Description
A light, airy, and restaurant-quality chocolate mousse made with just five simple ingredients. This gluten-free dessert relies on temperature control and gentle folding techniques to achieve a silky, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces (225g) high-quality dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa), broken into pieces
- 2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
- 4 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream, very cold
- 1 tablespoon (8g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pot of barely simmering water (or in microwave bursts), stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Let cool for 10 minutes until warm to the touch.
- Separate the eggs, ensuring no yolk gets into the whites. Beat the egg yolks with the granulated sugar until pale and thickened (1-2 minutes). Stir this mixture into the cooled chocolate until fully combined.
- In a clean, dry bowl, whip the egg whites on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form (2-3 minutes).
- Stir one-third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen it. Gently fold in the remaining whites using a silicone spatula, cutting down through the center and folding over until mostly combined but still airy.
- Divide the mousse into ramekins or serving glasses. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably 4 hours or overnight, to set.
- Just before serving, whip the cold heavy cream with confectioners’ sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until soft peaks form.
- Spoon whipped cream onto the chilled mousse and garnish with fresh berries or shaved chocolate. Serve immediately.
Notes
Ensure the chocolate is cooled to warm, not hot, to avoid cooking the egg yolks. Egg whites must be free of any yolk or grease to whip properly. For egg safety, use pasteurized eggs if concerned about raw eggs. The mousse is best made 1-2 days in advance to allow flavors to meld.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ramekin with whipp
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 18
- Sodium: 45
- Fat: 30
- Saturated Fat: 18
- Carbohydrates: 22
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 6
Keywords: chocolate mousse, easy dessert, gluten-free dessert, silky mousse, 5-ingredient dessert, make-ahead dessert, French dessert