Chocolate Mousse Recipe with 3 Ingredients ~ So Easy!

This is a chocolate mousse recipe without eggs which means it’s fast and simple to make. It requires only three ingredients: heavy cream, cocoa powder, and confectioners sugar. 

Making chocolate mousse at home is so easy and a great way to use leftover heavy cream. It’s the perfect impromptu dessert or sweet treat for when a chocolate craving strikes. If you have a hand mixer, electric mixer, or food processor, you can whip some up in about 6 minutes. No baking or cooking is required; it’s a no-bake dessert. It comes out creamy, thick, and delicious. You can also make it in advance and set it in the refrigerator. It tastes amazing when it’s really cold.

Follow these tips and directions for making homemade chocolate mousse. Once you try it, you will want to make more. This recipe is easy to double or divide. 

Chocolate Mousse Recipe

We avoid palm oil in my household which means buying premade desserts are typically out of the question. The great thing is it is easy to make many desserts at home. I love making chocolate mousse and topping it with homemade whipped cream. Both of these require heavy cream.

If you buy organic heavy cream, you will avoid palm oil too. In cream, palm oil is hidden in Mono- & Diglycerides. I’ve found that organic heavy whipping cream is less expensive at Costco, Walmart, and Target than it is at my local grocery store. I also found one non-organic brand that didn’t contain Mono- & Diglycerides at Trader Joe’s. It’s a 16 oz (473mL) container called Trader Joe’s Grade A Pasteurized Heavy Cream.

Heavy cream is the same as heavy whipping cream. In the United States, both heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are required by USDA to contain a minimum of 36% milkfat. Using other dairy products, such as half and half, can result in watery mousse because the milkfat content isn’t high enough.

This chocolate mousse recipe makes two, one half cup servings. See below to make more or less servings. 

Recipe Tips Before You Start

The key to making mousse is to start with a chilled metal bowl and very cold heavy whipping cream. The cream will whip better and faster when everything is cold. Put the bowl in the fridge for 10 – 20 minutes. It’s a good idea to also put the whisk or beaters in the fridge too.

While a metal bowl is preferred because it will stay colder longer than a glass or plastic bowl, you can use whatever you have. When you are ready to make the mousse, gather all the ingredients but take out the heavy whipping cream and the metal bowl out last.

Do not overwhip the heavy cream. If you do, it can become grainy.

What You Need to Make Chocolate Mousse

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream – Same as heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder – Use dark cocoa powder for dark chocolate mousse
• 4 tablespoons confectioners sugar – Also called powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract – Optional
• Pinch of sea salt or table salt – Optional

Equipment needed:

• Refrigerated medium or large bowl: Metal is preferred but use whatever you have.
• Hand mixer, stand mixer, food processor with whisk attachment: You can also use regular beaters if that’s what you have. I’ve found it works well to use only one whisk or beater when making chocolate mousse.
• Hand whisk: Use if you don’t have a mixer or food processor.
• Measuring cup and measuring spoons 

If you don’t have an electric mixer, you can make chocolate mousse by hand. It will take longer and be more labor-intensive (you’ll need to whisk longer by hand than if you are using a hand mixer) but it can be done. The important thing is the egg whites are thoroughly whipped and the egg yolks are aerated. 

How to Make Chocolate Mousse

1. Measure and pour cold heavy whipping cream into cold bowl.
2. Start the electric mixer on low speed and increase to medium speed until cream starts thickening and soft peaks form. The cream peaks should be light and airy but should topple over when you move the whisk.
3. Add cocoa powder and confectioners sugar. Add pure vanilla extract and sea salt if using.
4. Continue whisking or beating with electric mixer until the ingredients are combined and the chocolate mousse is whipped to have medium peaks.
5. Spoon into small bowls and serve right away while it’s cold. You can also refrigerate it until you are ready to serve.

Chocolate Mousse Tips

Be extra careful you don’t add too much cocoa, sugar, or vanilla extract. You want to be sure the heavy cream whips into mousse consistency. If you add too much of something and the cream isn’t whipping up, you can add more heavy cream sparingly or start again.

After making chocolate mousse, I cover it and set it in the refrigerator until it’s time to serve. I think it takes extra-good when it’s cold so when I can, I make it the day before and refrigerate it overnight. However, you can serve it as soon as you make it.

Storing Chocolate Mousse

Store chocolate mousse in the fridge for up to three days. Be sure it’s covered. If you make the mousse and set it in bowls and will use it in a few hours (that night as a dessert, etc.) you can keep it uncovered for a few hours. 

Variations

You can use dark cocoa powder to make easy dark chocolate mousse. You can use vanilla extract for extra flavoring. Add pure peppermint extract to make chocolate peppermint mousse which is delightful to serve with candy cane pieces.

If you use peppermint extract, use ⅛ – ¼ of the amount of vanilla extract the recipe calls for. A little peppermint extract goes a long way and you don’t want it too pepperminty. You can always add more.

Serving Suggestions

This easy chocolate mousse recipe is delicious on it’s own. What’s not to like? It’s chocolately, rich, smooth, has an incredible mouthfeel, and is a feast for the eyes. There is the perfect amount of sweetness. Serve it in ramekins, dessert cups, sundae cups, teacups, shot glasses, or small bowls.

This is a versatile, no bake dessert you can serve in many ways. Some serving suggestions:

• Top with homemade whipped cream
• Add sliced strawberries
• Top with sliced almonds, walnuts, etc.
• Top chocolate cake, cupcakes, etc. 
• Serve alongside pound cake, angel food cake, etc.
• Add chocolate chips, candy cane pieces, or top with shaved chocolate
• Top with a few raspberries for a simple but fancy chocolate mousse
• Serve chocolate mousse with a berry mixture such as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries
• Fill a graham cracker crust for a no-bake pie
• Fill a prebaked pie crust that’s cooled

What an elegant presentation to top this chocolate mousse recipe with whipped cream, shaved chocolate, and raspberries. Fancy and delicious!

Chocolate Mousse Recipe Conversions

This recipe calls for one cup of heavy cream which makes just over one cup of chocolate mousse. Serving size is one quarter cup. If you want to make less or more, depending on how many servings and how much heavy cream you have, use:

To make ½ cup chocolate mousse (½ serving — when you want something sweet):

• Heavy cream: ¼ cup
• Powdered sugar: 1 tablespoon
• Cocoa powder: 1 tablespoon
• Pure vanilla extract (optional for flavoring): ⅛ teaspoon
• Dash of sea salt or table salt (optional) 

To make one cup chocolate mousse (1 servings):

• Heavy cream: ½ cup
• Powdered sugar: 2 tablespoons
• Cocoa powder: 2 tablespoons
• Pure vanilla extract: ¼ teaspoon
• Sea salt or table salt: pinch

To make two cups chocolate mousse (2 servings):

• Heavy cream: 1 cup
• Powdered sugar: 4 tablespoons
• Cocoa powder: 4 tablespoons
• Pure vanilla extract: ½ teaspoon
• Sea salt or table salt: pinch

Make three cups (3 servings): 

• Heavy cream: 1-½ cups
• Powdered sugar: 6 tablespoons
• Cocoa powder: 6 tablespoons
• Pure vanilla extract: ½ – ¾ teaspoon
• Sea salt or table salt: ⅛ teaspoon

Make four cups (4 servings):

• Heavy cream: 2 cups
• Powdered sugar: 8 tablespoons (equals ½ cup)
• Cocoa powder: 8 tablespoons (equals ½ cup)
• Pure vanilla extract: ½ – 1 teaspoon
• Sea salt or table salt: ⅛ teaspoon

FAQs

What is chocolate mousse made of?

Chocolate mousse is made of heavy cream (also called heavy whipping cream), confectioners sugar (also called powdered sugar), unsweetened cocoa powder or cacao powder. You can also add vanilla extract and salt.

What is the difference between chocolate pudding and chocolate mousse?

When made from scratch, the difference between chocolate pudding and chocolate mousse is that pudding is cooked on the stovetop while mousse can be whipped up and served as is. Pudding also typically contains cornstarch as a thickening agent.

Is mousse just whipped pudding?

Mousse is typically made without eggs. If it’s made with eggs, it needs to be cooked. If it’s made with only heavy cream, confectioners sugar, vanilla, and cocoa powder, it’s a no-cook dessert unlike pudding which is cooked. 

Can you freeze chocolate mousse?

You can freeze chocolate mousse in an airtight container for up to three months. Keep it off the door to avoid temperature fluctuations. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving. It’s also delicious to eat it frozen.

Easy Chocolate Mousse Recipe

The first time I made chocolate mousse, I ate it all by myself, right out of the bowl. I didn’t even refrigerate it. I was only making it to use up leftover heavy whipping cream. Who knew it was so easy to make?! The next time I went to the grocery store, I bought more organic heavy cream and made more. My family was thrilled when I brought it out after dinner.

In my house, we avoid palm oil and make most all of our desserts from scratch. I never used to bake or make desserts unless they were from a box mix but it’s so easy to do. Now I make chocolate mousse, whipped cream, vanilla frosting, chocolate frosting, cakes, cookies, and other palm oil free desserts at home.

Making Chocolate Mousse Without Palm Oil 

The key to making chocolate mousse without palm oil is to use organic heavy whipping cream. Organic is more expensive but it won’t contain all the additives non-organic whipping creams do. You may find non-organic heavy cream without additives as well. 

In the United States, the FDA allows optional ingredients to be used in heavy cream and heavy whipping cream. They include: Emulsifiers; Stabilizers; Nutritive sweeteners; Characterizing flavoring ingredients (with or without coloring) as follows:(i) Fruit and fruit juice (including concentrated fruit and fruit juice), (ii) Natural and artificial food flavoring.

These additional ingredients can include palm oil. Be sure to read ingredient labels.

In addition, be sure to use pure vanilla extract instead of imitation vanilla which can contain palm oil ingredients. You can use cocoa powder, cacao powder (unprocessed and used to make cocoa powder), or carob powder. 

Please do not make chocolate mousse with Cool Whip and cocoa powder. Buy heavy whipping cream and make it with cocoa powder yourself.

I use a hand mixer with one whisk attachment to make this recipe. I highly recommend using an electric mixer of some sort versus whipping the heavy cream by hand. If you have two whisk attachments, you can use them if you are making a larger quantity.

If you make this chocolate mousse recipe, please let me know in the Comments how it was and if you served it with anything. I like serving chocolate mousse with a few raspberries on top; it makes a lovely presentation and is so simple, even on busy weeknights. When don’t have raspberries, strawberries work well too.