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 chocolate 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.
It’s been one of my favorite desserts since I was old enough to hold a spoon. And so it was one of the first desserts I ever made sugar-free, almost 10 years ago now.
It’s actually a perfect dessert recipe to make over. With the exception of the sugar itself, the ingredients are quite keto-friendly, so there aren’t a lot of adjustments and substitutions.
It is, however, something of a process. So we are taking a deep dive into making REAL keto chocolate mousse. Raw eggs and all!
What is real chocolate mousse?
First, let’s discuss what chocolate mousse really is and what it’s not. We throw around the term mousse with abandon these days, and you see it applied to a great many creamy chocolate 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.
And these desserts are delicious, too. But they don’t quite compare to the French style chocolate mousse, with its impossibly airy texture and rich, creamy mouthfeel.
This Keto Chocolate Mousse recipe definitely takes a bit more effort to make, and dirties a few more dishes. But oh my, is it ever worth it!
And yes, it really does take raw eggs, as is standard for French mousse. If that’s a barrier for you, then check out my Keto Sky High Mousse Pie to see how it can be made by heating the egg whites instead.
How to make Keto Chocolate Mousse
It’s not hard to make this sugar free French mousse, but as stated above, it does take a bit more effort and time. And patience! Here are my best tips for getting it right:
Use unsweetened chocolate
This means chocolate with no sweetener whatsoever – no sugar, no erythritol, no stevia. I created my recipe long ago, when there really wasn’t any good keto friendly chocolate on the market. Since unsweetened chocolate has a higher fiber content, it helps provide structure and consistency.
Separate the eggs
One important tip: it’s always easiest to separate eggs when they are cold. So do this in advance and then let them come to room temperature for about half an hour.
Remember not to allow even a speck of yolk to get into the whites, or you will have trouble whipping them into peaks.
Seize the chocolate!
When adding the egg yolks to the melted chocolate, expect it to seize and get very thick and gloppy. This is completely normal. It will thin out again and become smooth as you whisk in the hot water.
Whip those egg whites
Whip them real good! Or until they hold stiff peaks. The cream of tartar and the salt help with this. If you don’t have cream of tartar, that’s okay too. But it does help stiffen the egg whites properly.
Dollop one big spoonful of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to help lighten it, before folding the chocolate into the beaten egg whites.
Beat that cream
Beat it real good! Or at least until it holds stiff peaks. Then fold it into the egg white/chocolate mixture. And that’s it!
Can you make keto chocolate mousse ahead?
You can make this classic French style mousse a day in advance. But be forewarned that because it’s made with raw eggs, it should be consumed within 3 days.
If 6 servings is too much for you, you can cut this whole recipe in half.
More delicious keto mousse recipes
- Keto Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse Cake
- Keto Peanut Butter Mousse
- Keto White Chocolate Mousse
- Easy Keto Blender Chocolate Mousse
- Keto Lemon Cheesecake Mousse
- Sugar Free Coffee Creme Mousse
Classic Keto Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 oz unsweetened chocolate chopped
- 4 large eggs separated and at room temperature
- 4 to 6 tbsp hot water
- ½ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener divided
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and chocolate together, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm.
- In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks together until smooth. When the chocolate has cooled to lukewarm, whisk in the egg yolks. The mixture will become very thick and the chocolate will seize – this is normal.
- Add 2 tablespoons of hot water and whisk vigorously. Continue to add 1 tbsp water at a time until chocolate mixture becomes smooth (will still be quite thick). Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with ¼ cup powdered Swerve, the salt and the cream of tartar until they hold stiff peaks. In another bowl, beat the cream with the remaining sweetener and 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. Fold in the whipped cream thoroughly but gently.
- Divide amont 6 dessert dishes and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
April says
This was sooooo good. Creamy and rich and delicious, yum!
Beth says
This looks so yummy and perfect for my two chocolate lovers! So excited to give this a try!
Natalie says
This just melts in your mouth! It’s so smooth & creamy & you can’t tell it’s keto friendly!
Melissa says
Great sugar free dessert so light and fluffy! My husband and I just love your recipe!
Natalie says
This just melts in your mouth! And, it’s sugar free..I will be having this for dessert after every meal! Loved it!
Kim says
I had no idea what making Mousse! I think I’m up for the task! Your instructions are great.
Mwt says
Carolyn, I am brand new to your info. Pleased to find you on line this morning. I am going through the list of pantry items to purchase right now. A bit of a snag is that the protein powder you recommended is not available. Jarrow Whey Protein is currently unavailable and it is not known if the item will be back in stock. Is there another protein powder you recommend?
Carolyn says
That’s a pretty old post! This is my favorite whey protein: https://amzn.to/3tJTtwF
Andrea says
Carolyn, how does this compare to the chocolate mousse from your pie recipe? Thicker? Richer? I’ve made that twice so far. The first time the chocolate seized terribly (but I still ate it and it was still good). The second time I worked more quickly between steps and didn’t allow the egg whites to cool as much and it turned out perfectly. 😍
Carolyn says
This is classic French mousse, so it takes the whole egg and is more rich. And it’s raw egg… so you have to be confident in your eggs. The chocolate WILL seize… but that added liquid will smooth it out.
Mimi Muraoka says
Does this have a dark chocolate taste or more of a milk chocolate taste? Is there a way to have it be more of a dark chocolate taste?
Robyn Harris says
I share your love of chocolate mousse, Carolyn. I am going to make this recipe and I will not change a thing. I may even put it in my little glass yogurt containers 😉 Thank you so much for sharing your exquisite recipes! 💕
Carolyn says
Enjoy!
Carole says
Could I replace the powdered Swerve with liquid Stevia drops in order to bring down the TOTAL carb grams? (I happen to love the taste of Stevia). Thanks so much.
Pamela says
Do you think pasteurized eggs would work? I pasteurize my own eggs (using my sous vide) for homemade mayonnaise and your blender mousse.
Joanne says
Hi, could one use hot coffee in place of the water?
Carolyn says
Yes, absolutely! I have done that in the past.
Tina Degenhardt says
Hi Carolyn
I would love to make this for V Day. Can I use powdered egg whites?
Tina
Carolyn says
No, I am sorry, they don’t whip properly and hold stiff peaks.