Easy No Bake Dark Chocolate Mousse Pie with Oreo Crust

If you are looking for an easy and impressive chocolate mousse dessert, search no more. You have found it. This easy no bake chocolate mousse pie is all I have ever dreamed off: almost effortless and it still looks like you have spent hours making it! It is made with a base of Oreo crust, a layer of 3-ingredient dark chocolate mousse and topped with a silky ganache frosting. The best dark chocolate mousse pie ever! Chocolate fan over here, and if you are like me, you will love this.

Material & Ingredient Notes

Very few ingredients and utensils are necessary:

• Oreo cookies. You can use store bought or you can make your own. You can find a great recipe here Homemade Oreos (only make the chocolate cookies, not the filling!).
• Melted butter.
• Dark Chocolate: use a good quality one, it will make all the difference. I use Valrhona chocolate and I love it.
• Heavy Cream. Make sure it has all the fat, no skimmed cream or fat free.
• Milk. Also, no skimmed milk please.
• A 20 cm / 8-inch tart mould. I like this one.
• A food processor to pulse the cookies for. You can do this using a bag and a rolling pin if you don't have one 😉.
• A mixer or a strong arm and a whisk for whisking the cream!

How to make this recipe: step by step instructions

To make this recipe there are three main components you need:

• Oreo cookie crust
• Dark chocolate mousse
• Chocolate ganache

First you need to make the Oreo pie crust by combining the cookie crumbs and the melted butter in a small bowl. Pour into a greased 20 cm tart mould, then press into an even layer along the bottom, reaching up to the sides until they are completely covered. Refrigerate while you make the mousse.

Once the crust is ready, make the chocolate mousse (detailed explanation in the next question 😉) and then fill the pie with it. Spread evenly using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Refrigerate until the mousse has set and is chilled. About 4 hours.

Once the mousse has set, make the chocolate ganache, and top the chocolate mousse pie with it. Sprinkle some crushed Oreos over it. Let the ganache set in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.

How to make the 3-ingredient chocolate mousse: step by step instructions

• Whip the cream until it holds stiff peaks. Keep in the refrigerator until needed. Beware: don't over whisk the heavy cream. We are looking for a smooth consistency. Pro tip: refrigerate both the cream and the bowl you will be whisking the cream. Cream must be very cold to properly gain volume and hold up.
• Make a ganache using the milk and the chocolate: bring the milk to simmer and pour over the chocolate. Let it sit for a few minutes. Using a whisk start mixing from the center and as the chocolate and milk emulsify move towards the side of the bowl. Let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.
• Fold in the whipped cream (in 2 additions) into the chocolate ganache.
• Fill the tart tin with the mousse and spread evenly.
• Refrigerate until the mousse has set and chilled.

Recipe notes

• Chocolate mouse must be prepared once the crust has been made and it is ready to be filled.
• It must set and cool inside the tart shell.
• The whipped cream must be folded into the chocolate ganache once it has cooled down a little but has not started to set. Ideal temperature is 27/30 C°- 80/86 F.
• This pie must be enjoyed chilled! Chocolate mousse cannot be left out. It needs to always be refrigerated.

Expert notes

• When making mousse (and cake batter, and creams, and many things in pastry), ideally, we want to mix 2 elements that have similar textures. Therefore, we add the whipped cream into the chocolate ganache in 2 additions and not all at once.
• First add in 1/3 of the whipped cream to loosen up the ganache and make it more similar in texture to the whipped cream.
• Once it has been fully incorporated, you can fold in the remaining 2/3 of the cream, gently and lovingly!

Storage tips

This chocolate tart lasts for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. If it lasts this long 😉.

Freezer instructions

You can freeze this dessert. I would recommend freezing it without the chocolate ganache frosting.

As soon as you have filled your pie tin with the chocolate mousse, cover it and freeze for up to 1 month.

To defrost: let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. Top with the chocolate ganache and enjoy.

Variations to this recipe

• Chocolate ganache can be replaced by meringue frosting. You can do a simple swiss meringue, and you can find all the step-by-step instructions and troubleshooting here.
• You can also replace the Oreo crust by any other chocolate cookie crust or by this homemade shortbread crust.
• You can make this into a white chocolate mousse pie by simply swapping the chocolate mousse by this simple white chocolate mousse recipe.