White chocolate frozen mousse has the texture of ice cream without the need to churn. Top it off with hazelnut whipped cream for a decadent end to a romantic meal.
Welcome to Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a Progressive Dinner Party. Our menu this month features romantic foods to inspire love! Hosting this month is Jane from The Heritage Cook.
Valentine's Day is around the corner! We don't make a big deal out of the holiday in the Redhead Baker house. We exchange cards, and Dave usually gets me a box of my favorite chocolate. I sometimes make a fancy meal. We never eat out, because we don't want to ask anyone to forgo the holiday themselves to watch our kid, and because restaurants are always crowded that night.
We don't usually have dessert at home on regular nights, but I do make dessert for our Valentine's Day meal. One of my favorite desserts is ice cream, but it's a pain to make space in my freezer for the churning bowl, plus ensuring time to chill the ice cream base, then freezing the churned ice cream.
Did you know you can make a homemade frozen dessert that has the texture of ice cream but doesn't require churning? It's frozen mousse! It's very similar to regular mousse — beaten egg yolks, whipped cream and whipped egg whites are all folded together — but this goes a step further with freezing.
A few tips: have all of your ingredients measured and set out, ready to go (this is called mise en place) before you start the recipe. Definitely have your cream whipped before you beat the chocolate into the egg yolks, because that yolk/chocolate mixture will start to set unless you mix it almost immediately with a portion of the cream.
Unlike regular mousse, the mixture is a bit soupy when all of the parts are folded together, but this is deliberate, so that it doesn't turn into a solid frozen block. The hazelnut whipped cream is a delicious complement to the mousse, and if you want to add textural crunch, add some toasted chopped hazelnuts on top of the whipped cream.

White Chocolate Frozen Mousse with Hazelnut Whipped Cream
White chocolate frozen mousse has the texture of ice cream without the need to churn. Top it off with hazelnut whipped cream for a decadent end to a romantic meal.
Ingredients
For the mousse
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 7 oz good quality white chocolate, chopped
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the whipped cream
- ½ cup heavy cream, chilled
- 2 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon hazelnut flavored liqueur
Instructions
Make the mousse
- Place the chocolate in a bowl and set over a pot of simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool.
- In a chilled bowl, and using chilled beaters, whip the cream to medium peaks. Add the vanilla, then continue whipping to stiff peaks. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- In another bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy. With the mixer running, gradually add the sugar and continue beating until the whites reach stiff peaks. Set aside.
- In a third bowl, beat the egg yolks until thick and light in color. With the mixer running, gradually pour in melted and cooled chocolate and beat until well-blended.
- Add one quarter of the whipped cream to the chocolate/yolk mixture, and beat on medium speed until incorporated.
- Add the remaining whipped cream to the bowl, and use a spatula to fold it in.
- Add one third of the egg whites and fold them into the chocolate/yolk/cream mixture. Once almost completely incorporated, add another third; fold it in. Then repeat with the last third.
- Divide the mousse among four 4-oz ramekins and freeze until set, at least 4 hours.
Make the whipped cream
- In a chilled bowl, with chilled beaters, whip the cream until frothy.
- Add the sugar and vanilla, then beat to stiff peaks.
- Spoon one quarter of the whipped cream onto each ramekin and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 602Saturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 269mgSodium: 133mgCarbohydrates: 38gSugar: 36gProtein: 9g
Love Foods: Aphrodisiac Foods / Foods for Valentine's Day
Cocktails
- Raspberry and Chocolate Sparkling Rose Cocktail from Creative Culinary
Appetizers
- Chipotle Orange Grilled Shrimp Cocktail Gluten Free from The Heritage Cook
- White Bean Basil Hummus Style Dip w Pine Nuts and Meyer Lemon from OMG! Yummy
- Gorgonzola Flatbread Bites with Dried Figs and Arugula from The Wimpy Vegetarian
Main Courses
- Rib-Eye Steak With A Sunny-Side-Up Egg & Arugula Salad from Food Hunters Guide
- Pan Seared Salmon and Asparagus with Mojo Verde from Spice Roots
Desserts
- White Chocolate Frozen Mousse with Hazelnut Whipped Cream from The Redhead Baker (recipe above)
- Oreo White Chocolate Fudge from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Valentine's Day Simple Crepe Cake from Mother Would Know
If you're unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location. With Progressive Eats, a theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out.
The Food Hunter says
I love the bowls
Coleen says
Thanks! They're from the Target Dollar Spot!
Liz says
Mmmmmm.....you're speaking my language! I love, love white chocolate desserts and these beautiful frozen gems are perfect for Valentine's Day!
Jane, The Heritage Cook says
Oh boy do I love white chocolate and mousse - and then you add hazelnut whipped cream? I am over the moon!! Beautiful!
Annemarie Stevens says
Hi I adore the sound of this desert . I was just wondering if the desert can be kept in the freezer for a later date or does it have to be eaten straight away
Coleen says
Hi Annemarie! They do not need to be eaten right away. Though, if freezing more than 24 hours, I would place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the mousse before you freeze it -- this will prevent a crust from forming on the top.
[email protected] says
What a lovely dessert! I've often made mousse, but never frozen mousse. And you had me when you added the hazelnut whipped cream. A total delight.
Barbara | Creative Culinary says
This sounds elegant and delicious Coleen and I'm with Theresa...just adore those pink serving dishes...how perfect!
Ansh says
Seeing these pics just made me smile big! Just so perfect and beautifully done!
Beth (OMG! Yummy) says
Oh Coleen - this is super intriguing to me especially with the hazelnut whipped cream and some crunchy toasted nuts on top. My son would have loved this 🙂 :-(. And your photos are darling.
The Juzz says
This looks good! Thanks for an idea for Valentine's day. I'll do it for my family.