This 2-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse Recipe Is a Rich and Silky Treat to End Any Meal on a Delicious Note

Chocolate mousse is such a delicious dessert, but it can be time-consuming to make from scratch. Between separating the eggs, whisking the whites, and whipping heavy cream, it can often feel more like a chore than a treat. However, there's a recipe that will give you a yummy and fluffy mousse in less time using two ingredients you already have on hand: chocolate and water. Keep reading to learn how to whip up this chocolate mousse if you're looking for an impressive and hassle-free dessert!

The magic behind 2-ingredient chocolate mousse

At first, this might sound like you’re missing a bunch of other important components . Celebrated French chef and widely proclaimed “father of molecular gastronomy,” Hervé This was also shocked at how well the simple mixture came together when he created it in 1995. He told Wired , “I invented it — but it was so easy, I'm embarrassed!"

The chef discovered that melting chocolate with water over a stove and then whisking the mixture until it formed soft peaks created a mousse that didn't require a lot of ingredients or steps, yet still tasted delicious. He did this by applying basic culinary principles to find a ratio of chocolate to water that mimicked heavy cream. So, when it's whipped vigorously, it goes from a liquid to a mixture with a very light and airy consistency. Plus, the recipe comes together super quickly — which makes it great for a last-minute dessert.

Best type of chocolate to use for this dessert

The chefs at Food52 recommend using a good-quality dark chocolate that’s around 70 percent bittersweet when making this mousse. But if that’s too rich, try a bar that has a lower cocoa percentage on the label. If you're looking for something sweeter, milk and white chocolate work, too.

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How to make this easy chocolate mousse

Food52's chocolate mousse recipe below is adapted from This' cookbook, Molecular Gastronomy: Exploring the Science of Flavor . This mousse comes together in 10 minutes before it needs to set in the fridge to firm up slightly. While whipped cream and chocolate shavings are classic mousse toppings, fresh berries offer a refreshingly tart hint of flavor! (Can't get enough of mousse? Try these recipes for Heavenly Chocolate Mousse Cake and Honey-Peanut Butter Cocoa Mousse .)

2-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup water
• 8 oz. high-quality c hocolate such as 70 percent
• Ice cubes
• Whipped cream and extra chocolate shavings, for topping (optional)

Directions:

• Yield: 4 servings

1. Break chocolate into pieces and place it in small saucepan with ¾ cup of water. Heat pot over medium-low heat and allow it to gently melt while whisking it. Once chocolate is all melted, pour mixture into bowl and place that bowl into larger one that’s filled halfway with ice. This chills down chocolate and allows for more air to be incorporated into mixture.
2. While it cools, either whisk  mixture vigorously by hand, which requires about 3 to 4 minutes of elbow grease, or use hand mixer with beater attachment to whip it together in 1 to 2 minutes. Just make sure that you start it on low speed to prevent chocolate from splattering everywhere. Regardless, mixture should ultimately form thick mousse-like consistency.
3. Spoon mousse into glasses or ramekins and allow to set in fridge. Serve each portion of mousse with whipped cream and chocolate shavings (if desired).

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