The dessert in your photo looks like an extra-light, fluffy chocolate mousse served in glasses, with a whipped-cream-like texture. The exact original recipe can’t be determined from the photo alone, so below is a reliable version designed to give the same thick, airy appearance without raw eggs.
Recipe at a glance
Yield: 4 generous servings
Prep time: 15–20 minutes
Chilling: 2–4 hours
Difficulty: Easy
Texture: Very creamy, fluffy and spoonable
Egg-free: Yes
Gelatin-free: Yes
Alcohol-free: Yes
Best served: Very cold
Ingredients
Chocolate mousse
Ingredient Amount
Semi-sweet or milk chocolate 150 g / 5.3 oz
Heavy whipping cream, cold 300 ml / 1¼ cups
Unsweetened cocoa powder 2 tbsp / 10–12 g
Powdered sugar 2–3 tbsp / 15–25 g
Vanilla extract 1 tsp
Fine salt ⅛ tsp
Instant coffee/espresso powder ¼ tsp, optional
For the topping
½ cup cold heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla
1 tbsp cocoa powder or chocolate shavings, optional
Optional decorations
Chocolate curls
Mini chocolate chips
Crushed hazelnuts or almonds
Strawberries
A light dusting of cocoa
Nut warning: Nuts are not required for this recipe. If you add almonds/hazelnuts, the finished dessert is no longer nut-free. Also check chocolate, cocoa and cream labels for facility/allergen statements if serving someone with a serious nut allergy.
Step-by-step method
1. Melt the chocolate
Finely chop the chocolate and place it in a heatproof bowl.
Melt it gently over a saucepan containing barely simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
Alternatively, microwave in 15–20 second bursts, stirring between each burst.
Stop as soon as the chocolate is smooth.
Don’t overheat it.
Set aside to cool until it is warm but not hot.
2. Make the cocoa mixture
In a small bowl, combine:
cocoa powder
powdered sugar
salt
optional espresso powder
Add about 3 tablespoons of the cream and whisk until you have a smooth paste.
This prevents dry cocoa from forming lumps in the mousse.
3. Whip the cream
Pour the remaining cold cream into a chilled bowl.
Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed.
When it begins to thicken, add the vanilla.
Continue beating until you have soft-to-medium peaks.
Don’t beat it until extremely stiff.
For the airy texture seen in the picture, slightly softer whipped cream folds into the chocolate much better.
4. Combine chocolate and cocoa
Stir the cocoa mixture into the melted chocolate.
If the chocolate has become very thick, stir in 1–2 tablespoons of cream.
The mixture should be smooth and glossy.
5. Fold in the whipped cream
Add about ¼ of the whipped cream to the chocolate.
Mix it fairly well. This first addition lightens the chocolate.
Now add the remaining whipped cream in 2–3 additions.
Use a spatula and gently fold from the bottom upward.
Don’t vigorously stir.
The air trapped in the whipped cream is what gives the mousse its fluffy appearance.
6. Fill the glasses
Spoon or pipe the mousse into four glasses.
For the appearance in your photo, use a piping bag or large spoon and create several rounded swirls on top.
7. Chill
Cover the glasses and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
For a firmer mousse, chill 4 hours.
Overnight is also fine.
Extra-fluffy version like the photograph
If you want the mousse to look very tall and cloud-like, use:
150 g chocolate
350 ml heavy cream
2 tbsp cocoa
2 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Whip about 250 ml of the cream and use the remaining 100 ml to loosen the chocolate.
This produces a lighter mousse with a more whipped-cream-like appearance.
How to make it sweeter
The sweetness depends heavily on your chocolate.
For mildly sweet
Use 70% dark chocolate + 2 tbsp sugar
For medium sweetness
Use 50–60% chocolate + 2–3 tbsp sugar
For a sweeter dessert
Use milk chocolate + 1 tbsp sugar
Don’t automatically add lots of sugar—the chocolate itself contributes considerable sweetness.
Nut information
Does this recipe contain nuts?
No, not inherently.
The basic recipe contains no:
peanuts
almonds
cashews
walnuts
pistachios
pecans
hazelnuts
However, packaged chocolate and cocoa can have “may contain” or shared-facility warnings. For someone with a serious allergy, check each package rather than assuming the ingredient itself is nut-free.
Want a nutty version?
Add 2–3 tbsp finely chopped toasted hazelnuts or almonds between layers.
Or sprinkle them over the top immediately before serving.
Approximate nutrition
Using 150 g semi-sweet chocolate, 300 ml heavy cream and 2 tbsp powdered sugar, divided into 4 servings:
Nutrient Approx. per serving
Calories ~500 kcal
Protein ~5 g
Carbohydrates ~35–40 g
Total fat ~35–38 g
Saturated fat ~21–24 g
Sugar ~27–32 g
Fiber ~3–4 g
Sodium ~50–80 mg
These are estimates, not laboratory nutrition values. The actual numbers change substantially depending on the chocolate and cream brands and the amount of sugar used.
For comparison, published chocolate-mousse recipes can vary considerably in ingredients and therefore nutrition.
F
Food Network
+1 Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I make this without chocolate?
Yes, but it becomes more like a cocoa whipped mousse.
Use:
½ cup cocoa powder
⅓ cup powdered sugar
1½ cups heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
Whip everything together until thick. Chill before serving.
2. Can I use milk instead of heavy cream?
Not directly.
Milk doesn’t contain enough fat to whip into the thick texture shown in your photo.
For the closest result, use heavy whipping cream with around 30–36% milk fat.
3. Why did my mousse become runny?
Common reasons:
Chocolate was too hot when cream was added.
Cream wasn’t whipped enough.
The mousse was not chilled long enough.
Too much liquid was added.
Warm chocolate melted the whipped cream.
Fix: Refrigerate it for several hours. If it is still very loose, it may have been under-whipped or have an incorrect ingredient ratio.
4. Why did it become too hard?
Usually because there is too much chocolate relative to cream or it has been refrigerated for a long time.
Let it sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before serving.
5. Can I make it the day before?
Absolutely.
In fact, overnight refrigeration generally gives it an excellent texture.
Keep it covered and refrigerated.
6. How long does it keep?
For best quality, eat within about 2–3 days and keep continuously refrigerated.
Because this is a dairy-based dessert, don’t leave it sitting at room temperature for extended periods.
7. Can I freeze it?
Yes, although the texture can change after thawing.
Freeze in airtight containers for up to about 1 month for best quality.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
8. Can I pipe it like the picture?
Yes.
For very defined swirls, refrigerate the mousse until thick, then put it into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
Pipe upward in a spiral.
For a softer, more natural appearance, simply spoon it into the glasses and make loose peaks with the back of a spoon.
9. Can I use cocoa instead of chocolate?
Yes, but chocolate provides both cocoa solids and cocoa butter, which contribute to the rich body of the mousse.
A cocoa-only version will be lighter and more like chocolate whipped cream.
10. Can I add coffee?
Yes. Add ¼–½ tsp instant espresso powder.
It generally doesn’t make the dessert taste strongly like coffee; instead, it makes the chocolate taste deeper.
11. Can I add Nutella?
Yes. For a hazelnut-chocolate version, mix 3–4 tbsp Nutella or another chocolate-hazelnut spread into the melted chocolate.
Because the spread adds sweetness and fat, reduce the powdered sugar.
Important: this version contains hazelnut.
12. Can I make this with eggs?
Traditional chocolate mousse recipes often use eggs, but the recipe above deliberately avoids them.
If using a recipe containing raw or undercooked eggs, use pasteurized eggs or cook the egg mixture properly. USDA/FDA guidance recommends bringing egg mixtures to 160°F / 71°C for safety; raw or undercooked egg mousse carries a food-safety risk.
U
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
+2
My recommended version for the photo
For two large glasses like those pictured, use:
100 g chocolate
200 ml heavy cream
1½ tbsp cocoa
1½ tbsp powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla
tiny pinch salt
Melt the chocolate → make the cocoa paste → whip the cream → combine gently → pipe into the two glasses → refrigerate 2–4 hours.
With years of experience in restaurant research and local SEO, Sara creates accurate, user-friendly guides that work for both people and search engines. Her goal is to help users go from search results to their nearest restaurant or menu choice with as few clicks as possible.
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