Chef notes

This recipe for chocolate mousse is luxurious, indulgent and a chocolate lover’s dream come true. It is the perfect balance of rich decadence and airy lightness, which is exactly what we want from this timeless treat. Not to mention it is as easy as chocolate mousse recipes come — a handful of ingredients come together in a snap to make one of the most classic desserts around.

Chocolate mousse was first invented in France in the 18th century — talk about staying power! Mousse translates directly to “foam” in French, which is appropriate given the texture of this dessert. There are two components to a good chocolate mousse — a rich chocolate custard base and pillowy whipped cream. The chocolate custard is made with granulated sugar, egg yolks and semisweet chocolate to create a silky smooth base. I flavor the custard base with vanilla extract and a bit of instant espresso powder, which helps bring out the richness of the dark chocolate.

Once the custard is cool, whip heavy cream to form stiff peaks (you can do this by hand if you are looking for an arm workout, but a stand or hand mixer will get the job done in a minute or two). Part of the whipped cream will be whisked into the chocolate mixture by hand to lighten it up and make it easy to fold in the rest. Take care and fold in the remaining whipped cream gently, until you can no longer see any of the bigger white streaks throughout the mixture. Since you whipped a lot of air into the heavy cream, folding gently will prevent it from deflating, leaving your chocolate mousse pillowy and luscious.

Swap Option: White chocolate lovers can swap in equal amounts in lieu of the dark chocolate. Top with fresh berries instead of whipped cream for a burst of color and sweetness.

Ingredients

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large egg yolks
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream, plus more whipped for serving

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Preparation

In a large heatproof bowl, whisk together sugar, salt and egg yolks until smooth. Place over a pot of simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl isn’t directly touching the water or it could scorch). Cook over medium heat, whisking until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm to the touch, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add chopped chocolate, butter, espresso powder and vanilla and whisk until smooth and melted. Let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Beat heavy cream in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Whisk ⅓ of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture until fully incorporated. Gently fold in remaining cream, just until no white streaks remain. Spoon mixture into 6 serving bowls or ramekins. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. Dollop with more whipped cream just before serving.