Valentine’s Day is Just Around the Corner…
Whether you completely forgot to pick up a gift for your sweetheart or just didn’t feel like dealing with the hassle (guilty!), I’ve got the perfect solution. Or maybe you’re embracing the single life, curled up in cozy sweatpants with your best friends, a rom-com, and some seriously indulgent treats—either way, I’ve got you covered.
Luckily, I don’t have to stress about a Valentine’s gift for Samuel this year. The other day, we were driving when he suddenly pulled into a grocery store parking lot and said, “I’ll be right back, just need to grab a couple of things.” A few minutes later, he returned with a party-size bag of Reese’s Cups and two dark chocolate Lindt bars. Without hesitation, he tore into the bag and started munching away.
“What!?” I stared at him, utterly confused.
“It’s for Valentine’s Day!” he declared between bites.
Fair enough. Who am I to argue with that logic?
A Redemption Story in the Form of Mousse
Despite his candy stash, I decided to whip up something special for him—because mousse is his all-time favorite dessert. That said, the last time he requested mousse, I tried to take a shortcut and make it in the microwave. Long story short, I skipped tempering the egg yolks, and we ended up with a fluffy chocolate mousse speckled with tiny bits of scrambled egg.
Samuel took one look at these new mousse cups and hesitated. “It’s too soon,” he murmured, remembering that unfortunate night.
But in the end, even that memory couldn’t keep him away, and he happily devoured a couple of cups. And trust me—these are worth it.
The Perfect Chocolate Mousse Cups
I usually don’t post iPhone photos, but after I shared a sneak peek of these on Instagram, you all went crazy for them. So, here’s the recipe so you can see (and taste) the magic for yourself. If you have the patience to let them fully set (which I definitely didn’t when I snapped that pic), the texture is absolute perfection.
Salted Caramel Chocolate Mousse Cups
Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Inactive Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 7 hours, 20 minutes
This rich, creamy chocolate mousse is served in delicate chocolate cups and topped with an irresistible homemade salted caramel. Bonus: It’s naturally gluten-free!
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cups:
- 6 jumbo or regular muffin liners
- 1 cup (6 oz.) chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
For the Mousse:
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (dark, milk, or semi-sweet)
- 1 additional cup heavy cream
For the Salted Caramel:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Toppings:
- Chocolate curls, shaved, or chopped chocolate
- Kosher or coarse salt
Instructions
Make the Chocolate Cups:
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth.
- Place 6 muffin liners into a muffin tin (jumbo works best, but regular will do).
- Spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons of melted chocolate into each liner. Use a small paintbrush or spoon to spread it up the sides, ensuring a thick coat.
- Let them harden completely in the fridge or freezer, then carefully peel away the liners.
Make the Mousse:
- In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until well combined.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, warm 1 cup of heavy cream with vanilla and salt until very hot (but not boiling).
- Slowly pour at least half of the hot cream into the egg mixture while whisking constantly (this prevents scrambled eggs). Then, return everything to the saucepan.
- Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture slightly thickens (it should reach 170°F).
- Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate until melted. Cover and refrigerate until chilled (about 1-2 hours). You can speed this up by placing it in the freezer—just don’t let it freeze completely!
- While the mousse chills, prepare the caramel.
- Once the mousse mixture is cool, beat the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream in a chilled bowl until stiff peaks form.
- Lighten the mousse by whisking in a few spoonfuls of whipped cream, then gently fold in the rest.
Make the Salted Caramel:
- In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the sugar and corn syrup, stirring occasionally.
- As it begins to brown, stir constantly until it turns a deep caramel color.
- Add the butter and cream (it will bubble up—don’t panic!) and stir until smooth.
- Stir in salt and vanilla. If lumpy, return to heat and stir until smooth. Let cool slightly.
Assemble the Mousse Cups:
- Spoon about 1 tablespoon of caramel into the bottom of each chocolate cup.
- Fill each cup with mousse.
- Drizzle remaining caramel over the tops and sprinkle with coarse salt and chocolate curls.
- Enjoy immediately or refrigerate for another 4 hours to allow them to fully set.
Final Thoughts:
So whether you’re making these for a special someone, your besties, or just yourself (no shame in that game), these Salted Caramel Chocolate Mousse Cups are guaranteed to impress.
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Happy Valentine’s Day, and happy indulging! 💕