Chocolate Mousse (Gluten-Free)

This is the best chocolate mousse you will ever taste because it is chocolaty, light, and airy. I used egg whites and quality chocolate to achieve the perfect texture which I’ll share this technique below.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Mousse

This is a classic French dessert that is sure to please. It’s elegant enough to be served as a holiday dessert or for date night at home. It can also be enjoyed informally and that is why I wanted to share it with you. I adapted this recipe from the book Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme. He is a brilliant chef that has a different addition to the mousse that others do not have.

Don’t be intimidated because it sounds fancy. It’s actually an easy dessert that comes together pretty quickly.

What You Need

This recipe only has four ingredients! Well, five if you count the egg yolk and egg white separately.

• Dark Chocolate – I cannot stress enough how important it is to use quality chocolate. It’s the main ingredient and it really shines. I used Guittard Semisweet Baking Bar which is 64% cacao. It is perfect because it is free from gluten, peanuts, and tree nuts. It’s my favorite chocolate and I recommend it to anyone who is gluten intolerant.

• Whole Milk – Typically I see heavy cream in chocolate mousse recipes which makes the mousse thicker. Milk has the opposite effect and it helps lighten it. This is Pierre’s addition and it is brilliant.

• Eggs – There are two different ways mousse is made. One is with whipped cream and the other is egg whites. The only way to achieve an airy and light mousse is with egg whites whipped to stiff peaks and then added to the melted chocolate.

• Sugar – We add a little bit of sugar to lightly sweeten this mousse. If you use a lower or higher cacao adjust the sugar level accordingly.

How to Make Chocolate Mousse

It’s actually quite simple to make and it can be made ahead of time.

Chocolate Mixture

1. Melt the chocolate – You have two options for melting chocolate. One method is to use a double boiler and the second, which is my favorite, is to use the microwave. If you are interested in the double boiler method, Delish has a great how-to article here. To melt chocolate in the microwave, place the finely chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds on 50% power. Stir with a clean spatula to see if the chocolate is melted. Repeat for 15 seconds at 50% power until melted. The chocolate needs to melt slowly which is why we use half power.
2. Bring the milk to a boil – There are two purposes for boiling the milk. One is to keep the chocolate from seizing. If you add cold milk to the chocolate it will seize. Second, the hot milk will cook the egg yolk.
3. Add the milk – Once the milk has come to a boil, gently pour it into the bowl with the melted chocolate.
4. Add the egg yolk – Gently whisk the melted chocolate, milk, and egg yolk together to combine.

Whip the Egg Whites

1. Whip to soft peaks and add sugar – Whether you are using a hand mixer or stand mixer it typically takes 4 to 5 minutes on medium speed to reach the soft peak stage. This also depends on the temperature of the egg, mixer speed, and room temperature. Once the eggs white are at soft peaks add the sugar.
2. Whip to firm peaks – Continue to whip the egg whites to firm peaks which takes another 2 to 3 minutes on medium.

Combine Chocolate and Egg Whites

1. Whisk 1/3 of egg whites into chocolate – The reason for whisking in a portion of the egg whites is to help loosen the chocolate mixture. If you start folding all of the egg whites it will not mix well.
2. Add remainder and fold – The technique called folding is better understood with video but here is the basic concept. Once all the egg whites are added to your mousse, with your spatula cut through the middle of the egg whites and chocolate mixture until your spatula touches the bottom of the bowl. Scraping the sides of the bowl, gently pull up the chocolate mixture and scoop on top of the egg whites. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat that motion.
3. Fold with spatula – Keep folding the egg whites into the chocolate mixture until it is incorporated.
4. Finished – You are finished once you do not see any dark chocolate mixture or egg whites.

Set and Serve

1. Set – Once you have put the mousse in a small bowl, ramekin, or cup let it sit for at least an hour. The mousse needs time to set for the perfect consistency.
2. Serve – Chocolate and raspberries are a match made in heaven but you can substitute other fruit like strawberries. Whipped cream and chocolate shavings are also delicious. Make it your own and have fun.

Variations

If you are wanting to add more flavor, it would be best to add it to milk. For example, add a cinnamon stick, orange zest, or ancho chile powder to the milk as it is coming to a boil. Make sure you pass it through a sieve if needed. You certainly can’t go wrong with the classic chocolate mousse but the possibilities are endless!

Conclusion

I hope that I was able to communicate to you that this is an easy dessert. I even almost burned the milk while making this so don’t think that you can’t make a fancy french dessert.

Follow the steps with the pictures and it will turn out great. Even play with additional flavorings like orange or cinnamon.

Let me know how it turned out in the comments.

P.S. If you are hungry for more gluten-free chocolate recipes check out my Chocolate Cheesecake or Hot Chocolate!