This silky smooth Chocolate Mousse is made with only four ingredients and three simple steps. No cooking, no fancy techniques, and no eggs.
Behold the easiest Chocolate Mousse in the universe! This recipe comes together so quickly that you’ll be diving into decadent chocolate mousse in no time. You can easily adjust the recipe to feed more or less, based on what you need.
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Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ease: Literally three easy steps. You can do this!
- Basic ingredients: Only four ingredients needed.
- Texture: So creamy, velvety, and smooth.
- Flavor: Incredible chocolate flavor in every bite.
- No bake: No raw eggs and no need to cook or bake this simple dessert.
- Easily change recipe size: This recipe can be scaled up or down based on how much you need.
Ingredients needed
- Chocolate chips
- Heavy cream
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
Chocolate mousse recipe overview
*Full recipe below in recipe card*
- Melt heavy cream and chocolate chips until sooth and 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.
Can this be used as a filling for cake or pie?
I’ve received several questions about whether or not this mousse can be used as a filling for cakes or pies. I have tried it and the answer is yes.
Pies: Pour the assembled 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.
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. I 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.
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Recipe
Easy Chocolate Mousse
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 tablespoon powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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
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
Thanks for sharing your experience. I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Lisa Quinn
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
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
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
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
This recipe was far too sweet for my tastes. Could only take one bite 🙁
Allison
What type of chocolate chips did you use? You can use dark/bittersweet chocolate chips for a less sweet mousse.
Karen Lodge
Has anyone doubled this recipe? Planning on making for 6 V-day.
Nancy Lundy
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
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
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
Yay! Thanks for the kind review, Kara. 🙂
AB
I made this desert with Milka Milk Chocolate and it was a hit with everyone. Will definitely prepare this dessert again.
Allison
That’s great to hear! Thanks for stopping by.
Luci R Decato Wilson
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
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Judi Beshella
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.