Easy Strawberry Mousse
This sublime, yet Easy Strawberry Mousse recipe is the perfect way to celebrate strawberry season! Itโs light, luscious and to die for!
My loyal readers know I have this little love affair with berries, and who doesnโt love a no-bake dessert?? Using fragrant, ripe berries will make this a dish youโll want to serve when berry season is at its peak!
Why You Should Make this Mousse Recipe
- May is when we finally see strawberries at our farmersโ market. Though many grocery store berries are lovely, nothing compares to the ultra-sweet, local spring berries. Itโs still a bit too early for harvest around here, but I was able to find some fragrant strawberries for this picture-perfect strawberry mousse.
- TWO pounds of strawberries were utilized to create an intense berry flavorโand strawberry mousse is the perfect way to celebrate the arrival of spring.
- Cool Mousse desserts are perfect for warm spring and summer days. Thereโs no need to heat up the kitchen by turning on the oven and who doesnโt love a luscious, creamy dessert? Iโve had my eye on this No-Bake Raspberry Cheesecake Mousse, as well as these Chocolate Cheesecake Mousse Cups, plus Iโm loving the idea of topping my mousse with this dreamy Lemon Whipped Cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
This mousse recipe uses plain gelatin as a thickener. The whipped cream and cream cheese also add to the structure of the mousse. Other mousse recipes rely on whipped egg whites, and getting oil or fat into the whites wonโt allow them to whip and thicken properly. Also, make sure you give your mousse enough time to chill thoroughly as this is imperative to the thickening process.
Use your eyes and nose to pick the best, ripest strawberries. There should be no green or white areas near the stem. They should be fragrant with a lovely strawberry aroma. The exteriors should be glossy and the seeds should not be brown and dehydrated. Look for blemishes and avoid bruised berries. Out-of-season berries are not nearly as flavorful, so check with your produce manager about when seasonal strawberries are available in your area.
Itโs best to repeat the flavors of the mousse in the garnish. I like a piped star of whipped cream and half a strawberry for this mousse. Chocolate mousse looks wonderful with whipped cream and chocolate shavings or curls. Raspberry mousse is lovely with fresh raspberries and a sprig of mint, etc.
Tips for Making Strawberry Mousse
You may wonder, how do you make a mousse? There are many variations, some with just whipped cream, others utilize cream cheese to thicken, and still, others require gelatin or raw eggs. This homemade strawberry mousse uses whipped cream, cream cheese, and gelatin.
- This Fresh Strawberry Mousse is made with 2 pounds of berries. The taste will depend on the quality of your strawberries. Use your senses of smell and sight to pick out fragrant, unmarred berries. Local summer berries work well, but in-season imports from out of state can be delicious, too.
- PRO-Tip: Did you know alcohol is a flavor enhancer just like salt? The Chambord liqueur can be left out, but it will add an additional depth of flavor.
- Plain gelatin (affiliate link) is used to stabilize this mousse. There are some tricks if you havenโt worked with plain gelatin before. First, it must soften in some liquid, in this case, Chambord. Then since it gels, it must be melted before mixing into the other ingredients.ย In this recipe, itโs scraped into some hot syrup to liquify. The recipe gives all the details.
- Since gelatin is involved, this mousse will need at least 4 hours in the refrigerator to set.
More Beautiful Berry Recipes
- Blueberry Sour Cream Cake by Jean from Lemons and Anchovies
- Tapioca Cream Strawberry Parfait by Lea Ann from Cooking on the Ranch
- Berry Cobbler Recipe
- Strawberry Cheesecake
- Berry Cobbler
- Strawberry Angel Food Cake Dessert
- No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake
- Streusel-Topped Raspberry Bars
- Strawberry Lush
- Dessert Pizza
- More Best Dessert Recipes
Easy Strawberry Mousse
Fresh Strawberry Mousse, an elegant berry dessert! Recipe courtesy of Cook's Illustrated via Confessions of a Culinary Diva (slightly adapted)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds strawberries, hulled (6ยฝ cups total)
- ยฝ cup sugar, divided
- pinch salt
- ยฝ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon raspberry liqueur (Chambord is preferred)
- 1ยพ teaspoons unflavored gelatin
- ยฝ cup cream (4 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature, cut into 8 pieces
- Berries and whipped cream to garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Reserve 3 strawberries to use as garnish.
- Pulse remaining strawberries in food processor in two batches until most pieces are between ½ to ¼ inch thick (approximately 6-10 pulses). Transfer the berries to a bowl and toss with ¼ cup sugar and salt. Cover and let stand for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not wash food processor.
- Place heavy cream in the bowl of the stand mixer and refrigerate cream and bowl until ready to use.
- Strain strawberries through fine-mess strainer set in small saucepan, rendering a minimum of โ cup juice. Reserve juice, and do not wash bowl. Return strained strawberries to the food processor and process until smooth 15-20 seconds. Strain puree through fine-mesh strainer into now empty bowl, pressing on solids to remove seeds and pulp until you have 1โ cup of puree.
- Place Chambord or raspberry liqueur in a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over liqueur and let sit until gelatin softens about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook reserved juice over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 3 tablespoons, about 10 minutes (syrup will be thick). Remove from heat. Pour gelatin mixture over hot syrup and whisk to dissolve. Add softened cream cheese and whisk vigorously until smooth. Whisk in the 1 2/3 cups strawberry puree until combined.
- Using the stand mixer fitted with the whisk, whip chilled cream and remaining ¼ cup of sugar until the cream holds peaks. Add berry mixture and mix on low until no white streaks remain, 10-15 seconds. Portion into dessert dishes and chill for at least 4 hours.
- Garnish with whipped cream and strawberry halves.
- Mousse will keep up to 48 hours.
Notes
Total time does not reflect chilling time
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 243Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 97mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 4gSugar: 27gProtein: 5g
71 Comments on “Easy Strawberry Mousse”
Thanks for a super idea….I can easily make this dessert low-carb. ๐
looks wonderful, stunning photos!
Love it
Love to have it anytime
Your mousse looks lusciously smooth and the color beautiful.
Oh wow – this looks so good! I would so love to sink a spoon into this for dessert!
Lizzy,
This mousse looks delicious. My older sister will flip when I make this for her.
Annamaria
Your presentation is always on point! I can count on one hand the times I’ve made mousse but I see lots more of it in my future. This recipe will definitely be one of them.
I can’t get enough of strawberries whenever the season is here. Love this mousse, it’s so creamy and the color is so pretty!
Strawberry Mousse has my name written all over it. All these years everyone just keeps presenting the chocolate mousse deal and no one has ever once told me you could make strawberry mousse, until now1 Thanks!
6 1/2 cups of strawberries plus Chambord would indeed be berry intense…And make this Ninja Baker berry happy!
ooooooooh it would make Michael’s day if I made him this mousse!
Liz – my mouth is officially watering right now! This looks and sounds amazing! I bet is did not last long in your house!
Gosh, this strawberry mousse looks amazing! Instead of serving size being 4-6 it would be 2 in my case because I’d want so much more! ๐
I think this is the prettiest mousse ever, Liz! That color is just gorgeous!
That looks SO amazing – decadent, but light, tasty and refreshing…. what more could you ask for!?
This is so beautiful, I just love the pale pink color. I do not eat enough mousse – I really need to try this one, that hint of Chambord sounds perfect!
I always get excited this time of year when the berries start popping up. I cannot wait to go berry picking at our local farm.
Pretty dessert. Didn’t realize May is strawberry month for you.
I wish it was strawberry season.. ๐