Ruby Chocolate Mousse Parfait

A light and creamy mousse topped with a layer of tart raspberries, crunchy macadamia nuts, and freshly whipped cream—this gorgeous dessert has a little bit of everything!

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I am, admittedly, a chocoholic, and it’s a pretty darn enjoyable thing to be. I love all things chocolatey; chocolate cake is divine, chocolate ice cream is heavenly, and chocolate truffles are one of the greatest things ever invented. As a chocolate enthusiast, I was beyond excited when I learned there was actually a type of chocolate that I had never tried: ruby chocolate.

Ruby chocolate is a relatively new type of chocolate made from ruby cocoa beans, which gives it its distinctive pink color. Ruby chocolate tastes similar to white chocolate, only slightly less sweet and creamier, with a lovely berry flavor and a touch of acidity. I’ve now tried ruby chocolate on its own, as a flavor of ice cream, and also in the form of an ice cream bar. All were delicious.

Excited by my discovery, I wanted to make a dessert with ruby chocolate as the star. The smoothness of this type of chocolate reminded me of a mousse, so I tried making a simple mousse based on this recipe from I Am Baker. The taste was lovely, but I wanted a dessert with more complexity, so I added some fresh raspberries to give it some tartness. My husband suggested adding a bit of crunch, so I threw in some chopped macadamia nuts. Finally, I topped it with a dollop of whipped cream for good measure.

While the mousse can certainly be enjoyed on its own, it tastes monumentally better as part of a mousse parfait. The tartness of the raspberries pairs beautifully with the acidity of the ruby chocolate, the macadamia nuts add a lovely crunchy texture, and the whipped cream topping gives the dessert a beautiful creaminess. C’est parfait!

What you will need

This dessert is incredibly simple to make and requires just a handful of ingredients. It’s also quite versatile and you can easily make substitutions. Can’t find ruby chocolate? Just replace it with milk, dark or white chocolate. Don’t like raspberries or macadamia nuts? Go ahead and use your preferred nuts and berries. Here’s what I used:

• ruby chocolate chips
• heavy whipping cream
• fresh or frozen raspberries
• macademia nuts
• caster sugar
• vanilla extract
• mint (for garnish)

How to make Ruby Chocolate Mousse

In a microwave-safe bowl, heat 120 ml (½ cup) of the heavy whipping cream on high for 50 seconds. Add the ruby chocolate chips to the cream. Allow the chocolate to sit for 20 seconds, then stir for about 2 minutes until the chips have completely melted. The mixture should be a lovely light pink color. Set aside to cool.

Pour the remaining 240ml (1 cup) of heavy cream into a large mixing bowl. Before you start whipping, make sure your cream is nice and cold. I also recommend chilling the mixing bowl in the fridge for at least 10 minutes to help the cream whip up properly. Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, whip the cream on a medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.

Gently fold half the whipped cream into the ruby chocolate mixture with a spatula. Be careful not to stir or overmix. Repeat the folding process with the rest of the whipped cream.

Divide the mousse evenly between 6 glasses or ramekins. I used this pretty set of tumbler glasses. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour to allow it to set.

How to make and assemble the parfait

While the mousse is chilling, you can prepare the other parts of the parfait.

First, let’s make the whipped cream topping. Into a large mixing bowl, add the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, whip mixture on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Now for the raspberry layer. Grab your raspberries and put them into a large bowl. You can use either fresh or frozen raspberries (I used frozen and allowed them to thaw at room temperature). With a potato masher or fork, mash them together into a goo.

Next, finely chop the macadamia nuts using a knife or food processor.  I’ve found that toasting the macadamia nuts in advance enhances their nutty flavor and also makes them easier to chop.

The parfait is now ready for assembly! Once the mousse has set, gently spoon a layer of mashed raspberries on top. Then sprinkle a layer of chopped macadamia nuts over the raspberries.

Top with a generous dollop of whipped cream. If desired, garnish with additional raspberries, a sprig of fresh mint, and ruby chocolate shavings. Grab yourself a spoon, dig in and enjoy!

Tips for success!

• I recommend weighing your ingredients for better accuracy. Since I bought a kitchen scale, I find it so much easier and faster than measuring by cups.
• Be careful not to stir or overmix the whipped cream when folding it into the chocolate mixture. Mousse should be light and fluffy, so you don’t want to knock out any of the air.
• When making whipped cream, make sure your heavy cream is cold. I also find it helpful to chill the mixing bowl in the fridge for at least 10 minutes before I start whipping.

Ruby Chocolate Mousse Parfait

Light and creamy mousse topped with a layer of tart raspberries, crunchy macadamia nuts, and freshly whipped cream— this gorgeous dessert has a little bit of everything! Even better, it's incredibly easy to make.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Mousse chill time 1 hour hr

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, French

Servings 6

Calories 582 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the mousse:

• 160g ruby chocolate chips (1 cup)
• 360 ml heavy whipping cream (1 ½ cups)

For the whipped cream topping:

• 120 ml heavy whipping cream (½ cup)
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract

For the parfait:

• 250g fresh or frozen raspberries (2 cups)
• 100g macadamia nuts (¾ cup)
• Additional raspberries, fresh mint, and ruby chocolate shavings for decoration optional

Instructions

 

For the mousse:

• In a microwave-safe bowl, heat 120 ml (½ cup) of the heavy whipping cream on high for 50 seconds. Add the ruby chocolate chips to the cream. Allow the chocolate to sit for 20 seconds, then stir for about 2 minutes until the chips have completely melted. Set aside to cool.
• Pour the remaining 240ml (1 cup) of heavy cream into a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, whip on a medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
• Gently fold half the whipped cream into the ruby chocolate mixture with a spatula. Be careful not to stir or overmix. Repeat the folding process with the rest of the whipped cream.
• Divide the mousse evenly between 6 glasses or ramekins. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour to allow it to set.

For the whipped cream topping:

• Into a large mixing bowl, add the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, whip mixture on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the parfait:

• In a large bowl, mash the raspberries using a potato masher or fork. Finely chop the macadamia nuts using a knife or food processor.
• Once the mousse has set, gently spoon a layer of mashed raspberries over the mousse. Sprinkle a layer of chopped macadamia nuts on top of the raspberries.
• Top with a generous dollop of whipped cream. If desired, garnish with additional raspberries, a sprig of fresh mint, and ruby chocolate shavings.

Notes

• The mousse parfait can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. However, the ruby chocolate mousse on its own will keep for up to 5 days.
• Don’t have ruby chocolate? No problem! Milk, dark or white chocolate will work just as well for the mousse. Likewise, the raspberries could be replaced with strawberries or blackberries, depending on your preference. Almonds or pecans could be used instead of macadamia nuts. 
• Toasting the macadamia nuts in advance really enhances their nutty flavor and also makes them easier to chop.

Keyword easy dessert, mousse, parfait, raspberries, ruby chocolate

The nutritional information is based on the brands and ingredients I used for this recipe. They may not be 100% accurate for you. Please check your nutriti