Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Mousse (Printable Version)

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

# Components:

→ Strawberry Mousse

01 - 1.5 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
02 - 0.25 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1.5 tsp powdered gelatin
04 - 2 tbsp cold water
05 - 1 cup heavy cream, chilled
06 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
07 - Pinch of salt

→ Chocolate Ganache

08 - 3.5 oz 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

# Preparation steps:

01 - In a blender or food processor, puree the strawberries until completely 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.
03 - Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in a small bowl and let bloom for 5 minutes. Stir bloomed gelatin into warm strawberry mixture until completely dissolved. Let cool to room temperature.
04 - In a large bowl, whip heavy cream with vanilla extract and salt to soft peaks using an electric mixer or hand whisk.
05 - Gently fold cooled strawberry mixture into the whipped cream until well combined. Spoon or pipe mousse evenly into serving glasses, filling each about two-thirds full. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until set.
06 - 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.
07 - Allow ganache to cool to room temperature, then spoon or pour over set strawberry mousse in each glass, creating a distinct layer. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until ganache is set.
08 - Just before serving, garnish each glass with fresh strawberry halves, shaved chocolate, or mint leaves as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like a fancy patisserie dessert but requires no fancy skills, just patience and a gentle hand with folding.
  • Fresh strawberry flavor actually shines through instead of getting buried under sweetness or gelatin taste.
  • You can make it a full day ahead, which means less kitchen stress when people arrive.
02 -
  • Blooming gelatin is not optional—I learned this the hard way when I stirred dry gelatin into warm puree and ended up with tiny rubbery beads throughout the mousse.
  • Letting the strawberry mixture cool completely before folding into cream matters because warm liquid will deflate the whipped cream and you lose that airy texture that makes this special.
  • If your ganache cracks or separates after cooling, you likely poured it too hot; next time let it sit a bit longer at room temperature first.
03 -
  • Use a bench scraper or offset spatula to fold the mousse instead of a regular spoon; the flexibility lets you incorporate gently without deflating.
  • If your kitchen is warm, chill your blender bowl and the serving glasses in the freezer before assembly—this buys you extra working time and ensures better texture.
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