This devilishly decadent Baileys Chocolate Mousse is sheer heaven for chocolate lovers. It takes no longer than 15 minutes to make and can be made ahead of time for a special treat. A classic French chocolate dessert with the kick of Irish cream liqueur!
classic chocolate mousse
Chocolate lovers, do I have a treat for you. This chocolate mousse is rich but light and airy with a generous hit of Baileys Irish cream liqueur. If you love chocolate and Baileys, this will be your idea of heaven!
I always tell myself I’ll never need more than a few spoonfuls, but I end up eating more than I think I can….the combination of the dark chocolate mousse with the lightly whipped cream always leaves me wanting more…
serve in a big bowl or little glasses
Since chocolate mousse is pretty rich (you don’t need a huge portion…or maybe you do, I would never judge!) I like to serve this in pretty glasses. As you can tell by the photo, I’m not a matchy-matchy person!
I managed to fill 6 glasses with the recipe, but you could also make the mousse in a large bowl and just let everyone serve themselves.
You could also make the recipe stretch even further by using smaller glasses (such as shot glasses) or little bowls.
ingredients for chocolate mousse
Chocolate. It’s absolutely crucial to use good-quality chocolate. Please do not use “confectionary” style chocolate. It is not suitable for melting and you won’t get good results.
I like to use chocolate with 70% cocoa solids. If you’re worried about the mousse being a little too rich, you could use half dark chocolate and half milk. I used 100g Lindt 70% dark chocolate and 50g of Dr Oetkter 35% milk chocolate and the mousse still had that lovely rich, dark chocolate taste.
Eggs, at room temperature. For proper French chocolate mousse, you must use raw eggs. I’ve made egg free chocolate mousse recipes before and delicious as they are, they are not the real deal. You just don’t get the same light, airy texture that melts on your tongue. Many of these “no egg” mousse recipes taste exactly like chocolate ganache, because that’s basically what they are.
For the current UK advice regarding eating uncooked or lightly cooked eggs, please read this article.
Irish cream liqueur. I’ve used Baileys, but you could easily swap it for a different brand. You can get Baileys in all kinds of different flavours these days, so it might be worth trying those – I’m thinking coffee, mint or chocolate orange!
For the optional (but highly, highly recommended) whipped cream topping, you will need:’
- Double (heavy) cream
- Icing sugar
- Vanilla extract
how to make baileys chocolate mousse
Please keep scrolling to the end of the post for the printable recipe card with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions on how to make this recipe.
Step 1 – Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. When the chocolate has completely melted and is smooth, remove from the heat and set aside until it has cooled down (about 10 minutes). You don’t want to add the eggs now or they will scramble!
Step 2- When the melted chocolate has cooled down, stir in the eggs. The mixture will thicken.
Step 3 – Slowly add the Baileys, a little at a time. Whatever you do, don’t add it all at once. You need to go slowly here. Keep stirring until all of the liqueur is incorporated. You will have a thick, glossy mixture.
Step 4 – Whisk egg whites in a scrupulously clean bowl to soft peaks – i.e – they should be foamy and hold a soft peak that drops easily off the end of a whisk when lifted.
Step 5 – Using a large metal spoon, lightly fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Don’t over-mix.
Step 6 – Spoon into glasses or bowls and chill to set, about 2-3 hours.
Step 7 – When you’re almost ready to serve the chocolate mousse, whip the double cream, vanilla extract and icing sugar to soft peaks.
Step 8 – Once the mousse has set and you’re ready to serve, top with the whipped cream and decorate with grated chocolate, if you like. I always like….
make it in advance
Chocolate mousse can be made up to two days ahead of time, which is perfect if you’re planning something special for the weekend but don’t have much time to prep.
You could make the dessert in the evening when you’ve got a spare 15-20 minutes then relax, knowing that all you need to do on the day is spend a few minutes whipping cream!
more baileys chocolate desserts to try
Baileys Chocolate Mousse
This Baileys Chocolate Mousse is rich, but has a meltingly light, airy texture that melts the moment it hits your mouth! It can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for an deeply decadent chocolate fix.
Ingredients
- 150g best quality chocolate, preferably with a minimum 70% cocoa solids
- 2 room temperature medium sized eggs, separated
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, softened
- 100ml Baileys Irish cream liqueur
- 300ml double (heavy) cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 tablespoon icing sugar
- For the whipped cream topping:
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. When the chocolate has completely melted, remove from the heat and set aside to cool down. This should take about 10 minutes.
- When the chocolate has cooled down, stir in the egg yolks. The mixture will thicken. I use a silicone spatula to do this.
- Stir in the Baileys, a little at a time. Please don't add it all at once - it won't incorporate with the chocolate properly. When you've added all the Baileys, the mixture should be smooth and glossy. Set aside.
- Whisk the egg whites in a very clean bowl to soft, foamy peaks. You could use an electric mixer for this, but it just takes a few minutes by hand.
- Using a large metal spoon, fold the egg whites into the chocolate. Start by folding in one spoonful, then gently fold in the rest. You should end up with a light, airy mousse.
- Spoon the mousse into bowls or glasses. Place in the fridge to set for 2-3 hours.
- Just before you're ready to serve, whip the cream, vanilla extract and icing sugar together until they hold soft peaks.
- Top the mousse with the whipped cream and serve. Sprinkle the top of the cream with a little finely grated chocolate, if you like. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 165Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 24mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 2g
Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.