When you’re craving a light and airy dessert, or maybe something a little more thick and decadent, mousse can achieve both.
Our coffee mousse is a delicious and light, yet satisfying treat.
Mousse is traditionally made with uncooked egg whites, but if you’re not into that, we also included an option without it, resulting in a creamier yet equally delicious treat.
There are more steps involved than we usually share in our recipes, but don’t worry. It’s not difficult and can be made in 30 minutes, just factor in some time to refrigerate it before enjoying.
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Click here to skip to a printable recipe.
Click here to skip to the steps with accompanying images.
Does mousse have raw eggs?
Mousse is French for foam and is not just a dessert. It can be made both sweet and savory. But here, we’re talking about the sweet version.
A traditional French mousse dessert is made with uncooked egg whites. However, you may encounter various versions of mousse that do not include the uncooked egg white, and some without egg at all.
When mousse is made with egg whites, it results in a lighter and airy dessert. Without the egg whites, the mousse is thicker and creamier.
We made ours both ways and you can pick the version you feel more comfortable with.
What do you serve mousse in?
Before making the coffee mousse, decide how you want to serve it. You can just put all of it in the fridge in one bowl and scoop out servings. But I find it’s easier and more presentable to refrigerate the mousse in the containers that you plan to serve it in.
For single servings, I serve my coffee mousse in short 4 ounce glasses. I find this to be a good serving size. But you can also serve it in wine glasses, dessert bowls and even demitasse (espresso) cups.
And now, here’s what you need to make coffee mousse:
Coffee Mousse Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp instant coffee
- 1 tsp gelatin
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 ½ cup heavy cream
A few notes about the ingredients:
Eggs
You’ll be separating the egg yolks and egg whites.
This recipe calls for heating the egg yolks, so if you’re concerned about raw eggs, it might be beneficial to get a food thermometer. The safe temperature for eggs is apparently 160 degrees Fahrenheit if you want to check while making the mousse.
Meanwhile, if you decide to use the egg whites for the traditional way of making mousse, make sure your eggs are fresh to avoid any issues.
If you feel uncomfortable about using raw eggs, we’ve provided a way you can still make this coffee mousse, so you can omit the egg whites and save it for another use.
Instant coffee
I like using Nescafe Clasico dark roast instant coffee for our coffee flavored recipes. Use your favorite instant coffee or check out our favorites here.
You’ll want to dissolve the instant coffee with about a teaspoon of water so you won’t have clumps of instant coffee in your mousse.
Gelatin
Gelatin is used to thicken the mousse.
I used powdered gelatin, which you’ll need to bloom before using in this recipe.
This means you’ll need to add about two tablespoons of water to the powdered gelatin and let it sit for a few minutes until it softens and absorbs the liquid. This allows the gelatin to dissolve evenly when we add it to the stovetop with our other ingredients.
Cocoa powder
You can use real chocolate by melting it, but I found cocoa powder was a faster option (and in my opinion, tastes great!)
Heavy cream
Make sure to use heavy cream and not heavy whipping cream. Heavy cream has more fat than heavy whipping cream. It’s heavier and I find it holds together better than whipping cream.
How to Make Coffee Mousse
Click here for a printable version.
Step 1
Separate room temperature egg yolks and egg whites.
Step 2
Beat egg yolks with an electric mixer, stirring in sugar gradually.
Step 3
Bloom gelatin in about 2 tablespoons of water.
Dissolve instant coffee in ½ teaspoon of water.
Step 4
Heat ½ cup of heavy cream over the stovetop and add in cocoa powder, dissolved instant coffee, and bloomed gelatin. Keep an eye on it and make sure the mixture doesn’t simmer or boil.
Step 5
Add in a little of the heavy cream mixture to the egg yolk mixture. Then add all of the egg yolk mixture into the pot with the heavy cream mixture. Keep stirring so it doesn’t clump.
Turn off heat when combined. Set aside to cool completely.
Step 6
Meanwhile, use an electric mixer to whip the rest of the heavy cream (1 cup) until peaks form.
Step 7
Fold the heated mixture with the whipped cream.
Step 8
Optional if using egg whites, whip egg whites into stiff peaks and fold into egg yolk and heavy cream mixture.
Step 9
Pour portions into serving containers.
Step 10
Leave in the fridge for 3-4 hours.
Top with more whipped cream, chocolate chips or decorate with a few coffee beans. Enjoy!
Coffee Mousse Recipe
Coffee Mousse
When you’re craving a light and airy dessert, or maybe something a little more thick and decadent, mousse can achieve both.
Our coffee mousse is a delicious and light, yet satisfying treat.
Materials
- 4 eggs
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp instant coffee
- 1 tsp gelatin
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
1. Separate room temperature egg yolks and egg whites.
2. Beat egg yolks with an electric mixer, stirring in sugar gradually.
3. Bloom gelatin in about 2 tablespoons of water.
4. Dissolve instant coffee in ½ teaspoon of water.
5. Heat ½ cup of heavy cream over the stovetop and add in cocoa powder, dissolved instant coffee, and bloomed gelatin. Keep an eye on it and make sure the mixture doesn’t simmer or boil.
6. Add in a little of the heavy cream mixture to the egg yolk mixture. Then add all of the egg yolk mixture into the pot with the heavy cream mixture. Keep stirring so it doesn’t clump. Turn off heat when combined. Set aside to cool completely.
7. Meanwhile, use an electric mixer to whip the rest of the heavy cream (1 cup) until peaks form.
8. Fold the heated mixture with the whipped cream.
9. Optional if using egg whites, whip egg whites into stiff peaks and fold into egg yolk and heavy cream mixture.
10. Pour portions into serving containers.
11. Leave in the fridge for 3-4 hours.
12. Top with more whipped cream, chocolate chips or decorate with a few coffee beans. Enjoy!
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