge is the best option and gives the best results, but sometimes we just want mousse in a hurry, so the freezer option is there if you need it.
- Whip the chocolate cream with an electric hand mixer just until stiff peaks form. It won’t take very long, be careful not to overwhip it.
- Pipe or spoon the mousse into glasses or small bowls. You can serve it immediately for a softer, smoother mousse, or chill for an hour or two for a fluffier mousse.
- Store, covered, in the fridge for several days.
Notes
Recommended Equipment
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: Any nutritional info provided is a computer generated estimate and is intended as a guide only.
Quickfire Easy Chocolate Mousse FAQ
Yes, you sure can! According to most definitions, mousse can be made using either eggs; whipped cream, or both. This mousse has an amazing texture even without eggs, and it’s great for people who can’t eat eggs.
Yes, you can. Just pop it into an airtight container and freeze. If you want to serve it frozen, put it into (freezer safe!) serving dishes first and then put them all into a container to freeze, or alternatively freeze it all in one container, then let it soften slightly at room temperature before scooping into serving dishes.
This depends on the type of chocolate chips. If they’re baking chips, which generally have ingredients to stop them from melting and spreading when baked, they won’t work well in this recipe, as they don’t melt smoothly into the cream. If the chips are just regular chocolate in chip form and are designed to melt, then you should be able to use them in your mousse.
Not using this recipe. We’re relying on the fat from the cocoa butter in the chocolate to make the mousse set, and cocoa powder doesn’t contain cocoa butter.
Natalie
xx
If you’re wondering whether you can make an easy 3 ingredient chocolate mousse with white chocolate, you sure can! My recipe for Three Ingredient White Chocolate Mousse is up now!
Brilliant recipe, will definately try it! Can I also use it as a filling for a choc mouse cake?
Hi Ranecia. I’m not too sure that this would work well as a cake filling, it’s a bit soft and would possibly squish out. You might be better off using a regular chocolate ganache recipe and whipping that to use as a filling as it would set more firmly. Hope that helps.
Can’t you just use a stabalized whipped cream, some gelitan in with the whipped cream, to make it firmer?
Hi Rebecca, yep that could work.
Would it work if I substituted cream with non dairy whip?
Hi Diane, sorry I haven’t tried it with non dairy whip, so I don’t know if it would work. If it’s a product that can be heated and still whip up afterwards then possibly it would work, but you’d have to try it and see.
Plan on making this this weekend, but am a bit confused regarding the cream. Should I be looking to buy heavy whipping cream, whipping cream or heavy cream. Don’t want to get the wrong thing, or is it all the same? I will be serving 8. Is the ratio double cream to 1/2 the chocolate? Thanks
Hi Arlene, any of those will work in this recipe. It can be hard to tell because different countries use different names, but I think whipping cream is the equivalent of what I use here in New Zealand, so that is the one I would recommend you get. Heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are usually higher in fat and will also work well, you just need to keep an eye on them when you’re whipping, as they whip up faster than whipping cream and they can be more likely to get over-whipped. But as long as you watch it carefully and stop whipping when peaks form, it should be fine ๐
Ok I normally dont comment on recipes I’ve tried but this was so amazing I just had to! I made chocolate mousse cups with a brownie at the bottom for a party and omg this mousse was so easy and so delicious! Definitely keeping this and using anytime I want to make chocolate mousse. Thank you!!!
Hey Maira, thanks so much for your comment, I’m so glad you love this mousse as much as I do! ๐ And I LOVE the sound of it with a brownie base! ๐คค
I tried the recepie and the cream turned out very stiff and stable, so I was able to use it as cake filling without any problems. It might depend on the type of chocolate or cream you’re using so it might be a good idea to make a smaller quantity of cream first, just to test it out.
Oh my!!! I have NEVER made a mousse successfully, EVER!!! This one is going in my bank, thank you so so much!!!!
Thank you for sharing this, it is the perfect recipe. I made it, cooled the recipe then added 1/2 of it to my cream whipper with the CO2 cartridge, (I used homemade vanilla)
Now you can serve the exact amount each time and your product is preserved inside the container.
My husband didn’t even like chocolate mousse until now.
You should have seen our grandchildren’s surprised faces when we squirted chocolate cream into their mouths. Priceless.
Oh that sounds amazing!!! *adds cream whipper to wishlist of new toys*. Such a good idea, thanks for letting me know, and I’m glad you loved the recipe!
I just made this, and it tastes wonderful! I had to do some conversions, so I thought I’d save some other people the trouble. 500ml of cream = 1 pint OR 2 cups. If you use chocolate chips (I did), 250 grams = 1 1/2 cups.
Thank you very much, Natalie, for this quick and simple recipe!
Hi Clara, you’re very welcome and I’m so glad you loved the recipe. Thank you for letting us know about the conversions, that’s super helpful of you ๐
This recipe was a total failure for me, unfortunately, I followed the amounts and instructions to a T – I chilled the cooked cream/chocolate mixture overnight in the fridge. When I took it out, it was quite “set” already (though obviously not fluffy). Trying to whip it didn’t work, since it was too stiff – and I worried that I was just going to get chocolate-flavored butter. ๐
Hi J. I’m so sorry to hear the recipe didn’t work for you. Sounds like the chocolate caused it to set a bit firm. If you wanted to try the recipe again, you could try increasing the cream a bit so that it doesn’t set as firmly. In fact if you still have the mixture, you can gently reheat it and add a bit more cream, then chill it again and whip it. Hope that helps.
Thanks for the tip. I tried and may have added too much chocolate. I’ll try adding more creamer to see if it will help.
My wife and I tried this, but I had “heavy whipping cream” instead of just “heavy cream” or “whipping cream” and it was fully set solid in the morning after being in the fridge. I think that the whipping cream was the culprit as it was much thicker to begin with than what I normally use for whipped cream.
Hi Challon, yes I think you’re probably right, it sounds like the heavy whipping cream was too high in fat so the mixture thickened too much in the fridge. A cream lower in fat should work better.
i use this for a pie filling with chocolate syrup & heavy cream. then a coffee mousse made with simple syrup on top, then whipped cream, then chopped toffee. my base today is trader joe’s chocolate toffee coffee cookies, it’s a 10-minute refrigerator cake!
That all sounds so good, Kat! I’ve always thought this could make a great tart filling, but haven’t had a chance to try it yet, so thank you for letting me know! โค๏ธ I’m really glad you’ve enjoyed the recipe and found it so versatile ? xx
Hi,
can I use the mousse as cake topping?
Hi Hawa, sorry for my delayed reply, the mousse is a bit too soft for a cake filling, although I have used it to top cupcakes before. You can increase the chocolate a little bit to help it set more firmly, but it will never set as firm as a proper buttercream-type frosting. Hope that helps ๐
I made this and it was delicious! Mine was a bit firm as well but I didn’t mind. I put it on top of crushed oreos and topped with whipped cream and a cherry on top. Kids devoured it. Thanks
Hi Sherry, that sounds fabulous (I love oreos. And cherries on top of anything!) Happy New Year ๐
Can you add peppermint to this recipe?
Hi Barb, you sure can. Just add some peppermint extract or food-grade peppermint oil to the cream and chocolate mixture (you can add the vanilla as well, or leave it out, whichever you prefer). The amount of peppermint flavouring you’ll need will depend on the particular extract/oil you use as they vary in strength, so just add it a little at a time and give it a taste until you get the amount of flavour you like. And then write down how much you used so you’ll know for next time ๐
Hi! I really liked the recipe since it’s very simple and really easy. I just wanted to ask you, please, if possible to have the recipe of chocolate tarts since i really wanted to make some and the way you explain is far more easier than the cook books. I am waiting for an answer with great impatience. Thx once again… ๐
Hi Usha, I’m afraid I don’t have a recipe for chocolate tarts, but you could use this chocolate mousse as a filling in a tart shell ๐
Hi! This recipe sounds great! Could I make it ahead of time and put it in little jars/ramekins to serve later? Would it harden up again in the fridge once whipped?
Thank you x
Hi Jordan, it does firm up but still stays light and mousse-y, so you can definitely do it in advance. You can always let it warm up a bit out of the fridge before you serve it if you want it a littler softer ๐
Unfortunately this didn’t quiet work with me. After chilling the chocolate cream in the fridge I whisked it for ages (using electric heater) took me around half hour to get it to thicken slightly never peaked. I’ve ended up whipping cream separetly and then folding it in just to get it a bit fluffy. And now put it in the fridge look forward to trying it stil
Hi Zoe. I’m really sorry to hear that the recipe didn’t work for you. If you’ve used the suggested cocoa content chocolate, the same kind of cream and chilled the mixture thoroughly then I can’t think of a reason why it wouldn’t whip ๐ But let me know if you want me to try and help troubleshoot more.
I just made this and added a shot of whiskey! worked great ๐
Ooh, that sounds delicious!!! Glad you enjoyed the recipe ๐
Hi. Would this work with white chocolate?
Hi Kirsty, yes you can do this with white chocolate. I increase the chocolate a bit, 300g if it’s cool weather, 350g if it’s a bit warmer. Just makes sure it sets properly ๐
how many does this recipie make individualy???????
Hi Cheyenne, it makes eight half-cup servings. You can find the yield for all my recipes at the top of the recipe card, under the recipe name ๐
Turned out great. Thank you so much for a easy n yummy recipe. My guests n I loved it
How can I make this mocha flavored or add just a hint of mocha to it?
Hi there, you sure can, I would suggest adding some instant coffee powder to the cream when you heat it ๐
My family loved this and I could not get over how easy it was to make. Canโt wait to make it again. Thank you!
Hi Marti, that’s awesome, I’m so glad you and your family loved it! ๐ xx
Made this yesterday for a party. I used 2 cups of regular chocolate chips though because all of us have a sweet tooth. Served it in small cups and added a layer of strawberries in the middle. It was such a huge hit!
Thank you so much for such an easy recipe. I have a 4 month old so can’t spend a lot of time on one dish. This recipe was perfect!
Hi Sana, that’s awesome, I’m so glad you liked it! LOVE the idea of the strawberries in the middle, I might have to try that myself! xx ๐
I tried.this today 600ml cream with about 400g choc buttons and.vanilla…
All went well till i let it cool in room temp i whipped for ages and didnt work so i put in fridge to cool more then whipped for ages again and it started to get thick but not amooth texture it wasgetting fine lumps the whole way…dunno if it can be saved or chuck in bin?tasted good tho but terrible texture.plz help me.
Hi Rasha, the mixture needs to be really well chilled before beating, otherwise it wonโt thicken. Also if you used 600g of cream to 400g of chocolate thatโs too much chocolate. I would gently re-melt the mixture, add some more cream (200ml, to make it the correct ratio from the recipe) and whisk it until itโs smooth and the mixture has come back together. Then chill it fully before beating it again ๐
Sorry it was actually 2x600ml cream…so thats 1200ml cream to 400g choc which was more than enough taste wise…
So u reckon i should reheat the mix and let it cool completely then fridge then whip it while cold?
Yes, I would try reheating it and let it chill completely before beating again. It may not set very well though, as you’re using less chocolate than in the recipe. The chocolate is what makes the mousse set, so while the 400g might be enough for you taste-wise, it may not be enough to make the mousse set as firmly as mine does.
I loved this recipe. I actually found some 90% chocolate bars by Lindt. So deep but not at all bitter! Thanks!!
I made my chocolate mousse for Christmas and it tasted absolutely divine. All my family members loved it. So I wanted to try something new. Can I substitute the milk chocolate with the white chocolate to make a white chocolate mousse with the exact same procedure?
Hi Vii, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Yes you can definitely do this with white chocolate. I find it needs a bit more of the white choc to make it set, I usually add between 50 – 100g extra. The white chocolate can make it a bit more prone to splitting when you whip the mixture, but if you make sure it’s really well chilled before you start whipping, it should be fine. I’ll hopefully have a proper recipe post up for this soon! โค๏ธ
i tried this recipe. its turned out great! thanks.
my mousse isnt whipping up, do you know what cud have gone wrong?
Hi there, I’m not 100% sure why it wouldn’t be whipping up. Was your mixture very well chilled when you started beating it? If it’s not chilled enough then the cream tends not to whip up properly.
Wow! This recipe is a must-try! The ingredients to be prepared is a brilliant idea. I like this one a lot. I can save so much of my time while preparing for other recipes or sweets.
Hi I love the sound of this recipe and want to try it today for dinner tonight. If i put it into the freezer to chill faster how long do you think it will need?
Thank you
Hi Jess, I’d say maybe an hour or two? It will depend on your freezer temperature and how much other stuff you have in there, but I’d say a couple of hours should do it. Make sure you give it a stir every 20 minutes or so if you can, to stop it freezing on the edges before it’s chilled in the middle ๐
Made this last night. It was very easy to make and it halved well. I served it in chocolate cups for a pretty Valentine’s dessert. Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome, Lindsey, I’m so glad you enjoyed it ๐
WOW, this was easy and delicious. I decided to make this 2 1/2 hours before my company came. I was worried that it wouldn’t chill in time for me to whip it but it worked out perfectly. I only got the cream warm enough to melt the chocolate and then chilled it. I put it in the freezer later for about 1/2 hour to get it good and cold. It whipped in just a couple minutes and was a perfect dessert. I got 8 good size servings. I wasn’t sure about the conversion so I did what another reader posted. I used 1-1/2 c. milk chocolate chips and 2 c. cream and the vanilla of course. PERFECT! Thank you so much for posting.
I Whipped mine but it looks like it has split! I didn’t over whip it??
I’m hoping it’s okay… how else could I have salvaged it/get it back to the smooth texture?
Thanks
Hi Stephanie, the couple of times Iโve had it split Iโve remelted it, chilled it again and whipped it and it was all good. Usually it only splits if itโs not quite chilled enough or if itโs over whipped, but sometimes the chocolate is just temperamental for no apparent reason. But remelting and chilling and whipping again usually does the trick. Pop it in the freezer for a bit if you need it to chill faster, just make sure you stir it often and be careful not to let it start to freeze.
Nice receipt thank for sharing.. and funny post too!! Worthwhile to read
hi, can i use dairy free whipping dessert cream instead of real cream?
how far in advance can this be made?
Hi there, I’m not sure whether this would work with dairy-free whipping dessert cream or not as I haven’t tried it. But if it is a product that can be heated and then cooled and whipped, then I can’t see why it wouldn’t work. The mousse will keep for several days in the refrigerator ๐
This was everything it was billed to be! So easy and fabulous. Hit for Easter dessert. Thank you.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Karen! Hope you had a lovely Easter ?
Easy, yummy and versatile, too!
Hi Natalie,
If I put the mixture in the freezer to cool it quicker, how long do I leave it for? I just want to make sure it doesn’t actually freeze!
Thanks.
Hi Malia, it may take an hour or two, but I suggest giving it a whisk every 20 minutes or so to make sure it doesn’t start to freeze on the edges ๐
Can this recipe be easily overwhipped, if I am not careful?
Hi Bre, I’m so sorry, it seems I somehow missed your comment! Yes, it is possible to overwhip the mousse, I find it’s more likely if you use a higher-fat cream like double cream, but it can happen with regular whipping cream too. It ends up behaving pretty much like normal whipped cream- if you whip it past soft or firm peak stage, it turns to butter. I tend to err on the side of under-whipping so that doesn’t happen, but if worst comes to worst and you do accidentally overwhip it, you can melt it back down and re-chill it, and whip it again.
This recipe was soooooooooooooooooooooooo
Amazing to the point were it melts in your mouth!!! I made a really big batch of this recipe and even with just 4 people it was gone in 1 hour. This recipe was so easy and yummy the only thing I did differently was not using dark chocolate I used milk chocolate instead to make it a little sweeter but I am sure with dark chocolate it was still very fantastic. I am so glad that I saw this I will definitely make it again?
Hi Virginia, thanks so much for your comment, I’m really happy to hear you all enjoyed the recipe! ?
I made this and when beating it it looks like it has curdled is there any way to bring it back to smooth
Hi Georgia, usually the curdled look is caused by one of two reasons, either the mixture isnโt quite cold enough when itโs beaten or itโs been over beaten. Sometimes itโs because the cream doesnโt have enough fat in it, but usually itโs a temperature thing or an overbeating thing. Best thing to do is remelt the mixture and whisk until it all emulsifiers again, then chill it again before beating it. If you need to chill it faster then pop it in the freezer but make sure you stir it regularly to make sure it doesnโt freeze solid ๐
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, it turned out great! I added some orange zest, crushed almonds, and minced chocolate and it was delicious. It was very easy to make and would definitely recommend ๐
HI NATALIE,
I AM LOOKING FOR A GOOD MOUSSE RECIPE AND LUCKILY DISCOVERED YOURS. I’VE READ THE VARIOUS COMMENTS AND IT SOUNDS WONDERFUL.
I’M MAKING THIS RECIPE FOR MY LOCAL CHURCH GROUP NEXT SATURDAY FOR OUR ANNUAL LUNCHEON AND I HAVE 2 QUESTIONS:
1. CAN THE RECIPE BE DOUBLED OR TRIPLED WITHOUT DESTROYING IT?
2. I WILL SERVE THIS MOUSSE IN INDIVIDUAL BOWLS. CAN I MAKE THE PATCH A DAY OR TWO EARLIER AND CHILL EVERYTHING OVERNIGHT. THEN PIPE THE MOUSSE IN THE INDIVIDUAL BOWLS ON THE EVENT DAY; OR IS IT BETTER TO MAKE THE MOUSSE AND PLACE IN INDIVIDUAL BOWLS THE SAME DAY; REFRIGERATE EVERYTHING IN BOWLS AND SERVE THE DESSERT THE FOLLOWING DAY.
THANKS…….. JUDI
Hi Judi. Yes you can definitely double or triple the recipe. I would suggest putting the mixture into a couple of different bowls or containers when you chill it, to make sure that it all gets thoroughly chilled. I would make the mixture the first day and chill it overnight, then whip it and pipe it into the bowls the next day, then you can either serve it that day or it will be fine in the individual bowls in the fridge for a day or so without deflating. Just cover the bowls with plastic wrap, or sometimes I just put all the bowls or glasses into large plastic containers with lids and pop them in the fridge like that. Hope that helps ?
Great recipe! Its so easy and tastes so good! I used a bittersweet chocolate, half teaspoon of vanilla and 3.5 tablespoon of powder sugar and its perfect for my taste! Thank you!
Hi Payal, that’s great, I’m glad you enjoyed it! ๐
So just to make sure of the ratio of cream to chocolate, I have a carton of HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM and a bag of chocolate semi sweet chips. I am serving 8. How much of the cream (in US. measurement of ounces) to chocolate. Also is it ok to use the heavy whipping cream, or will it be too thick. Need to make this today, so a prompt response would really help. Thanks so much.
Hi Arlene, Yes you should be able to use heavy whipping cream, just make sure you keep an eye on it when youโre whipping as it whips up much faster than normal whipping cream, and it can quickly overwhip. I live in New Zealand so donโt weigh ingredients in ounces or use bags of chocolate chips, but this is information from another reader in the comments with what they successfully used in this recipe: โ500ml of cream = 1 pint OR 2 cups. If you use chocolate chips (I did), 250 grams = 1 1/2 cups.โ Hope that helps ๐
What would you recommend for doing a vanilla mousse? Omitting the chocolate of course, but how much vanilla would you suggest?
Would this work in a layered dessert? It needs to hold up to being sliced.
Hi Sherri. The mousse isn’t super firm when it’s set, but you could experiment with adding more chocolate to the recipe to make it set more firmly ๐
Hi Natalie! Just wondering how many days the mixture can be refrigerated before I whip it.
Hi Olivia ๐ I’ve only left it in the fridge for a couple of days before using, but as long as it is well covered it should last at least as long as the use-by date on the cream. It would probably be fine for a bit longer as the cream is brought to the boil, but the use-by date would be the safe option.
Do you know if this would freeze well? I want to make ahead as mini desserts for a big function and canโt risk it spoiling.
Hi Jacquie, I haven’t tried freezing the finished mousse, so I’m afraid I can’t tell you for sure if it will be ok. I would suggest testing it out with a small batch first to see if you’re happy with the result.
Not sure what I did wrong but mine ended up a solid thick lump of chocolate. Not at all moussey and light ?
Hi Jami, I’m really sorry to hear that! Happy to help you troubleshoot though if you want to give me a bit more info:
– How solid/firm was the mixture before you whipped it?
– What kind of cream did you use?
– What type of chocolate did you use (what percentage of cocoa solids did it contain?)
Hopefully we can get to the bottom of the problem and get you on your way to mousse perfection ?
can you use gluten free ,dairy free chocolate chips or dark chocolate melts ?
Hi Rachael, you should be able to use chocolate melts, but if it’s compound chocolate it may set a bit differently to real chocolate as the compound choc doesn’t contain any cocoa butter. It should still set, it just may be firmer or softer depending on the fat used in the melts. The chocolate chips will depend on the type – some chocolate chips are designed for baking and they don’t melt very well (they’re supposed to be for things like cookies where you don’t want the chocolate melting everywhere), so they probably won’t work so well in this. If they’re just regular chocolate chips they should be fine. Most plain chocolates are gluten-free, and I can’t see why dairy free chocolate wouldn’t work (although obviously the mousse won’t be dairy free as it contains cream.) Hope that helps ๐
Hi Natalie, just wanted to say how much I love your articles. So much info and then you anticipate all the questions I would have, The simple syrup / cake moisture articles are my fave. The tone of your writing and your interaction with your community is light and fun. I really like that you respond to questions thereโs something very sad about seeing unanswered questions in the comments. Iโm sure itโs quite time consuming but greatly appreciated.
Hi Anita, thank you so much for your comment, it’s really lovely of you to say! It’s always my aim to make it feel like we’re just hanging out in your kitchen baking or decorating cakes. Some of this stuff can be daunting, it sure was for me when I started, so I want to take some of that away and make things feel approachable. And I always do my best to reply to comments, especially when people have questions about something. I just really want everyone to have the same success that I do with my recipes and tutorials. Thanks again for commenting, I really appreciate it! ๐
Hi! Iโve made your chocolate mousse in the past as a cake filling. I used a ganache dam to keep it from seeping out. It was delicious.
Iโm making it again for a wedding cake and am wondering how much I need to make. Your recipe makes 4c. Would you recommend 1/2c per layer for a 6in cake and maybe 3/4c each layer for an 8in cake?
Itโs is the best and easiest mousse!! Thx so much.
Hi Kimm, that sounds probably about right to me. I’m just trying to mentally picture about how much icing I would use in each layer on those sized cakes ? I usually just eyeball it, but it does sound about right. I’d do a bit extra and err on the side of having too much than too little, just to make sure. Glad to hear you find it good as a cake filling, I haven’t tried it yet but I’ve had a few people asking if it would work, so I’m happy to hear that it does.
Hiya! I made this recipe yesterday. It turned out more like a ganache than a mousse.
Hi Rey, that’s a bummer, sounds like something’s gone wrong there! This mixture shouldn’t set anywhere near as firmly as a ganache. If you want to let me know a bit more info like what kind of chocolate you used (what cocoa % it was), what kind of cream you used and how firm the mixture was before whipping it, I can hopefully help you troubleshoot.
Very simple recipe.. I didn’t chill it in the fridge overnight.. i just put it over a ice bath for a couple hours n beat it for a few minutes until soft peaks form.. dressed it up with whipped cream n chocolate chip.. simply a easy n delicious recipe..
Hey Kasturi, that’s great, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! ๐
Thank you Natalie – a super easy recipe to make! It’s firm enough to make perfect for filling or topping a cake. It’s really rich and glossy when whipped up (I used 80% dark chocolate) so if it was for dessert, a little would go a long way. Delicious ๐
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Hey Edith! I’m super happy to hear how much you loved this recipe! It’s still one of my absolute favourites so I’m always glad to hear when other people love it as much as I do ๐ Thanks so much for commenting to let me know! xx
Hi…I’ve made it and frozen it before and it was fine. Obviously you have to let it thaw, which I did in the fridge. It was a little while ago, so I don’t remember details – I know the taste was totally fine, but I can’t remember about the texture. However, I’m pretty sure that if the texture was off, I’d have remembered that!! I’ve made this recipe a few times and have loved it every time (as have those I’ve made it for). ๐
Hi Natalie.
My other half and I were having a sort out of the cupboards and fridge, and I found a bar of Lindt Dark chocolate with lime, which is one of my favourites as I love dark chocolate and also citrus. The chocolate needs using up so I was looking for an easy chocolate mousse recipe.
I found your recipe, and it looks so easy we have added cream to our shopping list for later on today. It is so easy being able to change the ratio to what chocolate you have. We have 80g chocolate so rather than having to try and get 2/3 of an egg or something ridiculous like that it’s just double that for cream.
I will let you know how it turns out with the lime flavour, and if it works will become our new easy go to dessert.
Hi Paul, I’ve never tried dark chocolate with lime, but it sounds delightful! I’d love to know what you think of the mousse when you’ve tried it ๐
The mousse with dark chocolate and lime was delicious, and so easy to make. I left the vanilla extract out because I was not sure it would go with the lime.
The chocolate was made by Lindt and the main lime flavour comes from the small pieces of lime zest in the chocolate.
I am now looking at other flavours of chocolate and wondering if they would make a nice mousse. I think they do a nice chocolate and orange one which may work, or Terrys Chocolate Orange maybe??
I think this has now become our go to recipe for Choccy mousse.
Oh, I’m so pleased to hear that you enjoyed it! It sounds incredible. I think the options are almost endless when it comes to flavouring the mousse, especially with all the amazing speciality chocolates that are available. Chocolate orange could definitely be a winner. Or if you’re a fan of coffee, I just published a mocha version of this mousse with a whipped coffee topping that is pretty delightful. I have a few different versions of the mousse now, you can check them out here if you’re interested ๐ https://sweetnessandbite.com/category/mousse/
I love coffee and coffee flavoured desserts, but my other half cannot have coffee as it makes her ill if she has even a tiny bit. The great thing about your recipe is that I can make a single portion of coffee for me, and a different flavour for her, so may have to give it a try sometime.
This is my first time making a chocolate mousse and I was very doubtful when I first saw the recipe because every other recipe I had seen was highly complicated. I tried it and I loved it! It was super easy! I put I the chocolate mousse in the middle of some cupcakes I made and oh my gosh it was heaven on earth. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hi I make this dessert and add some brandy into the whipping cream before mixing this making a really decadent adult dessert for a dinner party. I call it Brandy Alexander dessert!
Hi Maralyn, oooh that sounds so good! I’m going to have to try it! ๐
Would you modify anything if I am going to use Perugina Milk Chocolate bars? Each bar is 3 oz or 86 g.
Hi Nicole, I’m not familiar with Perugina chocolate specifically, but if you’re using milk chocolate you do need to increase the amount of chocolate to make sure the mousse sets. I have a milk chocolate version of the recipe >here<. I served that one in chocolate Easter eggs, but of course, you can just serve it in glasses.
Love this recipe, use it all the time. But this time it didnโt work out. I used these dark chocolate bars that i always use. Each is 100g so i used 2 and a half. But I usually chill it for maybe 4 hours and this time i left it overnight, maybe 14 hours. It was very solid when i took it out, kind of like fudge. It wouldnโt whip. Since you probably wont reply soon i am adding some heavy cream and reheating it on low heat in a saucepan, then chilling it for 4 hours. Let me know if you have ideas on what went wrong and how to fix in the future.
Hey Maddy. Oh that’s such a bummer! Did you use the same cream that you’ve used in the past? The only thing I can think of that would make it set so much is that the cream had a higher fat content. Because the fat content in cream varies in different countries, it can be hard for me to make specific recommendations, but in general I would recommend trying a cream that has a lower fat content if you can.
If that’s not the case, I’ll have to put my thinking cap on and see what else I can come up with!
Hi, just to note that single cream in the UK doesn’t whip! So I guess I’ll be serving chocolate cream instead of chocolate mousse ๐ but should still taste nice and will still go well with strawberries!! Unless you have any other tips? In future I’ll try with double cream and see how it turns out! Otherwise, great recipe – as I said, it tastes lovely even though the texture isn’t quite right ๐
Oh nooo! I’ll have to update the post with that info. Does it say on the bottle/carton whether or not it will whip? It’s so hard to know which cream will work when every country calls it something different ๐ฉ I’m so sorry it didn’t work, and I hope it was ok as a fruit dip instead ๐ Hopefully if you try it again with double cream that it will work better ๐ค And thank you for letting me know! xx
Hi love please can u tell me what i can use instead of the cream as i didnt realise it was only 300ml tub and im short by 200
Hi Selina, unfortunately there isn’t really anything you can substitute for cream in this mousse recipe and still get the same result. If you had sour cream or crรจme fraรฎche on hand, they could possibly work in a pinch, but the flavour would be slightly different and the mixture would be thicker, so may not whip up as much.
If you can squeeze by with less mousse, you could use the 300ml of cream with 150g of chocolate and just make a smaller batch. That might work if you’ve got something else to serve with the mousse, like fruit.
Sorry I cant be of more help!
Brilliant and easy, I used Hรดtel Chocolat mint drinkng chocolate flakes and so delicious, thank you for this ๐
I’m wondering if tis recipe would work in a whipped cream dispenser instead of whipping with let’s say a kitchenaid?
Hi Kris, I haven’t used a whipped cream dispenser before so I can’t really comment on whether the mousse mixture will work in it. It is a lot thicker than plain whipping cream, so it would depend on how thick the liquid can be in a dispenser. Sorry I can’t help more than that! ๐
Hello,
I do the same recipe but I have been using Icing Sugar (Frosting) and sometimes Gelatin to try new things as well as whipping cream for the same result but slightly different tastes.
I also use fruit instead of chocolate during the summer and autumn.
Very good recipe though and a good alternative.
Kia ora! What brands of whipping cream and chocolate do you recommend for us kiwis? Which ones work best for this recipe?
Ngฤ mihi!
Hi Inaya, I usually use Anchor, Meadow Fresh or Woolworths cream in this recipe. The only one I avoid is Pams, as for some reason it always goes grainy when I use it. And I use Whittaker’s chocolate, as mentioned in the post ๐