Pumpkin mousse is a rich, creamy, light and airy no bake pumpkin dessert. This pumpkin mousse recipe is easy to make with a handful of simple ingredients and makes the perfect dessert for fall and holiday gatherings.
Jump to:
Why Should You Make This Recipe
I love an easy mousse recipe. My White Chocolate Mousse, Vanilla Mousse, Cottage Cheese Chocolate Mousse, Strawberry Mousse and Chocolate Parfait are just a couple of my favorite mousse recipes from the blog. I am so excited to add this light, fluffy and creamy pumpkin mousse to the blog. I know you’ll love this recipe because:
- Super simple to make. Make these wonderfully easy pumpkin spice mousse cups in about 10 minutes. Then allow the mousse to set in the fridge for at 1 - 2 hours.
- The perfect make ahead holiday dessert. The pumpkin pie mousse needs a little time to chill and set up in the fridge. Make these pumpkin mousse cups in the afternoon to enjoy for dessert at night.
- The easiest dessert idea. Just mix assemble, chill and enjoy the easiest pumpkin dessert ever.
Ingredients
This pumpkin mousse recipe needs only a handful of ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge. Here’s what you will need to make this creamy and decadent no bake pumpkin dessert.
Ingredients: Gather heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, cream cheese, light brown sugar, pumpkin spice and pumpkin puree.
Substitutions
Here are my recommended substitutions to make this easy no bake pumpkin dessert if you need them.
- Heavy Cream: I love making freshly whipped cream by whipping heavy cream. Heavy cream usually whips to twice the amount of liquid heavy cream.
- Powdered Sugar: I like using powdered sugar to help set the chocolate filled mousse and to provide some stability to the heavy whipped cream.
- Vanilla Extract: Feel free to use vanilla bean paste.
- Cream Cheese: Feel free to use mascarpone in place of the cream cheese. Mascarpone is less stable and more likely to break compared to cream cheese. I recommend using full fat cream cheese if possible.
- Light Brown Sugar: Maple sugar is a wonderful refined sugar free alternative.
- Pumpkin Spice: Feel free to use your preferred blend of spices. Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves and all spice are all delicious paired with pumpkin. Use 1 - 2 teaspoons.
- Pumpkin Puree: You can use the same amount of fresh pumpkin puree if you have some on hand. Do not use pumpkin pie filling.
How To Make
Learn how to make pumpkin mousse in a few easy steps.
- Add the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a mixing bowl fitted with a whisk attachment. Combine the ingredients on low for 1 minute, then increase the speed of the mixer to medium speed. Mix for about 4 - 5 more minutes or until the cream has whipped to medium stiff peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to another bowl and set aside for now.
- Add the cream cheese to the cleaned out bowl used to make the whipped cream. Using the paddle attachment mix the cream cheese with light brown sugar, vanilla extract and pumpkin spice until smooth and well combined. Mix in the pumpkin puree on low until smooth and well combined. There shouldn’t be any lumps of cream cheese. Add about ¾ of the whipped cream into the pumpkin cream cheese mixture. Reserve the remaining whipped cream to top the mousse before serving. Gently hold the whipped cream into the pumpkin filling using a large flexible silicone spatula or spoon.
3. Transfer the pumpkin mousse filling into dessert cups. Top the mousse with the reserved whipped cream. Transfer the pumpkin dessert to the fridge to set for at least 1 - 2 hours. Right before serving, top with mousse with chopped pecans or walnuts or crushed graham crackers or gingersnaps and a dusting of cinnamon.
How To Make Ahead, Store and Serve
- Make Ahead: This easy pumpkin spice mousse can be made up to 1 day before serving. Just make sure to keep the mousse covered and away from air. Top with whipped cream and a dusting of spice or crushed cookies right before serving.
- Serve: Make sure the mousse is completely covered with plastic wrap or in an air tight container. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. This mousse pumpkin dessert tastes best if enjoyed within 1 - 2 days of being made. If you plan on storing the pumpkin mousse to serve at a later time, wait to top with whipped cream.
- Serve: This creamy mousse with pumpkin is delightful when enjoyed plain. It’s also especially delicious when served with whipped cream and crushed spice cookies like gingersnap or graham crackers.
M’s Expert Tips
- Temperature matters. Keep the whipped cream, pumpkin and cream cheese around the same temperature or the best results. Cream cheese is more stable than mascarpone and shouldn’t break as easily. Cream cheese and pumpkin puree should be around the same temperature (room temperature). After whipping the heavy cream, leave the whipped cream out while making the pumpkin cream cheese filling. This helps to ensure the mousse is creamy, light and airy.
- Choose clear cups. One of the delightful things about this mousse dessert is how pretty the mousse looks when layered with spiced cookies or whipped cream. Make sure to choose a clear serving cup to serve these pumpkin dessert cups.
- Choose smaller serving cups. 6 oz. glass cups or serving bowls are the perfect size for this pumpkin mousse desserts.
- Use a piping bag or cookie scoops. Using a piping bag or cookie scoop allows the mousse to be layered or piped into the cups as you like.
- Allow for the full amount of chilling time. This no bake pumpkin dessert is the perfect make ahead dessert for entertaining. After assembling the mousse cups, allow for at least 1 - 2 hours for the cups to chill and for the mousse to properly set.
FAQs
Top or pair this mousse with the same things you would traditionally pair with pumpkin. Layer the mousse with gingersnaps or add a layer of graham cracker crumbs mixed with butter and brown sugar. Top the spiced pumpkin mousse with whipped cream, chocolate chips or simply a dusting of pumpkin spice.
Gelatin is often used in mousse recipes to help the mousse set. Another way to help stabilize the mousse is to use powdered sugar, cream cheese or mascarpone cheese. This recipe for pumpkin mousse uses cream cheese to stabilize the mousse without using gelatin.
They are both very similar and can both be used to make homemade whipped cream. Heavy cream has a fat content of at least 36%, while whipping cream has between 30 - 36% fat. Heavy cream can also be labeled as heavy whipping cream. Whipping cream can also be labeled light whipping cream.
This easy and creamy mousse can last about 2 - 3 days when stored in the fridge.
Other Pumpkin Recipes to Try
If you try this Pumpkin Mousse recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! Happy Baking! - M
Pumpkin Mousse Recipe
Equipment
- 4 - 6 6 - 8 oz. cups or serving bowls
- 1 stand mixer with paddle and whisk attachments or electric hand mixer with beaters
Ingredients
- 2 cups (480 ml) cold heavy cream
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 oz. (226 g) cream cheese, room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 - 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
- 15 oz. canned pumpkin puree
Instructions
- Add the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a mixing bowl fitted with a whisk attachment. Combine the ingredients on low for 1 minute, then increase the speed of the mixer to medium speed. Mix for about 4 - 5 more minutes or until the cream has whipped to medium stiff peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to another bowl and set aside for now.2 cups (480 ml) cold heavy cream, ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the cream cheese to the cleaned out bowl used to make the whipped cream. Using the paddle attachment mix the cream cheese with light brown sugar, vanilla extract and pumpkin spice until smooth and well combined. Mix in the pumpkin puree on low until smooth and well combined. There shouldn’t be any lumps of cream cheese.8 oz. (226 g) cream cheese, room temperature, ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract , 1 - 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice, 15 oz. canned pumpkin puree
- Add about ¾ of the whipped cream into the pumpkin cream cheese mixture. Reserve the remaining whipped cream to top the mousse before serving. Gently hold the whipped cream into the pumpkin filling using a large flexible silicone spatula or spoon.
- Transfer the pumpkin mousse filling into dessert cups. Top the mousse with the reserved whipped cream. Transfer the pumpkin dessert to the fridge to set for at least 1 - 2 hours.
- Right before serving, top with mousse with chopped pecans or walnuts or crushed graham crackers or gingersnaps and a dusting of cinnamon.
Leave a Reply