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Calibrate Recipe

Gluten-free, Vegetarian, Halal, Kosher

Active: 15 minutes
Total: 15 minutes (plus cooling time)
Serves 2

This recipe was created by Hervé This, a French physical chemist who is often considered the father of molecular gastronomy. The key is to use high-quality dark chocolate, which creates an intense, creamy mousse on its own with nothing more than a little hot water to help it along. The mixture thickens quickly as it cools, so you may over-whip it on your first try. If that happens, don’t despair. Simply remelt the mixture over a double boiler, transfer it back to the ice bath, and start again.

Ingredients:

  • Ice cubes, for the ice bath
  • 4 ounces dark chocolate (at least 70%), finely chopped
  • 3 ounces hot water
  • Flaky sea salt or chopped pistachios, for serving

Directions:

  1. Fill a large bowl with ice and set aside. 
  2. Place the chocolate and hot water in a medium bowl and whisk until melted and smooth.
  3. Place the bowl over the ice bath and whisk until the mixture begins to thicken. This happens quickly—be careful not to let it get grainy. Remove the bowl from the ice bath and continue to whisk until the mixture becomes soft set.
  4. Divide the mousse between two small ramekins, let cool for a bit, and serve sprinkled with flaky salt or pistachios if desired.