Easy Chocolate Mousse Recipe

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This Easy Chocolate Mousse Recipe has a rich flavor and creamy texture, and it’s made with just 5 simple ingredients. It’s easy to make thanks to a surprise secret ingredient: mini marshmallows!

Small cups of chocolate mousse next to spoons.


 

This Easy Chocolate Mousse is an egg-free, fuss-free, pure silken chocolate delight. Instead of sugar and cocoa powder, sweeten bittersweet chocolate with a heap of mini marshmallows. That keeps the texture from being grainy, the taste pure, and you don’t have to mess with egg whites or egg yolks like a traditional custard, either. What you get instead is a deep chocolate flavor and a silky-smooth texture.

Serve Chocolate Mousse in small serving dishes to serve at a party, or fill a graham cracker crust shell to make a chocolate mousse pie. However you serve this homemade chocolate pudding, it will delight chocolate lovers everywhere. It’s so good! I hope you love it!

Recipe ingredients

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

  • Bittersweet chocolate: Look for a high-quality baking bar or chocolate chips. For a white chocolate mousse, substitute high-quality white chocolate. The recipe will work just as well. It’s really delicious with a drizzle of Raspberry Coulis and fresh berries.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Fill a large bowl with ice. The bowl should be large enough to hold a medium saucepan. In a medium saucepan over low heat on the stovetop, combine marshmallows, milk, and chocolate. Stir constantly until the chocolate and marshmallows melt and are smooth, about 5 minutes.
Marshmallows in chocolate in a saucepan to make chocolate mousse.
  1. Set the saucepan with the melted chocolate inside the large bowl with ice. Let stand, whisking occasionally, until the chocolate mixture has cooled and thickened, about 20 minutes. 
A bowl of chocolate mousse chilling over ice.
  1. In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or using an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed, whip heavy cream and vanilla together until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. 
A mixing bowl filled with soft-peak whipped cream.
  1. Fold whipped cream into the chilled chocolate mixture (do not overmix). Spoon into wine glasses or ramekins and cover with plastic wrap (the plastic should be directly on the surface of the mousse). Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings before serving if desired.
Small cups of chocolate mousse next to spoons.

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This Easy Chocolate Mousse makes about 3 cups of mousse, enough for 6 (1/2-cup) individual servings.
  • Storage: Store leftover mousse in an airtight container in the refrigerator, up to 4 days.
  • Espresso: For a deeper chocolate flavor, add a teaspoon of instant espresso powder to the saucepan with the chocolate.
Miniature Oreo brownie trifles in small clear plastic cups.
If you love this easy Chocolate Mousse recipe, you’ll love the Oreo Brownie Trifle. You can build it in a fill-size trifle dish or individual dessert cups as shown here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is chocolate mousse from?

Although the Spanish introduced chocolate to France in the 1700s, it was the French and their love of pastry and dessert that made it into a frothy, whipped dessert known as mousse.

How do you garnish chocolate mousse?

Add a dollop of whipped and plenty of chocolate curls. You can make chocolate curls by using a vegetable peeler on a bar of chocolate.Shaving chocolate curls off a bar of chocolate.

How do you make whipped cream?

For best results, chill metal mixing bowl and metal whisk in freezer for 10 to 15 minutes. Combine 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 2 tbsp powdered sugar, and ½ tsp vanilla in mixing bowl. Beat until soft peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes, or until stiff peaks form, about 6 to 8 minutes, depending on your preference. Whipped cream can be stored covered, in the refrigerator, for 10 hours. 

More chocolate desserts

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Small cups of chocolate mousse next to spoons.

Easy Chocolate Mousse Recipe

This Easy Chocolate Mousse Recipe has a rich flavor and creamy texture, and it's made with just 5 simple ingredients. It's easy to make thanks to a surprise secret ingredient: mini marshmallows!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 6 servings (½ cup each)
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Calories 311
5 from 5 votes

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Fill a large bowl with ice. The bowl should be large enough to hold a medium saucepan. 
  • In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine marshmallows, milk, and chocolate. Whisk constantly until melted and smooth, about 5 minutes.
  • Set the saucepan inside the large bowl with ice. Let stand, whisking occasionally, until the chocolate mixture has cooled and thickened, about 20 minutes. 
  • In a standing mixer with the whisk attachment, or using an electric hand mixer, whip cream and vanilla together until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. 
  • Fold whipped cream into the chilled chocolate mixture (do not overmix). Spoon into wine glasses or ramekins and cover with plastic wrap (the plastic should be directly on the surface of the mousse). Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
  • Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings before serving if desired.

Notes

  1. Bittersweet chocolate: For a white chocolate mousse, substitute high-quality white chocolate. The recipe will work just as well. It’s really delicious with a drizzle of Raspberry Coulis and fresh berries.
  2. Yield: This Easy Chocolate Mousse makes about 3 cups of mousse, enough for 6 (1/2-cup) individual servings.
  3. Storage: Store leftover mousse in an airtight container in the refrigerator, up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5 cupCalories: 311kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 3gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 53mgPotassium: 146mgFiber: 1gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 494IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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Comments

    1. Hi Cru, thank you so much for your question! I’m sorry, I don’t have the yield on hand. I’ll be testing it though and will write back once I’ve updated the recipe card. Sorry about that! – Meggan

    2. Hi Cru, this recipe makes about 3 cups of mousse, enough for 6 (1/2 cup) servings. Take care! – Meggan

  1. Made this yesterday for Valentine’s Day and it was very tasty and super easy! Will definitely make again, yum!5 stars

  2. Hi! I’ll be making these for tomorrow night. Can I add Bailey’s Irish cream to the chocolate mixture?
    Thanks!!

    1. Hi Nicole, sounds delicious! I haven’t tried this myself, but I would substitute some of the whole milk for a couple tablespoons of Bailey’s. I hope it turns out great! – Meggan