Everyone loves a good chocolate mousse. There is nothing quite like this indulgent, yet airy, silky, smooth chocolate dessert to brighten up your day. Yet, most people think the only way to enjoy a good chocolate mousse is from a high-end pastry shop. I’ll let you in on a secret – although it looks fancy, chocolate mousse is really one of the simplest desserts you can make.
Really, I am not kidding. If you don’t believe me yet, you will by the end of this recipe.
Let’s start with the ingredients – chocolate, milk, gelatin, and whipping cream. Yep. That’s it, that’s the whole list. 4 ingredients, no eggs, no cooking.
Why You Should Use High-Quality Chocolate
The most important ingredient in a chocolate mousse is unsurprising-ly – the chocolate. Chocolate is the only element that brings flavor to this dessert, which is why it’s crucial to use good quality chocolate when making this recipe.
Using good, high-quality, baking-grade chocolate can make all the difference in any dessert. This is because your regular, grocery store chocolate is quite often, not even 100% real chocolate. High-quality chocolate has a high amount of cocoa butter, which is the main cocoa component that makes up chocolate. Many regular brands have little-to-no cocoa butter content in their chocolate and have tons of other ingredients that dilute the flavor and quality of chocolate.
This is why the quality of chocolate not only affects the flavor but also the texture of the mousse, so make sure you are using good chocolate when making it.
I prefer using Callebaut chocolates while baking. I find them to provide the best quality at the most reasonable price. Sure they cost more than your “trusty” Hershey’s, but believe me when I say that the price is well worth it.
The best part about this recipe is that you can make it with any kind of chocolate – dark, semi-sweet, milk, or white.
How To Make Chocolate Mousse
Okay, I know what you must be thinking. Just because it’s 4 ingredients, doesn’t mean it’s easy to make – right? Wrong, it’s in fact, VERY easy to make.
Here’s how you make the chocolate mousse in 5 simple steps:
Step 1 – Bloom the gelatin: If you are thinking “wth does that mean?”, it basically means activating your gelatin powder by mixing it with water. The blooming process takes 10-15 minutes, so make sure you keep it ready before you move on to the next step.
Step 2 – Heat the milk and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for a minute so that the chocolate can melt from the heat of the milk, then whisk the mixture until the chocolate is fully incorporated into the milk.
Step 3 – Add the bloomed gelatin into the hot milk mixture and whisk until it’s fully incorporated. Make sure you do this while the mix is still hot or the gelatin will not melt and mix properly.
Step 4 – Whip the whipping cream to medium peaks, then fold the chocolate mixture into the cream gradually using a silicon spatula. Make sure not to rush this process – you want the mousse to maintain as much of the airiness of the cream as possible.
Step 5 – Transfer the mousse into cups or a serving dish, then let it set in the fridge for 2-3 hours. Top it with garnishes of your choice, and your dessert is ready.
NOW are you convinced that making chocolate mousse is easy peasy? Let’s get started then!
PS: I always measure ingredients in grams, never in cups. Using a measuring scale is the only way to bake accurately. Cups are very unreliable and can give different measurements, so I would suggest you buy a measuring scale before you start baking! If you can’t get your hands on one, you can use the online tools for converting grams into cups, however, I do not guarantee their accuracy.
PPS: if you notice a * after any word, it means that there are additional tips about it after the recipe
Easy 4-Ingredient Eggless Chocolate Mousse
Equipment
- Hand whisk
- Silicone spatula
Ingredients
- 160 gs chocolate (dark, semi-sweet, milk, or white)
- 150 gs full-fat milk
- 4 gs gelatin powder
- 30 ml water, ice-cold (for blooming gelatin)
- 225 ml liquid whipping cream
- Extra whipped cream (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Bloom the gelatin: In a bowl, add the ice-cold water, then sprinkle the gelatin powder over it and immediately mix it in until combined. Let the mixture chill in the fridge for 15 minutes until completely set.4 gs gelatin powder, 30 ml water, ice-cold (for blooming gelatin)
- Place the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Heat the milk in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Pour the hot milk over the chocolate, let it sit for a minute allowing the chocolate to melt from the heat, then whisk the mixture until the chocolate is completely combined into the milk.160 gs chocolate (dark, semi-sweet, milk, or white), 150 gs full-fat milk
- While the mixture is still hot, add the bloomed gelatin and whisk it in until it's completely melted and mixed into the chocolate milk. Set the mix aside until it comes down to room temperature
- Whip the liquid whipping cream until you reach medium stiff peaks. Then, gradually pour the chocolate mix into the cream while slowly folding it in with a silicone spatula. Make sure that you are not rushing this process. The folding process has to be done slowly to ensure that the airiness of the mousse is maintained as much as possible.225 ml liquid whipping cream
- Pour the mousse into cups or a serving dish, then let it set in the fridge for 2-3 hours. Once ready, top it with garnishes of your choice and serve.
There you go, the simplest no-bake dessert you can make. Plus, it will make you look ultra fancy, too! 😉
If you give this recipe a try, make sure to let me know how you like it in the comments, and of course, share it with me on Instagram!
Until next time!
