This French chocolate mousse is a simple yet elegant dessert made with just five ingredients: dark chocolate, butter, eggs, sugar, and cream. It's light and fluffy with intense chocolate flavor, requiring only 10 minutes of hands-on work and 3 hours of chilling.
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Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (bain marie), stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Whisk egg yolks into the chocolate mixture until well combined.
In a clean bowl, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, whisking until stiff, glossy peaks form.
In another bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form.
Gently fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it.
Fold in the remaining egg whites in two additions, being careful not to overmix.
Gently fold in the whipped cream until just combined.
Divide mixture between 6 serving glasses or ramekins.
Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight until set.
Serve chilled, optionally garnished with whipped cream, berries, or chocolate shavings.
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Do not freeze; the foam structure will collapse upon thawing.
heatproof bowl · whisk
This recipe uses raw egg whites and yolks. If concerned about food safety, use pasteurized eggs or pasteurized egg products instead.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Consume within 24 hours if made with raw eggs.
Yes. Prepare through step 8, cover, and refrigerate overnight. The texture remains light and set.
Use 70% cocoa dark chocolate for the best balance of richness and bitterness. Lower cocoa percentages (50–60%) will make it sweeter; higher (85%+) will be more intense.
Overmixing or folding too vigorously breaks down the egg white foam. Fold gently in two additions and stop as soon as streaks disappear.
