This recipe for easy Keto Chocolate Mousse takes the guesswork out of this classic French dessert. This creamy, rich dessert will melt in your mouth and flood your tastebuds with chocolate goodness. This recipe can be part of a low-carb, keto, or Atkins diet.
The recipe for easy Keto Chocolate Mousse
I really love classic French food–especially desserts. creme brûlée, pots de creme, and mousse au chocolate (chocolate mousse) are among my favorites. For this recipe, I set out to make a chocolate mousse that was low-carb and keto-friendly, but just as good as the classic recipe (although, it isn’t exactly the “classic” recipe).
I also wanted to make the recipe as foolproof as I could. Recipe failures are disheartening and I really like to set up my followers for success in the kitchen. I had some recipe failures as I created this recipe, but finally found a technique that didn’t seem as finicky.
The result is an easy recipe that is something I would be proud to serve at the end of a dinner party or holiday meal. This mousse is pure, fluffy, chocolate goodness.
Why is mousse light and fluffy?
Mousse desserts epitomize the description of light and fluffy, but what makes them this way? It all has to do with the air in little tiny bubbles within the mousse.
We achieve the light, fluffy consistency in a mousse by folding in either egg whites that have been whipped into a meringue, like in this mousse recipe,or whipped cream to the custard-like base. This creates that airy texture.
In this recipe, I used heavy whipping cream to add the fluff to the mousse.
Is there raw egg in chocolate mousse?
Traditional chocolate mousse does contain raw eggs. Generally, the egg yolks are used to create a chocolate custard-like base, then the whites are whipped and folded into the chocolate mixture.
I set out to make a mousse that didn’t have raw egg. Personally, I have no problem with using raw egg in a chocolate mousse, but hesitate to advise others to do so just in case they happen to get THAT egg. You know–the one contaminated with salmonella.
To accomplish making this mousse without raw egg, I heated the yolks together with heavy whipping cream to bring it to 160º Fahrenheit. This temperature should take care of any salmonella beasts that might be hiding in the yolk. While traditional French mousse uses beaten egg whites in the recipe, I chose to opt for heavy whipping cream instead. Not only does this take out the problem of using raw egg, but it also adds creaminess. Those who live a keto lifestyle will appreciate the additional fat that the cream adds to the recipe.
Why do you need to mix mousse gently?
When you’re heating the egg yolks, cream and sweetener in this recipe, it’s important to keep the mixture moving so that the mixture doesn’t curdle. Of course, when you whip the cream, you need to beat it with a whisk or a hand blender.
When you combine the chocolate mixture with the whipped cream, however, you need to be very gentle. The idea at this step is to keep all of the air we can in the final product. If you mix in the cream too vigorously, you will pop all of those bubbles and your mousse won’t be as light and fluffy.
For maximum fluff to the mousse, I add the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture in stages. First, I add about a third of the whipped cream and gently stir it in. This sacrifices a few bubbles, but lightens the chocolate mixture enough that you can fold in the remaining whipped cream and retain most of the bubbles.
What can go wrong with chocolate mousse?
I’ve tried to make this recipe as easy and foolproof as possible, but I want to point out a few places where you need to be mindful.
First of all, be sure the chocolate is chopped very finely. This allows it to melt more quickly when the cream and egg yolk mixture is poured over top. If your chocolate chunks are too big, they won’t melt completely and you will end up with chunks of chocolate in your mousse. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of chocolate chunks. They will, however, detract from the smoothness of the final product.
Another problem that could crop up with this recipe is in the heating of the egg yolks and heavy whipping cream. There is a fine line between killing bacteria and scrambling the egg yolk. This won’t happen as long as you:
- stir the egg yolk and cream mixture constantly while it is heating
- heat the mixture slowly and gently
- use a candy thermometer and remove the mixture from the heat as soon as it reaches 160º Fahrenheit
The last thing that could go wrong with the mousse is that you over-whip the heavy whipping cream. You want the peaks a little past soft, but not super stiff. Super stiff whipped cream will lose its bubbles easier when combined with the chocolate mixture. If you go really overboard, you could end up with butter.
How to fix curdled chocolate mousse
So, what if the phone rings and you stopped stirring the egg yolks and cream when your were heating it? You come back and see bits of yellow egg yolk in the cream instead of a nice smooth mixture.
No worries–you can probably still save it. Just remove it from the heat and whisk it vigorously. Then, instead of pouring it directly over the chocolate, pass it through a fine sieve first. This will remove the bits of egg yolk and save the day!
How to garnish this easy keto chocolate mousse
I’m a big fan of making food look beautiful and there are a lot of options for chocolate mousse. In the photos, I just added a bit of mint and a few chocolate curls. To make the chocolate curls, I just ran a vegetable peeler down the thin side of a chocolate bar.
Raspberries and strawberries will add a bit of color and some juicy flavors. You could also add a dollop of whipped cream or even layer the mousse with whipped cream. Get creative and have fun!
This creamy low-carb and keto-friendly chocolate mousse will melt in your mouth and flood your tastebuds with chocolate goodness. 🍫😋❤️
Keto Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- 7 ounces low-carb dark chocolate Finely chopped
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream (quantity divided)
- 2 tablespoons granulated stevia erythritol blend (Pyure 2X sweeter than sugar)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Place finely chopped chocolate in a large, heat resistant mixing bowl. (Note: Chocolate must be very finely chopped so it melts quickly)
In a heavy 1½ to 2 quart saucepan, whisk the egg yolks. Whisk in the granulated sweetener.
Gradually, a tablespoon at a time, whisk in one cup of the heavy whipping cream (keeping 1 cup for later). Place the saucepan over low heat and monitor the temperature using a candy thermometer. Whisk constantly while the mixture heats.
When the egg yolk and cream mixture reaches 160º Fahrenheit, remove from heat immediately and pour, all at once over the chopped chocolate. Allow to sit for a minute, then stir until mixture is glossy and smooth. Refrigerate until room temperature, stirring frequently. This doesn't take very long--only about the amount of time it takes to clean up the kitchen and whip the cream for the next step. Mixture does not need to be cold, but it shouldn't be warmer than room temperature. Do not over-chill it or it will get too hard to make the mousse.
While mixture is cooling, pour the remaining one cup of heavy whipping cream into a medium mixing bowl. Beat, using a hand mixer, until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla extract and beat until firm, (but not stiff) peaks form.
Remove the chocolate mixture from the refrigerator and gently stir ⅓rd of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the remaining ⅔rds.
Spoon the mousse into 8 dessert dishes, dividing it equally among the dishes. I used dessert dishes that hold ½ cup. Chill for 2-3 hours before serving.
This is the best keto treat ever! It looks so rich and dreamy.
I love ordering chocolate mousse when I go out. It is time to make some at home!
Healthy chocolate mousse – what?! Now this is the dessert I will be making over and over again!
Chocolate mousse is one of my favourites and this version is delicious!
This is such an easy dessert idea! Thank you for this recipe, will try this out on Father’s Day
Hello!
Just wanted to let you know that my wife and I tried this recipe the other night and served it for dessert. It so happens that my inlaws were there too. They like the recipe so much!
Anyways, thanks a lot for sharing this. Excited to send the next recipe here to my wife.
Have a great day!