The Best Chocolate Mousse of Your Life Under 5 Minutes
December 22nd, 2010 | Category: Chocolate
Two ingredients (seriously, only chocolate and water) and five minutes later, you will be eating The Best Chocolate Mousse of Your Life. I promise.
And you don’t even need any fancy kitchen gadgets. Patience and a bit of elbow grease are required, but we always need those in the kitchen, right?
This amazing discovery was made by the famous French chemist, Hervé This, who is also known as the man who unboiled an egg. The recipe, which is also called Chocolate Chantilly, starts with melting chocolate in water and ends with whisking it until thickened. Sounds like it goes against everything we’ve been thought about working with chocolate, right? Sure, I’ve seen chocolate and water together in many recipes, but that was just the beginning of a recipe (mostly chocolate sauce), not all that you needed. So forget about everything you’ve been thought and try it. The recipe not only works, but also produces a mousse with the purest chocolate flavor ever.
Since the recipe has only two ingredients, it all comes down to the quality of the chocolate you use. My favorite is Valrhona’s Guanaja, but if you have another favorite, feel free to substitute as long as it has 70% cocoa solids. If you find the taste of bittersweet chocolate too strong, you may add a bit of sugar.
Don’t take this as a mousse recipe only. It sets beautifully (after an hour in the fridge) and never looses that melt-in-your-mouth consistency. It will be perfect as a filling for my DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE recipe:
You can also flavor it with spices like cinnamon or cayenne pepper or add a tablespoon of liquor like Grand Marnier, Chartreuse or Tia Maria. Just make sure the amount of liquid stays the same (subtract the amount of liquor from water).
Or boil the water first, take off heat, place a couple of Earl Grey tea bags, let infuse and then use it as your liquid. You’ll have Earl Grey scented mousse in no time.
The most important part of the recipe is achieving the right consistency. I always use a wire whisk; this way you can watch the consistency closely and stop the second before it thickens. You can also use an electrical hand-held mixer, but since it whisks much faster than your hand, I’d recommend watching the consistency very closely. If you whisk it too much, the mousse will be grainy. Just take a look at the right consistency here and watch as Heston Blumenthal turns liquid into mousse.
As soon as I hit the publish button, I’ll start working against a very tight deadline for the book. I don’t think I’ll be able to post another recipe until the new year, but it feels OK knowing I’m leaving you with a great one.
Hope to be back with photos from the New Year’s Eve Dinner Party at the mansion (update: the photos are here!). In the meantime, you can take a look at photos from 2009 & 2010.
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
MORE CHOCOLATE!
Here are some more favorite chocolate recipes from the archives:
L’ORANGE: An orange-scented chocolate and almond cake covered with a lacquer chocolate glaze.
BROWNIE WEARS LACE – The brownies I designed exclusively for DOLCE & GABBANA. Fudgy brownie + creamy hazelnut butter + chocolate lace.
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE with a sticky chocolate ganache glaze.
PEANUT BUTTER, BANANA and CHOCOLATE TOAST
INSTANT CHOCOLATE MOUSSE (CHOCOLATE CHANTILLY)
Recipe by Herve This & Heston Blumenthal
Ingredients
4 servings
- 9.35 ounces (265 grams) bittersweet (%70 cocoa solids) chocolate, chopped (preferably Valrhona Guanaja)
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- 4 tbsp sugar, optional
Method
- Place a large mixing bowl on top of another slightly smaller one, filled with ice and cold water (the bottom of the large bowl should touch the ice). Set aside.
- Put chocolate and water (also sugar and/or liquor if you’re using) in a medium-sized pan and melt the chocolate over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Pour the melted chocolate into the mixing bowl sitting on top of ice and water, and start whisking with a wire whisk (or an electrical hand-held mixer) until thick. Watch the texture as you whip and make sure not to over-whip as it will make the mousse grainy. If the mousse becomes grainy (which is possible at your first try), transfer it back into the pan, reheat until half of it is melted, pour it back to the mixing bowl and whisk again briefly.
- Divide into four serving cups and serve immediately.
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Thank you for sharing this chocolate goodness!! Merry Christmas
That video with Heston Blumenthal explaining why this works is great. I’ll definitely try making this mousse. I would be crazy not to. I’ll try it with the Grand Marnier. Thanks Cenk. Happy holidays!
Magda
wow….and so simple!
Sounds impossibly easy!! I like impossibly easy in my desserts!! Thanks! Happy Holidays to all!
Good idea! So simple! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for this recipe! It looks so easy (and tasty)!
Oh my thank you for this! Just think of all the possibilities! Happy holidays!
I just hate to wake up with your e-mail at 8 am. first i see the photos and then your expressions, the way you describe the recipe wake me up so badly. I know one day youll be the reason I gain weight. Is there any other way to reach you other than your twitter account or etc cause I am still waiting for your cookbook but i know you need more time to publish it and I have some questions specifically for the desserts. please help me!!! I am also asking it as your schoolmate:) and btw I’ll be the chief and really dying to cook and eat some proper homemade foods for the christmas after the months in US
happy holiday Cenk!
I feel like it must be easier said that done… but that mousse looks great!
Wow, that is so simple it’s crazy! I’ll have to try for sure.
I just made this. It was amazing, I made some whip cream to top it off. It was super easy, my bowl wasn’t cold enough so it took a bit longer to thicken, but I next time I know better how to chill the bowl. Thank you for this!
Amazing blog! Merry christmas!
thats just amazing!! im thrilled to see a non dairy non eggy mousse!!! just one question. im a lil scared 70 percent would yield a lil bitter mousse. Do you reckon its possible to do this wiht say 50 percent?
ninu – I haven’t tried the recipe with 50%, but the addition of sugar (which is stated as optional in the recipe) is pretty much the same thing as using a chocolate with a less percentage of cocoa solids. You can even add more than 4 tablespoons.
sanem – Thanks! You can send me your questions via the comment box (if it is about a specific recipe) or simply via email (address on my About page).
This sounds so good… and without the addition of heavy cream like many mousses! Great recipe.
I must admit I got lost in your blog. I kept clicking links and spent my morning enjoying your work. I adore chocolate mousse; and spend a lot of time trying to figure out the proper chocolate to make it out of, right now I’m enjoying Amedei. I look forward to reading your book.
Have a delicious holiday!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, it looks delicious! I will definitely have to try it.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and your loved ones Cenk.
This looks delicious! I usually make something similar using rice milk, but water sounds even better! I’ll definitely have to give it a try. Thank you!!
Cenk, I wish you 2011 is full with inspiring recipes like this and anything you ask for in your life!
Merry Chrismas,
Artemis
Wow this looks awsome! And so simple! I’m going to make this for christmas dessert tommorow (:
Merrry Christmas!
Best wishes for a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year. May peace, love and delicious recipes follow you always.
Love from Sweden
Sounds so easy! Gotta try this holiday
Merry Christmas!
mmmmmmm this looks sooo yummy i really should try it thanks.Merry christmas!!
Looks fabulous! Should give it a try
I’m all for recipes that do not consume much time, thanks.
I think I officially hate you now. My sister sent me your blog and said you must try making this and this and this etc. Then I saw your pics and read your posts. I was green with envy. How could anyone be so talented in everything? If I was a US immigration official I would certainly be bribed to let you live in America on those brownies alone! I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to find tour blog. Am sure glad I did though and will certainly be back.
Trissa – Thanks so much for your kind words! How I wish you were a US immigration officer
Simple, easy, and delicious. The recipe is going to be one I use often. We’ll be following your future blogs.
Cheers,
Jason & Steve
I was enticed – two ingredients and a workout to make a heavenly treat?
I found the recipe last night and couldn’t wait to try it today with my fav 100% chocolate from Bakers and a little Stevia. – I was wondering, is it more like a chocolate cream than a fluffy airy texture? – mine turned out a bit more like a chocolate cream – very useful as no added fat icing I suppose, tasty all the same.
I’ll keep watching what other exiting stuff you serve the world to try…
Thanks for sharing…good luck with your book
Wow, this is crazy. I understand how it works but it’s still pretty amazing to see it in action! Definitely the best chocolate mousse…but only for serious chocolate addicts! My sister tried a spoonful but said it was far too intense a chocolate taste for her – she prefers a traditional mousse with a more diluted chocolate flavour.
I overwhipped a little (it goes from liquid to mousse so quick!) but the first cup wasn’t too bad so I didn’t mind, but the others I put in the fridge for later and they did set a little firmer. I put them in the microwave for ten seconds (so it only melted a little) and then used a tiny whisk to get it back, which seemed to work pretty well.
Thanks for sharing!
Rhea – Yes, the mousse is definitely for chocoholics. Glad you liked it.
I am a certified chocoholic and that mousse looks amazing! I am definately going to make it! Maybe with a splash of my beloved amaretto!
Love this recipe! I too am a chocoholic! I am going to make this next weekend.
I just made this chocolate mousse. It is very easy to make. And the taste is so pure and intense. Thanks for posting!
Here’s a picture of the chocolate mousse: http://joeribosma.tumblr.com/post/2713702253/deze-chocolademousse-is-heel-makkelijk-te-maken
so where do you get the chocolate you use in the recipe? I remember the brand closed its boutique in Turkey market:( help!
roksi – Yes, they closed their boutique, but still selling (min order 3-5 kg). I order my monthly supply on the phone and they deliver right to my door the day after. Here’s the contact info: Ersin Bey 0533 965 9482.
Wow. I must try this. I’ve just arrived in Korea, I’m staying for a year and am devastated by the lack of affordable butter and cream in this country. This recipe will make chocolate mousse possible, hooray!
Might I ask where you got that jar, and those spoons? They are wonderful.
Christopher – Thanks! The jars are from my Paris trip. They are actually glass yogurt cups. I washed them and brought back with me to use as props. The spoons are from my Lufthansa flights
I just made this – and it was as promised, easy and yummy! Next time though I will made sure I add the 4 tbsp sugar. the mousse is just too rich with just 70% cocoa
Thanks for the recipe! Btw, also used a hand mixer, got tired beating by hand. It worked well and the consistency was great the first time around. I guess I got lucky!
Disastrous Valentines Day for the wife & kids… Made it with 70% BSWC and 4Tbl sugar. Used a whisk and then a hand mixer. Mixture never changed from a liquid to a mousse (became a slightly thick syrup). Used it as a fancy (and pricey) syrup for sliced bananas. Where could I have gone wrong?
Thank you for the recipe! I just made a half recipe for my 3-year old chocoholic and myself. It’s a fantastic recipe and yes, it really does work. The servings are very generous, and I found that a half recipe could serve 3 people. It took me about 3 minutes to whisk by hand, and then I was sore! This recipe is a great vehicule for testing different chocolates one can find nearby, and discovering those which become our favorites. Best wishes from Montreal!
Leem – If the ingredients and measurements were right, the only thing I can think of is that you haven’t whisked enough. However, you mentioned you’ve also used a hand mixer so I really don’t know what went wrong. Did you whisk it on top of cold water and ice?
So much fun in my kitchen this morning…this recipe could be dangerous
It had a lovely texture, so I see no reason why I can’t make it in advance from here on in.
But guess what! My only chocolate at hand was Merckens Yucatan Vanilla, which is a semi-sweet chocolate containing 54% cocoa solids. It worked like a charm. I’ll procure some 70% to see the difference, in the future. My other tweak was that as tempting as it was to immediately eat this mousse when completed, I felt that 9 a.m. was too early to indulge. I was mature and waited until noon to eat my mousse as a snack
Cheers all,
Jeff
Thanks for this easy mousse recipe last year i made a Delicious mousse but i had to add eggs and cream it took a lot to make and i haven’t made it since, but it did turn out GREAT! I used it on cupcakes and i called it Chocolate Mousse Cupcakes it was a HIT! With this recipe i will made the Chocolate Mousse cupcakes often.
Made this at a dinner party today, and it worked like a charm. I used 200 g dark chocolate and 200 g water. I agree with some of the comments above – it’s so impossibly rich that 400 g of it (that is 200 g chocolate + same amount of water) would easily be enough for 8-10 people! (And I’m a huge chocoholic who can easily have a bar of chocolate in one go).
Thanks for sharing!
link surada:
http://pinterest.com/pin/16187871/
Nese – Haber verdiğiniz için çok teşekkürler!
The last mousse I made turned out like crap. I’ll give this one a try. It has to be better than the last one I made.
I just love this blog! I recently found it and everything in it is just so inspiring! I love crafting but cooking is my one passion (after eating I guess) so thank you thank you thank you! And I really hope this mousse works out because I promised it to the hubby for his birthday and he has been talking only about that!
i wouldn’t call this mousse. Real mousse contains egg whites to make it light and fluffy!!! I can imagine this looking very dense if not eaten straight away.
This is just melted chocolate with a chunk of sugar.
I’ve never had mousse. Not sure why, but I must get on that!
I just made it and thought it was amazing. My cousin on the other hand didn’t like how intense the chocolate flavor was. I guess you really have to like chocolate.
AHH-MAZEE-ING! I am severely lactose-intolerant and am always looking for recipes that are creamy and can fool any dairy-lover. Just made it with raspberry chambord and it came out wonderful. I used about 1/4 c chambord but may use more next time and decrease sugar.. Thank you!
My sis and I just made this recipe. AMAZING. We love making chocolate recipes (especially when Valrhona is mentioned) and this one lives up to its name. I didn’t think my sis would go for it with the water and whip thing but she was all game for it. Chilling the bowl with water and ice is key. Thank you!
Wow! It works! I whipped it with an electrical whisk, pausing from time to time to check. And it turned out beautifully. My kids loved it, too. Despite the bittersweet chocolate.
Next time I need something for a buffet, voilá! Quick, easy, delicious! Thank you!
I made this today without the sugar (I used a little bit of agave instead) and it was incredible! I didn’t know making mousse was so simple. Cheers!
could you email me and let me no if i can make this with milk chocolate brands?
This is definitely easier than the recipe that the pastry baker used at the restaurant I worked in. Thank you!
kate – I haven’t tried the recipe with milk chocolate.
I saw this today and ran to try it, and it did not disappoint!
This recipe is great for us kosher girls!
I halved the recipe and used 1 cup of my favorite trader Joe’s chocolate chips and 1/2 c water steeped with mint tea… it was fantastic and made my apt smell delicious! I dipped strawberries, it doesnt get better than this.
Thank you
Definitely the most low maintenance chocolate mousse recipe I’ve seen
. Need to try this one
did i do something wrong…how do i mess up this recipe…i feel like a failure, but it just would not thicken up, the chocolate wouldn’t work DX
I haven’t tried the mousse yet, but I would like to know where those spoons are from?
Jennifer A – Those spoons are from my Lufthansa collection
The one on the right is the oldest – probably from the early 90s.
ok seriously? only chocolate and water? that’s amazing!! I have got to try this recipe! Where did you get the jars from? They are adorable!
I keep thinking this shouldn’t work! Whenever a DROP of water hits my chocolate when I melting it, it seizes my chocolate….so it doesn’t seem like it should work!! Amazing recipe.
Thanks for the fantastic recipe! I also had a problem with it not thickening. Do you think it might be an altitude problem? I live fairly high up and I wonder if those having the same problem also live at high elevations. Even though it might slightly ruin the point of the recipe (simplicity), do you think a touch of heavy cream, an egg white, or something else might fix the problem?
Mike – I don’t think it has anything to do with altitude. Did you use a handheld whisk or an electric one? It takes a bit of elbow grease if you’re doing it by hand. I’d also recommend weighing the ingredients as the ratio is quite important in achieving the desired thickness.
megan – Those are glass yogurt cups I brought back from Paris.
Hmm… I did use an electric mixer and mixed for 15-20 minutes at least, and it definitely didn’t either go grainy or thicken up. I also did weigh the chocolate with a kitchen scale to be sure the amounts were correct. I used Ghirardelli bittersweet.
I’ll have to give it a go again and see if it works better the second time around.
By the way, and I know you’ve heard it countless times before, but your blog is phenomenal. Your recipes are going to keep me busy for quite some time, both in the kitchen and at the gym!
Mike – Thanks a lot for your kind comment. By the way, if you haven’t already, take a look at how Heston does it before your second attempt.
Hey Cenk, did you see that post over Joanna’s blog: http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/2012/01/best-chocolate-mousse-of-your-life.html
she’s talking about your recipe, she has reasons tho
Betül – Thanks for letting me know.
This sounds almost unbelievable – perfect! Definitely going to try !
Grat recipe, I have done it twice, once with 70% cocoa solids, and one with 50% and it was a success both times.
It is NOTHING like chocolate mousse though… Indeed, the French Who came up with it calls it chantilly, and that is exactly what it tastes and feels like: chocolate chantilly cream.
Mousse has a completely different texture.
Thank you for the recipe! My husband tried it out last week (thanks to the post on Cup of Jo) and it was delicious. For some reason it really hardened up as we were eating it…it started out smooth and creamy, and eventually got quite hard. Still yummy, just not a cream or mousse texture.
Think we overbeat it?
Life Begins at Thirty, Right? – It does harden in the refrigerator, but if it hardened as you were eating it (I mean, right after you prepared it) than that might be the case. I do it with a hand whisk for this reason. Did you use a mixer?
Thanks for the reply. We used a hand wisk and stopped wisking when it turned into a nice creamy mousse type consistency. As we were eating it (which was right away, of course!) it started to harden.
It was still good – don’t get me wrong! But we’d like to perfect the technique
Life Begins at Thirty, Right? – Did you watch the video I linked to in the post? If not, take a look at how Heston does it. You’ll see that he stops whisking before the mixture hardens too much.
Inanılmaz gözüküyor, sizce suyun bir kısmını çıkarıp Bailey’s koysam olur mu, tarif tutar mı?
Irmak – Denemedim ama bence tutar.
Cenk- I’m going to try this very soon. In order to minimize my chances of failure, what do you think of chilling the bowl in the freezer for a few minutes before whisking the chocolate?
Tiffany – I don’t think you really need to chill it to minimize your chances of failure, but it will help speed up the process. The key is to whisk just enough. I highly recommend watching the video I linked to in the post. Take a closer look at the consistency when Heston stops whisking.
Great idea and what I like most is that you don’t use raw eggs! Congratulations for the photos as well!
just whisked for eternity and mine is still choco soup. i’m pretty devastated!
how fantastic! Is this even possible! Running to try it now!
made the chocolate mousse tonight with just chocolate and water; used the 3 to 1 ration and used high quality chocolate; it was as good as the last one I made using a traditional recipe; will always use this one; p.s. added some cayenne pepper and sea salt to the mix toward the end – very yummy; lots of room to play around.
Can this be done with 85% chocolate?
I too was disappointed, perhaps it was because I used a metal bowl? but my liquid never thickened up, I kept replacing the ice to make sure it was cold enough and after 30 minutes of no luck with a hand whisk I used an electric one for another 20 with still no results
Not sure what I did wrong
awesome!!! thanks. next time we’ll make it with some fresh whipped cream and berries
Meg – Did you weigh the ingredients? The water chocolate ratio is important.
Dave – I didn’t try it with 85% chocolate, but I’m sure it can be done. It will be very bitter though.
I did weigh them but I used semi-sweet chocolate instead bittersweet, perhaps that was my problem?
Meg – Might be… There had been a few readers who made it with semisweet without any problems though. At any rate, I’d suggest giving it another try with bittersweet chocolate.
I just melted a 9.7 ounces 70% scharffen berger w/ 4 tbs white sugar and 1 cup of water.
I then whisked furiously. Tried 3 diff size whisks yet it was still watery after about 7-8 minutes. Tried electric mixer w/ 1 whisk attachment. Then 2 whisk attachments. Then full speed. After a few minutes it looked only slightly thicker. It stalled there, but I had hope.
I went back to whisking by hand. I hadn’t scraped the side of the bowl yet as I was whisking in small circles. After scraping and 30 seconds of whisking it was noticeably thicker. Then progress stalled again until I scraped sides of bowl and then whisked. Shortly after it was just like in the video. Could that have been what stalled my progress (and maybe some others here?).
This looks fabulous! I have some Scharfenberger 62% that I’ve been wanting to try something special with. I see in the comments that you recommend weighing the chocolate and water but I’m unsure — are they supposed to be equal amounts by weight? Thanks!
Bridget – You’ll use a bit more chocolate than water. 1 cup of water weighs 240 grams.
Love the recipe,thank you. Just wondering if you have to eat it immediately. I found a recipe showing push-up pops using cake, and wondering if I could use this as a decadent filling.
What a beautiful post with amazing recipes. I love it! Thank you for sharing; so happy to have found your incredible blog.
xo
Cathy – It’s best to eat it immediately as it solidifies while sitting in the fridge. You can most definitely use it as a filling. I’d suggest preparing it the same day you plan on serving the cake.
Sean – Maybe. I always scrape the sides as I whisk.
I don’t see the recipe…how much water and chocolate?
Thanks!!
Thanks for the clarification Cenk! Trying this tonight
leigh – Please take a look at the recipe above.
Amazing. Thank you for this beautifully simple recipe. Just wanted to add that it shouldn’t be an altitude problem. We line a mile high and it worked perfectly.