This silky smooth chocolate mousse recipe is made with only three ingredients and three simple steps. No cooking, no fancy techniques, and no eggs. One of the easiest desserts you’ll ever make!
This recipe is super easy and delicious, my friend even licked the bowl!
Seriously, this is the 3rd time I have made this and will continue to enjoy it. Thank you! ★★★★★
– Marion
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Recipe snapshot
Flavor & Texture: Creamy, velvety, smooth chocolate flavor in every bite.
Ease: Only three easy steps. You can do this!
Basic ingredients: Three ingredients are needed (cream, chocolate chips, and powdered sugar) with an optional fourth ingredient (vanilla).
No bake: No raw eggs and no need to cook or bake this simple dessert.
Ingredients needed
Heavy cream: Be sure to use heavy whipping cream for the best results.
Chocolate chips: Use semisweet, milk, or dark chocolate chips (or a combination). This is the primary flavor of the mousse, so choose a brand of chocolate chips that you really enjoy. Try the white chocolate version, too: white chocolate mousse.
Powdered sugar: Just a bit for added sweetness.
Vanilla extract: This optional ingredient rounds out the chocolate flavor. If you don’t have it on hand you can skip it.
How to make chocolate mousse
*Full recipe below in recipe card*
- Melt chocolate chips and heavy cream chips until combined.
- Cool to room temperature (about 15 minutes).
- Whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the whipped cream into the melted chocolate. Transfer into individual serving dishes (if desired) and chill.
Key technique: How to fold in whipped cream
Folding is a lifting and scooping motion that incorporates batters while maintaining an airy quality. Use a large rubber/silicone spatula to cut through the center of the batter. Bring some batter up from the bottom and flip it over. Repeat scraping down the side of the bowl, into the center, flipping, and repeating.
Recipe tips
Use good quality chocolate chips that you enjoy the taste of. This is the primary flavor of the mousse.
When whipping heavy cream it should be very cold, straight from the fridge.
Allow at least 2 hours for the mousse to chill and firm up before serving.
If you plan on serving this mousse topped with whipped cream you can make extra whipped cream during step 2 of the recipe and set some aside for topping.
Straight from the fridge the mousse will be on the firmer side. Allow it to sit at room temperature for several minutes and it will soften.
Serving suggestions (including filling cakes and pies)
In addition to serving this mousse on its own or topped with whipped cream, you can also use it for the following:
Pies: Pour the mousse (before chilling) into a baked and cooled crust. Spread into an even layer and chill for at least 3 hours. The recipe as written makes about 2 and ½ cups of mousse. Adjust as necessary to fit your crust.
Cakes: This mousse does not work as frosting, but it can be used as filling between the layers of a layer cake or in the center of cupcakes. Chill the mousse first, allow it to soften at room temp for about 10 minutes, then add it to to the cake. Store in the refrigerator. Pictured below: small batch chocolate cupcakes.
Trifle: Layer mousse, graham cracker crumbs or chocolate cookie crumbs, and whipped cream in individual glasses.
More chocolate recipes
Recipe
Easy Chocolate Mousse Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup chocolate chips , I use semisweet
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream, for melting chocolate chips
- ⅔ cup chilled heavy whipping cream, for whipping
- 1-2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, optional, use it if you have it
Instructions
- In a large bowl, heat chocolate chips and ½ cup cream until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. I do this in the microwave in 20 seconds increments, stirring well between each. Set aside to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally (this took about 15 minutes).
- In the bowl of a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat ⅔ cups chilled cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form (see note about making extra for topping). Transfer the whipped cream to the refrigerator until the chocolate has cooled to room temperature.
- Using a rubber/silicone spatula, fold* the whipped cream into the melted chocolate. Once fully combined, transfer the mousse into individual serving dishes and chill for at least 2 hours. The colder it is, the more firm it will be. If you'd like it softer you can leave it at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Foodie Frenchie says
Oui oui! Having been a French student, French teacher, and French traveler, I know a lot about Mousse au Chocolat! This one is such a simple recipe that – if properly followed – can bring me right back to the 14e arrondissement as a student on a mission to try every dessert across the city! I love that this recipe was something I can put together while my husband put dinner away, and we could enjoy a little bit of it for dessert tonight. (Who can wait 2 hours???) So simple and definitely smooth and delicious! We cook, but it’s clear by the comments that not everybody does.
Some keys that we did quite successfully….
We used Ghirardelli mini chips – just because it was easily accessible in our limited town grocery option, and NOT a low quality milk fat based chip like the store brands and Nestle, etc. The key is microwaving in mini bursts!! When it’s JUST melted and smooth. This batch was just about one minute and 5 seconds (20 seconds at a time as recommended!!)
The whipping- it might help those less experienced in the whipping cream category to SEE the recipe in picture form. Stiff peaks for me with my KitchenAid on level seven. Took almost 15 minutes to arrive at the right consistency. You see mini peaks that form about a half an inch above the mass, and then you see stiff peaks that form a little over an inch above the mass. That’s where it is!
And folding. We are such a nation of mixers! Folding is a labor of love. Gently, like more gentle than you think you need to be. Turning the chocolate from the bottom of the dish, gliding it through the whipped cream, and flipping the spatula. Another art that might be better shown by picture or video!
My family loved this recipe, and I will absolutely make it again! Thank you so much for sharing!
Allison says
Thanks for sharing your experience. I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Lisa Quinn says
I’m in a quandary. I have never made chocolate mousse and I want to for Valentine’s Day. I have read the comments and am really concerned abt the potential for this “Sandy” consistency. I am not a good baker so a simple recipe appeals to me. Do you really think the morsels got too hot?
Allison says
Hi, Lisa. As long as the chocolate is not overheated this shouldn’t happen. This recipe has hundreds of 5-star reviews so more people have success with it than not. Best of luck!
Stephanie says
Hey! I want to try this recipe, yer I would like to make it with cocoa powder rsther than melted chocolate. Would the amount would be the same? Or do you know how could I work it out like this?
Allison says
Hi, Stephanie. Unfortunately that won’t work. Once the melted chocolate chills it firms up the mixture and gives it a mousse-like consistency. Using cocoa powder will just make chocolate flavored whipped cream.
Sarah Elkins says
This recipe was far too sweet for my tastes. Could only take one bite 🙁
Allison says
What type of chocolate chips did you use? You can use dark/bittersweet chocolate chips for a less sweet mousse.
Karen Lodge says
Has anyone doubled this recipe? Planning on making for 6 V-day.
Nancy Lundy says
I made my mousse intending to use it as a pie filling. I followed the directions without deviating (unusual for me). While the flavor is absolutely the best I have ever made, the final mousse was not smooth. I had some flecks of chocolate and it looked bumpy. I will try this again until I get it right! I could not figure out how to leave a picture!
Suggestions are appreciated!
Allison says
Hi, Nancy. Most likely your chocolate got too hot when it was being melted. You can use a double boiler or if using the microwave, reduce to 10-15 second increments of time, stirring well in between. I also like using a good quality chocolate like Ghirardelli or Guittard. Enjoy!
Kara says
This is so good, it’s almost unreal. I’d been craving chocolate mousse, like the kind you get in a nice French bistro. I looked up other recipes and they looked too complicated – eggs? What? Why? I whipped this up one day and let it chill overnight in the fridge. I honestly didn’t have high hopes but WOW. The texture and flavor is perfect. 10/10.
Allison says
Yay! Thanks for the kind review, Kara. 🙂
AB says
I made this desert with Milka Milk Chocolate and it was a hit with everyone. Will definitely prepare this dessert again.
Allison says
That’s great to hear! Thanks for stopping by.
Luci R Decato Wilson says
This was great!! I melted the chocolate in the microwave. I used a combination of large and mini chocolate chips and there were small bits of chocolate that did not completely melt. This added to the enjoyment!
Allison says
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Judi Beshella says
Very disappointing. Consistancy was not airy at all! I’ve made 100s of mousses and was hoping this 4 ingredient one would yield a light airy mousse.