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    Susan Brings Dessert » Recipes » Dessert

    Mascarpone Chocolate Mousse

    Published: Sep 30, 2023 · Modified: Jul 24, 2024 by Susan Gravatt · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

    99 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    This recipe for mascarpone chocolate mousse is decadent and creamy with a rich chocolate flavor. Using only four ingredients (!!), these chocolate treats come together in less than an hour. And best of all? No messing with raw eggs or gelatin here. Traditional dark chocolate mousse tends to contain egg white or yolks. This one skips those while still recreating mousse's luxuriously soft texture.

    Chocolate mascarpone mousse in a small crystal glass, topped with whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and fresh berries.

    Whether you're planning a romantic dinner for Valentine's Day or satisfying your sweet tooth on a regular weeknight, this decadent dessert is a chocolate lover's dream.

    For more dark chocolate desserts like this one, you've gotta try these chocolate fudge cupcakes, no-bake chocolate cream pie, and strawberry filled chocolate cake. The ganache frosting used on both recipes reminds me so much of this chocolate mascarpone mousse!

    Or try out these other mascarpone desserts, sans the chocolate:

    • No-bake cheesecake with mascarpone 
    • Strawberry mascarpone pie
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients for this Easy Chocolate Mousse
    • Pro Tip
    • Equipment
    • Ingredient Substitutions
    • Easy Steps for Homemade Mousse
    • Storage and Serving Instructions
    • Troubleshooting and FAQ
    • Best Results: Baking in Grams
    • More Desserts with Mascarpone
    • Mascarpone Chocolate Mousse

    Ingredients for this Easy Chocolate Mousse

    Ingredients for chocolate mascarpone mousse on a white cutting board.

    With just four ingredients, the list of items you need to make this chocolate mousse recipe is short and easy to find.

    • Mascarpone cream cheese - This Italian cream cheese is high-fat, with a smooth, creamy texture. Although it's somewhat similar to American cream cheese, it's noticeably softer and less tangy.
    • Dark chocolate - Because it's your main ingredient, buy a high-quality bar of baking chocolate or bittersweet chocolate. Look for a bar that has about 60% cacao to maintain a rich, deep chocolate flavor.
    • Heavy whipping cream - This ingredient + chocolate and mascarpone? You've got yourself a super creamy chocolate dessert.
    • Pinch of salt - Salt counterbalances some of the natural bitterness of chocolate. Salt also bring out its natural sweetness.

    Pro Tip

    Mascarpone has a tendency to split when mixed with other ingredients that are different temperature. If your mascarpone is very cold and heavy cream is room temperature, or vice versa, your mixture could break.

    Use room temperature mascarpone for this recipe.

    In testing this mousse with cold mascarpone and cold cream, combining the ingredients was harder.

    Equipment

    • Electric mixer and bowl OR a stand mixer's bowl and whisk attachment - Either of these tools will be key in helping you whip your mascarpone mousse into a smooth consistency.
    • Rubber spatula - A spatula is important in helping you ensure all the ingredients in your mixing bowl are coming together evenly. Use this between pauses in your mixer.
    • Serving dishes - You'll need four small cups, jars, glasses - whatever you plan to use for serving this dessert.
    • A double boiler OR heatproof bowl and metal pot - You'll need one of these options to help you melt your chocolate and cream together.
    • Whisk - For mixing your ingredients together over the stove

    Ingredient Substitutions

    • Cream cheese - Sub this in the place of mascarpone. However, the flavor will be a bit more tangy.
    • Semi-sweet chocolate chips - You can use chips instead of chunks. They'll take longer to melt over the stove, though.
    • Vanilla extract - If you like a sweeter chocolate, add a few drops of vanilla extract to your mixing bowl. I nixed that and opted for a purely dark chocolate flavor (around 60% cacao).

    Easy Steps for Homemade Mousse

    Chopped chocolate in a metal bowl with heavy cream.

    Step 1: Pour cream and chocolate pieces into a medium-sized heatproof bowl that you can place over a pot on the stove. You'll add enough water to the pot to fully cover the bottom (2 cups or so should do it) before placing your bowl of chocolate and cream on top of it. You've just created a double boiler!

    Double boiler, with chopped chocolate in a metal bowl with heavy cream over a hot burner on the stove.

    Step 2: Once water is gently boiling in the pot, whisk every minute or so until all pieces of chocolate have melted into the mixture. This should take 4-5 minutes.

     

    Double boiler containing chocolate ganache in a metal bowl over a hot burner on the stove.

    Step 3: Once mixture has a smooth consistency, carefully remove the bowl from the pot – it will be very hot.

    Whisk in a metal bowl full of melted chocolate and heavy whipping cream.

    Step 4: Cover bowl and let it cool in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.

    Mixing bowl with ingredients for chocolate ganache.

    Step 5: Using an electric mixer and bowl or a stand mixer's bowl and whisk attachment, place room temperature mascarpone cheese and cooled melted chocolate into a bowl.

    Whipped chocolate and heavy whipping cream.

    Step 6: Add salt and mix on low speed for a minute.

    Bowl whipped chocolate and heavy whipping cream with a spatula in it.

    Step 7: Whip again for 30 seconds and then gently take the spatula around the bowl a few times to fully incorporate everything.

    Chocolate mascarpone mousse in a small crystal glass, topped with whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and fresh berries.

    Step 8: Divide mascarpone mousse into your serving dishes or containers. If desired, top them with whipped cream, shaved chocolate, fresh berries, or a dusting of espresso powder!

    Storage and Serving Instructions

    Refrigerator - Because this dessert is dairy-based, keep it in your refrigerator when you're not serving it. Cover the container so the mousse doesn't form a hard crust on top.

    Freezing - You can make this recipe in advance and freeze it. You'll need to lightly re-whip the mousse once it thaws before serving, though.

    For serving, this mousse tastes best when it's softer and is close to room temperature.

    Troubleshooting and FAQ

    How do you make mascarpone chocolate mousse without lumps?

    Lumps may result from melting your chocolate too quickly. A double boiler makes this possible.

    You can use the microwave to warm the chocolate in short bursts, but it's easier to overheat or burn it this way.

    Lastly, work with room temperature ingredients. They combine more easily than cold ones do.

    Can you use chocolate chips in this recipe?

    While you can melt chocolate chips, use a chopped bar of chocolate instead. That will melt much more easily.

    Chips container emulsifiers that help them retain their shape, so melting them will be a slightly longer process.

    Chocolate mascarpone mousse in a small crystal glass, topped with whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and fresh berries.

    Best Results: Baking in Grams

    If you’re not already, use a kitchen scale for accuracy in baking.

    While I include cups and grams in my recipe cards, weighing your ingredients and writing or following a recipe using a standard metric like grams ensures consistency.

    I highly recommend investing $30 or less in a kitchen scale.

    More Desserts with Mascarpone

    • strawberry mascarpone cheesecake sitting on the base of a springform pan on a cake stand, surrounded by strawberries
      Strawberry Mascarpone Cheesecake
    • Mascarpone cookies, sitting on a white platter surrounded by small orange and white pumpkins.
      Mascarpone Cookies with Pumpkin
    • White mascarpone frosting on a lemon layer cake filled with blueberries. The cake is sitting on a glass cake stand, with lemons and berries scattered around it.
      Lemon Blueberry Mascarpone Cake
    • no bake cheesecake with mascarpone, dressed with berries on top
      No Bake Cheesecake with Mascarpone
    Print

    Mascarpone Chocolate Mousse

    Chocolate mascarpone mousse in a small crystal glass, topped with whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and fresh berries.
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    5 from 1 review

    Make this chocolate mascarpone mousse in less than an hour with four simple ingredients. It's soft, creamy, and easy to dress up with some mixed berries, chocolate shavings, whipped cream, or all of the above!

    • Author: Susan Gravatt
    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Refrigerator Time: 30 minutes
    • Total Time: 45 minutes
    • Yield: 4 servings 1x
    • Category: Dessert

    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 140 grams/5 oz of chopped dark chocolate, between 50 and 60% cacao 
    • 8 oz (225 grams) mascarpone cheese, room temperature
    • ¾ cup (185 grams) heavy whipping cream
    • Pinch of kosher salt

    Instructions

    1. Bring mascarpone from refrigerator and set onto counter so it can warm to room temperature.
    2. Make a double boiler over a stovetop burner using a small pot filled with a few cups of water and a heatproof bowl that can sit within the pot. Add the chopped chocolate and heavy whipping cream to the bowl in your pot. Once water is gently boiling in the pot, whisk the chocolate and heavy cream every minute or so until it’s smooth and all pieces of chocolate have melted into the mixture, 3-4 minutes.
    3. Turn off burner and carefully remove bowl from pot - it will be hot.
    4. Cover bowl and let it cool in the refrigerator for about half an hour. 
    5. Place room temperature mascarpone cheese and cooled melted chocolate into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add salt and mix on low speed for a minute. Scrape down the bowl to ensure all ingredients are properly mixing together. Whip again for 30 seconds and then swipe your spatula around your bowl a few times to fully incorporate everything.
    6. Divide mascarpone into separate small cups, jars, glasses - whatever you plan for serving them. Let them firm up a bit in refrigerator - about 30 minutes. If desired, top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate!

    Notes

    Please note that the nutritional information is an estimate and based on one serving of this recipe, which would yield approximately 4 servings. 

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1
    • Calories: 575

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag @susanbringsdessert — would love to see your creations!

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    About Susan Gravatt

    Susan is a recipe developer and food photographer. She specializes in sharing original dessert recipes and unique buttercream cake designs and tutorials. Her goal is to help readers feel kitchen-confident when they're baking desserts and decorating cakes at home.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Samantha

      July 29, 2024 at 2:30 pm

      Ok wow, these were a huge hit at my dinner party with friends. They all said it was super fancy and gourmet. I definitely did not tell them how easy it was to make haha - our secrete 🙂

      Reply
      • Susan Gravatt

        August 18, 2024 at 1:14 pm

        So glad they were such a hit! Thanks for the review!

        Reply

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