I'm Making Nigella Lawson's 5-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse All Summer Long

It’s rare to come across a dessert that’s easy and decadent. Far too often, I try to satisfy sugar cravings with recipes that claim to be a shortcut to sugar heaven, and I end up with something that's only okay.

I'm a food writer—how have I fallen victim to this kind of false promise so many times?

Probably because when a chocolate craving hits in the evening, I don't have time to plan, shop, and prep. I need instant gratification!

But wow, I think I've found a unicorn of a recipe. This Instant Chocolate Mousse from Nigella Lawson is simple and five-star delicious. Plus, it’s made with ingredients you have on standby at home.

Why Nigella's Chocolate Mousse Is "Instant"

The magic of this 5-ingredient wonder is that it doesn’t need to set overnight, thanks to mini marshmallows. They're melted and mixed with chocolate and butter; as the mixture cools, the marshmallows yearn to get back to their original consistency and firm up quickly.

The marshmallow-chocolate mixture is folded into whipped cream and poured into serving dishes. It's that simple. The result is a velvety, rich, and not-too-sweet-but-oh-so-chocolatey dessert.

To me, it's everything I'm looking for in chocolate mousse in an “instant.”

How To Serve Instant Chocolate Mousse

There are two ways to serve this quick mousse. If you need chocolate now (we’ve all been in the throes of a chocolate craving, so no judgment), eat it right away while it’s warm. The vibe is brownie batter meets the inside of a chocolate lava cake.

Or, if you can wait, chill it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to allow the mousse to cool and thicken. (For faster cooling, pour it into shallow ramekins.) For what it’s worth, I tried it both ways and was surprised that I preferred it warm. 

One thing to note about the recipe’s instructions: It was unclear to me if you are supposed to completely cool the chocolate mixture before folding in the whipped cream. I didn’t (it just cooled a bit as I was whipping the heavy cream), and it turned out great.

While I loved this chocolate mousse as-is, next time I want to try using it as a dip for fresh fruit, fondue-style. Now that I’m thinking about it, pretzels and pound cake would be fun dippers, too.