Dark Chocolate Mousse
Yes, it’s still January, but Valentine’s Day will be here before we can say “chocolate and roses.” I won’t lie, Valentine’s Day isn’t my favorite holiday, but this year I got super inspired with some good recipes to share with y’all, for a variety of Valentine’s occasions. Naturally, I’m starting with a dessert: rich, creamy, Dark Chocolate Mousse.
Chocolate mousse has always been one of my favorite desserts. When I was growing up, my family took many trips to Disney World. At EPCOT, I always loved going to the little bakery/patisserie in the France section of the world showcase. Every time, I always got their chocolate mousse, and it was rich and chocolatey, but light and fluffy. Then, when my family visited Paris in 2011, my number-one goal was to find a patisserie and get their chocolate mousse. I accomplished my mission, and it was like eating little chocolatey clouds.
There y’all have it: young, accidentally-red-headed Kate digging into some real French chocolate mousse, about two blocks from Versailles, circa July 2011. Divine.
My Dark Chocolate Mousse is the perfect small-batch dessert for your Valentine’s Day celebration.
Celebrating with a partner or loved one? Cheersing to your girlfriends? Treating yourself to something special because loving yourself is of utmost importance? Dark Chocolate Mousse is the perfect treat for all of those occasions. It looks, sounds, and tastes fancy, so it’s good for impressing.
Why you’ll love this Dark Chocolate Mousse:
It’s indulgent and rich. But not overwhelmingly so! For this recipe, I used a mix of 56% semi-sweet and 72% dark chocolate (mostly dark), and didn’t add a lot of extra sugar. If you want to go darker, use all dark chocolate or find a higher percent. And please, for the love of all that is delicious, use real chocolate, not chocolate chips!
It’s not difficult to make. This is a little more involved than some of my other recipes, but realistically, it’s not that high on the difficulty scale. The hardest part is tempering the beaten egg yolks with the heated cream and combining those without accidentally cooking the egg yolks.
It’s the ideal size for two people. I was able to get four, 4-oz servings from this recipe—so that’s perfect for two days of tasty dessert! That way you won’t have a ton of leftovers or waste. Or it’s plenty to share with your best friends. Or to have dessert for yourself for a few days.
You can add extra flavor if you’d like! I added a splash of coffee liqueur to intensify the chocolate flavor. You could add some Grand Marnier, Chambord, creme de menthe, amaretto, Irish creme, espresso or regular coffee, or just leave it plain. The options are endless! Chocolate pairs well with lots of other flavors.
Here’s how to make Dark Chocolate Mousse.
You will need:
- Chocolate: a mix of dark and semi-sweet, or all dark.
- Egg yolks
- Heavy cream
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Additional flavor or liqueur if you’d like
Here’s how to make it:
First, whip egg yolks and sugar. Whip them together until it becomes fluffy and light, pale yellow. Get as much air in there as you can! This will help create the lovely airy texture of your finished mousse. You can do this by hand or with an electric mixer. I did it by hand with a big bloom whisk, and it took 2-3 minutes.
Warm the heavy cream. Warm the cream slowly in a small saucepan on the stove, over medium-low heat. It will start to simmer on the sides, but it should not boil.
Combine the warm cream and egg mixture. While whisking continuously, carefully and slowly pour the cream into the egg and sugar mixture. Don’t do it too fast; we want to avoid cooking the eggs! Once it’s combined, pour the mixture back into the saucepan and return to the stove. Continue whisking until the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Add chocolate, vanilla, and any additional flavoring. I added a splash of coffee liqueur. Stir until chocolate is fully melted. Pour mixture into a clean bowl and refrigerate until cool, but not set. You may have to stir it a few times to make sure it isn’t setting.
Whip remaining heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Tip: chill your bowl and whisk to help the cream whip faster and easier. Fold the cream into the cooled chocolate mixture; this will also help create that airy mousse texture. Divide amongst your desired serving vessels (ramekins, jars, other small bowls or cups). Cover and chill for a minimum of 2 hours, up to overnight.
Garnish as desired. I served mine with some sweetened whipped cream and raspberries. Shaved chocolate would be nice, too. Then dig in and enjoy!
There y’all have it—that’s how I made my Dark Chocolate Mousse! It’ll be a super sweet surprise for your friends or loved ones this Valentine’s Day, or an indulgent treat for yourself. If you enjoyed this recipe, you might also like:
- Browned Butter Chai Madeleines
- Perfect Fudgy Brownies
- Thin Mint Truffles
- Edible Cookie Dough
- Celebration Cake Balls
Thanks so much for reading and following along! Follow me on Instagram and Pinterest for more deliciously simple Southern recipes, treats, drinks, and more. If you make one of my recipes, be sure to tag me so I can see your creations! And stay tuned for more Valentine’s recipes coming soon!
Dark Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- 4 oz chocolate, chopped
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- 1 tbsp coffee liqueur or preferred additional flavor (optional)
Instructions
- Whip sugar and egg yolks in a large bowl until light, fluffy, and pale yellow.
- Warm 1/2 cup heavy cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat, until small bubbles start to appear on the sides.
- While whisking continuously, slowly pour warm cream into egg-sugar mixture. Return mixture to the saucepan, and continue whisking until mixture thickens (about 5 minutes).
- Remove from heat. Add chocolate, vanilla, and additional flavor if using, and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour mixture into a clean bowl and refrigerate until cool, but not set.
- Whip remaining heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into cooled chocolate mixture.
- Divide mousse amongst 4 ramekins, jars, or other small cups. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.
- Garnish with sweetened whipped cream, raspberries, and/or shaved chocolate.