I have tried so many Chocolate Mousse recipes over the years but nothing beats this one. Reader, I give you Elizabeth David’s French Chocolate Mousse also known as Mousse Au Chocolat. If you haven’t tried it before, you are in for a treat. It has the smoothest, light and airy texture with a rich and intense chocolate taste. Bliss in a bowl. This truly is the ultimate 3 ingredient recipe and one of the quickest and simplest desserts you will ever make. It is hard to believe something so simple could be so good…
I am loving chocolate mousse at the moment, I have a few different recipes that incorporate some sort of mousse. This one is of course the classic, it's so simple even if you may not think so. My Moelleux au Chocolat is a cake with a chocolate mousse-style layer on top. It's so decadent. Or this classic Chocolate Mousse Cake is one to try too. You should try this one first, it's always good to master a classic and this recipe is so good!
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Why you will love this recipe:
- It is such an easy dessert recipe and takes less than 15 minutes to make - then you can relax whilst it chills in the fridge.
- It is ideal for stress-free entertaining as you can prep ahead allowing you to enjoy time with your guests.
- You can easily make it look even prettier with a dusting of icing sugar, quenelle of whipped cream or sprinkling of seasonal berries.
- It uses 3 ingredients most people already have at home.
Ingredients:
See recipe card for the exact recipe with a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Dark chocolate - opt for a good-quality dark chocolate with 70% cocoa. This helps give a rich, chocolatey flavour to the mousse.
Eggs - use free-range eggs if you can. It is really important to use ones stamped with the British Lion as they are uncooked in this recipe.
Caster sugar - this adds a delicate sweetness. You could also use golden caster sugar or granulated sugar. If you want a more caramel flavour, you could use soft light brown sugar.
Substitutions & Variations
Caster sugar: In a pinch, you could use golden caster sugar or granulated sugar. If you want a more caramel flavour, you could use soft light brown sugar but the classic caster sugar works best.
Chocolate: Instead of 70%, you could opt for slightly less cocoa and try with a 54% dark chocolate. This will make it slightly less intense in chocolate flavour but still delicious. I wouldn’t use milk chocolate or white chocolate here.
Here's how to make this famous Mousse Au Chocolat
This step-by-step guide will help make this recipe a little simpler. The full recipe and quantities are at the bottom of the page.
ONE: Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. I like to use clean fingers, it's the simplest way to do it. I crack the eggs into a bowl whole then remove the egg yolk by gently scooping with a clean hand, transferring the yolk to a separate bowl.
TWO: To the melted chocolate, add the egg yolks, mixing well after each. If the chocolate seizes, do not panic (it can happen and it is perfectly normal and fixable - so don’t stress), simply add a little boiling water, a tablespoon at a time, and keep whisking until it comes back to being glossy.
THREE: Place the egg whites in a large bowl and whisk using an electric whisk until you have soft peaks. Add the sugar and whisk for another minute until glossy.
FOUR: Mix ⅓ of the whisked egg whites into the chocolate mixture and beat to combine. This lightens the chocolate and means it's easier to fold in the remaining egg whites without losing too much air.
FIVE: Transfer the loosened chocolate mixture to the egg whites and fold to combine.
SIX: Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours - or overnight.
Cooking Tips
Separating the eggs: I like to use clean fingers, it's the simplest way to do it. I crack the eggs into a bowl whole then remove the egg yolk by gently scooping with a clean hand, transferring the yolk to a separate bowl. If you don't feel too confident, use one bowl to crack the whole egg, then transfer the yolk to a bowl and transfer the egg white to another bowl. This means that if your third egg accidentally breaks the yolk, you don't ruin all the egg whites. You can just save the cracked egg (yolk) for scrambled eggs. The white needs to have not a trace of yolk or it won't whip up.
If the chocolate seizes when adding egg yolks to chocolate: Make sure to add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each. If the chocolate seizes, do not panic (it can happen and it is perfectly normal and fixable - so don’t stress) simply add a little water, a tablespoon at a time, and keep whisking until it comes back to being glossy. This has saved me before!
Whipping the egg whites: Make sure your bowl and whisk are spotlessly clean and have no other residue on them, as this can impede the egg whites from forming stiff peaks - which is what you want.
Folding the egg whites: You have just spent all that time getting air into the egg whites, don’t bash it all out when you come to folding in the chocolate. Use a large metal spoon or spatula to fold it in. This means don’t stir, but essentially use the large spoon to bring the bottom of the mixture up and over the top. Turning the bowl a quarter-turn as you go makes this easier. Be patient and it’ll end up coming together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This Chocolate Mousse is the perfect make-ahead dessert. If I am making it for a dinner party, I whip it up in the morning, then chill it until the evening. Making a day in advance is great.
Well covered (or in an airtight container), it will last up to 3 days in the fridge.
This Mousse Au Chocolat is simply perfect as it is. If you want to make it a little more special, dust with a little icing sugar before serving or top with a quenelle (a pretty spoonful) of whipped cream or a sprinkling of seasonal berries (raspberries, cherries and/or strawberries are particularly delicious). You could also top with some dark chocolate curls or drizzle with olive oil and add a sprinkle of sea salt.
Yes, this Chocolate Mousse recipe does contain raw eggs but, provided you use eggs stamped with the British Lion mark, they should be safe to eat. You only need to take extra caution if you are making for someone with a compromised immune system (see recipe note).
Other recipes you may enjoy:
If you love this Mousse au Chocolat, try my Brownie Bites, Moist Chocolate Cake, Self-Saucing Chocolate Pudding or my Dark Chocolate Brownies with White Choc Chunks. If you love chocolate mousse but it's not something you know you can eat every single day, try my Protein Chocolate Mousse. It's made with tofu (bear with me) and chocolate and it's really delicious.
Made this recipe and loved it?
I would love love LOVE if you could leave a review in the comments… I love hearing what you thought, any changes you made, the stories behind what made you try my recipes. Also, if you share a photo on Instagram, please tag me @desertislanddishes, it makes my day to see you making my creations!
Classic French Chocolate Mousse (Mousse au Chocolat)
Ingredients
- 120 g good-quality dark chocolate chopped
- 4 medium eggs
- 4 teaspoon caster sugar
Instructions
- Put the chopped chocolate into a medium heat-proof bowl. Set over the pan of barely simmering water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl doesn’t come into contact with the water (or the chocolate will overheat) and allow it to slowly melt, stirring often until smooth (alternatively, pop into a microwave-safe bowl and melt in 20 second bursts, stirring between each - this is the quickest method but you have to watch closely and ensure it doesn’t overheat). Set aside to cool slightly.
- Next, separate the eggs. Place the egg whites in a large bowl and whisk using an electric whisk until you have soft peaks. Add the sugar and whisk for another minute until glossy.
- One at a time, add the egg yolks to the melted chocolate, mixing well after each. If the chocolate seizes, do not panic (it can happen and it is perfectly normal and fixable - so don’t stress), simply add a little boiling water, a tablespoon at a time, and keep whisking until it comes back to being glossy.
- Mix ⅓ of the whisked egg whites into the chocolate mixture and beat to combine. This lightens the chocolate and means it's easier to fold in the remaining egg whites without losing too much air.
- Carefully pour the loosened chocolate mixture into the remaining egg whites, gently folding to combine. Once no white remains, pour into a dish or individual glasses. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours - or overnight.
Jane Daniels says
Good evening,
Your recipe sounds delicious. If I am making this pudding for 8 people, should I double up with the quantities?
Many thanks.
Jane D
Margie Nomura says
Hi Jane, yes double amounts and continue as instructed. Delicious! Let us know how it goes.
Rob says
Just made this and it seemed to go together easily, thanks!
Can I check how liquid the chocolate egg yolk mixture should be? Folding the resulting, chocolate, yolks and 1/3 whites mixture in was relatively thick and not sure if it should have been pourable at this stage.
Thanks!
Margie Nomura says
Hi Rob, when adding the egg yolks to the chocolate, sometimes it seizes. This could be what happened if you felt it was rather thick. But it sounds like the end product was good and the recipe went well so that's good! In the future, if the chocolate seizes, simply add a little water, a tablespoon at a time, and keep whisking until it comes back to being glossy. You can then add the 1/3 whites and continue as normal. Hope that helps!
Cara Findlay says
Absolutely delicious. I made this for a dinner party and the suggestion of olive oil and sea salt to finish was a crowd pleaser. Just gorgeous. Glad there were the instructions to add water if the mixture went a bit stiff, as this is exactly what happened to me. Rescued it. Thank you!
Harriet says
I had never separated egg whites let alone make a mousse before but these instructions made it really easy and it’s turned out really well. I was just wondering how long it keeps for. I tripled the measurements as it’s for a large group but not sure we’ll actually eat it all in one sitting!
Thanks
Natalia says
Really easy to make and so yummy
Sarah Thompson says
Very yummy and surprisingly simple to make!
Samantha says
What chocolate do you use? Any recommendations?
Margie Nomura says
Hi Samantha, I like to use a 70% cocoa solids dark chocolate here, any good quality one will do. If you aren't so much of a fan of dark chocolate, don't use milk chocolate but use a dark chocolate with lower cocoa solids e.g. 54%.
Carly says
My first time ever making mousse and this was delicious!
Stephanie says
Delicious mousse! It was a hit at the party I brought it to. I used Lindt chocolate (70% and 85% bars, because I made 1.5x the recipe), and the chocolate/yolk recipe needed a lot of water! I probably added at least a quarter cup of water. More. But eventually it became runny enough to add the whites and the end result was fab. Thanks for sharing.
Margie Nomura says
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it! Yes, the water trick is key - I didn't want people to panic and think it had gone wrong! xx