Indulge in the richness of this exquisite dark chocolate mousseāa decadent dessert that's easy to make using just four ingredients. Top with a sumptuous mascarpone cream!
By Candice Walker on September 24, 2017 (Last updated May 7, 2024) This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
A decadent option for dessert, dark chocolate mousse is simple to make with only four ingredients. It’s feather-light in texture and tastes chocolatey without being overwhelming. This recipe includes a topping of mascarpone whipped cream that’s too good to resist.
🌟Why You’ll Love This Recipe
4 simple ingredients: The ingredients in dark chocolate mousse are dark chocolate, whipped cream, egg whites, and sugar. This makes the dessert uncomplicated and accessible for everyone.
Rich & decadent chocolate taste: This recipe uses 70% cacao dark chocolate, which gives a rich flavor without being overpowering or bitter.
Smooth, sweet mascarpone topping: Paired with rich dark chocolate, the light and sweet mascarpone topping in this recipe balances the flavors perfectly.
Easy to make single servings: You can whip up a batch of this mousse and easily portion it out for guests if you’re having a dinner party.
Perfect mousse consistency: This mousse is light a cloud with tiny air bubbles and a melt-in-your-mouth smoothness.
🧾Ingredients in This Recipe
Good-quality 70% dark chocolate – This is the star of the mousse. Invest in good chocolate for the best-tasting depth of flavor. A lower-quality chocolate will not create the same rich flavor.
Heavy cream – When whipped, heavy cream turns into a thicker mixture that holds its shape and helps give mousse that airy, bubbly texture.
White sugar – White sugar crystals help stabilize the egg whites to make a firm meringue cream.
Powdered sugar – This adds sweetness to the mascarpone and balances the richness.
Mascarpone cream – This forms the base for the topping, with a smooth and full texture that’s slightly heavier than the mousse.
Egg whites – When beaten, egg whites change in color and texture to create a more dense whipped mixture that can hold its shape. This helps create the texture of the mousse.
Vanilla extract – A good-quality vanilla extract acts as a flavor enhancer to bring out the taste of the chocolate.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🍫 How to Make Dark Chocolate Mousse
First, place a medium-sized or large-sized bowl in the freezer. You will need this later on!
Roughly chop the dark chocolate.
Place the chocolate in a large bowl over a bain marie. A bain marie is a pan filled with boiling water into which you place your bowl of chocolate.
Stir the chocolate slowly until it’s fully melted. Then remove the chocolate from the heat and set aside.
⭐ Pro Tip ⭐
A bain marie is the best method for melting chocolate as it guarantees an even melting temperature. This method allows the chocolate to melt slowly without burning.
Next, take the bowl out of the freezer. The cold bowl helps form the structure of the whipped cream. Pour in your heavy cream and whisk it with a hand mixer or by hand until soft peaks form. Once you see the soft peaks, set the whipped cream aside.
In another bowl, beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until they go white and form soft peaks. Next, gradually add in the sugar and whip the mixture until it feels firm, or you can hold the bowl upside down without the mixture moving.
⭐ Pro Tip ⭐
Mousse can turn grainy if the chocolate has cooled too much. When it is incorporated with the egg whites and cold cream, it can harden and becomes grainy in texture. Temperature control is key with mousse. Make sure to let your chocolate cool slowly by integrating your cold ingredients (cream and egg whites) a little at a time to prevent graininess.
Using a whisk, gently fold the egg whites into the melted chocolate.
When they are almost completely incorporated, fold in the whipped cream until the mixture is smooth and uniform.
Cover the bowl with cling wrap and refrigerate the mousse mixture for at least 1 hour before serving.
⭐ Pro Tip ⭐
At the bare minimum, it’s good to leave your mousse for at least an hour before serving. If you can leave it longer, even overnight, then that’s even better. It will keep for up to 3 days if properly sealed.
🍨 How to Make Mascarpone Whipped Cream and Serve Your Mousse Dessert
In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese, cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla with a hand mixer to soft peaks.
Serve the chocolate mousse with a dollop of the mascarpone whipped cream and shave chocolate on top as a garnish. How decadent!
⭐ Pro Tip ⭐
This recipe uses 70% cacao dark chocolate, but you can make a chocolate mousse from milk or white chocolate as well, or an even darker chocolate for greater depth of flavor (think 80%+ cacao).
More Chocolate Recipe Inspiration
Many of my desserts and sweets recipes have plenty of chocolate to keep you satisfied.
Indulge in the richness of this exquisite dark chocolate mousse—a decadent dessert that's easy to make using just four ingredients. Top with a sumptuous mascarpone cream!
Heat the chocolate in a large bowl over a bain marie. Stir until melted. Remove from heat and set aside.
Take the bowl out of the freezer. Beat the cream until soft peaks form. Set aside.
Whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar and whip until firm.
Using a whisk, fold the egg whites into the chocolate. When almost completely incorporated, fold in the whipped cream.
Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Mascarpone whipped cream: Beat the mascarpone cheese, cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl to soft peaks.
Serve the chocolate mousse with the mascarpone whipped cream and shave chocolate on top as a garnish.
Notes
This recipe uses 70% cacao dark chocolate, but you can make a chocolate mousse from milk or white chocolate as well, or a darker chocolate for an even richer flavor (think 80%+ cacao).To keep chocolate mousse, it will need to be kept cold in the fridge. Cover the mousse with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge until ready to eat.Chocolate mousse will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days. You can absolutely freeze chocolate mousse, and it will last in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to use again, do not attempt to heat it in any way. Transfer to the fridge and let it thaw in the fridge until you can spoon it out to serve.A good mousse consistency has been reached if you can turn your container of mousse upside down and it doesn’t move. Also look for tiny air bubbles when stirring your mousse.
Did you try this recipe?I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a Review to let us know how it came out, if you have a successful substitution or variation, or anything else.
19 Comments
The first time I made this, I let the chocolate cool too much so it was bitty in the mousse because it had solidified into tiny pieces. The second time I made it I paid closer attention to this and it came out super smooth. Once perfected, I served this mousse for a small dinner party with friends and it was a HIT! So so good, I couldn’t stop eating it, especially the 10/10 will make again.
I love that you kept at it and perfected the recipe, Emma… go you! Thank you for taking the time to share. We are in the same boat with this recipe… every time we make it, we eat SO much. Enjoy!
Yes and Chambord would be lovely. You can add it into the chocolate after it is melted over the bain marie. I wouldn’t add more than 2 tablespoons. I haven’t tested this, so let me know how it goes!
Oh my goodness this recipe is INCREDIBLE! So decadent and rich, and it’s easy to make too. Thanks for the recipe! It’s now a family favourite for dinner parties!
The first time I made this, I let the chocolate cool too much so it was bitty in the mousse because it had solidified into tiny pieces. The second time I made it I paid closer attention to this and it came out super smooth. Once perfected, I served this mousse for a small dinner party with friends and it was a HIT! So so good, I couldn’t stop eating it, especially the 10/10 will make again.
I love that you kept at it and perfected the recipe, Emma… go you! Thank you for taking the time to share. We are in the same boat with this recipe… every time we make it, we eat SO much. Enjoy!
Can a liquer be incorperated into this recipe? Chambord for example?
Yes and Chambord would be lovely. You can add it into the chocolate after it is melted over the bain marie. I wouldn’t add more than 2 tablespoons. I haven’t tested this, so let me know how it goes!
My husband’s homemade vanilla extract would be considered a liquor. I am sure it would ship well.
Hey….
Can i send it to distance places.. Like as a parcel which will take 4 to 5 days to reach the destination
Hi Abhipsa… Unfortunately, this one doesn’t ship well.
First time making the mousse – excellent and so easy – Big thank you !!
from Down Under Australia.
Makes me so happy to hear, Rose… thank you for hopping on here and letting me know!
oh my this is heavenly. I just started using mascarpone cream and its the best! cant wait to make this again!
How wonderful, Estee… enjoy!
I love chocolate mousse but have never made it. Your step by step photos are super helpful. Going to give this a try for Christmas!
I’m so happy to hear it, Jacqueline… how did it go?
Oh my goodness this recipe is INCREDIBLE! So decadent and rich, and it’s easy to make too. Thanks for the recipe! It’s now a family favourite for dinner parties!
Thanks, Elizabeth! I am so glad to hear your family enjoyed it enough to make it a family favorite. Nothing beats an easy family favorite!
I love the mascarpone in this, reminds me of tiramisu! Love how easy it comes together!
Thanks, Beth…Happy to hear it was as easy for you!
Easy & chocolatey?!! Yes please! Your idea of also making a chocolate whipped cream……mind blowing!!
Glad to hear you enjoyed and learned from the info here, Beth!