Easy Chocolate Mousse

Ranked #15 in Food & Cooking, #141 overall

Easy Chocolate Mousse Recipe

I started making this chocolate mousse when I was 14 or so.  It's now (cough, ahem, mumble) years later, and I'm still doing it.

The original recipe came from Seventeen magazine. It was so easy, I made it for my friends (even hosted a party) and served it to my parents.

This is still remembered today as the infamous, "Jodi, you make dinner tonight episode," all my favorites — fettucine alfredo and chocolate mousse. :-)

I've now learned to make much more complicated desserts (chocolate and otherwise), but this easy mousse is still a big favorite.

A kid can make it. You don't have to separate eggs, or follow lots of complicated instructions. No muss, no fuss, no bother. It's simple; it's got only 5 ingredients.

If you can boil water, you can make this easy chocolate mousse recipe.

The only tools you need to make this mousse are a blender, a measuring cup, a measuring spoon, and a spatula.

This page has the original recipe, instructions on how to make your mousse, as well as several delicious variations, like chocolate mousse made with cocoa powder, raspberry chocolate mousse, and chocolate mousse without cream. Click on one of these links, or scroll down to find the one you want.

Photo: clarita on morguefile

The History of Chocolate Mousse

Mousse au chocolate (or chocolate mousse in English), means chocolate foam. The mousse is whipped with egg whites to add volume, and then chilled so it doesn't collapse.

1880? Mousse is invented, exact time unknown.

1892: According to Food Timeline, the first American print reference to chocolate mousse was in a New York Times article.

The paper said that "There were 8,000 persons at the Food Exposition in Madison Square Garden yesterday,...Ms. Parloa lectured in the afternoon on 'Lobster a la Newberg', Welsh rarebit, and chocolate mousse."

Incidentally, those fancy food shows are still held in New York today. There's also a New York chocolate show every November.

1894: Cassell's New Universal Cookery Book discusses mousse recipes and recommends setting the mousse in an ice cave until firm (!)

1907: The Great Escoffier includes mousse in his cookbook.

1977: The first white chocolate mousse is created in New York by chef Michael Fitoussi.

Easy Blender Chocolate Mousse

Easy Chocolate Mousse Variations

chocolate mousse with raspberry* Use a Green & Black's Organic Chocolate Bargreen and blacks organic chocolate bar for an extra super chocolate boost.

* Freeze the mousse. It comes out like chocolate fudge ice cream.

* Add raspberries or strawberries on top. If you freeze those too, they get even sweeter.

* Garnish with shaved chocolate or chocolate sprinkles.

* Serve layered in parfait glasses with whipped cream in-between.

* Borrow Chaunecey's idea (from the comments) and make it with coffee instead of water.

* A splash of Kahlua or Amaretto might be fun too!

Image thanks to Shashi Bellamkonda

What You'll Need to Make Your Chocolate Mousse

Osterizer Blender

Oster BCBG08-C 6-Cup Glass Jar 8-Speed Blender, Brushed Nickel

Amazon Price: $33.81 (as of 02/15/2012)Buy Now

If you're going to make chocolate mousse, you're going to need a good blender. I've had my Osterizer for years without a hitch. It chops through everything! Great for mousse (of course), pesto, crushing ice, and large batches of smoothies.


Make your mousse extra special with Green & Black's organic chocolate bars. It's smooth, intense, and super-chocolatey. Use it in mousse, or just eat one or two squares right out of the package. And, all that dark chocolate is actually good for you.



Lindt Excellence Extra Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa, 3.5-Ounce Packages (Pack of 12) Very, very chocolatey... and only four ingredients: chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla (no soy lecithen). If you want the lower carb version, look for bars made abroad, the bars made in the US have more carbs.



If you prefer something less intense, try Callebaut 53.8 % Dark Chocolate Callets(chips) from Callebaut of Belgium. Since they're essentially chocolate chips, they'll melt more easily than a bar would. And, one helpful Amazon reviewer has included recipes for chocolate ganache, dipping chocolate, and truffles in her review.


Nielsen-Massey Vanilla is real vanilla, pollinated by hand. It takes 9 months for the beans to mature. Then, they're macerated in an alcohol solution to produce vanilla. The fake stuff? That's made by soaking wood in alcohol. Who wants to eat wood?

Chocolate Mousse with Cocoa Powder

Cooks.com chocolate mousse with cocoa powder
Out of chocolate? Use cocoa powder and gelatin instead.
Hershey's mousse with cocoa powder
A chocolate mousse recipe from Hershey's.
TLC's chocolate mousse recipe
Chocolate mousse with gelatin and cocoa powder
Double Dip of Chocolate Pudding from the NY Times
This pudding gets its chocolate punch from both /www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007V11TQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jodisquid-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0007V11TQ">Droste Cocoa (8.8o oz)>cocoa powder and /www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005SWGGZ8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jodisquid-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005SWGGZ8">Scharffen Berger Chocolate Bar, Markham Valley Semi-Sweet (68% Cacao), 3-Ounce Bars (Pack of 6)">semisweet chocolate. Scroll down to find the recipe (don't be fooled by the barbecue sauce at the top of the page).

Chocolate Mousse Without Eggs

Chocolate mousse from Alton Brown
No eggs, but it does have rum (or you could use orange liqueur).
Raspberry Chocolate Mousse
No eggs, and a quick start from packaged pudding.
Raspberry White Chocolate Mousse from All Recipes
Raspberries, white chocolate, and no eggs

Chocolate Mousse Dessert Dishes

Bormioli Rocco Alaska Dessert Bowls, Set of 6

Amazon Price: $19.99 (as of 02/15/2012)Buy Now

These bowls are both sturdy and elegant. Perfect for mousse (or bananas foster, or ice cream). They're made in Italy (hmmm, maybe gelato too) and are dishwasher safe.

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Chocolate Mousse Without Cream

Perfect chocolate mousse without cream
This recipe was originally published by Julia Child. Use the freshest eggs you can find and high-quality chocolate.
Chocolate Mousse wtih Rum
Just three simple ingredients.
Belgian chocolate mousse
Five ingredient mousse (with rum and coffee).

Extra-Dark Chocolate Mousse

Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse from Epicurious
This mousse is thick, rich, and positively decadent!
Extra-Dark Chocolate Mousse from Simply Recipes
Super rich and dark, with espresso for an added kick.
Dark Chocolate Mousse from Bobby Flay
This recipe is best with really good chocolate (don't skimp!).

Chocolate Dessert Cookbooks

Pierre Herme Chocolate Desserts

Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme

Amazon Price: $26.00 (as of 02/15/2012)Buy Now

Pierre Herme is celebrated as one of the best pastry chefs ever. This book carefully translates and converts his recipes into versions the home cook can use. Start with moist and nutty brownies or chocolate sparklers. Then there's chocolate macaroons, milk chocolate and walnut tart and nutella tart (you can use chocolate hazelnut spread from Trader Joe's , Whole Foods, or Pain Quotidien instead - no weird hydrogenated oils.)

A Fancier Chocolate Mousse

2 packets unflavored gelatin
1 C sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 C milk
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, or a chocolate bar, chopped up
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 C heavy cream, whipped

In a 2 1/2 quart (roughly 2 1/2 liter) saucepan, mix the gelatin, sugar, and salt. Add the milk and chocolate and stir them together. Turn the stove to medium heat, and cook the mixture. Keep stirring until the gelatin dissolves and the chocolate melts. Remove the pan from the stove.

Beat mixture with a hand beater until everything blends together. Stir in the vanilla. Immerse the saucepan in a bowl of ice water, and stir the mousse occasionally, until it thickens slightly. Fold in the cream. Once it's thickened, turn the pan over into a single large (10 cup) mold or 12 individual smaller ones. Chill until the mousse is firm.

Thanks to recipesource.com for this recipe.

Luscious Chocolate Desserts

Luscious Chocolate Desserts

Amazon Price: $7.97 (as of 02/15/2012)Buy Now

Not just another chocolate cookbook. You'll want to fall head, mouth, and taste buds first into this one. Who could resist recipes like Killer Chocolate Cheesecake, Molten Chocolate Cakes, and Crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies with Dried Cherries and Pistachios? Not me.

Chocolates and Confections by the Culinary Institute

Chocolates and Confections at Home with The Culinary Institute of America

Amazon Price: $19.37 (as of 02/15/2012)Buy Now

How to make chocolate dipped anything, not to mention which chocolate to choose for which recipes. Includes directions for truffles, fudge, chocolate molds and chocolate-covered caramel apples (yum!).

Rosie's Bakery Cookie Cookbook

Rosie's Bakery Chocolate-Packed Jam-Filled Butter-Rich No-Holds-Barred Cookie Book

Amazon Price: $12.56 (as of 02/15/2012)Buy Now

Cheesecake in bars, Boston creme pie in a cookie... what's not to like? Cake cookies, crispy cookies, drop cookies.... yummmmmm

Sticky, Gooey, Messy, Chewy Chocolate Desserts

Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey: Desserts for the Serious Sweet Tooth

Amazon Price: $10.29 (as of 02/15/2012)Buy Now

I think the name pretty much says it all! Recipes for Heart of Darkness Pudding, Outrageously Thick Spanish Hot Chocolate with Churros (oh my, churros!!), and Dark Chocolate Soup.

More Chocolate Dessert Recipes

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Which mousse is your favorite?

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Jodi_k

My friends love this chocolate mousse. My cat, Paris, hasn't tried it yet, but I do have to fight him for the heavy cream!

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