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Chocolate Mousse is ultra creamy and rich, with a light-as-air texture. This easy recipe is made in the traditional French way (no gelatin!) but I’ve made a few small tweaks to the classic method that allows you to avoid raw eggs if desired.
Why you’ll love this Chocolate Mousse:
- Light As Air Texture – Whipped egg whites and whipped cream are folded into our chocolate mixture to produce an ultra light & fluffy texture.
- Rich, Chocolate Flavor – This mousse is full of rich, chocolate flavor that’s not too sweet at all!
- No Raw Eggs – Using boxed egg whites (yes they will whip up! I’ve done it many times!) eliminates any possible danger from raw egg whites – the boxed type are pasteurized, meaning they’ve already been heated to eliminate any potential bacteria. Then, we’ll gently heat the egg yolks with water, sugar, and salt until 165 degrees F – this is the temperature at which raw eggs become safe to eat.
Ingredient Overview:
As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use the table of contents (back at the top, below the first image, to navigate).
- Egg Yolks – You’ll need egg yolks at room temperature.
- Egg Whites – We’re using boxed egg whites in this recipe. The boxed type are pasteurized, meaning they’ve already been heated to eliminate any potential bacteria.
- Heavy Cream – Use cold heavy whipping cream to make the whipped cream
- Chocolate – Use good quality dark chocolate. If you want a little less of a dark chocolatey taste, use semi-sweet chocolate. I recommend using baking bars of chocolate instead of chips, as chips have stabilizers to help them hold their shape when baked in cookies. This makes it more difficult for them to melt smoothly in recipes like this.
- Butter – I always use salted buter because in my experience, it lends the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if that’s what you prefer.
Recipe Substitutions & Variations:
- Gluten-free – This recipe is gluten-free as written.
- Dairy-free – Use your favorite, trusted dairy-free heavy cream and butter to make this recipe dairy-free. Make sure your chocolate is dairy-free, too.
How to Make Chocolate Mousse:
Step 1: Make Egg Yolk/Chocolate Mixture. Whisk together your room temperature egg yolks, water, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a small pot over low heat. Cook, whisking, until heated to 165 degrees F. Stir in the chocolate and butter until melted and smooth. Set aside.
Step 2: Whip Egg Whites. Add egg whites and granulated sugar to a medium bowl and beat on high speed for a few minutes, until very stiff peaks form. You should be able to flip the bowl upside down without anything moving or falling out (just like in my German Chocolate Cake!).
Step 3: Make Whipped Cream. Beat heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl on high speed until stiff peaks form.
Step 4: Fold Everything Together. Fold in the whipped cream gently, in two additions, then repeat this with the egg whites.
Serving + Storing:
Dollop the mixture into desired serving glasses and chill for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours before serving. Enjoy once chilled! Store leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Looking for more date-night desserts? Try my Triple Chocolate Skillet Brownie or Brown Butter Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie – both are made quickly and can be eaten right from the oven!
Expert Baking Tips:
- Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.
FAQs:
You can halve it, but I wouldn’t double it because it will be harder to fold in a larger volume of whipped cream/egg whites without deflating them and ruining the texture of the mousse.
Special Tools:
- Instant Read Thermometer – You’ll need an instant read thermometer to check the temperature of the eggs! This is an invaluable tool for bakers, since you can use it to check the temp of my Swiss Meringue, as well as the internal temp of baked goods!
More No Bake Recipes to Love:
- No-Bake S’mores Pie
- Black Forest Pie
- Nutella Tart
- Amazing No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie
- Brown Butter Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment & star rating!
Click the little stars in the header of the recipe card below to leave a comment & star rating, letting me know how you liked the recipe. I take all feedback seriously, & leaving a rating helps my small business immensely!
Classic Chocolate Mousse (No Raw Eggs!)
Ingredients
For the Egg Yolk/Chocolate Mixture
- 3 large egg yolks, at room temperature , See note below
- 1/4 cup lukewarm water, 58 mL
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar , 26 grams
- pinch of salt
- 4 and 1/4 ounces dark chocolate, Use good quality chocolate like a chopped baking bar. – 120 grams
- 2 tbsp salted butter, 28 grams
For the Egg Whites:
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp boxed egg whites, at room temperature , 138 mL
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar , 38 grams
For the Whipped Cream (in the mousse):
- 1/2 cup cold heavy cream, 120 grams
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar, 16 grams
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Whipped Cream For Serving:
- 1/2 cup cold heavy cream, 120 grams
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar , 24 grams
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- chocolate shavings, optional
Instructions
- Prep: Get all your ingredients out, making sure to let your yolks and whites come to room temperature. Get out 8 small dishes to chill & serve the mousse in.
- Make the Yolk/Chocolate Mixture: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, water, salt, and sugar. Heat over low heat, whisking constantly, until heated to 165℉. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate and butter. Set aside.3 large egg yolks, at room temperature , 1/4 cup lukewarm water, 2 tbsp granulated sugar , pinch of salt, 4 and 1/4 ounces dark chocolate, 2 tbsp salted butter
- Whip the Egg Whites: In a medium bowl, beat together the egg whites and granulated sugar on high speed, until stiff peaks form. This will take a couple of minutes. When it's truly at stiff peak stage, you should be able to flip the bowl upside down without the mixture moving at all. Set aside.1/2 cup + 1 tbsp boxed egg whites, at room temperature , 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- Make Whipped Cream: In another medium bowl, beat together the cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla on high speed until stiff peaks form.1/2 cup cold heavy cream, 2 tbsp powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Combine Everything: Check the temperature of the chocolate yolk mixture and make sure it's at about 95-104 ℉. We don't want it too hot. Gently fold in 1/4 of the egg yolk mixture (just eyeball it). To fold, use a rubber spatula and scrape around the sides of the bowl, then down across the bottom of the bowl, underneath the mixture, then bring the spatula up and over the top of the mixture. Gently cut through the mixture with the spatula, and continue doing this gently until the egg whites are mostly incorporated, then add the remaining egg whites and fold them in as well. Repeat this with the whipped cream, starting with 1/3 of it, then folding in the rest when the first bit is mostly incorporated. Be very gentle here so we don't knock all that air out of the egg whites and whipped cream. This is why we are folding, not using a regular stirring motion. If there are a few tiny lumps in the mixture, don't fret.
- Chill: Spoon the mousse into desired serving cups or parfait dishes. Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours before serving.
- Serve & Store: Make the whipped cream for serving, using the same method as earlier. Dollop whipped cream over the chilled mousse and top with chocolate shavings if desired. (Use a vegetable peeler against the side of a chocolate bar to easily make chocolate shavings.) Enjoy! Store leftovers in the fridge for 1-2 days.1/2 cup cold heavy cream, 3 tbsp powdered sugar , 1 tsp vanilla extract , chocolate shavings, optional
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Which egg white product or brand do you recommend????
Hi Diana! Any boxed egg whites are fine here.
you mention the addition of butter added into the chocolate yolk mixture in the directions. However you don’t say the amount of butter used either in directions, nor in the ingredients list for the yolk/chocolate mixture. Can you please list how much butter to use? Thanks.
Hi Lisa! I’m so embarrassed that I left the butter out of the directions – so sorry about that! It should be 2 tbsp butter – I’ve just updated the recipe!