This Keto Chocolate Mousse has an incredibly light and airy texture. Made in the classic French mousse style, it’s a decadent sugar-free dessert.
Real French mousse is a study in contrasts. It’s rich and creamy, but also impossibly light and airy. It’s a remarkable feat of dessert engineering that only the French could invent.
I’ve loved this classic dessert since I was old enough to hold a spoon. And one of the first sugar free desserts I ever made was Keto Chocolate Mousse. That was over a decade ago now and I’ve been making it the same way ever since.
It’s actually a perfect dessert for a makeover. With the exception of the sugar itself, the ingredients are quite low carb, so there aren’t a lot of adjustments and substitutions.
And while it has multiple steps, it’s surprisingly easy to make. So we are taking a deep dive into making keto chocolate mousse in the French tradition. Yes, that means raw eggs, my friends!
This is the real deal!
First, let’s discuss what mousse really is and what it’s not. We throw around the term with abandon these days, and you see it applied to a great many creamy desserts.
I’m as guilty of that as anyone, to be honest. We all like easy recipes that whip up in minutes, so an “easy mousse” that relies on cream cheese or gelatin is certainly appealing. My easy Keto Peanut Butter Mousse is one such recipe. These desserts are absolutely delicious, but they don’t quite compare to the real deal.
This Keto Chocolate Mousse recipe definitely takes a bit more effort and dirties a few more dishes. But it is absolutely worth it, I promise. One bite of that impossibly airy texture and rich, creamy mouthfeel, and you will be hooked.
It does take raw eggs, as is standard for French mousse. If that’s a barrier for you, please check out my Keto Sky High Mousse Pie to see how it can be made by heating the egg whites instead.
Reader Reviews
“This keto chocolate mousse is exceptionally good! Making it for non keto people tonight, nobody will know the difference! Rich and decadent.” — Jennifer C.
“This just melts in your mouth! And, it’s sugar free..I will be having this for dessert after every meal! Loved it!” — Natalie
“Great sugar free dessert so light and fluffy! My husband and I just love your recipe!” — Melissa
Ingredients you need
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- Butter: A little butter helps the chocolate melt more smoothly and evenly, and allows it to combine with the other ingredients better.
- Unsweetened chocolate: Keep in mind that unsweetened chocolate has NO sweetener whatsoever. It’s just pure cocoa solids and cocoa butter. I do recommend getting a good quality brand like Guittard or Ghirardelli. I find that the cheaper brands, such as Baker’s, tend to clump up and split more easily.
- Eggs: The eggs need to be separated and it’s easiest to do when they are cold. So separate them first and then let them come to room temperature for about half an hour.
- Sweetener: I used a combination of Swerve Confectioners and allulose for perfect mousse texture. But you can use your preferred sweetener(s). If it’s erythritol-based, you will want the powdered confectioners version to avoid grittiness.
- Cream of tartar: This baking aid helps whipped egg whites hold stiff peaks, so I always use cream of tartar in my mousse. You can omit it if necessary but it does make a difference to the texture and stability of the mousse.
- Heavy whipping cream: Folding whipped cream into the chocolate makes it extra light and fluffy.
- Pantry staples: Vanilla extract, salt.
Step by Step Directions
1. Melt the chocolate: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm.
2. Add the yolks: When the chocolate has cooled, whisk in the egg yolks. The mixture will become very thick and the chocolate will seize – this is normal. Add two tablespoons of hot coffee or water and whisk vigorously. Continue to add the liquid, one tablespoon at a time, until the chocolate mixture becomes smooth. Set aside.
3. Beat the whites: In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with the allulose, cream of tartar, and salt until they hold stiff peaks.
4. Beat the cream: In another bowl, beat the cream with the powdered sweetener and the vanilla until it holds stiff peaks.
5. Fold together: Stir a large dollop of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to help lighten lighten it. Then carefully fold the chocolate mixture back into the egg whites until well combined. Fold in the whipped cream thoroughly but gently, until no streaks remains.
6. Dish it up: Divide among eight dessert dishes and refrigerate at least 2 hours to set.
Expert tips
It’s really not hard to make Keto Chocolate Mousse. But it does take a bit more effort and time. And patience! Here are my best tips for getting it right:
Separate the eggs carefully. Remember not to allow even a speck of yolk to get into the whites, or you will have trouble whipping them into peaks. An egg separator helps you do this more easily.
I also recommend separating one egg at a time into a smaller bowl, then adding the clean white to the larger mixing bowl. That way, if one yolk breaks, you haven’t ruined all the whites.
Smooth out the chocolate. Adding the yolks to the melted chocolate causes it to seize, but this is completely normal. It will smooth out again with the addition of a warm liquid such as coffee or water. Just add the liquid slowly and whisk until smooth.
Fold the mixtures together. In baking, folding refers to the careful combination of two mixtures. You don’t want to stir vigorously, as this will cause the egg whites to deflate. Use a large silicone spatula and lift from the bottom, then fold over the top. Turn the bowl slightly and repeat, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl. Continue until the mixture is uniform and no streaks remain.
Sweetener Options: Keto Chocolate Mousse relies primarily on the beaten egg whites and whipped cream for structure. This means you can use almost any sweetener you like best. I really like the combination of allulose and Swerve Confectioners, as it made the mousse extra light and fluffy.
If you’re using only Swerve or another sweetener that is mostly erythritol, use the powdered version so it doesn’t get gritty.
Frequently Asked Questions
This keto chocolate mousse recipe has 3.9g of carbs and 1.8g of fiber per serving. That comes to 2.1g net carbs per half-cup serving.
The classic French-style chocolate mousse does contain raw eggs, and this keto chocolate mousse follows that style. If you are uncomfortable with that, there are ways to pasteurize the whites and yolks at home. You will still need to separate the eggs first, then cook them very gently over a double boiler.
**Let me be clear that consuming raw or undercooked eggs is not recommended by the FDA. This includes poached eggs and runny eggs. Everyone must assess their own risk and comfort level.
You can easily freeze this keto mousse and store it for several months. I had some fun with it recently and froze it in silicone molds like this for individual servings. You can then let it pop it out of the molds and let it thaw before serving. You can also eat it frozen with some keto chocolate sauce!
Keto Chocolate Mousse Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 oz unsweetened chocolate chopped
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 large eggs separated and at room temperature
- 4 to 6 tablespoon hot coffee or water
- ⅓rds cup allulose (or more Swerve Confectioners)
- ¼ cup Swerve Confectioners
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm.
- When the chocolate has cooled, whisk in the egg yolks. The mixture will become very thick and the chocolate will seize – this is normal.
- Add 2 tablespoons of hot coffee or water and whisk vigorously. Continue to add the liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, until chocolate mixture becomes smooth. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with the sweeteners, cream of tartar, and salt until they hold stiff peaks. In another bowl, beat the cream with the vanilla until it holds stiff peaks.
- Stir a large dollop of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to help lighten lighten it. Then carefully fold the chocolate mixture back into the egg whites until well combined.
- Fold in the whipped cream thoroughly but gently, until no streaks remains. Divide amont 8 dessert dishes and refrigerate at least 2 hours to set.
Rita says
you absolutely can’t knock it till you try it!!!!! it’s unbelievably good!