Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Mousse (Printable)

Luscious strawberry mousse layered with silky chocolate ganache, creating a decadent yet refreshing dessert.

# What You'll Need:

→ Strawberry Mousse

01 - 1.5 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
02 - 0.25 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1.5 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 - 0.5 cup heavy cream

→ Garnish

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

# Directions:

01 - Blend or process fresh strawberries until completely smooth.
02 - Pass puree through fine mesh sieve to remove seeds and achieve silky texture.
03 - Combine strawberry puree and sugar in small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture simmers gently. Remove from heat.
04 - Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in small bowl and allow to bloom for 5 minutes.
05 - Stir bloomed gelatin into warm strawberry mixture until completely dissolved. Cool to room temperature.
06 - In large bowl, whip chilled heavy cream with vanilla extract and salt to soft peaks using electric mixer or hand whisk.
07 - Gently fold cooled strawberry mixture into whipped cream using spatula until well combined, maintaining airy texture.
08 - Spoon or pipe mousse into serving glasses, filling each approximately two-thirds full. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until set.
09 - Place chopped chocolate in heatproof bowl. Heat heavy cream in saucepan until just simmering, taking care not to boil.
10 - Pour hot cream over chocolate and let stand for 2 minutes without stirring. Stir until smooth and glossy.
11 - Allow ganache to cool to room temperature, approximately 10-15 minutes.
12 - Spoon or pour ganache over set strawberry mousse in each glass, creating distinct layer. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until set.
13 - Just before serving, top each mousse with fresh strawberry halves, shaved chocolate, or mint leaves as desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It looks like something from a fancy restaurant but comes together with basic techniques and no special equipment.
  • The contrast between airy strawberry mousse and rich chocolate ganache hits every craving at once.
  • You can make it the day before and just garnish before guests arrive, which means no last minute panic.
  • It's naturally gluten free, so you can serve it to almost anyone without worrying.
02 -
  • If you add the strawberry mixture to the cream while it's still warm, the gelatin will melt the whipped cream and you'll end up with strawberry soup instead of mousse.
  • Folding must be gentle and deliberate, if you stir vigorously you'll knock out all the air you just whipped in and the texture will be dense instead of light.
  • Let the ganache cool before pouring or it will melt right through the mousse layer and mix with the strawberry.
03 -
  • Chill your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for ten minutes before whipping cream, it makes a noticeable difference in how quickly and firmly it whips.
  • Taste your strawberry puree before adding sugar, sometimes berries are sweet enough that you can cut the sugar back and let the fruit shine even more.
  • If your ganache seems too thick to pour, let it sit at room temperature a bit longer or gently rewarm it for a few seconds, it should flow like warm honey.
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