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This easy Chocolate Mousse recipe is super simple to make from scratch. Rich, airy, and full of chocolate flavor, this eggless mousse recipe can be enjoyed by everyone.
This eggless chocolate mousse recipe is so easy and quick to make with only a few simple ingredients and has an airy texture and rich chocolate flavor just like a traditional chocolate mousse. This will be the easiest and best chocolate mousse you have ever made at home!
Mousse is traditionally made with egg whites or whipped cream to get the perfect texture. Because our recipe isn’t made with raw eggs, it can be enjoyed by everyone and makes a great dessert for a Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day or any special occasion.
If you’re looking for more mousse desserts, check out our Lemon Mousse Recipe, Chocolate Mousse Cake, and Nutella Mousse Cookie Cups.
Why our recipe
- Made without raw eggs, so everyone can enjoy it
- Only 5 simple ingredients
- Our recipe includes lots of tips and tricks for making the perfect eggless chocolate mousse at home, so even beginners have success
- It can be made ahead of time and keeps fresh in the fridge for 2–3 days
Ingredient Notes
- Chocolate: For a rich chocolate flavor, I use a quality semi-sweet chocolate in this recipe. I don’t recommend using milk chocolate because the mousse would come out too sweet. My preferred brands are Lindt, Moser-Roth from Aldi, and Guittard chocolate. You can use chocolate chips (8 ounces are roughly 1 1/3 cups) or roughly chop a bar of chocolate.
- Vanilla: You can use vanilla extract or homemade vanilla sugar.
- Heavy Cream: You need heavy cream with 36% or more fat for this dark chocolate mousse recipe to get the best results. Whipping cream with 30% works too, but don’t use half-and-half. The more fat the cream contains, the more stable it will be when it’s whipped.
- Powdered sugar: Depending on your powdered sugar, you might have to sieve it before adding it to the other ingredients.
Julia’s Tips and Tricks
- Quality chocolate: Because this mousse is made with only a few ingredients, you will really taste the quality of the ingredients.
- Melting the chocolate: Instead of using the double boiler method or the microwave, I prefer a simpler way to melt chocolate that doesn’t require extra bowls. Bringing the heavy cream to a boil and pouring it over the chocolate is easier and beginner-friendly.
- Right temperature: It’s important that the chocolate ganache is completely cooled before adding the cold whipped cream. If the chocolate is still warm, it will get grainy and the whipped cream will melt. The chocolate mixture should also not sit in the fridge for longer than 20 minutes, or it will be difficult to combine it with the whipped cream.
- Folding in whipped cream: Make sure to not over-whip the cream (check out my post about homemade whipped cream for more tips). Otherwise, it will turn into butter. The whipped cream should have soft peaks (similar to shaving foam) to make it easy to incorporate the chocolate. Carefully fold it into the chocolate ganache with a spatula for the best results.
- Setting: The mousse needs about 4–6 hours to set in the fridge, depending on the size of the glasses or bowls you use. I recommend making individual portions in glasses, jars, or ramekins, instead of a big dish, so the mousse sets evenly.
- Refrigerating: Cover the glasses with plastic wrap before putting them in the fridge. If you’re using smaller glasses, put them in a baking dish and cover the dish with plastic wrap so you don’t have to wrap each one individually.
- Garnishing: Garnish the dessert just before serving with extra whipped cream and shaved chocolate, chocolate curls, or mini Oreo cookies. Raspberries would also make a great addition.
Storage and Serving
This recipe is perfect to make ahead of time because it has to set in the fridge for a few hours. Once the mousse is made, chill it in the fridge for 4–6 hours. The smaller your serving dishes are, the faster it will set. Take it out a few minutes before serving and garnish it.
I don’t recommend freezing this chocolate mousse.
To store leftover mousse, cover it airtight and refrigerate it for 2–3 days. It will get more firm the longer it is in the fridge, so take it out about 15 minutes before serving for the best texture.
More Chocolate Desserts
Breakfast & Brunch
Chocolate Banana Muffins
Cookies, Brownies & Bars
Chocolate Almond Biscotti Recipe
Cookies, Brownies & Bars
Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Easy Chocolate Mousse Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped or chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of the heavy cream to a bare simmer. Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate, let sit for 1 minute. Stir in vanilla extract and a pinch of salt, then whisk until smooth. Cover and chill the chocolate ganache in the fridge for about 20 minutes to cool.
- Beat 2 cups chilled heavy cream and powdered sugar in a medium bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium-high speed to soft peaks, about 2–3 minutes. Put half of the whipped cream in a container and store in the fridge until needed for decorating.
- Give the chocolate mixture a whisk, then fold it carefully into the remaining whipped cream with a silicone spatula until no streaks remain.
- Distribute between jars or ramekins and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4–6 hours until firm.
- Garnish with whipped cream and serve.
Notes
- Use Quality ingredients: Because this mousse is made with only a few ingredients, you will really taste the quality of the chocolate.
- Right temperature: It’s important that the chocolate ganache is completely cooled, but not too cold, before adding the cold whipped cream. Don’t let it sit in the fridge for longer than 20 minutes.
- Whipped cream: The whipped cream should have soft peaks, don’t over-whip the cream (check out my post about homemade whipped cream for more tips).
- Setting: The mousse needs about 4–6 hours to set in the fridge, depending on the size of the jars or ramekins that you’re using.
- Garnishing: Garnish the dessert just before serving with extra whipped cream and shaved chocolate, chocolate curls, or mini Oreo cookies.
- Storage: The mousse keeps 2–3 days stored in the fridge.
do i pour the chocolate into the saucepan or do i pour the heavy whipping cream into the chocolate in a separate bowl?
Could you use peppermint extract instead of vanilla? Thank you!
Yes, you could.
Amazing!!!! Flavor and so easy to make. Simple and absolutely tasty.
Super quick, easy, and super good!! Thanks for the recipe!! I didn’t add sugar to the whipped cream that was folded with the chocolate since the chocolate was already pretty sweet.
Chocolate mixure needs to cool before 20 min. In fridge or it needs longer than 20 min. Please adjust the tips! Great recipe! Thank you
I’m not sure I understand what you mean, Cheryl? The tips say: After whisking the chocolate and cream together don’t let the mixture sit in the fridge for longer than 20 minutes or it will be difficult to combine it with the whipped cream. And that is correct.
My 8 year old daughter made this herself .
Turned out great and set perfectly .
Hi Julia Thank you for your eggless chocolate mousse recipe. I made it exactly as the recipe but used some dark chocolate and more milk chocolate. It came runny and did not set. Could you please tell me what I did wrong?
Thank you
Janice
Mmh it’s hard to say what went wrong, it shouldn’t come out runny if you follow the instructions and chill times. Did you let the chocolate mixture cool down before folding it into the whipped cream? Was the whipped cream very stiff before you folded in the chocolate mixture? Did you fold it in gently or did you stir it in? Did you chill it in the fridge long enough?