Light and rich at the same time, this mousse is perfect for when you need a chocolate fix but don’t want something heavy. The hint of chocolate hazelnut spread rounds out the flavors, making it divine on its own or as a pastry filling, cupcake topping, or trifle base.

I made this mousse mostly because we still had three jars of Nutella (well, one was Kirkland Signature chocolate hazelnut spread). And with school being in full swing and draining me daily, I haven’t been baking as much. But I can’t go without dessert! So I found myself eating Nutella with a spoon. My daughter found me, too. So after letting her have some, I decided it was time to at least use up the two opened jars.

I also knew I wanted to make a dark chocolate something for my neighbor’s birthday last weekend. So I had an idea that thankfully planned out. Dark chocolate mocha cupcakes with chocolate hazelnut mousse for frosting. The rich cupcake is balanced by the light mousse, both in taste and texture.

But this mousse deserved a post of its own. I realized this after eating far too many spoonfuls during this photo shoot. It’s that good.

Also, it’s crazy easy to make.

It comes together quickly using only a few ingredients. You can make a small or large batch. And you can easily make it without a stand or hand mixer. I made it by hand twice in a row (I didn’t make enough the first time) and it wasn’t difficult. And I’m fairly weak.

So if you want something rich but not heavy or overly sweet, this is for you.

How to make chocolate hazelnut mousse

Bloom your gelatin by dissolving it in water and letting it sit 5 minutes. I don’t have a photo (idk why I didn’t take one), but it will go from a thick liquid to solid in that time.

Stir in boiling water. You can also microwave it, but it only needs 5-10 seconds and I’ve ruined gelatin too many times without even having the excuse of my toddler distracting me. As you whisk in hot water, it will melt and become a thick liquid again.

Set aside to cool while you whisk the hazelnut spread, sugar, and cocoa. Add the gelatin. This is my weird step, as most people would stream it in at the end of whisking. But the shock of warm gelatin into cold cream can cause some bits to harden and make your finished product chunky. Gross.

Add the cream and whisk, slowly at first to combine then vigorously, being sure to get the edges. If you use a stand or electric mixer, scrape down the sides a few times. Watch carefully to avoid curdling it. You want stuff peaks throughout, but too much whisking will cause it to break. You can’t fix broken mousse.

You can either spoon it into your serving dish (or whatever you’re using it for) or place it in a piping bag with a fancy tip like the 1M and pipe swirls into a dish or onto a cupcake (nope, no pictures of that either, because I ate them all too fast).

Tips for this recipe

Chill before piping

The gelatin sets with chilling. If you’re just going to eat this with a spoon, it’s not really necessary. But if you want to pipe it or spread it onto a cake/cupcake like frosting, you’ll want to chill it an hour or two so it holds it’s shape better.

Don’t curdle the cream

This is a scary tip that gets thrown around. If it’s your first time making stiff peaks, just be cautious. But there is some wiggle room. It’s not like it goes from stiff peaks to curdled in a heartbeat. In fact, I usually scrape the bowl around soft peaks, whisk again until stiff peaks, scrape the bowl again, then whisk some more. Once it starts to pull away from the edges of the bowl (at least, in the middle of the bowl) it’s probably done.

Use cold tools

Chilling the bowl and whisk for 10 minutes helps the mousse whip up faster. It’s not super necessary, but since I often whisk by hand (it’s easier to photograph), I’ll take what I can get.

Sift the cocoa powder

Like I said, I made this twice in a row and didn’t sift the cocoa the first time. It was frustrating because it took quite a bit to get the mixture smooth before I could actually whisk it up as mousse. Sifting helps it all mix nicely.

Chill midway

I’ve found that as you whisk, this starts to thicken just slightly, then stays at that place for a while. If you pop it in the fridge for a few minutes, it’ll develop stiff peaks almost immediately after you start mixing again.

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Easy Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse

prep time: 5 minutes

total time: 10-15 minutes

Servings: about 3-4 cups, or enough to frost 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon powdered gelatin

2 tablespoons water

½ cup chocolate hazelnut spread

1-2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (to taste), sifted

½ cup powdered sugar

2 cups heavy whipping cream

Instructions:

Bloom the gelatin by mixing with 1 tablespoon cold water. Let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk in 1 tablespoon boiling water. Set aside. (Alternatively, you can mix the gelatin and all 2 tablespoons water, let it bloom for 5 minutes, then microwave for 5-10 seconds, but watch very carefully.)

In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) that’s been chilled, mix the chocolate hazelnut spread, cocoa, and powdered sugar until smooth. Whisk in the melted gelatin until smooth.

Add the heavy cream. Whisk slowly until fully combined. Then whisk vigorously (or on medium-high) until soft peaks form. Gently down the bowl. Whisk again until stiff peaks just begin to form. Gently the bowl again. Whisk again until stiff peaks are throughout and the middle of the mousse begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl and congregate on the whisk.

Place in your serving dish(es) or piping bag. Chill at least one hour before piping to preserve shape.

Enjoy! Keep refrigerated until serving. If using on cupcakes, don’t frost them until about 30 minutes or so before you want to eat them. Otherwise, you’ll have to keep them in the fridge, which can dry them out.