Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Mousse (Printable Version)

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

# What You 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 Steps:

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

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like a fancy dessert but comes together with just a blender, a whisk, and a little patience.
  • The mousse is so airy it feels like eating a strawberry cloud, and the ganache adds just enough richness to balance it.
  • You can make it the day before and pull it out of the fridge looking like you spent hours on it.
  • It works for Valentine's Day, dinner parties, or a random Tuesday when you want something that feels special.
02 -
  • If you add the gelatin while the strawberry mixture is too hot, it can break down and your mousse won't set properly, so always let it cool first.
  • Don't pour hot ganache directly onto the mousse or it'll melt the top layer and you'll lose that clean line between the two.
  • Make sure your cream is very cold before whipping, because warm cream takes forever and sometimes never gets to soft peaks.
03 -
  • Strain your strawberry puree even if it seems smooth, because those tiny seeds will ruin the silky texture you're going for.
  • Use a piping bag to fill the glasses if you want clean edges and no smudges on the sides, it makes the whole thing look more professional.
  • Let the ganache cool completely before pouring or it'll sink into the mousse and blur the layers, which still tastes good but doesn't look nearly as impressive.
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