This Easy Chocolate Mousse recipe uses only three ingredients and is so decadent and simple to make. With just 5 minutes of prep time, you can have this restaurant-style dessert ready right at home! Your family and friends will be so impressed.
If you are looking for the easiest dessert recipe that will truly wow anyone, this 3 Ingredient Chocolate Mousse is the recipe for you! We were inspired to create this recipe after having the most delicious chocolate mousse at a restaurant in Houston a couple of months ago.
We wanted to simplify the recipe and make sure it was foolproof, plus it takes minimal time to prep - only 5 minutes! It's now one of our go-to desserts for a fancy meal at home or when entertaining since it's also great to make in advance.
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Forget trying to separate eggs, whip egg whites, and use lots of bowls like a traditional mousse recipe, this simple version uses just chocolate, heavy cream, and powdered sugar to make the most decadent and creamy bite.
You can even customize the chocolate mousse with extracts or your favorite type of chocolate to change up the flavors. We recommend serving with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and berries on the side.
If you love an easy dessert recipe we do too, try our Chocolate Meringue Pie, Coffee Tres Leches Cake, or Chocolate Toffee Trifle.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- 3-Ingredient Dessert. All you need is heavy cream, chocolate, and powdered sugar. It's too easy.
- Simple to prep in just 5 minutes. Forget decadent desserts that take hours to make, you can have something spectacular made in just 5 minutes and ready to refrigerate before guests arrive.
- Customize to your liking. By adding different extracts, types of chocolate or toppings, you can change up the flavors of this dessert all year long.
Laura Ashley's Tip: This simple chocolate mousse uses no eggs, just the magic of homemade whipped cream to make that rich and creamy texture we all love! Use your favorite chocolate bars in this recipe to make the flavor your own.
Ingredients
Scroll Down to the Bottom of this Post for Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Printable Recipe Card
- Heavy whipping cream: The base of this decadent dessert.
- Semi-sweet chocolate bars: We prefer semisweet chocolate here. Be sure to buy bars and not chips, they will melt more smoothly since they don't contain stabilizers like chocolate chips. You can also use milk or dark chocolate if that's your preference.
- Powdered sugar: Lightly sweetens the mousse.
Tools You'll Need
How to Make 3 Ingredient Chocolate Mousse
- In a microwave-safe bowl, heat ½ cup of the heavy whipping cream for 1 minute. Add the chopped chocolate to the warmed cream and rest without stirring for 5 minutes.
- Whisk the cream and chocolate until smooth and set aside.
- In another mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar until medium peaks form.
- Fold half of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Once smooth, fold in the remaining whipped cream.
- Spoon the mousse into individual serving dishes or one large bowl. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let it set.
- Allow the mousse to sit at room temperature 15 minutes before serving. Garnish as desired. Whipped cream, chocolate shavings, fresh berries, caramel, salted caramel and/or fresh mint are great options!
Expert Tips
- Buy chocolate bars rather than chocolate chips. Chocolate chips have stabilizers and are often coated in a powder that prevents them from sticking to each other in the bag. As a result, when they melt it can make your mousse gritty. We recommend chopping chocolate bars for this simple mousse recipe.
- Use whatever chocolate you like. We love the flavor of semi-sweet, but you can also use milk, bittersweet, or dark chocolate too.
- Customize the mousse with extracts. If you want to play with the flavors, you can add different extracts. Vanilla, mint, raspberry are all nice.
- Serve this restaurant-style dessert the best way. We like to top with fresh whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and fresh berries. It's also great with chocolate sauce or salted caramel sauce on top.
- Don't over-mix the mousse base. This will remove the air and deflate the mousse, making it hard and not creamy and fluffy after refrigerating.
Storage and Make Ahead
You can store this mousse in the fridge covered with plastic wrap for up to four days. We don't recommend freezing the mousse as it will change the texture of the dessert when it thaws.
The beauty of this recipe is that it's ideal to make ahead. It's perfect for entertaining a large crowd or for a special dinner right at home! Simply assemble up to a day in advance and just pull out of the fridge to garnish before serving.
FAQs
Be sure to let your melted chocolate and cream mixture cool to room temperature before folding in more whipped cream. The mousse should be light and fluffy in texture before refrigerating.
The base is whipped cream that is often stabilized with egg whites and yolks. In this easy version, we use whipped cream to stabilize the mousse.
This means you probably whipped the cream too much and stiff peaks formed. This will make the texture hard after refrigerating. If you also refrigerated for a while before serving, let the mousse sit out at room temperature for a few minutes to soften.
Don't over work the mousse mixture when stirring. You don't want to deflate the mixture since the air keeps it light.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
3 Ingredient Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream divided
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate bars chopped
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a microwave-safe bowl, heat ½ cup of the heavy whipping cream for 1 minute. Add the chopped chocolate to the warmed cream and rest without stirring for 5 minutes.
- Whisk the cream and chocolate until smooth and set aside.
- In another mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar until medium peaks form.
- Fold half of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Once smooth, fold in the remaining whipped cream.
- Spoon the mousse into individual serving dishes or one large bowl. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let it set.
- Allow the mousse to sit at room temperature 15 minutes before serving. Garnish as desired. Whipped cream, chocolate shavings, fresh berries, caramel, salted caramel and/or fresh mint are great options!
Video
Notes
Tips
- Buy chocolate bars rather than chocolate chips. Chocolate chips have stabilizers and are often coated in a powder that prevents them from sticking to each other in the bag. As a result, when they melt it can make your mousse gritty. We recommend chopping chocolate bars for this simple mousse recipe.
- Use whatever chocolate you like. We love the flavor of semi-sweet, but you can also use milk, bittersweet, or dark chocolate too.
- Customize the mousse with extracts. If you want to play with the flavors, you can add different extracts. Vanilla, mint, raspberry are all nice.
- Serve this restaurant-style dessert the best way. We like to top with fresh whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and fresh berries. It's also great with chocolate sauce or salted caramel sauce on top.
- Don't over-mix the mousse base. This will remove the air and deflate the mousse, making it hard and not creamy and fluffy after refrigerating.
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