This rich and creamy mousse needs just one main ingredient. It doesn’t need eggs or dairy and it doesn’t need to chill in the fridge. It is also a foolproof recipe. Even if you make a mistake, you can still fix it. This is a stress-free dessert to serve at events or gatherings that can be made in just a few minutes.
This intensely rich chocolate mousse is the perfect easy dessert to make. No need to even chill the mousse in the fridge. You can enjoy it right away. I also love that it is almost impossible to mess up. Even if you overmix the batter, or add too much or too little chocolate, you can remelt the mixture and mix it again.
Ingredients
The main ingredient in this recipe is dark chocolate with at least 65% cocoa. You will also need water.
Some of you may feel the need to use your superior math skills to point out that chocolate and water add up to two ingredients. However, I did not name this dessert. This dessert is commonly referred to as “1-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse” because water is often not counted as an ingredient. I explain more of the origins of this dessert further below.
Dark chocolate: Make sure to use a high quality dark chocolate that you enjoy eating. Because it is the main ingredient in this mousse you will really taste the chocolate. You also want to use a dark chocolate that contains at least 65% cocoa. I have made this recipe successfully with 65% and 70% dark chocolate. Semi-sweet chocolate or anything with 55% cocoa or less will not firm up. You can also make this with sugar-free dark chocolate (sweetened with a sugar substitute like Stevia).
One Ingredient Chocolate Mousse
The unique technique used to make mousse was introduced by French chemist Hervé This with his Chocolate Chantilly. It has since become popularized and known as 1-Ingredient chocolate mousse.
How to Make Chocolate Mousse
The chocolate and water are added to a saucepan and melted until you have a smooth, uniform melted chocolate. This should only take about a minute.
You will need two mixing bowls, one large and one medium. Fill the bottom of the large mixing bowl with ice. Then place the medium mixing bowl over the ice. Pour and scrape your melted chocolate into the medium bowl.
Using a whisk or a hand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the mixture until it thickens to a pudding consistency. You want to stop right before the mixture reaches soft peaks. Once you stop mixing, scoop the mousse into dessert bowls. It will set and thicken within a few minutes after you stop whipping it.
Mousse Sweetness
This mousse is made almost entirely of dark bittersweet chocolate. If you don’t like dark chocolate, then this dessert likely will not be a right fit for you. There is no additional sugar added other than what is already in the chocolate. The mousse has a very rich chocolate flavor and a light airy and creamy texture.
Tips
- If you overmix and your mixture becomes too stiff, simply remelt the mixture on the stove and then whip again.
- Make sure you have enough ice in the bowl underneath so that it chills the bottom and sides of the medium bowl.
- If you can’t seem to get the mixture to thicken, you can remelt and add a little more chocolate and then whip again.
- If you find your chocolate mousse is too dense and thick, remelt and add a little more water and then whip again.
- You can whisk by hand or with a hand mixer. Whisking by hand is a little more tedious but I’ve done it a few times successfully. If using a hand mixer, use a whisk attachment and mix at the lowest speed setting.
More Easy Chocolate Recipes
1 Ingredient Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- 9 oz (255 g) dark chocolate minimum 65% cocoa
- 3/4 cup (177 ml/6 oz) water
Instructions
- Prepare 2 mixing bowls: one large and one medium bowl. The medium bowl needs to be able to nest inside the large bowl. Add ice to the bottom of the larger bowl and then put the medium bowl inside. There should be enough ice to cool the bottom and sides of the medium bowl.
- Add chocolate and water into a medium saucepan and bring to medium heat. As the water heats up, whisk until you have a uniform melted chocolate mixture. This should only take a minute or less once the water is hot. After the chocolate is melted and uniform, remove the saucepan from the stove.
- Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the medium bowl. Make sure to use a spatula to scrape all the chocolate from the saucepan into the bowl. Working quickly, whisk vigorously as the chocolate begins to cool down, until the mixture thickens to a pudding consistency. You can either use a hand whisk or a hand mixer using the whisk attachment on the lowest speed. It will take about 5 minutes or slightly longer to reach the right texture. The mixture is going to thicken and stiffen even more once you stop mixing so you want the mixture to be just a little less stiff than mousse consistency since it will thicken more once you stop mixing. If your mixture can hold soft peaks, you've likely overmixed it. See notes on how to fix your mousse if this happens.
- Stop mixing once mixture reaches pudding consistency. Scoop mousse into small dessert bowls or into a piping bag and pipe into bowls. The mousse will set within a few minutes after you stop whipping it. If desired, top with fresh whipped cream and shaved chocolate curls.
Notes
- Make sure to use dark chocolate that contains at least 65% cocoa/cacao. I have made this successfully with 65% and 70%. You can likely go higher but your dessert may be too bitter. I did not have success with 55% cocoa.
- Sugar-Free/Low Carb Version: If you want to make this sugar-free, this does work with sugar-free dark chocolate. I made it with 60% cocoa sugar-free dark chocolate sweetened with Stevia and erythritol (365 Whole Foods market brand). Since sugar-free dark chocolate tends to be less sweet than regular dark chocolate, I do recommend using around 60-65%.
- If you overmix your mousse and it becomes too stiff or grainy, simply remelt the chocolate mixture on the stove again and then rewhip it.
- If you find your chocolate mousse is not thickening, make sure your medium bowl is getting cooled down with enough ice. You can also remelt the chocolate mixture and add a little more chocolate (about 1/2 to 1 oz) and then whip again.
- If you find your chocolate mousse is too dense, then remelt the mixture and add a little more water (about 2-3 tbsp) and then whip again.
- Optional Whipped Cream Topping: Add 1 cup of cold heavy cream and 3 tbsp of sugar (or sugar substitute) to a large mixing bowl. Beat on highest speed until soft peaks form.
- The mousse in the pictures also are topped with small chocolate curls that are shaved from a chocolate bar.
- The estimated nutrition is calculated using 65% cocoa dark chocolate sweetened with regular sugar (not sugar-free) and does not include the whipped cream topping.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Must’ve obermixed mine because it got stiff after sitting in the fridge for a few hours. Still yummy!
You don’t need to chill it – if you do, it will stiffen up.
I can’t believe this! I’ve gotta try it!!!
We hope you love it!
We made it and it was yummy. Thanks ?
Thanks for sharing!
Can you make this without stevia and full dark chocolate like bakers chocolate?
You need to use chocolate that is at least 65% cocoa – the only other ingredient you need is water.
I cannot have chocolate. Could I use butterscotch flavored chips to make this?
I don’t think it will work with butterscotch flavored chips
Hi Jenn! Would high quality, bittersweet chocolate chips work in this recipe, or do you suggest the block type of chocolate?
Many thanks. Hope you and Mr. K. are having a great weekend! I’d gladly ship you some mid 40°F nights, if you need to cool off…and I could find a way to do so ?!
Hi Terry- Bittersweet chocolate chips should also work, just make sure they have a high enough cocoa content. I’ve seen ones labeled bittersweet but then they only have around 50% cocoa. Mid 40Fs nights are a bit too cold for me! haha.