Easy Chocolate Mousse Recipe

This eggless chocolate mousse is a keeper, inspired by Nigella Lawson’s recipe this no bake dessert is fuss free and needs a handful of ingredients which comes together easily without any fuss. It is the perfect sweet treat to make on a Monday and store in your fridge for the week.

Some recipes are winner and do not need an occasion to be celebrated over. This instant chocolate mousse by Nigella Lawson is one of those recipes. It is a simple treat that is elegant and so delicious. Not to mention very easy to whip up and you do not need any fancy ingredients or equipment to prepare it. You could serve it immediately but I like chilling it for a while so the flavor intensifies and it tastes more rich. This recipe doesn’t need anything additionally but I like to add a few things, customizing it to my liking. So let us get to it.

What is chocolate mousse?

Chocolate mousse is a rich, airy, smooth French dessert that is so delicious and the perfect sweet treat to make when you are craving something yummy without baking. It is traditionally made with whipped cream, egg, melted chocolate however there are many variations to the recipe like this one which also work to create eggless options.

What ingredients do you need to make this easy chocolate mousse recipe?

This chocolate mousse uses dark chocolate, butter, mini marshmallows. Instant coffee powder, heavy cream, vanilla and salt. Now for the chocolate Nigella says use a 70% dark chocolate, I have made this with dark chocolate, semi sweet, 80% etc and it works well. Just make sure you are using a chocolate you like the taste of. For the mini marshmallows we need the regular vanilla flavored ones and ideally white in color so it does not affect the color of the mousse once combined. The coffee powder is not mandatory but it is so delicious. You could do cinnamon powder or cardamom, I have made this with orange zest as well and it is delicious!

What equipment do you need to make this easy chocolate mousse recipe?

To make the chocolate mousse we need a heavy bottom sauce pan to melt the ingredients until smooth using a rubber spatula to help stir things together. The cream is whipped in a stand mixer or using an electric beater until stiff peaks. You can serve it in individual glasses or in a large bowl as well.

Pro tips to make this easy chocolate mousse recipe:

Melt the chocolate mixture gently over low to medium heat until smooth, be patient with this as we do not want the mixture to burn.
Allow this to chocolate mixture to cool down before folding into the whipped cream or else it will deflate the air out.
The whipping cream needs to be whipped until stiff peaks or doubled in volume and thick, this is what stabilises the mousse.
Fold the chocolate mixture into the whipped cream gently to ensure the air is not lost in the folding process.
Allowing the mousse to chill intensifies the flavor and makes it more rich, minimum 30 minutes but it is delicious the next day as well, hence you can make it ahead too.

How to serve easy chocolate mousse recipe?

I prefer serving this mousse chilled, drizzle it with olive oil, a sprinkle of sea salt flakes and crushed nuts for crunch. You could serve it with lightly whipped cream on the side as well. This mousse fi delicious over a slice of vanilla cake. The mousse can be stored in glasses individually or in a large bowl and then scooped out as needed. I love both options but this depends on who you are serving it for.

Storing the leftovers of this easy chocolate mousse recipe:

Cling wrap the glasses/bowl and store it in the fridge for up to 1 week. The air will deflate a bit but the overall texture will hold well. It is not to be frozen as it doesn’t defrost well.

Looking for more mousse recipes?

Now that we have covered how to make this easy chocolate mousse recipe, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it. Don’t forget to follow along for more fun recipe inspiration. If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on pinterest & instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking