Whip up this authentic French mousse au chocolate in just minutes. It’s rich, it’s decadent, and it’s so, so easy!

Almost 10 years ago now, I worked at La Ferme des Bisons in Belgium. It’s this really cool American West themed park with a hotel, museum, domesticated buffalo, and, you guessed it, a restaurant. My favorite job a the restaurant was to make the week’s mousse. It was easy: I had a written recipe so my tenuous grasp on the language wasn’t a problem, and it meant I didn’t have to cut hundreds of radishes into the shape of flowers (my least favorite job!). 

When I came back to America, I looked for a good recipe. I was surprised to find that most recipes called for heavy whipping cream or only used part of the egg. The recipe I used in Belgium didn’t do either of those things. I experimented, trying to turn the restaurant-sized recipe into a family-sized one. 

It wasn’t until I was flipping through a cookbook called  French Classics Made Easy by Richard Grausman that I saw something that looked familiar. A few tweaks to make it match my memories, and here it is: one extremely simple chocolate mousse recipe that is authentically French (or Belgian, I guess). 

How do you know this homemade chocolate mousse is authentic? There is no heavy cream and you use the whole egg. The lightness comes from whipping the egg whites, while the richness comes from the combination of egg yolks and melted chocolate. It’s a perfectly delicious, as well as pretty darn easy, way to create a gourmet and decadent dessert!

What do I need for traditional chocolate mousse?

This recipe uses simple ingredients to create that airy texture and rich chocolate flavor you love: \

• Baking Chocolate: This is the secret to intense chocolate flavor — you’ll want to choose good quality chocolate. You can actually make this easy mousse recipe with any kind of baking chocolate. My preference is for semisweet chocolate, but bittersweet chocolate, dark chocolate,  milk chocolate, and even white chocolate will work in this recipe. If you can melt it in a saucepan, you can use it! 
• Eggs: For this recipe, you’ll need 4 large eggs. You will be separating them, using the egg whites to create structure, while the yolks will combine with the chocolate to create a rich base. 
• Butter: Butter rounds out the flavor here. I recommend unsalted butter for this recipe. 
• Cream of Tartar: This helps create those stiff peaks that form the airiness that makes such a fluffy chocolate mousse!

How do I make French-style chocolate mousse? 

Step 1 | Separate the Eggs

Start by separating the eggs into whites and yolks. The whites need to go into a mixing bowl — you’ll be whipping them in a minute. The yolks can go into a small bowl.

Step 2 | Melt the Chocolate

Start by melting the chocolate in a saucepan or heatproof bowl. Break your baking chocolate bar into pieces, then place them and the butter in the small saucepan or bowl. If you’re using the stovetop, heat the chocolate and butter on low heat until you get a glossy melted chocolate mixture. In the microwave, microwave your chocolate and butter in 30 second bursts, stirring in between, until both chocolate and butter are melted completely.

Remove your chocolate from the heat, and immediately stir in the yolks. Then, set the pan/bowl to the side to let it cool.

Step 3 | Beat the Whites

Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until they form stiff peaks. You can tell the peaks are stiff when the whites stand up after you’ve removed the beater from the bowl. Here’s a photo of what you’re shooting for: 

Step 4 | Fold and Portion

Now, fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture using a rubber spatula. Folding means that you put the lighter mixture (in this case, egg whites) into the heavier mixture (chocolate) in such a way that you don’t lose that airiness you worked so hard to created. The technique has you scrap the bottom of the bowl, continuing up the side, and then scooping over the top. This video is super helpful —  you can see the technique in action!

Once you’ve completely folded your egg whites in, you can spoon your mousse mixture into dessert bowls or small glasses.

Step 5 | Set and Enjoy!

Cover your cups with plastic wrap and place them in the refrigerator to set up. They’ll be ready to serve in about 30 minutes. These are pefect served with whipped cream (here’s a delicious recipe for homemade whipped cream), chocolate shavings, mini chocolate chips, a pinch of sea salt, or chocolate curls. You can even dust the finished mousse with cocoa powder, powdered sugar, or espresso powder!

Other Serving Ideas

While you can certainly serve this like a chocolate pudding, mousse is actually very versatile! Here are some other options if you want to change things up:

• Chocolate Mousse Pie:  You can level this dessert up by putting it into a premade pie or tart shell, then topping it with whipped cream and fresh berries to create the easiest recipe for chocolate mousse pie!
• Flourless Mousse Cake: Believe it or not, you can simply toss this mixture into a greased and floured 8″ cake or pie pan and bake it for 30 minutes at 325°. This makes a decadent flourless chocolate cake that is a perfect gluten-free option. Dust it with powdered sugar and top with fresh berries to make a gorgeous and easy dessert. 
• Chocolate Mousse Cups: You can make edible chocolate cups using this tutorial from The Spruce Eats. Then, fill your cups with the mousse and serve!
• Chocolate Mousse Popsicles: My kids love this one! Just spoon your mousse into a popsicle mold and freeze. When you need a quick chocolate fix, pop one out and enjoy!