Easy Chocolate Mousse Recipe
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This simple and quick chocolate mousse comes together in less than 10 minutes and is made without any eggs. Top with whipped cream or berries for a light and refreshing dessert!
This Quick Chocolate Mousse Recipe is a real treat
You are in for a treat today with this recipe for easy chocolate mousse, my friend. A TREAT.
Welcome to the quickest and simplest way to get chocolate mousse on the (dessert) table in less than 10 minutes and with 3 ingredients (well, 4 ingredients if we count vanilla extract).
If salt, pepper, and water are “free” ingredients, I think vanilla extract should be too. So… For all intents and purposes, let’s call this 3 ingredient chocolate mousse, deal?
Glad we settled that.
Why you’ll love this Easy Chocolate Mousse Recipe
Now, I’ve seen a lot of “easy” chocolate mousse recipes out there, some starting with pudding, some containing eggs which need to be cooked somehow (usually a double boiler of some sort), but what truly constitutes something as “easy” for me is just that– ease of both ingredients and method.
Traditional mousse is a light and airy dessert made from whipping cream and egg whites folded together with some sort of other flavor. It’s pretty simple.
But since I’m on a no bake kick for this year (hello, No Bake of The Month!), I wanted to create a chocolate mousse recipe that indeed needed no baking, and even cooking something on the stove top eliminates something from this category for me!
What you’ll need for Easy Chocolate Mousse
You only need 4 simple ingredients to make this easy chocolate mousse.
For this easy mousse recipe, you will need:
• heavy whipping cream
• cocoa powder
• powdered sugar
• vanilla extract
If you’ve made my homemade whipped cream, you can totally do this, because we’re essentially creating chocolate whipped cream, though it’s a bit heavier than classic whipped cream and we’re eating it with a spoon.
Sometimes it’s all about the presentation/method of consumption that classifies something.
How to make this Chocolate Mousse Recipe
STEP #1
You’re going to start by whipping the cream until it’s frothy and thick. It shouldn’t be giving any peaks yet, but it should start to be gathering some volume.
STEP #2
Next, we’ll sift in the cocoa powder (Dutch processed preferred) and powdered sugar to eliminate as many chunks of these ingredients as possible.
STEP #3
Add in the vanilla extract, and then gently fold the mixture with a spatula or mix with your mixer on the lowest speed possible.
STEP #4
We want to slowly incorporate these powdered ingredients in so as not to create chunks of powder and to keep the chocolate mousse nice and smooth.
STEP #5
Once it’s mostly incorporated in, you can turn up the speed and get to whipping to the peaks we’re after.
STEP #6
You’re looking for medium peaks, on the stiffer side. A beautiful example of this is the stiffness we whip to when making traditional homemade whipped cream.
The peak should stand up with a slight droop that stays put, and not a drastic droop that keeps falling. If it’s drastically drooping, it still needs a touch more whipping.
Once you’ve reached peak (ha!) peaks, it’s ready to eat, or ready to chill until serving time. Chilling is not necessary, but where it should sit until you’re ready to serve it.
How to serve this Easy Mousse Recipe
We topped with homemade whipped cream (bonus points: 1 carton of heavy whipping cream can make one batch of this easy chocolate mousse recipe and another of homemade whipped cream) and shaved chocolate, but this would also be great with fresh berries, extra chocolate sauce, homemade caramel sauce, whatever your chocolate loving heart desires.
IS MOUSSE EATEN HOT OR COLD?
Mousses are typically served cold as they lose a lot of their texture when warmed.
Easy Mousse Recipe storage
HOW LONG DOES FRESH CHOCOLATE MOUSSE LAST?
Chocolate mousse will last in the refrigerator for about 5 days. If you notice it weeping or losing a lot of texture, it is still safe to eat, but may just not be as enjoyable as it is when still holding its texture.
SHOULD CHOCOLATE MOUSSE BE REFRIGERATED?
Chocolate mousse should be refrigerated to preserve freshness and texture.
Chocolate Mousse Recipe Easy FAQs
I believe there is a time and place for real, traditional, cooked mousse, and that time is with my lemon mousse, but for now, let’s do this easy peasy style.
Plus, when you find yourself with an easy recipe of chocolate mousse (much like an easy recipe of small batch chocolate chip cookies), it’s hard to resist the urge to make it ASAP.
So I think no matter who you are, where you are, or what time it is… Chocolate mousse needs to be the next thing you eat. I know you won’t regret it.
More chocolate recipes? Look no further than these gems right here: hot cocoa cookies, chocolate white chocolate chip cookies, chocolate caramel thumbprint cookies, and homemade fudgy brownies.
More Favorites from Fresh April Flours
Quick Chocolate Mousse Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240mL) heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup (24g) Dutch processed cocoa powder1
- 5 Tablespoons (38g) powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl2 with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream on high speed until thick and frothy.1 cup (240mL) heavy whipping cream
- Stop the mixer and sift in the cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Add the vanilla, then beat again on low until cocoa powder and powdered sugar are mostly incorporated. You may also opt to fold the mixture with a spatula instead of whipping on low.¼ cup (24g) Dutch processed cocoa powder1, 5 Tablespoons (38g) powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Increase the mixer speed to high again and whip until medium peaks form. Use immediately or chill until ready to use. Portion into dessert cups and add toppings (I suggest homemade whipped cream and/or berries) before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. See notes3 for freezing instructions.
Notes
- Dutch processed cocoa powder: this is preferred, but unsweetened cocoa powder will do just fine.
- Bowl temperature: if you’re in a warm environment, you may want to freeze your mixer bowl and whisk attachment in order to keep the whipped cream chilled enough to reach peaks.
- Freezing: freezing and thawing leftover chocolate mousse will diminish some of the “fluff” factor. Thaw in the refrigerator and rewhip in increments of 15 seconds to desired consistency.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
I love that the base of this is so simple! We were making whipped cream for pie for Thanksgiving and wanted a way to use up the leftover, so I tried this recipe. So simple! Thanks for a great recipe.
Love that, Sarah! Thanks for letting me know!
No cook! So easy! I normally really like traditional mousse so I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy this so much. Thank you.
Me too! Thanks, Jane 🙂
Really great alternative to cooking mousse the old fashioned way and I like that I didn’t have to use eggs.
Thanks so much, Kat!
The only complaint I have is that this is dangerously easy! To be able to have chocolate mousse in minutes is dangerous for me 😁Thanks for the recipe!
Ha! I can absolutely relate!! Thanks for your review, Sharon 🙂
I just made this mousse and I can’t stop licking the whisk attachment! I love that this is a one bowl recipe. Very easy cleanup! Valrhona’s unsweetened cocoa powder worked really well for me.
Thanks so much, Kathleen 🙂
Perfectly sweet & chocolatey. It took almost no time to put together & I even was able to top with a little homemade whipped cream. I love how simple this was & it’s definitely a keeper when you want a no-egg mousse.
Thanks so much, Katja! So glad you liked it 🙂
Terrible recipe, followed instructions to a T- was a watery, lumpy mess.
Hey, Sarah– this is a very simple whipped cream with cocoa powder stirred in. If it was watery or lumpy, your whipped cream base was not there to begin with. Bummer to hear it didn’t work out for you!
Used water 🤣🤣
Amazing and just as super easy as can be! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes for sweet treats!
Thanks so much, Andrea!
This is so good and easy to make. My son’s parents and my friends were asking how did i have time to make this or where I bought it. Super easy and so ono 🤤 thank you for this, Lynn!
Haha, amazing! Thanks, Justine!
OMG! I made this on a whim this afternoon because I had heavy cream that was threatening to go bad. Where have you been all my life? Silken chocolate goodness in a few minutes! Thank you.
I love that, Mirth! Perfect use for it. So glad you enjoyed it!
Hey Lynn,
I want to make this but curious how long it will keep in the fridge?
Hi, Mandy– 3 days in the fridge! I’d somehow left that out of the instructions but it’s updated now 🙂
How many servings does this recipe make?
Hi, Kathleen– it makes 2 cups, so about 4-6 servings, based on serving size.
Love it. It was very easy to make. I added a sprinkle of salt and grated salted dark on top of the mousse and the sprinkled salted dark chocolate on top of the homemade whip cream. Everyone loved it.
Ooooooh, YUM! I love it! Thanks for making and sharing, Eileen!
Tastes yummy, super easy. Thank you 💗
Thank you, Berni!
This mousse is really, really easy and O.M.G it is so delicious. My new go to for easy dessert that will satisfy almost everyone!
Thanks, Brooke! We love how simple this one is, too.
Ran across your recipe while searching for chocolate desserts and decided to make it today and it turned out great. It’s definitely a keeper for my family. Thanks for such a easy no bake dessert. Do you have any recipes for banana pudding or banana mousse?
Thanks so much, Debra!