Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse

Impress your friends and family with these gorgeous, individually portioned milk chocolate hazelnut mousse cups. They’re made with silky milk chocolate mousse, crunchy toasted hazelnuts and chocolate hazelnut ganache. They taste amazing and are egg-free!

I love all kinds of mousse for their rich flavors and light and airy textures. And this milk chocolate hazelnut mousse is no exception, especially because it’s individually portioned! It has amazing texture because I’ve folded toasted hazelnut pieces in with the mousse and use some for garnish. It also doesn’t contain eggs and is sweeter than my dark chocolate mousse due to the milk chocolate.

I love serving individual desserts like salted caramel cheesecake mousse and chocolate peanut butter mousse because they look exquisite and, let’s face it, it’s always fun when a dessert is already portioned for you!

Let’s get into how to make this rich and creamy chocolate hazelnut mousse with silky-smooth ganache.

How to make milk chocolate hazelnut mousse

To make the mousse:

1. Toast hazelnuts. Place chopped hazelnuts on a sheet pan and toast them for 6-8 minutes in a 350°F/185°C oven. Once toasted, allow to cool completely. I like to use finely chopped hazelnuts to mix into my mousse, and then leave some more coarsely chopped for garnish.
2. Melt chocolate and milk together. You can do this in the microwave or a double boiler until the mixture is completely smooth.
3. Stir in vanilla and finely chopped toasted hazelnuts. If the mixture is warm, leave on the counter until it reaches room temperature. You can also speed up the process a bit by placing it in the refrigerator for a few minutes. Just be sure to give it a good stir to equalize the temperature.
4. Beat cold whipping cream to medium peaks. It’s best to use cold cream because it will whip up most easily.
5. Fold the cream into your chocolate-milk mixture. Start by folding half of the cream in with a rubber spatula. Once combined, fold in the other half.
6. Divide into individual serving cups. You can use whatever you have on hand, but I recommend 4-6 ounce glasses or ramekins. And be sure to leave room on top for the ganache.

To make the ganache topping:

1. Melt cream and chocolate together. Place chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Then, bring the cream to a boil in a medium saucepan. Immediately pour cream over the chocolate and let sit without stirring for one minute. Then, whisk mixture gently until completely melted.
2. Add hazelnut spread and rum, if using. Whisk until completely smooth. If mixture is warm, allow to cool slightly. Divide evenly between serving cups on top of the mousse.
3. Garnish. Garnish with coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts.
4. Refrigerate. The mousse needs to chill for at least 2 hours to completely set.

Tips for making perfect milk chocolate hazelnut mousse

Here are some pointers to help make your mousse absolutely perfect.

–Allow the nuts to cool completely after toasting them. If they are still warm when you mix them into your chocolate mixture, they will keep your chocolate warmer, longer. The chocolate and milk mixture needs to be around room temperature before you fold in the whipped cream.

–Use a good quality milk chocolate. Chocolate is the star of this recipe, so the better quality you use, the better the mousse will taste.

–Allow the mousse to fully set. Leave enough time before serving for the mousse to chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator for the best texture.

More of my favorite mousse recipes

• French Silk Pie: Made with buttery, flaky pie crust, rich, creamy chocolate mousse filling and whipped cream topping.
• 10-Minute Strawberry Mousse: Just like a light and airy strawberry milkshake.
• 2-Ingredient White Chocolate Mousse: The easiest mousse recipe you’ll ever make.
• Salted Caramel Cheesecake Mousse: Rich and creamy salted caramel mousse with caramel popcorn garnish.

5 from 1 vote

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Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse

Creamy, fluffy milk chocolate mousse with toasted hazelnuts and chocolate-hazelnut ganache!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Chill Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes

YIELD 4 -6 servings

Ingredients

Milk Chocolate Mousse:

• 200g (7 oz.) milk chocolate
• ¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup (25g) toasted blanched hazelnuts, finely chopped
• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream

Chocolate Hazelnut Ganache:

• 60g (2 oz.) milk chocolate
• ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons hazelnut spread such as Nutella
• ¼ teaspoon dark rum , optional

Topping:

• ¼ cup (25g) blanched hazelnuts, preferably toasted, coarsely chopped

Instructions

1. To make the mousse: Place chocolate and milk in a medium heatproof bowl. Melt in the microwave or a double boiler until completely smooth. Stir in vanilla and hazelnuts. If mixture is warm, leave on the counter until it reaches room temperature.
2. In a mixer bowl, beat heavy cream until soft but stable peaks form. Gently fold half of the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate mixture until combined, then fold in the remaining whipped cream until combined and smooth. Divide into serving cups.
3. To make the ganache: Place chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Set aside. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring cream just to a boil. Immediately pour cream over chocolate and let sit without stirring for one minute. Then, whisk mixture gently until completely melted. Add hazelnut spread and rum, if using, and whisk until completely smooth. If mixture is warm, allow to cool slightly. Divide evenly between serving cups on top of the mousse. Garnish with coarsely chopped hazelnuts.
4. Place mousse in the refrigerator to set for at least 2 hours.
5. Keep mousse in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.