Mousse au chocolat
Dark chocolate folded with whipped egg whites and a little sugar, chilled until set. The French home version: no cream, no gelatine.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 5 min
- Rest
- 4 hr
- Total
- 4 hr 30 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
French mousse au chocolat is chocolate, eggs, sugar and a pinch of salt. The chocolate is melted, the yolks are stirred in to make it glossy, and egg whites whipped with sugar are folded through until no streaks remain. It sets in the fridge to a light, dark foam that still holds a spoon. There is no cream and no gelatine. The chocolate is the flavour, so use one you would eat on its own, around 60 to 70 per cent cocoa. The rest is folding: work gently but finish the job, or you get a dense layer of chocolate at the bottom of the bowl.
What you'll need
5 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Dark chocolate, 60 to 70% cocoa, chopped200 g
- Egg, very fresh, at room temperature, separated6
- Sugar, caster40 g
- Salt1 pinch
- Butter, for a silkier set (optional)20 g
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Melt the chocolate, with the butter if using, in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, or in short bursts in a microwave. Stir until smooth, then leave until just warm to the touch.
8 min
Tip: Keep water and steam out of the bowl. A drop of water makes chocolate seize into a grainy paste.
Step 2
Separate the eggs. Stir the yolks into the warm chocolate one at a time. It will thicken and turn glossy.
3 min
Step 3
In a clean bowl, whisk the whites with the salt to soft peaks. Add the sugar a spoon at a time and keep whisking until the whites are glossy and hold a peak that just bends at the tip. Do not take them further, or they turn dry and lumpy.
6 min
Step 4
Stir a quarter of the whites firmly into the chocolate to loosen it. Fold in the rest in two goes with a large spatula, cutting down through the middle, lifting and turning the bowl, until no white streaks remain.
5 min
Step 5
Spoon into a serving bowl or six glasses, cover and chill for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
240 min
Watch: The eggs are raw. Use very fresh eggs, and pasteurised eggs if you are serving anyone pregnant, very young, elderly or with a weakened immune system.
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 154 kcal
- Protein
- 7.5 g
- Carbs
- 10.5 g
- Fat
- 9.2 g
- Saturated fat
- 3.6 g
- Fibre
- 0.5 g
- Sugar
- 7.9 g
- Sodium
- 108 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Eggs
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 12 November.
Substitutions
Fresh eggs → Pasteurised eggs in the shell
The whites whip a little less firmly and the mousse is slightly denser, but it takes the raw-egg risk away. Carton whites cover only the whites; the yolks would still be raw.
Tips
- If the chocolate is too hot when the whites go in, they collapse. If it is too cool, it sets in lumps. Warm to the touch is right.
- A mousse with 70% chocolate and no sugar is very French and very dark. Start with the 40 g and adjust next time.
History & culture
This is the French home dessert, the one children learn to make and grandmothers make in a large bowl for Sunday lunch. Bistros serve it from a big dish and spoon it out at the table. It is made the day before, which suits anyone hosting. Some families add a knob of butter, a spoon of strong coffee or a little orange zest.
Chocolate mousses appear in French cookbooks from the 18th century, but the light egg-white version became everyday food only once good eating chocolate was cheap, in the 20th century. The painter Toulouse-Lautrec, a keen cook, is often credited with calling it chocolate mayonnaise.
Traditional — Many French home recipes use no sugar at all and rely on the chocolate. Restaurant versions often fold in whipped cream, which is lighter and less like the family dish. Check the chocolate label for milk and soy if they matter to you; plenty of dark chocolate contains both.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Mousse au chocolat take?
4 hr 30 min all in — 25 min prep, 5 min cook, 4 hr rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 6 glasses. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Eggs. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Nut-free.
9 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Saucepan, Mixing bowl.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 pinch.
How much sugar?
40 g (caster) of Sugar.
What can I use instead?
Fresh eggs → Pasteurised eggs in the shell. The whites whip a little less firmly and the mousse is slightly denser, but it takes the raw-egg risk away. Carton whites cover only the whites; the yolks would still be raw.
What should I watch for?
The eggs are raw. Use very fresh eggs, and pasteurised eggs if you are serving anyone pregnant, very young, elderly or with a weakened immune system.
Any tips from this recipe?
If the chocolate is too hot when the whites go in, they collapse. If it is too cool, it sets in lumps. Warm to the touch is right. A mousse with 70% chocolate and no sugar is very French and very dark. Start with the 40 g and adjust next time.
Can I prepare this ahead?
Spoon into a serving bowl or six glasses, cover and chill for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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