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25 Comments Looking for an easy and delicious dessert? This Italian chocolate mousse with coffee and rum is rich, velvety, and surprisingly simple to make. The espresso and dark rum add a grown-up twist to the classic Italian-style mousse. Serve it with extra whipped cream and shaved chocolate and you’ve got the perfect dessert for dinner parties, holidays, or Valentine’s Day.
Table of contents
Tip from Simone
Chocolate mousse is honestly one of the easiest desserts out there. I also have several versions online already, so that’s pretty handy! This recipe for Italian chocolate mousse is made with raw eggs, so you can choose to use pasteurized eggs, or check out my recipe for chocolate mousse without eggs. If you prefer a firmer mousse, use this chocolate mousse recipe that includes butter.
Recipe Ingredients
To make this Italian chocolate mousse, you’ll need the usual mousse ingredients (see recipe card), plus the following extras:
- Espresso – You can also use strong coffee and simply leave out the rum for an alcohol-free chocolate mousse.
- Rum – Not a fan of rum? Swap it for something like amaretto. The rum isn’t overpowering here; it adds a subtle warmth.
Funny enough, I’m normally not into alcohol in my desserts – nor coffee in my desserts – but in this case it’s truly a match made in heaven!
How to Make Italian Chocolate Mousse
Why is this called Italian chocolate mousse? This style of mousse gets its “Italian” nickname from the characteristic combination of espresso, alcohol, and the creamy zabaglione-like texture. But at the end of the day, it’s basically just a delicious chocolate mousse with coffee and rum, so I wouldn’t get too hung up on the name.
To make chocolate mousse with coffee, follow these steps:
- Melt the chocolate au bain-marie (in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water). I usually use chocolate that’s not too dark – around 60% cocoa.
- Let it cool slightly while you beat the egg yolks until pale and creamy.
- Stir the melted chocolate, the espresso (at room temperature!), and the rum into the yolks.
- Whip the cream to stiff peaks and gently fold it into the chocolate mixture.
- Lastly, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold these into the chocolate mixture as well.
- Let the mousse chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or ideally overnight.
FAQ Italian Chocolate Mousse
This chocolate mousse gets called “Italian” because of the classic combination of strong espresso, alcohol (often rum or amaretto), and a zabaglione-style base made with raw egg yolks. It creates a slightly bitter-sweet flavor profile commonly found in Italian desserts.
Absolutely. Just omit the rum and add 1 extra tablespoon of espresso or a teaspoon of vanilla extract for more flavor. This will give you an alcohol-free chocolate mousse with coffee.
Yes! Delicious options include:
- Amaretto
- Marsala
- Baileys (note: Baileys makes it sweeter)
- Contratto Caffè (Italian coffee liqueur)
- Whiskey (for a stronger flavor)
This recipe contains raw eggs, so it’s not recommended for:
- pregnant women
- elderly individuals
- people with weakened immune systems
- very young children
Alternative: use pasteurized eggs or make egg-free chocolate mousse.
The best flavor comes from dark chocolate between 55% and 75% cocoa.
For chocolate above 75% cocoa, you may want to add a bit more sugar to balance the bitterness.
Recommended toppings include:
- whipped cream
- chocolate shavings or chopped chocolate
- cocoa nibs
- candied orange peel
- fresh fruit
More Chocolate Mousse Recipes
3 ingredient healthy avocado chocolate mousse (paleo and vegan)
Italian Chocolate Mousse with Coffee and Rum
Ingredients
- 170 gr dark chocolate
- 4 eggs
- 150 ml whipping cream very cold
- 4 tablespoons dark espresso
- 2 tablespoons rum
- 2 teaspoons sugar
How to make Italian chocolate mousse
- Make a double boiler and bring the water to a soft simmer. Put the chocolate in a heat resistant bowl and leave to melt. Put a mixing bowl in the freezer.
- Split the eggs and whip the egg yolk with the sugar till it becomes light and creamy. Add the melted chocolate, rum and espresso.
- Place the cream in the bowl that came out of the freezer and whip until it forms firm peaks. Add the cream to the chocolate mixture and fold it in with a spatula until combined.
- Mix the egg whites until it forms firm peaks and add that to the chocolate mixture as well. Fold it in carefully.
- Divide the mixture over 6 glasses and put in the fridge overnight. Serve with extra cream if you want.
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
This looks amazing! What’s the difference between an Italian mousse and a French mousse? Freezing this would make a lovely semifreddo too. 😋
Thanks so much! To be entirely honest; I don’t know exactly what the difference is, but this particular recipe is from an Italian cookbook. Hence the name! 🙂
Oh boy! Now you speak my language! :;-) 🙂 🙂
I love chocolate mousse, too. And haven’t made it in ages! You have me SO craving it now. 🙂
Oh my goodness this looks fantastic! It has the trinity of sinful goodness (chocolate, coffee and alcohol). Oh, and the whipping cream doesn’t hurt either. My boyfriend is obsessed with super, super dark chocolate and I love the strongest coffee I can make. I think I am going to try this recipe with super concentrated coffee and the darkest chocolate I can find. Whew, talk about rich! Maybe I will make 12 tiny serving rather than 6. Thanks for the great recipe!
Let me know how you liked it!
This looks, sounds and, I’m sure, IS delicious… Just wondering what percentage chocolate you would recommend?
Thanks,
Bell.
It sort of depends on what you’re going to do with the chocolate. I have to say that I tend to use chocolate with a chocolate percentage of around 55%. And then in the dark variety. I find that works best in most cases even though sometimes I use higher content. But it’s easier to work with! 🙂
I made this today. It was a flavor all it’s own…not a pudding by no means! Very light and rich…almost like a cup of creamy hot chocolate on a spoon. I used rum extract…it did seem a bit overpowering to me. All in all…very easy to make with beautiful results.
Simone, it’s a good thing this recipe is just for 6 servings. I would be tempted for 2nd’s and 3rd’s!