One-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse Sounds Too Good To Be True (It Is)

When it comes to dessert, quick and easy recipes are always appreciated. It's much nicer when you don't have to work hard for a sweet treat. As a hub of all sorts of recipe hacks and tricks, social media is the place where many people browse for ideas. However, social media can be a double-edged sword. Sometimes, even recipe posts are all about clicks, likes, and views, so you should take what you read with a grain of salt. Some recipes and hacks don't always work as promised.

A chocolate mousse recipe that went viral on Instagram claims to be a one-ingredient chocolate mousse. If this sounds too good to be true, you're right. The one ingredient they are referring to is (you guessed it) chocolate. However, by itself, chocolate alone won't cut it to make mousse. The sneaky but necessary second ingredient for this "one-ingredient" chocolate mousse is water. Mixing chocolate chips and water in a blender until the chocolate has completely dissolved results in a mixture that sets in the fridge to a mousse-like texture. Water is essential for the creator's recipe to work, so it should count as an ingredient.

Commenters expressed their doubts about this "one-ingredient" chocolate mousse. One user explained how they "feel like water is going to make the taste too watery," and others who tried it confirmed that it did not solidify fully at the bottom. Even if the one-ingredient chocolate mousse is too good to be true, that doesn't mean that a two or three-ingredient chocolate mousse isn't possible. Instead of water, you could upgrade the second ingredient by using heavy whipping cream. When whipped and combined with melted chocolate, you not only get an airy mousse but one with an extra element of creaminess that water can't provide. A third ingredient, if you choose to add it, could be sugar or a pinch of salt.

Using a blender to make chocolate mousse is very easy but cuts corners on traditional methods. Blending chocolate with water does result in a very frothy liquid that partially maintains its airiness as it sets in the fridge, but there are better ways to get fluffy results. A French chocolate mousse generally uses either egg whites or whipping cream for aeration. When whipped, either of these ingredients gives chocolate mousse its signature light and airy texture.