Hazelnut Chocolate Olive Oil Mousse

This Hazelnut Chocolate Olive Oil Mousse is a silky, ultra-luxurious dessert layered with deep dark chocolate and toasted hazelnut butter. Olive oil and orange zest brighten every bite, giving it a modern twist on classic French chocolate mousse. Topped with chocolate whipped cream and bittersweet shavings for an elegant and decadent treat.

Key Ingredients & Test Notes

• Toasted Hazelnuts Butter: Basically we’re making homemade peanut butter with toasted hazelnuts instead of peanuts. It’s super easy, all you need is a blender or small food processor to blitz the hazelnuts and a little powdered sugar into a creamy consistency.
  • Test Note: The hazelnut butter has a light profile that doesn’t overpower the chocolate notes. You can however swap for almond butter, cashew butter, chocolate hazelnut spread or even peanut butter.
• 70% Dark Chocolate: Provides a rich chocolate flavor and less sweet than milk or semi-sweet chocolate.
  • Test Note: Use high-quality chocolate bars for a smooth, glossy, and intensely chocolatey mousse.
• Eggs & Sugar: The yolks and whites are treated separately, each mixed in at different stages to build both richness and structure. The yolks create a silky custard, while the whipped whites with sugar form a meringue that lightens the mousse.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Adds a subtle fruity richness and keeps the hazelnut chocolate mousse silky, while reducing the heaviness that butter sometimes brings.
  • Test Note: Choose a quality olive oil with a smooth flavor that’s not too peppery.
• Instant Espresso Powder & Orange Zest: Espresso powder amplifies the chocolate flavor without tasting like coffee, while orange zest adds brightness and a hint of citrus.
• Heavy Cream: In addition to folding whipped egg whites into the chocolate, I’m adding some whipped cream as well for a super fluffy spoonable chocolate mousse.

Rich Dark Chocolate Mousse

Mousse should be soft, creamy, and luxurious on your tongue. Thanks to the air gently beaten into the egg yolks, whipped egg whites, and heavy cream, this hazelnut mousse is spectacularly light and airy. Yet still rich, lush, and deeply chocolatey.

Many commercial and store bought mousses use gelatin as a thickener, but no need here, the melted chocolate will work to firm the mousse as it chills. Being patient for a couple of hours before digging in with your spoon is the hardest part of this recipe.

Before chopping the chocolate and separating the eggs, let’s review the main steps for making this olive oil chocolate mousse.

• Hazelnut Butter: This recipe makes a touch more than you’ll need. I find it easier to blitz a bit more so that my blender can easily puree the hazelnuts. Save any leftovers for a slice of toast or another recipe.
• The Chocolate Base: Bittersweet dark chocolate is melted, then emulsified with olive oil, and the hazelnut butter. Stir in some orange zest, espresso powder, salt, and vanilla for extra flavor.
• Whipped Egg Yolks: Room temperature egg yolks and granulated sugar are whipped until pale yellow and foamy before mixing into the chocolate base.
• Whipped Egg Whites: Beaten to medium peaks with a touch of granulated sugar and then folded into the thickened chocolate to lighten the mixture.
• Whipped Cream: With the addition of hazelnut butter, the egg whites aren’t quite enough to create a dreamy mousse. That’s where the final addition of heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks comes in. Folded into the mousse before chilling for a smooth, well aerated luxe mousse texture.

Step-by-Step

★★★★★ Please leave a star rating and review below if you make this recipe! THANK YOU!!