Chocolate Mousse Without Cream

This is a two-ingredient eggless chocolate orange mousse recipe, using a method developed by Hervé This, a French molecular gastronomist. The original recipe contains only dark chocolate and water, which seems impossible to people who associate water with chocolate seizing up. The method involves melting the chocolate in the liquid, orange juice in this case, and then whipping rapidly as it cools to create a chocolate Chantilly (mousse).

As soon as I read about this method I imagined making it with orange juice and I’m thrilled I did. The flavour of the orange is fairly subtle – more on this below – with a light, creamy texture. This mousse is not for those who don’t like chocolate, or who dislike a hint of bitterness in a dessert.

The end result is not very sweet, mostly dark chocolate with a hint of orange. If you’re very fond of dark chocolate then this is perfect for you, but it is, of course, very rich, and best in small portions. This recipe could easily serve six people.

I first shared this recipe in 2017. It’s been updated with improvements to the recipe instructions and slight improvements to the recipe, new photos, including step-by-step photos, and more helpful information.

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Ingredients You’ll Need and Why

You really do need just two ingredients: dark chocolate and oranges. This is best to make when oranges are in season and at their peak of sweetness. These are my notes from recipe testing, and you can find the full recipe card below with complete measurements and instructions.

• Chocolate: because this is a dairy-free mousse, you need a very dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa mass, because the fat is needed for volume. Use the very best dark chocolate you can, one that you would eat on its own. No baking chocolate. For a stronger orange flavour, use a high quality orange chocolate bar. The Vivani dark orange is excellent here.
• Orange juice: use fresh-squeezed if possible. Don’t use sour orange juice, or juice from oranges you don’t like – there are only two ingredients here, and they must be of high quality.

How to Make Chocolate Orange Mousse

You’ll notice that I used snow to cool the bowl while beating the mixture, it’s the best method if you have a good amount of snow! The recipe does call for a bowl of ice instead, for practicality, but I recommend making this when you have enough snow to set the base of a bowl in it. (It’s just fun.)

Step 1: chop the chocolate and place it into a heatproof bowl with the orange juice. Be sure to use a bowl that really is heatproof and that can withstand some thermal shock, like stainless steel.

Step 2: melt the chocolate over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. It will look like it’s not melting together at first, that’s normal.

Step 3: place the bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice (or some snow) and beat by hand for a couple of minutes, until it’s as thick as softly whipped cream. It continues to thicken after you stop whipping so don’t take it too far.

Step 4: the mousse should be soft and light, not grainy. If it is, it’s been over-whipped, but you can melt it and start again. Immediately transfer to serving dishes and serve, trying not to mix it any further when moving it between dishes. It sets quickly.

Expert Tips for the Best Mousse

• Choose good ingredients: I usually try to avoid this kind of food snobbery but you only have two ingredients, no cream or spices, so there’s nothing there to cover up those flavours – you must use ingredients that you like the taste of alone, or you won’t like the end result.
• If you don’t have ice: I have made this by sticking the bowl full of chocolate into snow and then whipping, and simply by placing the bowl onto a very cold stone floor. If you don’t have ice on hand, there are other options.
• Use a water bath: the original method calls for everything to be melted together in a saucepan. I’ve altered it to eliminate a dish and reduce the chance of overheating the chocolate and ending up with a burnt-tasting mousse.
• Whip by hand: it doesn’t work to use an electric mixer for this, as it’s too easy to take it too far. Prepare yourself for a bit of an arm workout but you might be surprised by how quickly it does come together.
• Stop a little soon: stop whipping just before you think you need to. A few seconds too long and it’ll have gone too far.
• Reheat if needed: if the mousse is whipped too long and seizes, simply heat again (gently) and follow the steps over again. In this sense, the recipe is very forgiving.

More Dairy-Free Chocolate Recipes

• Vegan Chocolate Pudding – with no added starch, this pudding uses an older method of reducing the liquid for a stronger flavour and creamy texture.
• Vegan Chocolate Truffles – with creamy coconut milk and a list of potential mix-ins.
• Olive Oil Brownies – if you like a little complexity in your desserts, try these, with olive oil, spelt, and hazelnut flour.
• Vegan Chocolate Mousse – a different method, and a little sweeter than this one, this mousse is made with coconut milk and maple syrup.