Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Mousse (Printer-friendly)

Luscious strawberry mousse layered with silky chocolate ganache—a decadent yet refreshing dessert for any occasion.

# What You'll Need:

→ Strawberry Mousse

01 - 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
02 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
04 - 2 tablespoons cold water
05 - 1 cup heavy cream, chilled
06 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
07 - Pinch of salt

→ Chocolate Ganache

08 - 3.5 ounces semi-sweet or dark chocolate, chopped
09 - 1/2 cup heavy cream

→ Garnish

10 - Fresh strawberries, halved
11 - Shaved chocolate or chocolate curls
12 - Mint leaves

# How To Make It:

01 - In a blender or food processor, puree the fresh strawberries until smooth.
02 - Pass the puree through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds.
03 - In a small saucepan, combine strawberry puree and sugar. Warm over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is just simmering. Remove from heat.
04 - Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in a small bowl and let bloom for 5 minutes.
05 - Stir bloomed gelatin into warm strawberry mixture until dissolved. Let cool to room temperature.
06 - In a large bowl, whip heavy cream with vanilla extract and salt to soft peaks using an electric mixer or hand whisk.
07 - Gently fold cooled strawberry mixture into the whipped cream until well combined.
08 - Spoon or pipe mousse evenly into serving glasses, filling each about two-thirds full. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until set.
09 - Place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat heavy cream in a small saucepan until just simmering without boiling.
10 - Pour hot cream over chocolate and let stand for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth and glossy.
11 - Allow ganache to cool to room temperature, then spoon or pour over set strawberry mousse in each glass, creating a distinct layer.
12 - Refrigerate at least 1 hour until ganache is set.
13 - Just before serving, garnish with fresh strawberry halves, shaved chocolate, or mint leaves as desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It looks like you ordered it from a fancy restaurant, but you made it in your own kitchen wearing pajamas.
  • The mousse is so airy it practically dissolves on your tongue, leaving just the sweet kiss of fresh strawberries.
  • You can make it the night before and pull it from the fridge like amagician when guests arrive.
  • The contrast between fruity lightness and rich chocolate feels like the best kind of indulgence.
02 -
  • If you add the gelatin mixture to the cream while it's still warm, the cream will deflate and you'll end up with strawberry pudding instead of mousse.
  • Bloom the gelatin properly or it will turn into rubbery lumps that ruin the texture.
  • Use a light hand when folding so you don't knock all the air out of the whipped cream.
  • Let the ganache cool before pouring or it will melt right through the mousse layer.
03 -
  • Taste your strawberry puree before adding sugar because really ripe berries need less sweetening.
  • If your ganache seizes or looks grainy, whisk in a tablespoon of warm cream to bring it back to smooth.
  • For an adult version, stir a tablespoon of Grand Marnier or framboise into the strawberry puree before folding it into the cream.
  • Don't skip the sieve step, those tiny seeds make a huge difference in the final texture.
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