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.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces (4 squares) good quality dark chocolate (I used Baker's Semi Sweet Baking Chocolate)
- scant 1/3 cup water ( 3 ounces)
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.
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…
44 Comments
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..
Myra Jones
May 13, 2013 at 4:33 pmI made this a couple of weeks ago with an entire package of dark chocolate chunks. I was making my son’s birthday cake the other night and could not decide what I wanted to use for frosting. Cream Cheese was just too plain on a White Whipping Cream Cake and I didn’t want to make my elaborate chocolate frosting. While whipping the cream cheese (waiting for inspiration) I remembered the mousse. I added some mousse with the cream cheese and added powdered sugar to taste. OMG!! It ranks right up there with my elaborate chocolate frosting.
Sue
January 18, 2020 at 3:26 pmThat sounds delicious!
shannon weber
April 24, 2013 at 11:17 amGENIUS: and you know i love science, so i have to try this for myself. I think it goes without saying how much my mind is racing trying to determine how to use this in other things.
Sue
January 18, 2020 at 3:26 pmTrust me, one taste and you won’t need to use it any other way :)
vanillasugarblog
April 23, 2013 at 11:35 pmOne bowl, one ingredient this is good!
grace
April 23, 2013 at 4:25 pmYES, science is wonderful, and so is chocolate! amazing method, sue!
Claudia
April 22, 2013 at 12:22 amReally? Chocolate and ice water? Really? You know I’m going to check it out. I was also glued to the TV – and baked something chocolate as an antidote. This is way better.
Sue/the view from great island
April 22, 2013 at 1:04 amLet me know how it goes—and remember, if it gets over-whipped at first, don’t hesitate to remelt it, I did, and the taste and texture came out perfectly the second time around.
tiffany rose
April 22, 2013 at 4:14 amLove this one!
One-ingredient recipes … sounds like a good cookbook idea. ;)
Sue/the view from great island
April 22, 2013 at 6:19 pmI know, the trouble would be coming up with enough to fill the book…I’ll give it some thought…
ahu
April 21, 2013 at 8:50 pmI don’t think I have ever seen a ‘one ingredient’ recipe before. Looks amazing!
Sue/the view from great island
April 22, 2013 at 1:07 amIt’s kind of a fun brain exercise to see how many one ingredient recipes you can come up with.
foodieportal
April 21, 2013 at 6:52 pmI love your pictures and recipes, they are mouth watering. Would love for you to share them with us at foodieportal.com. Over at foodieportal.com we are not photography expert snobs, we are just foodies.
Val
April 21, 2013 at 4:30 pmThis looks divine.
Liz Berg
April 21, 2013 at 2:49 pmI made this years ago…and you’ve reminded me I’m WAY overdue to make it again! YUM!
Sue/the view from great island
April 22, 2013 at 1:09 amThe only thing that would hold me back from making this all the time would be the calories :) But what a great conversation piece dessert for guests.
From Beyond My Kitchen Window
April 21, 2013 at 12:44 pmI can’t stand it, I am making this one this afternoon. So easy!
Sue/the view from great island
April 21, 2013 at 2:31 pmMy daughter made it last night and was completely blown away. Prepare to be amazed!
Servia
April 21, 2013 at 4:55 amBrilliant, Sue!!!!
Sue/the view from great island
April 21, 2013 at 2:33 pmThanks Servia, you have to try it, you won’t believe the texture.
Averie @ Averie Cooks
April 21, 2013 at 12:06 amNow THIS is pretty ingenious! WOW!! I would have thought you’d have to add sugar or an egg or let the choc cool a bit; anything. But straight from being melted to mixer to puffy mousse. Incredible!
Sue/the view from great island
April 21, 2013 at 2:37 pmIt is incredible, and if you try it you’ll see that it has this finely aerated texture that is just crazy good.
TeaLady
April 21, 2013 at 3:01 amThis looks like the perfect dessert. Chocolate and water. Who Knew!! Thanks for sharing.
Sue/the view from great island
April 21, 2013 at 2:33 pmReally, somebody should have told us about this LONG ago.
the gardener's cottage
April 21, 2013 at 2:25 amthis looks fab sue. what chocolate did you use?
Sue/the view from great island
April 21, 2013 at 2:35 pmI actually just used Baker’s semi-sweet squares, I think I’ll update the post with that info, thanks. But I assume any good quality dark chocolate would work.
Brigitta Huegel
April 20, 2013 at 5:11 pmWonderful, thank you! Here in Berlin a very, very fine Café serves this kind of mousse, together with hot milk on a tea warmer – and then you can celebrate making your own cup of cocoa – and all the other guests with ‘only’ cappuccino are staring :-)
Sue/the view from great island
April 20, 2013 at 5:29 pmReally? That sounds great, I’m going to try it, Brigitta.
bellini
April 20, 2013 at 11:56 pmOnly one ingredient, that is amazing Sue.
Sue/the view from great island
April 21, 2013 at 2:39 pmAnd if it had to be only one ingredient, chocolate is a pretty good one, that’s for sure.
The Café Sucré Farine
April 20, 2013 at 3:03 pmWhat a fun and delicious looking mousse, Sue! I might not have believed it had it not come from you but I’ll HAVE to try this! Love your pretty glasses!
Ginger Kline
April 20, 2013 at 7:38 pmOh Yeah! I can do this! I’m on a low carb diet, and I think this will do for my chocolate cravings. (in moderation, of course) Thank you.
Sue/the view from great island
April 20, 2013 at 8:27 pmI think this fits into just about every diet there is, except maybe low calorie…
Mary Younkin
April 20, 2013 at 3:15 pmI’ve seen this idea floating around too, but yours looks the best of any I’ve seen. What a gorgeous mousse!
Mary Younkin
April 20, 2013 at 3:15 pmP.S. Any chance you want to ship me one of those blackberry crumble squares? They look AMAZING and I totally want one for breakfast now!
Sue/the view from great island
April 20, 2013 at 4:21 pmYou know, the unappealing images online turned me off at first, and I’m glad I made it because now I can tell that most of the people who tried it over-whipped it.
And those blackberry squares were so good, I wanted them again when I saw the link.