Dark Chocolate Mousse Sea Salt (Printable Version)

Silky mousse with dark chocolate and sea salt delivers smooth, rich, and sophisticated flavor.

# What You Need:

→ Chocolate Base

01 - 5.3 oz high-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped
02 - 1.1 oz unsalted butter, cubed

→ Mousse Mixture

03 - 3 large eggs, separated
04 - 1.8 oz granulated sugar
05 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
06 - 5 fl oz heavy cream, cold

→ Finishing

07 - Flaky sea salt, for garnish
08 - Dark chocolate curls or shavings (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Combine dark chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
02 - Whisk egg yolks with half the sugar and vanilla extract until pale and creamy, then gradually incorporate the cooled chocolate mixture.
03 - Whisk egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form, then gradually add remaining sugar and continue beating until stiff and glossy peaks form.
04 - Whip the cold heavy cream until soft peaks form.
05 - Carefully fold whipped cream into the chocolate mixture until combined, then fold in the beaten egg whites in three additions, maintaining the mousse's light texture.
06 - Spoon mousse into serving glasses or ramekins, cover, and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours until set.
07 - Sprinkle each serving with flaky sea salt and optionally top with dark chocolate curls or shavings before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in a French patisserie, but your actual hands-on time is barely twenty minutes.
  • The sea salt hits at the end and suddenly the chocolate becomes deeper, more complex, almost mysterious on your palate.
  • You can make it a full day ahead, which means less stress and actually more flavor as everything settles together.
02 -
  • Use a pinch of salt in the egg whites as you whip them—it helps them whip faster and hold their peaks better, and it's a small move that changes everything.
  • The cold bowl and cold cream matter more than you'd think; warm cream whips into butter instead of clouds, and that ruins the texture entirely.
  • Make this a day ahead if you can; the flavors deepen overnight as the chocolate fully sets and everything melds together.
03 -
  • Don't skip the gentle folding technique—rushing this step and stirring vigorously is the most common reason mousse becomes dense instead of airy.
  • If you're worried about raw eggs, use pasteurized eggs or look for pasteurized egg products at the grocery store; the mousse sets just as beautifully.

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