Classic Easy French Mousse Au Chocolat that’s rich, simple, and will give you a French fine dining experience at home!
Starting with a rich spoonful chocolate French chocolate mousse from the very first bite.
If you have never had Mousse au Chocolat or “French Chocolate Mousse” you are in for a treat. This recipe is as simple as it gets with an abundance of flavour. A perfect standalone dessert or used as spread for a cake.
What Is Mousse Au Chocolat Made Of?
Mousse au Chocolat is a French Classic. To translate, mousse means “foam” in French and it obtained its name from similar recipes having cloudlike textures. It is an extremely pleasing dessert and a crave for chocolate lovers.
Typically consumed after a hearty meal as chocolate mousse is fairly light and airy dessert.
Enjoyable by kids and adults alike, you are sure to please every chocolate lover. Needless to say, our children devoured it the minute mousse was made.
We’ve tested this recipe repeatedly to make it is absolutely perfect for you. And we strive to bring you recipes as close to its authenticity.
Rather than add any extra ingredient, we have decided to allow one of the early versions to stand on its own.
The early recipes were made with very few ingredients which consisted of eggs, chocolate and sugar.
The first mousse created in the late 1700s became extremely popular in France and later expanded to the U.S via the introduction the city that “never sleeps”. It is such a popular dessert; it has been added to all types of other desserts especially cakes.
Mousse Au Chocolat is generally served plain in Europe, but it can be served with shortbread, whipping cream, or any kind of nuts such as Hazelnut or with merengue.
Which Chocolate To Use
We highly recommend using chocolate that’s not made from the cookies and candy section of the grocery store. Instead, spend a little more time heading over to the baking section to pick up the chocolate, that way, when you are baking or cooking with chocolate, you are getting the best quality – easy to melt, rich, and smooth finish.
Although you can use almost any chocolate you’d like, but we find that the bittersweet chocolate works well and it is much better for mousse, as this is what the best French chefs use.
Ingredients To Make French Chocolate Mousse
You only need 3 ingredients to turn dessert night from ordinary to extraordinary. The full recipe with the exact measurement is listed below in the recipe card, but for now here’s all you’ll need to make this Mousse Au chocolat perfectly each time.
Chocolate – Honestly speaking, if you have a favourite type of chocolate, you could potentially use it in this recipe. We used bittersweet chocolate as it has a higher grade of cocoa solids, and it relinquishes a deep chocolate flavour.
Eggs: When it comes to eggs, stay away from already prepared packaged egg yolks and egg whites. This will not provide you with the best experience for your mousse. When it comes to French baking, raw eggs is the best choice-always
- Egg Yolks – Egg yolks are used in this recipe and can be easily substituted to make it vegetarian or vegan. Check your nearest grocery store for plant-based egg replacements.
- Egg White – The beaten egg white is what gives the extra body to this recipe once it is set. The beaten egg white foam is folded in the batter to form the actual mousse. Egg whites can also be replaced with similar vegan egg white version from the grocery store.
Salt is added for taste and to balance out the flavour.
Ingredients Variations
Other optional ingredients that can be added are vanilla or almond extract for extra flavour. If you want to make it thicker, gelatine sheets can also be used. Heavy cream is another alteration that has been added over the years to add more creaminess and milky flavour.
How To Make Mousse Au Chocolat
Chop chocolate pieces with a knife and put them into a medium saucepan.
Add 6 tablespoon water into chocolate.
On low heat, melt chocolate and make it like paste and remove from heat.
Pour it to different bowl.
Separate eggs to white and yolk.
Add egg yolk into the chocolate mixture and whisk them very well.
With egg whites, start to whisk them and add salt gradually.
Fold in the egg whites in the chocolate mixture and put into a glass or a bowl and place in the refrigerator for a few hours preferably overnight.
When serving, we recommend serving with roasted hazelnuts and whipping cream for extra flavor and fun.
Tips To Make A Delicious French Chocolate Mousse
When making your Mousse Au Chocolat, it’s best to use a double boiler so that way the chocolate doesn’t burn and or separate.
- Beat the eggs whites until foamy and stiff peak. When you are done beating the egg whites, it should have a peak at the end of the whisk and should be foamy.
- Be sure to use good quality chocolate. Dark chocolate is best to use.
- Be sure to not overmix the chocolat and the ingredients together. It is best to fold the ingredients in, especially the egg whites.
Why Is My Chocolate Mousse Not Fluffy?
If your chocolate mousse is not fluffy it can be because the chocolate is not as smooth. If your chocolate is too cold, it will be grainy when the egg whites are added.
How To Store
Before serving this chocolate mousse, we recommend keeping it in fridge for overnight to set it.
The dessert is best enjoyed sooner to retain freshness. Plus, it is so easy to make, highly suggest making it when needed.
Although you can make it ahead of time and store in the fridge (covered) for a few days, it can also be stored in the freezer for a minimum of 2 weeks.
More Desserts To Enjoy With Your Drink
If you love this Easy French Mousse, we recommend you pair it with one of these desserts next.
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Tag us on Instagram or Facebook so we can see your beautiful dish.Also, we would appreciate if could give it a star rating below!
Easy Classic French Mousse Au Chocolat
Equipment
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Bittersweet Chocolate
- 6 Tbsp. Water
- 6 Eggs
- 1 Tsp. Kosher Salt
Instructions
- Chop chocolate pieces with a knife and put them into a medium saucepan.Add 6 tablespoon water into chocolate.On low heat, melt chocolate and make it like paste and remove from heat.Pour it to different bowl.
- Separate eggs to white and yolk.Add egg yolk into the chocolate mixture and whisk them very well.With egg whites, start to whisk them and add salt gradually.Fold in the egg whites in the chocolate mixture and put into a glass or a bowl and place in the refrigerator for a few hours preferably overnight.When serving, we recommend serving with roasted hazelnuts and whipping cream for extra flavor and fun.
Anita says
I still can’t believe there are only three ingredients in this delicious mousse. Yummy!
Andrea Pannell says
So light and airy! The rich flavors just melt on your tongue
Janessa says
I love chocolate mousse but I have always been too intimidated to try to make it at home. Thank you for this thorough post!
Mirlene says
Thank you!
Cynthia | What A Girl Eats says
I love chocolate mousse! This is so rich and decadent!
Mirlene says
Thank you!
Holley says
A chocolate lover’s dream! I can’t wait to make this!
Amanda Dixon says
This mousse was such a decadent way to end our date night! It was perfectly light and airy and full of chocolate flavor. Absolutely delicious!
Mirlene says
Thank you very much!
Kristen Wood says
This was absolutely delicious! Can’t wait to make again! 🙂
Mirlene says
So glad to hear it Kristen. Thank you.
Anjali says
This looked so fancy but was surprisingly easy to make! It was also super rich and decadent – my kind of dessert!
Mirlene says
Thank you very much
Seema says
This Mousse is designed decadent, delicious and spoon liking good. So happy to have tried it out.
Mirlene says
Thank you, Seema.
Andrea says
I’m all in for this simple, yet elegant and delicious French chocolate mousse!
Mirlene says
Thank you!