One Ingredient Instant Chocolate Mousse

This One Ingredient Instant Chocolate Mousse will amaze you with its melt-in-your-mouth smooth, light and airy texture and pure chocolate flavor. This chocolate mousse recipe is like pure magic how it comes together so quickly and sets instantly with just one single ingredient: chocolate. Once you know how to make this you will be making it over and over again. It is the recipe I make anytime I need a "creamy" chocolate treat (which is often!). I make this about once a week and I look forward to it every evening. It's almost like chocolate ice cream without any cream. It isn't too sweet and satisfies that chocolate craving perfectly.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Fast and SO easy to make - the most work is chopping up the chocolate and then the mixer does everything else in just about 30 seconds. If you use these couverture chocolate chips, then you don't even need to do any chopping!
• Pure chocolate flavor - since there's only chocolate in this recipe, the flavor is clean and pure. That's why I recommend using the best chocolate you can find, or the one you love to eat the most.
• Rich and creamy texture - this chocolate mousse just melts on your tongue and is so creamy and rich, yet it doesn't feel heavy at all since it doesn't contain any cream.
• Light and airy chocolate mousse - although it is rich in body, it is also light at the same time. What a delight!
• Sets instantly - unlike traditional chocolate mousse that needs to set in the fridge for at least 4 hours, you can enjoy this water chocolate mousse almost instantly! It sets so quickly in a cool climate or with just 3 minutes in the fridge.
• Dairy free and vegan - since this chocolate mousse recipe doesn't contain cream nor eggs, it is also vegan friendly.
• Doesn't require refrigeration - since there are no eggs and no dairy in this recipe, it doesn't require refrigeration for short term storage.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS: HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

• STEP 1). Chop the chocolate. Chop up the chocolate very finely so it melts quickly and evenly. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
• STEP 2). Heat the water. Bring 1 cup of water to a full boil. Measure out the amount required for the recipe and pour it over the chopped chocolate. Cover and let stand for 1 minute, then whisk gently until completely smooth and glossy. If the chocolate is not completely melted because perhaps it is cold in your kitchen, then place the bowl in the microwave for 10-20 seconds at medium power until smooth and glossy (do not overheat it), or set it over a pot with simmering water (a double boiler if you are using a metal bowl). You will know it is evenly blended when there is no visible oil slick or droplets at the surface and the mixture looks shiny and silky smooth.
• STEP 3). Prepare an ice bath. Add about 1 ½ cups of ice to a large bowl. Pour in cold water to cover the ice.
• STEP 4). Whip the mixture until soft peaks. Pour the chocolate mixture out into another clean metal or glass bowl (read the EXPERT TIPS above for benefits of metal vs. glass) using a spatula to scrape every last bit. This is optional but it will whip faster if it is in a cold bowl. Nestle the bowl with the chocolate mixture into the ice bath. Use an electric hand mixer to whip on medium-low speed until it forms soft peaks. Do not over-whip and do not use high speed. This should only take 30-60 seconds in a metal bowl, or up to 2 minutes in glass if the chocolate has a high quality and is completely emulsified with the water. Once you see the beaters leave tracks in chocolate mixture, remove it from over the ice batch and continue whipping gently until it reaches soft peaks.
• STEP 5). Serve. Spoon the mousse into serving bowls or cups and it should set quite quickly without needing to refrigerate unless it is very warm where you are. If you think it is too soft, you can chill it for 10-20 minutes. Serve immediately and enjoy!

EXPERT TIPS FOR CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

• Use high quality chocolate with high cocoa butter content. A high fat content is necessary to stabilize the foam.
• Use a metal bowl. Although you can use glass or metal to whip the chocolate mixture over the ice bath, I find metal works best since it transfers cold more readily and the chocolate mixture will cool quickly which helps the mousse set faster and trap large air bubbles. The downside is that it sets so quickly it can be easy to over-whip. So, once you see the beater leaving tracks in the mousse, remove the bowl from over the ice bath and continue to whip until it reaches the desired texture with soft peaks.
• Mix on moderate speed. Do not mix on high speed because it will increase the chances of over-mixing and make the mousse turn stiff and grainy. It will also incorporate fewer large air bubbles instead of many tiny bubbles.
• Do not over-mix. This is the most important! If you over-mix the mousse, it will stiffen up instead of staying soft. Stop mixing when the beaters start to leave tracks in the mousse mixture and it holds soft peaks that curl over when you lift the beaters. This mousse mixture will set up as it sits and the chocolate sets so even if you think it looks too soft - stop mixing! It will continue to set further after you serve it.
• Do not under-mix. As much as it is important to not over-mix, under-mixing will not incorporate enough air so that the mousse will be more dense. It will still be soft and delicious, but it will have a more crumbly, "dry" texture instead of airy and smooth. You can easily fix this by remelting and re-mixing.
• Recover from over-mixing. Even if you do over-mix and the mixture is stiff, don't worry! You can easily save it by melting it down again gently over a double boiler or on low power in the microwave, then whip it again. If you find that your chocolate mixture is too thick, it will be difficult to hold soft peaks as it will be quite firm and you can fix this by adding a bit more water. If your chocolate mixture is too thin, it will be difficult to hold its shape and you can fix this by melting it down with a bit more finely chopped chocolate and whipping again.

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