This easy peppermint Aero chocolate mousse is light, creamy and full of chocolate-mint flavour. It's made with peppermint Aero, whipped cream and eggs for a proper airy mousse texture, with an optional splash of mint chocolate liqueur for an extra after-dinner-mint flavour. It takes only 15 minutes to prepare, then all it needs is an hour in the refrigerator to set.
If you enjoy the combination of chocolate and mint, this peppermint chocolate mousse is a lovely variation on a classic chocolate mousse. It's rich and creamy but still light and airy, with peppermint Aero providing the chocolate-mint flavour and an optional splash of mint chocolate liqueur adding an extra hint of mint.
The liqueur is entirely optional, so if you're making the mousse for children, or simply prefer not to use alcohol, you can leave it out. The peppermint Aero provides plenty of mint flavour on its own, or you could use a drop of peppermint essence instead.
You might be wondering whether an ordinary eating chocolate such as Aero can be melted successfully for chocolate mousse. I've made this recipe many times, and it works perfectly. My trick is to melt the chocolate with a small knob of butter, which helps the Aero melt smoothly and gives you a good base for the mousse.
Once the chocolate has cooled slightly, it's combined with whipped cream and beaten egg whites to give the mousse its light, airy texture. After that, all it needs is an hour or so in the refrigerator to set.
Table of Contents
Why I love this peppermint Aero mousse
- It's light enough to serve after a hearty meal. The airy mousse and fresh peppermint flavour make it feel more like finishing your meal with an after-dinner chocolate mint than eating a heavy dessert.
- It takes only 15 minutes to prepare. Once it's mixed, simply pop it into the refrigerator to chill until you're ready to serve.
- There's no baking involved. Apart from melting the chocolate, it's simply a matter of whipping and mixing the ingredients together.
- You can make it ahead. Prepare the mousse earlier in the day and leave it chilling in the refrigerator until dessert time.
Peppermint Aero mousse - quick overview
- In a nutshell. Melt the chocolate with butter and leave to cool. Whip the egg whites with sugar until stiff and whip the cream separately. Combine the cream with egg yolks, mint liqueur, and melted chocolate, and fold into the egg whites. Chill until ready to serve.
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Chilling time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 - 6 servings
- Diffilculty: Easy
Ingredients for Aero chocolate mousse
**This is just an overview to explain why I used a particular ingredient. The complete list of ingredients and the exact measurements are on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.**
This recipe is sufficient for 4 to 6 people. I made 2 large wine glasses full, plus 2 smaller heart-shaped ramekins.
- Eggs - I used large eggs weighing about 2 ounces (60 grams) each. Egg sizes are graded differently in different countries, so the weight is a more useful guide than the size on the carton. If your eggs are much smaller, you may need to use 3 instead of 2.
- Mint Aero - I used an Aero with a dark chocolate outer layer and milk chocolate bubbles (see ingredients image). You can use a regular peppermint Aero instead, but bear in mind that the green mint bubbles may affect the colour of the finished mousse.
- Butter - use unsalted butter. This is melted with the chocolate.
- Double or heavy cream - do not substitute this with single cream (or pouring cream). The cream needs to be whipped until stiff, and you can beat single cream all day but it simply won't stiffen.
- Caster sugar - you can use granulated sugar if that's all you have. However, caster sugar is very fine and dissolves much more easily than granulated sugar. You don't want grains of undissolved sugar in your mousse.
- Mint chocolate liqueur - you can use any brand of mint chocolate liqueur. If this is not something that you would normally drink, look for a miniature bottle rather than bujying a full sized one. This is the brand of mint chocolate liqueur that I used. If you can only find plain chocolate liqueur you can add a few drops of peppermint essence (be careful - peppermint essence is strong). If you don't drink alcohol, or you're making the mousse for children, simply leave it out. It won't affect the final texture.
To decorate the mousse once it has set, you will also need a little extra cream and a small piece of extra chocolate for making chocolate shavings.
How to make Aero chocolate mousse
Let's break it down into a few simple steps.
Melt the chocolate
Step 1: Break the chocolate into small pieces and place it in a bowl with the butter. Microwave in 30-second intervals until it has melted (2 to 3 intervals approximately)
Step 2: Stir between each interval.
Separate the eggs and beat the whites
Step 3: Separate the eggs. Beat the egg yolks lightly in a small bowl.
Step 4: Beat the egg whites and caster sugar in another bowl until it forms stiff peaks.
Step 5: The egg whites will be stiff enough when you can turn the bowl upside down without the whites falling out.
Whip the cream
Step 6: Pour the cream into a medium-sized bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Don't overbeat, or you will end up with butter.
Combine the mousse
Step 7: Pour the egg yolks and mint liqueur into the whipped cream and mix with a spatula or flat-bladed knife until just combined.
Step 8: Stir the melted chocolate into the egg and cream mixture.
Step 9: Spoon about one-quarter of the beaten egg white into the egg and cream mixture and cut through lightly until well combined.
Step 10: Once combined, transfer the mixture into the bowl containing the remaining egg whites and mix through gently.
Transfer the mixture into small ramekins or wine glasses. Place the dishes into the refirgerator for at least an hour to chill and firm up.
Foodle Club top tips
Follow these handy tips to make the perfect chocolate mousse.
- Take care not to over-heat the chocolate or it may seize and burn. Microwave on full power in 30-second intervals, stirring well after each one. In my 900-watt microwave, the chocolate took two 30-second bursts followed by a final 15 seconds. If a few lumps remain, simply stir until they melt in the residual heat rather than continuing to microwave.
- If you don't have a microwave, place the dish of chocolate over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Stir until the chocolate has melted, taking care not to get any water into the chocolate, as this may cause it to seize.
- Don't get any egg yolk into the whites when separating the eggs. Even a small amount of egg yolk can prevent the whites from whipping properly. If a yolk breaks into the whites, set that egg aside for another use and start again with a clean bowl.
- Don't overwhip the cream. Stop beating as soon as the cream is thick and holds its shape; otherwise, you may end up making butter.
- Fold a little of the beaten egg white into the chocolate and cream mixture first. This lightens the mixture so that the remaining egg white can be folded in more easily without knocking out too much of the air.
Serving suggestion
Decorate with whipped cream and/or chocolate shavings just before serving.
You can make chocolate shavings by scraping a knife along the edge of a block of chocolate that has been allowed to chill and harden in the refrigerator. Alternatively, sprinkle the mousse with a crushed Flake chocolate bar.
Equipment hints
Use a dry, grease-free bowl for whipping the egg whites. I've mentioned this before, but it's worth repeating! Even a small amount of grease or moisture can affect how well the egg whites whip, so make sure the bowl and beaters are completely dry before you start.
Beat the egg whites first, then the cream. This means you won't have to wash your beater in between. Cream isn't as fussy as egg whites when it comes to thickening.
Storage
Because this mousse contains raw egg, keep it covered in the refrigerator and eat it within 2 days. Don't leave it standing at room temperature for longer than necessary.
It is not suitable for freezing.
FAQ
This mousse contains raw eggs. In the UK, hen eggs carrying the British Lion mark are considered very low risk for salmonella and are safe for most people to eat raw or lightly cooked. If you're outside the UK, check the food-safety guidance where you live and use eggs that are considered safe for eating raw.
If you have a severely weakened immune system and have been advised to follow a medically supervised diet, you should avoid raw eggs.
Yes, if you would like to make a larger batch, simply double the recipe ingredients.
Yes, this is the ideal dessert to make the day before you need it, as it needs time to chill and set. Once assembled, cover the individual dishes and keep them in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. Add the whipped cream and chocolate decorations just before serving.
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The recipe
Peppermint chocolate mousse
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- 4 Mixing Bowls
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Electric hand mixer or balloon whisk
- small serving dishes
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Use this with care. This is an AI-generated result and may contain errors or inaccuracies. I cannot be held responsible for the information returned.
Ingredients
- 3¼ ounces / 90 grams peppermint Aero bar preferably dark and milk chocolate combination
- ¾ tablespoon / 10 grams butter unsalted
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup / 80 ml double cream
- 2 tablespoons / 30 grams caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon mint chocolate liqueur optional
- extra cream for decoration
- extra chocolate for decoration
Instructions
- Break the chocolate into small pieces and place it in a small microwave-safe bowl with the butter. Heat the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second bursts on full power until it melts. Don't over-cook the chocolate - if it doesn't melt completely you can mix it with a flat-bladed knife and the heat from the melted chocolate should melt any unmelted lumps.3¼ ounces / 90 grams peppermint Aero bar, ¾ tablespoon / 10 grams butter
- Separate the eggs. Place the yolks into one small bowl and the whites into a large bowl. Whisk the egg yolks lightly and set aside.2 large eggs
- Whisk the egg whites lightly until they are foamy, then add all the caster sugar and continue to whisk until the egg whites form stiff peaks. Use an electric hand-mixer or a balloon whisk. Set the egg whites aside.2 tablespoons / 30 grams caster sugar
- Pour the cream into a medium-sized bowl and beat until the cream forms stiff peaks. Don't overmix or the cream will turn into butter.⅓ cup / 80 ml double cream
- Add the beaten egg yolks and mint chocolate liqueur to the cream and mix lightly with a spatula or a flat-bladed knife until just combined.1 tablespoon mint chocolate liqueur
- Add the melted chocolate to the eggs and cream and mix lightly to combine.
- Spoon ¼ of the beaten egg whites into the cream and chocolate mixture and cut through lightly until there is no white showing.
- Transfer this mixture to the remaining egg whites and mix through gently. Work lightly so as not to knock the air out of the egg whites.
- Spoon the mixture into your preferred serving bowls and leave in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to set.
- Decorate with additional whipped cream and chocolate shavings.extra cream, extra chocolate
Notes
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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Janice says
Oh my! This is so up my street, I love mint chocolate and have great memories of being given mint chocolate liqueur for the first time. It's so so good! Thanks for a lovely recipe.
VJ says
I think mint and chocolate is a match made in heaven!
Rebecca - Glutarama says
Oh my! My jaw literally dropped when I saw that photo of the mousse on the spoon. How amazing does that look. Brilliant recipe made even better with the addition of booze!
VJ says
Hahaha - you nearly gave me a heart attack! I misread 'mousse' for 'mouse' in your comment!!!!!