BACK TO ALL RECIPES

Chocolate Mousse

Photo: Romulo Yanes

BY Mark Bittman

PUBLISHED December 19, 2023

Once thought of as the most elegant of desserts, this ultra-rich chocolate pudding is still a real winner. It’s blazing quick to make — I’ve prepared it after dinner and still served it before my guests left. Once the chocolate is melted, the cooking is over; the mousse just sits until it sets up. You can spike it with rum, coffee, or other flavorings, but I like it simple— it’s the intensity of the chocolate that makes it special.

 

The following may contain affiliate links for which we earn a small commission. Thank you for supporting us in this way!
Print

Chocolate Mousse

Prevent your screen from going dark

Makes 6 servings 1x

Time 30 minutes, plus time to chill

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 4 ounces chocolate, chopped
  • 3 eggs, separated
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup cream

Instructions

1. Fill a small or medium saucepan about halfway with water and put over high heat. Find a bowl that sits comfortably in the pot so the bottom just touches the water (or is close). When the water comes to a boil, lower the heat so it bubbles gently. Put the butter and chocolate in the bowl and set it in the saucepan to rig a double boiler.

2. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is almost completely melted. Remove it from the heat and stir the mixture until it’s completely smooth. Let it cool until you can hold the bowl, then whisk in the egg yolks and the vanilla.

3. Put the egg whites and 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a medium mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until the mixture holds stiff peaks, 30 to 45 seconds. Wash the beaters; put the cream and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a separate, smaller mixing bowl and beat with the electric mixer until the cream holds soft peaks, 20 to 30 seconds.

4. Stir a couple of spoonfuls of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remaining whites thoroughly but gently with a rubber spatula. Fold in the cream just enough so that there are no streaks of white, then refrigerate until chilled. Eat within a day; to serve, transfer the mousse to a serving bowl or individual cups.

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything: The Basics

Log in, or become a member today.

Join in: enjoy 7 days free, plus 40% off your first year with access to 1,000+ highly vetted recipes from the How To Cook Everything series and beyond, essays from Mark, and original pieces from our contributors.

Join annually and save 40%
Log in to your account

GetBetterFasterHealthierSmarterTastier

in the Kitchen

Through our (more than a thousand, and growing) highly vetted recipes from the How to Cook Everything series, original food essays and reporting, thoughtful podcast conversations and introductions to new and responsible food products, we aim to showcase what’s possible, from farm to fork, and power a growing movement that encourages people to think about food not as a commodity, but as central to our health and happiness.

Start your free trial

We hope you join us on this journey. We’d love to have you as a part of the Bittman community. As a member, you'll have access to:

  • New recipes every week
  • 1000s of recipes from How to Cook Everything and beyond
  • First access to in-person events with Mark and Kate
  • Exclusive discounts from our favorite brands
  • Q&As with Mark and the team

 

Subscribe to our free newsletter

Join over 105,000 passionate individuals who receive our weekly emails. It’s 100% free and you can unsubscribe anytime. Plus, we’ll email you a sampling of what premium members receive on a weekly basis.