Dark Chocolate Mousse Bars
These scrumptious Dark Chocolate Mousse Bars have a graham cracker crust, an egg-free Chocolate Mousse Recipe then luscious chocolate ganache! Three tempting layers of deliciousness.
Dark Chocolate Mousse Bars
Many of my friends have seen my baking cupboard. It’s that spot where I keep extracts, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder and stacks of Ghirardelli chocolate bars. We go through A LOT of those chocolate bars. Bittersweet chocolate is used less than semisweet around here, but it was the perfect way to obtain a deep, rich chocolate flavor in the mousse.
How to Make Chocolate Mousse Bars
This recipe was a cinch to whip up with a phenomenal payoff. To start, mix, spread and tamp an easy graham cracker crust into the pan. Bake and cool while prepping the filling.
Whip room temperature cream cheese until light, then mix in a cup of melted bittersweet chocolate. Note that for a silky smooth filling the cream cheese must not be cold.
PRO-Tip: If you forget to set your cream cheese out on the counter 1-2 hours before baking, you can place the brick of cream cheese, still in its foil wrapping, in a bowl of warm (not boiling) water to speed up the process. If you use cold cream cheese, you’ll find specks of white in the mousse.
Next, whip some heavy cream and gently fold it into the chocolate mixture to lighten the mousse. Using a cold bowl helps stablize the whipped cream. Pop your bowl in the freezer 15-30 minutes before whipping. Once the whipped cream and chocolate are combined, spread this mousse layer over the crust.
Finally, melt the remaining baking chips with a bit more cream to make the ganache topping. And last, pop the pan in the fridge to chill, and wait patiently. Yes, I wanted to dive right into this layered chocolate wonder and you will, too.
Chocolate Desserts
The hubby got the first taste and gave this chocolate mousse recipe exuberant praise. And one of our dinner guests last month declared them “better than Reese’s!” It’s hard to beat chocolate desserts!
I was thrilled that these dark chocolate mousse bars can be made with ingredients that are almost always found in my kitchen. And you can bet I’ll be adding a stash of these 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Chips to my baking supplies. These sinfully rich bars are perfect for your Valentine next month!
More Chocolate Mousse Recipes You’ll Love:
- Chocolate Mousse Cake from Diethood
- For a thicker, lighter chocolate layer, check out these Easy Chocolate Mousse Bars
- Frozen Chocolate Mousse Cake
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse Cake
- Irish Chocolate Mousse Cake
- Chocolate Truffle Mousse
- Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake
- One Layer Fudge Cake
- More Chocolate Dessert Recipes
- More Bar Cookie Recipes
Add to Your Shopping List:
- Graham Cracker Crumbs
- Granulated (white) Sugar
- Butter (I use salted)
- Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (60% Cacao), though you may substitute Semisweet Chocolate Chips if desired
- Cream Cheese
- Powdered Sugar (also known as Confectioner’s Sugar)
- Vanilla (always check the label for real not imitation vanilla)
Dark Chocolate Mousse Bars
3 layers of deliciousness including a middle layer of egg-free chocolate mousse.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 10 ounces Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (60% Cacao)
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups whipping cream, divided
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Line a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick foil or use regular foil and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Mix graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar and mix well. Pat into bottom of prepared pan and bake 10 minutes. Let cool before making mousse.
- Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips in microwave, starting, stopping and stirring at 30 second intervals till chocolate melted and smooth. Set aside.
- Place cream cheese in a large bowl and using electric mixer, whip till light and fluffy. Add chocolate and mix till combined.
- Beat 1 cup of the whipping cream with powdered sugar and vanilla till soft peaks form. Add to chocolate mixture and whip till combined. Spread over cooled crust and refrigerate while making topping.
- Melt remaining chocolate chips with remaining 1/2 cup cream in microwave, stopping and stirring and 30 second intervals till melted and smooth. Spoon over mousse and spread with offset spatula. Refrigerate till firm, then cut and serve.
Notes
Total time does not reflect cooling/chilling times.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1 barAmount Per Serving: Calories: 229Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 90mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 3g
41 Comments on “Dark Chocolate Mousse Bars”
Definitely pinning this one for February! This looks like an incredible Valentine’s day treat. Thanks for sharing and making it so simple to follow.
its always been delightful to see your recipes i was a daily watcher but because of my busy schedule i check out every wek and i tried every of your recipe on weekends thanks for the reason i get compliments every weekend lol. gonna try this one tomorrow look so yumm!
Dear Liz, three layers of deliciousnees – personally I love the combination of a cookie layer (such as your graham cracker crust here) with chocolate. I would find these very, very hard to resist!
Andrea
Saving this recipe for Valentine’s Day! It looks scrumptious, Liz!
The mousse on these bars is so incredibly smooth and decadent! These are a chocolate lover’s dream!
Oh, these chocolate mousse bars look beautiful and sound delicious! The combo of cream cheese and chocolate is always a great choice. I am not being into desserts a lot after the holidays (I had way too much haha), but this is something I’d consider in a couple of weeks or even probably or Valentine’s Day.
They look so silky smooth! I can see why everyone loves them!
deeeeeelicious, creamy, fluffy, one delightful sweets that got to try it and try it ever and ever 😉
Sounds too good to last very long around here!
I buy so much chocolate and still don’t know where it all goes. I never seem to have a stack in my pantry. These bars look amazing. I would be upset too if half were set away although it would probably be for the better.
I will be running or walking as fast as my arthritic knees will let me. These bars are heavenly!
These look soooo delish. And gorgeous. I love them – and perfect with Valentines around the corner.
OOOOO, MYYYyyy,
just saved these little sins to my favorites. Decedent. Xxx
Beautiful bars, I especially love the mousse layer!
Sublime is the perfect word to describe these dark chocolate mousse bars, Liz! I adore Ghirardelli and dark is my go-to chocolate. I’m putting this on my must-bake list.
Another gorgeous photo Liz! I wish you could hear me each time I pull up one of your delicious recipes (Mmm)! 😉 I must tr y this!
looks delish! perfect for valentine’s day!
As a dark chocolate and Ghirardelli fan, I am sooo pleased to have this recipe, Liz. Thank you!
Pouting? Next time you’ll have to whip up a double batch. These do look amazing and chocolate with raspberries is wonderful. I’m still super-impressed with your beautiful fresh raspberries – they look better than ours and ours are in season! xx
Dark chocolate and mousse, I’m so on board with these!
Oh my, we’re on the same wavelength for sure. I’ve just finished 2/3 of a chocolate mousse cake (looks more like a cheesecake to me) and fingers crossed I’ll be able to get it out of the tin without it falling to the floor. I licked the bowl and it tasted pretty good. I might prefer one of these nifty bars with Ghiradelli chocolate. I love it and it’s not here.
Simplicity at its finest and best, Liz. These mousse bars look terrific!
Love the simplicity of these! Have a great rest of the week! 🙂
Mmm, love mousse bars, they are so delicious 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I love that this recipe is simple yet looks like a something I’d buy at the bakery. I have a few essentials in my baking cabinet, but I may just have to try these Ghirardelli baking chips. One of my goals for 2014 is to bake more. I may have to call on you for help. LOL
Lizzy,
I love Ghirardellii. These bars are calling my name.
Annamaria
Liz, everything you bake is like perfect. Perfectly baked, perfectly cut, perfectly decorated. These dark chocolate mousse bars look SO good!!! I am going to make these! I always have Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Chips in my pantry. . these and their semi-sweet are my favorite baking chips to bake with! (I’m also posting something for Ghirardelli later this week)
My friend Liz.
What a beautiful photo of these bars, they were perfect with raspberries. I eat some now, this dark chocolate is tempting.
kisses
They definitely look sublime. I would have pouted, too. 🙂
Liz, how on earth do you stay so svelte when you’re baking these goodies every day?! These look really yummy by the way!
Dear Liz, I think if I lived next door I would gain 100 lbs. . Everything you bake looks wonderful.
I love mousse.
Blessings dear. Catherine xo
Oh mousse in a bar form, love the idea. They look scrumptious for sure. So do we get a pic of the cupboard 😀 ?
Wow, this really is a simple recipe, and looks wonderfully tasty. The pictures are great! Gotta try this — thanks so much.
I looove ghirardelli and I love these bars! Graham crackers, a gorgeous mousse, and chocolate ganache??! TOTALLY a dream! Deeelish!
These bars look so pretty and decadent Liz! Love the sound of the dark chocolate mousse 🙂
Liz,
These bars are gorgeous; rich, and decadent. So easy to whip up for that Special valentine. I already have a bag of the 60% cacao chips in my pantry:)
This is a beautiful dessert Liz and chocolate is my weakness!
Great recipe, these bars look tempting 🙂 I can understand why your family loved them 🙂
What a delicious looking slice!! So special, I can’t believe how few ingredients are involved in making it… and lol, I have a baking cupboard too 😉
I’ve used the 60% cocoa and really do like it! No doubt these bars would be a wonderful treat:@)
What a simple recipe Liz! And these bars look so pretty, topped off with those raspberries 🙂