Light and Easy 5-Minute Fruit Mousse Recipe (2024)

Why It Works

  • Because this mousse is made with frozen fruit, you can make it all year round.
  • This mousse makes a great last-minute dessert, because it only takes 5 minutes to make and uses ingredients you can easily keep on hand.
  • The egg white helps leaven a fruit puree into a light and fluffy dessert.

You've been cooking all day, the guests are coming over, and you forgot to make dessert. What do you do? Easy: pull out this three-ingredient, five-minute frozen fruit mousse that is not only company-worthy, but is ultra-light and infinitely adaptable!

Light and Easy 5-Minute Fruit Mousse Recipe (1)

I have to admit, I'm usually not a big fan of "light" desserts. All too often they just don't look, taste, or feel like dessert. And what's the point of eating dessert if it doesn't give you that YAY-I-HAD-DESSERT! happy feeling? But this five-minute fruit mousse is everything you could ever hope for in a fruit dessert. It's light and fluffy, like a soft, sweet cloud, and packed with bright flavors. A welcome touch whether for a change of pace in the winter or something refreshing in the summer.

I first got the idea for this mousse a few weeks back when my rocking rebel boyfriend and I were chilling on the couch, watching a rerun of Masterchef Australia. One of the show's hosts, Matt Preston, made it, though he calls it 1-Minute Ice Cream. I wouldn't call his recipe (well, my version of it) ice cream, per se; it's really too light to be called ice cream or even sorbet. And not quite cold enough.*

*But thanks, Matt, you're an inspiration!

The recipe only calls for three ingredients—frozen fruit, sugar, and an egg white—and the single step of pureeing the stuff in a food processor. What comes out is a light, luscious fruit mousse.

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How a Smoothie Gets Upgraded to a Mousse

How does it work? Well, try to put frozen fruit and sugar into a blender and you end up with a thick smoothie. Delicious, but not quite a dessert. The egg white is what turns the fruit puree into a luscious, velvety mousse with body and volume.**

**If you're squeamish about using raw egg whites in dessert, look for pasteurized eggs, which can be safely consumed raw, though the risk of becoming ill from eating raw eggs is actually quite low these days. (Pregnant women and the elderly may want to avoid raw eggs—check with those guests before you get started!)

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Choosing a Sweetener

As for the sugar, you can modify the amount you use (I prefer this mousse with a little sugar in it), or leave it out altogether. While sugar is an essential ingredient in traditional sorbets (it lowers the freezing temperature and keeps sorbets smooth and free of any large ice crystals), with a mousse like this, you don't need the sugar for textural reasons, only for flavor, which opens you up to more options. Of course, you can also replace the sugar with another sweetener like honey, maple syrup, or even stevia.

If you decide to use honey or maple syrup, be aware that the flavors of both honey and maple syrup are quite pronounced and can easily overpower the delicate flavor of the fruit mousse. Remember: you can always add more after tasting the first time!

Once you've decided on your fruit and sweetener, making this fruity mousse only takes five minutes!

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Selecting and Puréeingthe Fruit

Start by combining a couple cups of frozen berries and two tablespoons of sugar (or another sweetener to taste) in the bowl of a food processor. For the fruit, you can use almost anything you'd like. I've mostly tried summer berries (I love to use raspberries) and tropical fruits, but you can also use frozen bananas, peaches, or pears. It's also great made with mango and passion fruit!

I use frozen fruits, because they're a lot cheaper and easier to come by out-of-season (and to be honest, frozen fruit, which is picked when fully ripe, just tastes better than a lot of off-season alternatives). If using fresh fruits, you'll want to cut them into pieces and freeze them on a sheet tray or large plate before incorporating them in the food processor.

Next, blitz the fruit and sugar into a puree. Don't worry if there are still some chunky bits in there, they'll disappear once you add the egg white.

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Whip It Up! Adding Egg White

With the egg white added, process until the mixture has dramatically lightened in color and has tripled in volume. It takes about 2 minutes.

And that's it. Done!

Just a little tip: if the blade of your machine does not extend all the way to the side of the bowl, the fruit puree may cling to it with the blade unable to reach it. If this happens, just transfer the chunky puree to an ordinary mixing bowl, add the egg white and mix with a normal hand mixer fitted with the whisk attachments until the mousse is fluffy before transferring the mousse back into the bowl of the food processor again to blitz until completely smooth.

And of course, just as you can make the dish lighter by using a different sweetener or omitting the sweetener altogether, you can also make the mousse a bit more indulgent by adding extra ingredients.

Try adding a dollop of whipped cream, for example. And what about chocolate shavings, or a drop of vanilla extract or a touch of lemon juice to boost the fruity flavors? It all works.

One last thing: because there's so little sugar in this mousse, it doesn't keep well. I recommend serving it straight out of the food processor. It holds for about two hours in the fridge before it starts to collapse.

January 2015

Recipe Details

Light and Easy 5-Minute Fruit Mousse

Prep5 mins

Active5 mins

Total5 mins

Serves4to 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 8 1/2 ounces (about 2 1/4 cups) frozen berries or other fruit

  • 2 tablespoons sugar (or use sugar, honey, maple syrup or stevia extract to taste)

  • 1 large egg white

  • Fresh berries and whipped cream for serving (optional)

Directions

  1. Add fruit to the bowl of a food processor. Process to a rough puree, about 1 minute. Add the sugar or another sweetener and pulse briefly to combine. If you're using a different sweetener, add a small amount at a time to taste.

    Light and Easy 5-Minute Fruit Mousse Recipe (6)

  2. Add the egg white and process until smooth and fluffy and the mixture has lightened in color and doubled or tripled in volume, 2 to 3 minutes.

    Light and Easy 5-Minute Fruit Mousse Recipe (7)

  3. If the mixture clings to the sides of the food processor's bowl too much (this may happen if the blade doesn't extend all the way to the sides of the bowl), transfer the mixture to a normal medium-sized bowl and beat with a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until fluffy.

    Light and Easy 5-Minute Fruit Mousse Recipe (8)

  4. Spoon the mousse into glasses and top or layer with fresh berries and/or whipped cream (optional). Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours (because this mousse has very little sugar in it, it's not very stable and it won't hold for longer than that).

Special Equipment

Food processor

Notes

This mousse contains raw egg white. Pasteurized egg whites can be used, though the mousse might not turn out quite as fluffy. Those concerned with the health risk of raw eggs should not make or consume this recipe. I call for a little refined sugar in this recipe, but feel free to use honey, maple syrup, or even stevia extract instead, or leave the sweetener out altogether.

  • Raspberry
  • Mother's Day
  • Father's Day
  • Summer Desserts
Light and Easy 5-Minute Fruit Mousse Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is fruit mousse made of? ›

The recipe only calls for three ingredients—frozen fruit, sugar, and an egg white—and the single step of pureeing the stuff in a food processor. What comes out is a light, luscious fruit mousse.

How does mousse get its light texture? ›

Whisking chilled heavy cream introduces air bubbles which are then stabilized by a protein called casein (this is what gives dairy its white color). This means the bubbles are trapped within the fat particles of the cream, creating the light, airy texture of mousse once it's folded into melted chocolate.

How do you thicken instant mousse? ›

Try adding a small amount of cornstarch to a little water, and add it to the mousse a little at a time and see how it thickens the texture. You can also beat some egg yolks in a separate bowl over low heat until they increase in volume and slowly add them to the mousse mixture.

What is strawberry mousse made of? ›

A mousse is a sweet or savory dish that is whipped until it's light and foamy and served cold. This recipe is light but rich because it uses heavy whipping cream as the base mixed with pureed strawberries and a touch of sugar.

What are the basic components of a mousse? ›

Mousse is a dessert made with cream, eggs, and sugar that has been whipped with air to give it a light, foamy texture. Mousse can be savory or sweet, though most often; it's on the sweeter side. It's served cold and maybe topped with whipped cream or fruit.

What are two components in a mousse? ›

To take a step back, mousses generally comprise four components – the base, the egg foam, a setting agent and whipped cream. Bases are the flavour element to the mousse and can be fruit purees, custards or ganache.

What are common mistakes when making mousse? ›

Common mistakes when making mousse (and how to fix them)

It's easy to remelt the chocolate in the microwave until smooth and try again. A grainy mousse is also a result of overbeating so only beat for 1-2 minutes, or until the mixture resembles lightly whipped cream.

How is a Bavarian cream different from a fruit based mousse? ›

Bavarian creams differ from mousses in that they are usually made by thickening a custard sauce with gelatin, then folding in whipped cream (not whipped egg whites). Mousses can be served “standalone” in a dessert cup or used as filling for cakes and Charlottes.

What makes a good mousse? ›

This depends on the consistency of the whipped cream as well as the other ingredients used. Indeed, a small mistake can completely make or break your mousse as the light and creamy texture is the most important thing about a mousse. If your mousse feels grainy, it's because you have overwhipped your cream.

Why is my mousse so soupy? ›

To fix a soupy pot de crème or chocolate mousse, you can try the following: Chill the mixture: Put the mixture in the refrigerator and let it cool completely. As it chills, the mixture will thicken. Add more chocolate: Melt additional chocolate and fold it into the mixture to make it thicker.

Why did my mousse not set? ›

If your mousse won't set, it is most likely because you have under-whipped the heavy cream. Perfectly whipped cream will stabilize the mousse as it sets in the refrigerator.

Can you over whip mousse? ›

If you over-whip the cream, you'll end up with a grainy mousse (although you can try to remedy it by whisking in a few extra tablespoons of cream). An electric hand mixer and a nice big bowl are my tools of choice, but a big balloon whisk and a chilled mixing bowl work well, too.

What is Oreo mousse made of? ›

Oreo Mousse is a combination of homemade vanilla pudding, whipped topping, and crushed gluten free Oreo cookies that create a creamy, dreamy mousse-like pudding that just gets better and better as it sits. It's like a tossed together version of Dirt Cake minus the cream cheese and tedious layering.

What is the difference between mousse and pudding? ›

Mousse is made by folding beaten egg whites or whipped cream into a cold milk and sugar base. Unlike pudding, mousse is not cooked and the addition of air to the mixture leads to a fluffier consistency and lighter texture. Mousse is typically served chilled or frozen.

What is lemon mousse made of? ›

Light and fluffy Lemon Mousse is easy to make and delicious, made with cream, lemon, sugar and eggs. It's an elegant stand alone dessert that can be made ahead. After a nice dinner, especially if you have guests over, I love the simplicity of a homemade mousse or pudding, served with fresh berries on top.

What is a fruit mousse? ›

For a fruit mousse, pureed fruit or juice replaces the milk in the custard. The term mousse is also used for gelatin desserts that are whipped to a froth after they have partially set. Baking and Baked Goods Quiz.

What's the difference between pudding and mousse? ›

Traditionally, pudding gets its thick consistency from being cooked (which activates the cornstarch), while mousse is not cooked. Texture: Because these two creamy desserts use different methods of thickening, the texture also varies. Pudding is semisolid and more dense, while mousse has a lighter, airier texture.

Is mousse just whipped pudding? ›

Mousse is made by folding beaten egg whites or whipped cream into a cold milk and sugar base. Unlike pudding, mousse is not cooked and the addition of air to the mixture leads to a fluffier consistency and lighter texture. Mousse is typically served chilled or frozen.

Is mousse the same as whipped cream? ›

When applied to a dessert, mousse implies beaten egg whites. And when whipped cream is used in its place, creating a much richer dessert, technically it becomes a creme. In whipping egg whites or cream you are creating little air balloons.

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