This Nutella mousse is a simple, shortcut version of the French chocolate dessert. And whether you choose Nutella or an alternative spread, it's delightfully light and airy. And brimming with rich, chocolatey goodness. With careful whipping and proper folding technique, you can serve up a showstopper of a chocolate dessert in ten minutes' time.
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The Story
Mousse is a classical French dessert akin to a light pudding or custard. Traditionally, you create a thick base mixture, enrich it with an egg or egg yolks, and lighten it with whipped cream or meringue. With Nutella as the base, a nutty chocolate mousse comes together quickly and easily. This recipe includes two types of cream to loosen the sticky hazelnut and chocolate spread. And the process takes only ten minutes.
Initially published in 2013, I dreamed this one up shortly after graduating from the CIA as a quick, no-fuss way to enjoy a long-neglected jar of Nutella. And the secret to the silkiest texture is all in how you whip the cream. It's a showstopping ending for any holiday feast or even a fun, seductive Valentine's Day dessert. But it's easy enough for an impromptu get-together or routine Friday night.
The Ingredients
- Chocolate hazelnut spread or alternative. No need for the name brand here. And if a nut allergy is at hand, chocolate sunflower seed butter is a great substitution for Nutella.
- Créme fraîche or sour cream. The tangy cream balances out the cloying sweetness. Unsweetened greek yogurt plays well, too.
- Heavy whipping cream. Heavy whipping cream is higher in fat than cream labeled "whipping cream" and whips up even thicker. But either works.
- Granulated sugar (optional). Nutella is loaded with sugar. So the recipe doesn't call for adding any to the whipped cream. But if you choose an alternative chocolate spread that's less sweet, you may like to add a little to the whipped cream. For mousse without refined sugar, add a couple of tablespoons of honey or maple syrup when whipping the cream.
- Instant espresso (optional). A textbook pairing for chocolate creates more intrigue and nuance in the mousse.
- Vanilla extract. Simply adds that warm vanilla feeling.
- Salt. Sea salt is divine. But use whatever salt you have on hand. One secret to delicious desserts is to always add a pinch of salt.
- Garnishes. Chopped chocolate, hazelnuts, whipped cream... you get the picture. Ferrero Rocher candies make for a fun, eye-catching garnish.
And by all means, if you enjoy liqueur, whisk in a couple of tablespoons of coffee, chocolate, or even orange spirit to the base for an adults-only Nutella mousse. (It's my tactic for not sharing certain desserts with our boys.)
The Method
Whip the cream gently to create a stable foam. And use classical folding strokes as you mix the mousse. If you happen to be up for a bit of a challenge, you could fold in Italian meringue in place of or before folding in the whipped cream. Save the egg yolks leftover from the meringue for five-ingredient custard ice cream (just a thought).
The Steps
- Mise en place. French for get it all in place. Professional cooks don't lift a spatula until they have everything they need in place. Wash your hands, gather your equipment, and measure out all of your ingredients.
- Mix the base for the mousse. In a small bowl, stir a half teaspoon of hot water into the instant espresso, if using. Then in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the Nutella or your preferred spread, vanilla extract, sour cream or crème fraîche, dissolved espresso, and salt.
- Whip the cream. Whip the cream on medium speed until it reaches soft peaks. The small peaks that form on the mixer should flop over but hold shape.
- Fold in the cream. Take a little less than one-third of the whipped cream and mix it well into the base until smooth. Then fold the remaining whipped cream into the mousse in two or three additions. Using a circular motion, scrape the spatula gently under the mixture, then around the sides, and up over the top. Use your other hand to rotate the bowl a little in the opposite direction with every stroke. The mousse will lighten in color and increase in volume as you add the whipped cream.
- Portion and chill. Divide the mousse among four to six small serving bowls that hold six to eight fluid ounces each. You can use a small spoon to smooth the top of the mousse. Chilling the mousse for 24 hours before serving is ideal. But you can certainly enjoy it immediately.
- Garnish and serve. Garnish the mousse with chocolate shavings, dollops of sweetened whipped cream or crème fraîche, or halved Ferrero Rocher candies. Always store mousse chilled but serve it at room temperature.
Chef's Tips
- Whip the cream slower and longer. It can be tempting to crank the mixer up to high to whip it quick. But whipped cream is more stable when beaten at a slower speed. This allows a larger amount of smaller air bubbles to become trapped between the fat molecules. The more bonds created during whipping the more stable it becomes. And the lighter and more luscious your Nutella mousse.
- Always fold the whipped cream into the base mixture. Not the other way around. There are Nutella mousse recipes that tell you to add Nutella to the whipped cream. Please don't do that, it's entirely backward. You always want to fold the lighter or foamed ingredient into the thicker base mixture. Like when making Japanese soufflé pancakes. This helps prevent deflating all the air you spent time beating into the cream.
- For a richer, darker mousse. This recipe follows the professional formula for the amounts of the chocolate base mixture and whipped cream. For a darker-in-color, richer mousse, use less heavy cream and/or more Nutella.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely, not! If you'd like a lower-in-sugar mousse or a hazelnut allergy is a concern, you can substitute any chocolate nut or seed spread you like. And it will still be a scrumptious, earthy, chocolate mousse. Chocolate sunflower seed butter is free from all major allergens. And the SunButter brand is low in sugar and works well in this recipe. 
Many classical mousse recipes call for adding gelatin to bind and set the mousse. But with most chocolate versions, it's unnecessary. Chocolate is solid at room temperature. And even more so when chilled. So you don't need gelatin unless you add significant amounts of a liquid ingredient.
Nutella is a gluten-free product and so are most chocolate and nut or seed spreads. Always check the label beneath the ingredient list. The FDA requires food manufacturers to list any of the eight major allergens on the label. And also to warn of any potential cross-contact during processing.
If you have favorite ways to enjoy or bake with Nutella, please share them in the comments.
📖 Recipe
Silky Nutella Mousse
I first published this recipe for a no-fuss, incredibly chocolatey, velvety mousse back in 2012. And by all accounts, it proved a keeper as similar recipes now litter the internet.
The thick, sticky spread is lightened first with sour cream or luxurious crème fraîche (which you won't see in many other recipes). And then with whipped cream. Add in espresso, vanilla, or liqueur for even more flavor. This recipe makes four to six servings depending on the size of your bowls.
- Total Time: 15 to 20 minutes
- Yield: 6, 8-ounce Servings 1x
Ingredients
- ½ cup of Nutella* (6 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon of instant espresso, optional
- ¼ cup of sour cream or crème fraîche (2.5 ounces)
- ¼ teaspoon or a healthy pinch of fine sea salt or kosher salt (table salt is also fine)
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, optional
- 3 tablespoons of granulated or caster sugar (optional to sweeten whipped cream)
- 1½ cups of heavy whipping cream (a little over 12 ounces)
Optional Garnishes
- toasted, chopped hazelnuts
- Ferrero Rocher candies
- chopped or shaved dark chocolate
- sweetened, whipped cream or crème fraîche
- fresh berries
Instructions
- Mise en place. French for get it all in place. Professional cooks don't lift a spatula until they have everything they need in place. Wash your hands, gather your equipment, and measure out all of your ingredients.
- Mix the base for the mousse. In a small bowl, stir a half teaspoon of hot water into the instant espresso, if using. Then in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the Nutella or your preferred spread, sour cream or crème fraîche, dissolved espresso, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Whip and fold in the cream. In a mixing bowl, whip the cream on medium speed with the granulated sugar (if using) until it reaches soft peaks, about three to five minutes. Mix in a third of the whipped cream to the Nutella base with a bit of force to lighten and smooth it out. Then gently fold the remaining whipped cream into the mixture in two or three additions. Use gentle, circular strokes scraping from underneath the mixture, around the sides of the bowl, and carefully over the top. The mousse will lighten in color and increase in volume.
- Portion and chill. Divide the mousse among four to six serving bowls and place them in the refrigerator to set for 24 hours (if you can).
- Garnish and serve. Garnish the mousse with chocolate shavings, toasted hazelnuts, fresh berries, dollops of sweetened whipped cream or crème fraîche, or halved Ferrero Rocher candies.
Notes
Chef's Tips
- Whip the cream slower and longer. It can be tempting to crank the mixer up to high to whip it quick. But whipped cream is more stable when beaten at a slower speed. This allows a larger amount of smaller air bubbles to become trapped between the fat molecules.
- Always fold the whipped cream into the base mixture. Not the other way around. There are Nutella mousse recipes that tell you to add Nutella to the whipped cream. Please don't do that, it's entirely backward. You always want to fold the lighter or foamed ingredient into the thicker base mixture.
On the Nutrition
The amounts below are based on the recipe as written with Nutella. If you add in meringue and/or substitute a different chocolate spread, the nutrient amounts will be different.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 to 10 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup of Nutella Mousse
- Calories: 328
- Sugar: 18.3 g
- Sodium: 214.2 mg
- Fat: 25.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 14.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 20.7 g
- Protein: 5.4 g
- Cholesterol: 59 mg
Keywords: Nutella mousse, chocolate hazelnut mousse, Nutella recipe
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Nicole
This was incredibly simple and quick! I used sour cream and not as much whipped cream and loved the flavor.
Chef Christina
I agree, Nicole, with a bit less cream it's less traditional but richer in Nutella flavor!
Anne
Our family really loved the flavor that the Nutella added to this mousse. We loved that the blending of the two creams really helped to keep the sweetness in check. And the texture was silky smooth!
Chef Christina
Thanks, Anne! I agree, the crème fraiche makes the mousse.
Oscar
Hi Chef,
Just made your Nutella mousse. Tastes great and simple to make. How much vanilla do you recommend? I assumed 1/8 tsp but it was not on the ingredients list. Also, there were 3 tbls of sugar that were on the ingredient list, but not in the recipe instructions. I assumed the sugar went into the whipped cream to sweeten it…
Chef Christina
Oscar, thank you for reading! Glad you enjoyed the mousse. And thank you for catching those discrepancies (I am my own editor). The vanilla extract and sugar for the whipped cream are entirely optional. I find the mousse is plenty sweet without adding any sugar to the cream, but some like it sweeter. I've edited the recipe, so it should be clearer now. Thanks, again!