This Amazing One Ingredient Chocolate Mousse is not quite El Bulli territory, but it’s close. Would you believe that pure chocolate and a little water whip up into a dense, unadulterated, magically spoon-able mousse? And it’s probably the best mousse you’ve ever had. Naturally vegan, too, and we already know that a little bit of dark chocolate each day is healthy for us. I think I’ll take my daily dose in this form, thanks.
A decadent chocolate mousse using just chocolate and…tap water!
I’ve been reading about this mousse technique so I decided to give it a try. After all, it’s just 4 ounces of chocolate and some water. I didn’t have much to lose.
How is it possible to make a one ingredient chocolate mousse?
What’s the bottom line? The short version is that when you melt good quality chocolate with water, and then whip it over ice, it turns into mousse. I think the process is distantly related to the frustrating phenomenon we’ve all experienced when chocolate suddenly ‘seizes’ when we’re trying to melt it. But in this case we’re harnessing that power for good. Real good.
The flavor of this chocolate mousse is intense because there’s no cream to dilute it!
Yes you can eat it right away, and yes you can store it in the fridge and it will still be good. Yes you can flavor it if you want to, with vanilla, Amaretto, whatever. Yes it’s rich, and yes, you should probably serve it in small bowls. Yes, you could eat the whole thing yourself. Any other questions? Ok then, let’s get right to it.
The origins of this amazing one ingredient chocolate mousse is in dispute.
I’ve read several conflicting stories, so I won’t repeat them, just assume it was some French food physicist, or chef or other who was tinkering around one day and figured this out. The important thing is, it’s delicious.
What do you think? I think it’s pretty cool, and if I’m ever sitting around with nothing sweet in the house I am definitely making this again. I think I’ll try it with Amaretto next. Without any cream or sugar, and lots of antioxidants in the dark chocolate, it’s actually not that bad for you, in moderation.
TIP: If you whip your mousse a little too long it will become stiff, but guess what? You can actually re-melt the chocolate and whip it again! Ain’t science wonderful?
 If you’re a serious dark chocolate lover and you’re willing to use a few more ingredients, I suggest you try my DEATH BY CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BREAD, or my CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE. And if you need more reassurance that dark chocolate is, indeed, good for you, read up on it in my 11 REASONS TO EAT MORE DARK CHOCOLATE post.
Amazing One-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse
Equipment
- electric beaters
Ingredients
- 4 ounces good quality dark chocolate (I used Baker's Semi Sweet Baking Chocolate)
- 3 ounces (scant 1/3 cup) water
Instructions
- Place ice in a large mixing bowl, and place a smaller bowl inside it.
- Put the chocolate and water in a sauce pan and heat gently on the stove until the chocolate melts and the water and chocolate are combined.
- Pour the chocolate into the small bowl, and whip with an electric beater until thickened. This will take anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes. The trick is to stop beating just as the mixture becomes thick and glossy, like frosting. The minute you stop beating it will firm up, so stop beating as soon as it starts to look thick. Quickly spoon it into serving bowls or cups.
- If you beat the mousse a little bit too long, it will have a grainy kind of stiff texture, like in the photo below. It will still taste good, though, so eat it as is, or remelt the chocolate in the saucepan and whip it again.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate.
Nutrition
Notes:
- After finishing off the last of the mouse the next night, my husband and I both agree that this is one truly amazing recipe. The mousse keeps perfectly in the fridge, no change in texture at all, and it doesn’t get hard when it’s cold like a truffle would. I highly recommend you try this!!!
- This mousse joins my Tangerine Sorbet on my growing list of ONE-INGREDIENT dishes. Anybody got any more one-ingredient wonders?
Watch it being made here…
50 Comments
Carolyn
June 30, 2021 at 8:02 pmMy mouth is watering reading the instructions for this Chocolate Mousse. Definitely will be making this for company this coming weekend. Sue, can you give me an idea how many this will serve?
Sue Moran
July 1, 2021 at 4:51 am2-4 servings Carolyn, depending on size.
Willa
July 21, 2020 at 7:16 pmHey Sue, could I make this with Hershey’s dark chocolate or other candy chocolate or would you recommend baking chocolate?
Sue
July 22, 2020 at 4:29 amYou can really take your pick Willa, as long as it’s plain chocolate and you like the flavor of the chocolate, it works.
Judy
April 24, 2020 at 2:41 pmI read another post that stated the chocolate has to be at least 70% cocao. Is this true?
Sue
April 24, 2020 at 6:22 pmI’m not sure, but that chocolate will have better flavor, anyway.
Cheryl Masters
November 5, 2018 at 10:29 pmIt’s dark and cold outside this high up in the Rocky Mountains. Rather hazy and foggy. You can smell that more snow is on the way. A figure lurking by the pantry. WHAT!!! No chocolate. Nooooo. Only cocoa. Hmmm? Pinch a small amount of powder and put in mouth. ARRGH!! Water, water,water. That idea quickly died. It’s like thinking the smell of vanilla signifies something that would taste sooo goood. Too cold to stay outside and unable to drive down the mountain. No streetlights on a dirt road with 12 switchbacks. Yells at the universe “Now what do I do?”. Well can I get here from there. I have cocoa. I have ice. I have water. I have huge hunger pangs for chocolate. help… Cheryl
Sue
January 18, 2020 at 3:24 pmI’m afraid this won’t work with cocoa powder Cheryl, sorry!!
Adrija Mukherjee
October 25, 2018 at 8:37 pmOk, so can you give me some tips if I don’t have an ice bath and an electric whisk? (I can’t buy one)
Sue
October 25, 2018 at 9:16 pmFor this particular recipe an electric beater really helps, Adrija, I’m not sure you could manage it by hand with a whisk, but if you watch the video, you’ll see it can be done.
SallyBR
August 9, 2015 at 9:15 amI am doing this as soon as I get back home from our trip… too bad the chalet here doesn’t have an electric beater or I would go for it here in Silverthorne…
Brenda
February 6, 2014 at 8:40 pmWow! This absolutely worked! I admit, I had little faith that it would work, but I timed the whipping carefully and just a bit more than 5 minutes later, I got mousse! After all the recipes I’ve been scanning for a simple, delicious mousse, this turned out to be the simplest AND tasty as well! Thank you so much for sharing this!
Sue
February 7, 2014 at 6:00 amI agree, and it is hard to believe until you try it. I’m so glad you love it too!
Correen Hansen
July 24, 2013 at 7:52 pmWow…. I can’t wait to try these yummie ideas..