Olive Oil Chocolate Mousse: The Recipe and Why Extra Virgin Works
Olive oil chocolate mousse is a dark, silky mousse made with extra virgin olive oil where a classic recipe would use butter or cream. It needs only dark chocolate, olive oil, eggs, a little sugar and salt, it takes about 20 minutes of work, and it contains no dairy beyond whatever is in your chocolate. Below is our own recipe, written from scratch for this article with metric and US measures side by side, followed by a completely egg-free version made with aquafaba, the liquid from a can of chickpeas. Because the classic version uses raw eggs, we also set out what the NHS and the US Food and Drug Administration say about raw eggs, explain why extra virgin olive oil works so well with chocolate, and help you choose the right oil. There is no alcohol in either recipe.
For our own oil, see our Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml).
The Short Answer
- Our olive oil chocolate mousse uses 125g (4½ oz) of dark chocolate, 80ml (⅓ cup) of extra virgin olive oil, three eggs and 35g (3 tbsp) of sugar, and fills six small glasses after about two hours in the fridge.
- Olive oil replaces the butter and cream of a classic mousse, so the recipe is dairy-free as written; it gives a softer, satiny texture and a fruity, peppery depth behind the chocolate.
- The classic version uses raw eggs. The NHS says mousse made with raw British Lion or Laid in Britain hen eggs is safe to eat, even in pregnancy; the FDA advises pasteurised eggs for any dish served with raw egg.
- Our egg-free version whips 120ml (½ cup) of aquafaba, the liquid from canned chickpeas, into a foam that replaces the egg whites; with milk-free chocolate it is fully plant-based.
- Chocolate can carry a full-flavoured oil: a medium-fruity extra virgin olive oil is the easiest choice, and the main thing to avoid is a stale one.
- Sidr & Stone's olive oil is a single-estate, cold-pressed, unfiltered extra virgin oil from our own farm on the plains outside Marrakech, Morocco, sold in 500ml dark glass.
Olive Oil Chocolate Mousse Recipe: Ingredients (Metric and US)
This makes six small glasses of about 90ml (6 tablespoons) each, or four generous ones. Weighing the chocolate and sugar is the most reliable way to do it; the US measures are rounded to the nearest practical kitchen measure.
| Ingredient | Metric | US |
|---|---|---|
| Dark chocolate (60–70% cocoa), finely chopped | 125g | 4½ oz |
| Extra virgin olive oil | 80ml | ⅓ cup |
| Just-boiled water, or hot brewed coffee | 30ml | 2 tbsp |
| Large eggs, separated (see the safety section for which eggs to use) | 3 | 3 |
| Caster (superfine) sugar | 35g | 3 tbsp |
| Fine salt | a pinch | ⅛ tsp |
| Finely grated orange zest (optional) | ½ orange | ½ orange |
| To finish: extra virgin olive oil and flaky sea salt | a few drops and a pinch per glass | a few drops and a pinch per glass |
Equipment: a heatproof bowl that sits over a small pan, a spatula, a clean grease-free bowl and an electric whisk (a balloon whisk works, with patience), and six small glasses or ramekins.
Many classic chocolate mousse recipes add brandy, rum or a liqueur. We leave alcohol out entirely, and we do not use vanilla extract either, because standard vanilla extract is made with alcohol; the orange zest or the coffee gives the mousse all the extra depth it needs. Many dark chocolates contain no milk, but some do and others carry a "may contain milk" warning, so check the label if you are keeping the mousse dairy-free.
Method: How to Make Olive Oil Chocolate Mousse, Step by Step
- Melt the chocolate with the oil. Put the chopped chocolate, the olive oil and the hot water or coffee in the heatproof bowl and set it over a pan of barely simmering water, without letting the bowl touch the water. Stir gently until smooth and glossy, then lift the bowl off the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes, until it is warm rather than hot.
- Beat in the yolks. Add the egg yolks one at a time, stirring each in fully before the next. The mixture will thicken and turn very glossy. Stir in the orange zest, if using.
- Whisk the whites. In the clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with the pinch of salt until they form soft peaks. Add the sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking well between each, until the whites are glossy and hold a peak that just curls over at the tip. Do not whisk them until stiff and dry; over-whipped whites are hard to fold in and leave white streaks.
- Loosen, then fold. Stir one large spoonful of the whites briskly into the chocolate to loosen it. Then add the rest of the whites and fold them in with the spatula, cutting down through the middle and turning the mixture over, until no white streaks remain. Stop as soon as it is even; every extra turn knocks out air.
- Fill and chill. Divide between the glasses, cover them and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until set.
- Serve. Take the glasses out of the fridge 10–15 minutes before serving, so the mousse softens back to a satiny texture. Finish each with a few drops of extra virgin olive oil and a small pinch of flaky salt.
The temperature of the chocolate is the step that most often goes wrong. Too hot, and it can cook the yolks or melt the foam; too cold, and it stiffens before the whites go in and the mousse turns grainy. Warm to the touch is right. If you bake with olive oil too, our chocolate olive oil cake and olive oil brownies use the same melt-the-chocolate-in-the-oil approach.
Why Extra Virgin Olive Oil Works in Chocolate Mousse
Olive oil goes into chocolate mousse because it does the job butter and cream usually do, enriching the chocolate and softening the set, without any dairy. Extra virgin olive oil adds a fruity, slightly bitter and peppery note that sits behind dark chocolate the way coffee or salt does, so the mousse tastes deeper rather than tasting of olives.
Three things are happening in the bowl. First, egg yolk is a natural emulsifier, so the yolks bind the oil, the melted chocolate and the small amount of water into one smooth, glossy mixture instead of letting the oil separate. Second, the fat sets differently: butterfat and cream firm up hard in the fridge, while olive oil is liquid at room temperature, so a mousse made with it has a softer, more satiny set once it has stood out of the fridge for a few minutes. Third, flavour: extra virgin is the only grade of olive oil that is simply pressed fruit and never refined, so it is the only one that adds anything to the taste. Refined and "light" olive oils give the same texture with almost no flavour, as our article on what "light" olive oil means explains.
Is it healthier than a cream mousse? Honestly, it is still a dessert, with sugar and chocolate. Swapping cream or butter for extra virgin olive oil changes the main fat from mostly saturated to mostly monounsaturated oleic acid, which is a reasonable swap within a balanced diet; it does not turn chocolate mousse into a health food. For the wider comparison between the two fats, see our article on olive oil vs butter.
Raw Eggs in Chocolate Mousse: What the NHS and FDA Say
The classic version of this mousse is a raw-egg dish, and official advice on raw eggs differs by country. These are the positions as we read them on 13 October 2026.
United Kingdom. The NHS page on foods to avoid in pregnancy lists foods like mayonnaise and mousse made with raw eggs as safe to eat if they are made with British Lion eggs or hen eggs produced under the Laid in Britain scheme, which the NHS says are less likely to contain salmonella. Hen eggs without the red British Lion stamp, or not produced under Laid in Britain, should only be eaten well cooked, and duck, goose and quail eggs should be eaten only when well cooked. Check the egg for the red Lion stamp, or the box for the Laid in Britain logo, and use the eggs before their use-by date.
United States. The FDA advises that recipes calling for eggs that are raw or undercooked when the dish is served should use shell eggs treated to destroy salmonella, by pasteurisation or another approved method, or pasteurised egg products. Treated eggs are usually labelled as such. The FDA lists children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems as being at greater risk of severe illness from salmonella. Do not assume shell eggs are pasteurised: look for the words on the carton.
Ireland and everywhere else. Follow your own national food-safety authority. If you cannot get eggs that meet that advice, or you are serving someone in a higher-risk group and want to remove the question entirely, make the aquafaba version below.
Storing it. Keep the mousse covered in the fridge at 4°C (40°F) or below until you serve it; the FDA advises keeping egg dishes refrigerated and not leaving them out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32°C (90°F). The FDA's "3 to 4 days" guidance applies to leftover cooked egg dishes, and none of the official pages we checked gives a fridge life for a raw-egg mousse, so this recipe is written to be made on the day you serve it or the day before.
Egg-Free Olive Oil Chocolate Mousse with Aquafaba
Aquafaba is the thick liquid in a can of cooked chickpeas. Whisked hard, it turns into a white, glossy foam that behaves much like whipped egg white, which makes it the simplest way to take the eggs out of a mousse. This version serves four to six.
| Ingredient | Metric | US |
|---|---|---|
| Dark chocolate (60–70% cocoa, milk-free if you want it plant-based), finely chopped | 125g | 4½ oz |
| Extra virgin olive oil | 60ml | ¼ cup |
| Aquafaba (the drained liquid from canned chickpeas) | 120ml | ½ cup |
| Lemon juice | ½ tsp | ½ tsp |
| Caster (superfine) sugar | 35g | 3 tbsp |
| Fine salt | a pinch | ⅛ tsp |
- Drain the chickpeas. Tip a 400g (15 oz) can of chickpeas into a sieve set over a bowl and measure out 120ml (½ cup) of the liquid; if one can does not give you enough, use a second. Keep the chickpeas for another meal.
- Melt and cool. Melt the chocolate with the olive oil in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, then let it cool until just warm to the touch. This matters more than in the egg version: hot chocolate will collapse the foam.
- Whip the aquafaba. In a clean, grease-free bowl, whisk the aquafaba with the lemon juice and salt with an electric whisk until it is white, thick and holds soft peaks; this can take several minutes, longer than egg white. Add the sugar a spoonful at a time and keep whisking until the foam is glossy and holds firm peaks.
- Fold. Stir one large spoonful of the foam into the chocolate to loosen it, then fold in the rest gently until no white streaks remain.
- Chill. Spoon into glasses, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until set. Eat within two days; the texture is best on the first.
The aquafaba mousse is lighter and a little more airy than the egg version. We use lemon juice to steady the foam rather than cream of tartar, which many aquafaba recipes call for, because lemon is already in most kitchens. With milk-free chocolate, this version contains no eggs, no dairy and no alcohol.
Which Olive Oil to Use for Chocolate Mousse
Use extra virgin olive oil that you would happily taste on a spoon. In a mousse the oil is not cooked, so you taste it more clearly than in a cake or brownie, and dark chocolate is a loud enough flavour to carry a full, fruity oil. The terms on olive oil labels, such as fruity, bitter and pungent, are explained in our article on what "fruity" means in olive oil.
| Oil style | In the mousse | As a finishing drizzle |
|---|---|---|
| Delicate, ripe-fruity extra virgin | Silky; olive notes barely noticeable | Pleasant but subtle |
| Medium, green-fruity extra virgin | The easiest choice: rounder, deeper chocolate | Excellent with flaky salt |
| Robust, bitter and peppery extra virgin | Bold; best with 60–65% chocolate rather than a very bitter bar | Use sparingly |
| Refined, "pure" or "light" olive oil | Smooth and neutral; no olive character | Not worth it |
| Stale or rancid oil of any grade | Tastes stale; chocolate does not hide it | Spoils the glass |
Freshness matters more than style. Rancid olive oil smells of crayons, putty or old nuts, so smell the bottle before you start. When buying, look for a harvest or best-before date, dark glass or a tin, and a named origin, as set out in our guide to choosing a quality olive oil.
Troubleshooting Olive Oil Chocolate Mousse
The chocolate went thick and grainy
That is seizing, usually from a drop of steam or water getting into the melting chocolate, or from overheating it. Stir in another tablespoon of just-boiled water, a little at a time, until it turns smooth again; then carry on.
The mousse is runny and will not set
The whites or aquafaba were under-whipped, or the mixture was over-folded and lost its air. Give it longer in the fridge; if it stays loose, serve it as a chocolate pot with a spoon.
It tastes too strongly of olive oil
A very robust, peppery oil can lead the flavour. Next time use a medium or delicate extra virgin, keep the finishing drizzle to a few drops, and add the orange zest, which bridges the oil and the chocolate.
Isn't it a waste to use good oil in a dessert?
It is a fair question. Here the oil is uncooked and does two jobs, texture and flavour, and 80ml is about a sixth of a 500ml bottle. A refined oil gives the same texture without the depth; whether that is worth it is a matter of taste.
Why Sidr & Stone
In an olive oil chocolate mousse, the oil is never heated, so its flavour reaches the spoon almost unchanged. That makes it the ingredient that decides whether the mousse tastes of something beyond chocolate, and it is the one we can speak for. Sidr & Stone's extra virgin olive oil comes from one place, our own farm on the plains outside Marrakech, and we control every step from tree to bottle.
- Single-estate: Sidr & Stone's olive oil comes from our own family-owned farm near Marrakech, Morocco, with no blending across origins.
- Rain-fed: the trees are not irrigated; they take what the season gives.
- Organically grown: no synthetic fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides are used (not yet certified; certification is in progress).
- Single harvest: each batch is small and limited, picked when the fruit is ready; once it is gone, it is gone until the next harvest.
- Cold-pressed within hours of harvest: to protect flavour, aroma and polyphenols.
- Unfiltered extra virgin: minimally processed, so a little natural sediment at the bottom of the bottle is normal.
- 100% natural: a single ingredient, olive oil, with nothing added.
- Dark glass with a gold label: 500ml bottles that protect the oil from light.
- 10% of profits to charity: a Sidr & Stone commitment across every product.
- Fulfilment in the UK, EU and US.
We will not tell you ours is the best olive oil for chocolate mousse; the spoon is the judge of that. What we will say is that it is single-estate Moroccan, rain-fed, organically grown and cold-pressed within hours of harvest, and that the product page carries the details of the current batch, so you can check its freshness for yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make olive oil chocolate mousse?
Melt dark chocolate with extra virgin olive oil and a little hot water, beat in egg yolks, then fold in egg whites whisked to glossy peaks with sugar. Chill for about two hours. For an egg-free version, use whipped aquafaba in place of the eggs.
Why put olive oil in chocolate mousse?
It replaces the butter or cream, so the mousse is dairy-free, softer and silkier. Extra virgin olive oil also adds a fruity, peppery depth that makes dark chocolate taste richer rather than of olives.
Which olive oil is best for chocolate mousse?
A fresh extra virgin olive oil you enjoy tasting on its own, ideally a medium-fruity one. Robust, peppery oils work with milder dark chocolate; refined or "light" olive oil gives the texture without the flavour.
Can I make olive oil chocolate mousse without eggs?
Yes. Whip 120ml (½ cup) of aquafaba with a little lemon juice, salt and sugar until it holds firm peaks, then fold it into cooled melted chocolate and olive oil. It needs about 4 hours in the fridge to set.
Is Sidr & Stone's olive oil good for chocolate mousse?
It is a fresh, unfiltered, single-estate extra virgin olive oil, cold-pressed within hours of harvest, which is the kind of oil an uncooked dessert rewards. Taste it on a spoon first and decide whether you want it in the mousse, as a finishing drizzle, or both.
How long does olive oil chocolate mousse keep?
Our egg version is written to be made on the day of serving or the day before and kept covered in the fridge, because no official guidance we checked gives a fridge life for raw-egg mousse. The aquafaba version keeps for up to two days.
Where can I buy single-estate extra virgin olive oil for desserts?
Our Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml) is available to pre-order directly from the Sidr & Stone website as a limited single-harvest batch, with fulfilment in the UK, EU and US.
Is olive oil a medicine?
No. Olive oil is a food, not a medicine. It has a long traditional history — including being honoured in the Prophetic Sunnah — and a substantial body of modern research, particularly around polyphenols, cardiovascular health, and the Mediterranean diet pattern. It can be a worthwhile part of a healthy routine, but it does not cure diseases and is not a substitute for medical care. Be cautious of any olive oil marketed with specific disease-cure claims.
Final Thoughts
Olive oil chocolate mousse is one of the simplest impressive desserts there is: melt, stir, whisk, fold and chill. The olive oil does what cream and butter would, and extra virgin adds a quiet depth that makes the chocolate taste more like itself. The two decisions that matter are the eggs and the oil. Use eggs that meet your national food-safety advice, or make the aquafaba version; and use an oil fresh and good enough to eat on its own.
If you are cooking a whole meal around olive oil, our olive oil cake and olive oil cookies make good companions to this mousse. Our Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml), single-estate, rain-fed and cold-pressed within hours of harvest, is available to pre-order now, with fulfilment in the UK, EU and US.
Our extra virgin olive oil is grown organically on our own single-estate farm on the plains outside Marrakech: we control every step from tree to bottle, and no synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers are used. It is not yet certified organic — certification is in progress, and we will publish it as soon as it comes through.
Disclaimer: This article shares home recipes and describes official food-safety advice as it stood at the time of writing (13 October 2026); advice, ingredients and individual dietary needs vary, and readers should check current sources. The classic recipe contains raw egg: follow your national food-safety authority's advice on eggs, especially if you are pregnant, cooking for young children or older adults, or have a weakened immune system. Chocolate may contain milk or traces of other allergens, so check labels. Olive oil is a food, not a medicine, and is not a substitute for medical treatment of any condition. For any health concern, consult a qualified medical professional.