Desserts, Recipes · February 13, 2023

Chocolate Mousse recipe made from scratch

Name: Chocolate Mousse recipe made from scratch
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 4 large egg yolks; 1/4 cup granulated sugar; 2 cups heavy whipping cream (Divided by 3/4 cup and then 1 and 1/4 cup); 1 cup melting chocolate, bittersweet or otherwise (I use Ghirardelli melting chocolate because it has the best flavor! ); 1 tsp. vanilla extract; 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream; 3 Tbsp. powdered sugar; 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

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Kevin is a chocolate-on-chocolate-on-chocolate dessert kind-of-guy. He loves chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and if you can get a little more chocolate in there somehow – GREAT! He also is partial to having a raspberry compote sauce to run his fork through.

Me? Sure, I have my moments with chocolate. However, I am more of a light chocolate eater. It often feels overwhelming to me and I turn to smoother desserts like ice cream, pudding, crème Brule and chocolate mousse. Maybe it’s a texture thing, but I like a nice, creamy dessert after a good meal.

To satisfy both our chocolate cravings, I recently made this glorious Chocolate Mousse recipe made from scratch. I topped it with homemade whipped cream, a dusting of cocoa powder (had to get more chocolate in for Kevin) and a little raspberry. I have to say, it’s French restaurant quality right at home. And it’s perfect for a romantic evening at home, Valentine’s Day or even just a fancy family dinner dessert.

The origins of Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Mousse was first known as “mayonnaise de chocolat” and was invented in the 19^th century by the French Impressionist painter Henri Toulouse-Lautrec.

Toulouse-Lautrec found time in between being a world-renowned painter to dabble I cooking. He created signature dishes and Chocolate Mousse was by far his must famous. Since its creation Chocolate Mousse has become an icon dessert with its airy, silky, delicate texture, and a favorite worldwide.

Chocolate Mousse recipe ingredients

The process of creating Chocolate Mousse is one where eggs are whipped, lightly heated with heavy cream and blended with chocolate.

Egg yolks: I use egg yolks only in my Chocolate Mousse recipe because I believe it makes for a richer texture. They thicken up the custard mixture that begins the mousse too.

Heavy cream: This makes the Chocolate Mousse recipe light, fluffy and decadent.

Granulated sugar: This sweetens the pot, literally.

Vanilla extract: This compliments the flavor in the mouse and it’s something I almost always add to my desserts – chocolate, vanilla or something else entirely.

Chocolate: Most people will tell you to use bittersweet chocolate for Chocolate Mousse. But the most important this is to make sure the chocolate is GOOD QUALITY. I actually cannot stress this enough. For my Chocolate Mousse recipe, I like to use Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate melting wafers. You might notice my Chocolate Mousse recipe is a bit lighter and this is the reason why. If you want, you can also use dark chocolate. It’s really about the kind of chocolate taste you prefer.

Topping it all off and variations

I am a simple toppings kind-of-girl. Usually, I like just whipped cream on top of my desserts. (A lot of it.) But I have to hand it to those of you that are like Kevin and love a good raspberry flavor with your chocolate. That little ol’ raspberry on top is quite a complementary flavor to this Chocolate Mousse. The dusting of cocoa powder is really a nice touch too.

However, for those of you that want even more flavor, you can try some fun variations that include:

Adding peppermint extract to the mix around the holidays
Topping it off with a bit or orange in place of my raspberry, a handful of chopped strawberries or even a few blackberries.
To add a little more texture you can try adding in some sliced almonds, salted peanuts or even more chocolate in the form of mini chips or chocolate slivers.

However, you top it, I hope you enjoy it thoroughly!

Thank you so much for following along today, friends! You can get the full, printable recipe below. I hope that you’ll come back again and visit us here at Sugar Maple Farmhouse. For more dessert recipes, click {HERE}.

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