This dulce de leche mousse is a rich yet light dessert with lots of milky, buttery caramel flavor. It's made by folding dulce de leche custard into whipped heavy cream, creating a silky, luscious mousse with no gelatin required.
This dulce de leche mousse is similar to my strawberry mousse, coffee mousse, cocoa powder chocolate mousse, and no bake chocolate mousse pie filling. However, it's much more than dulce de leche whipped cream! It has an egg yolk-based dulce de leche custard folded in to fluffy whipped cream for a rich, luxurious dessert that's impressive yet easy to make.
Traditional mousse recipes are usually made with gelatin or whipped egg whites, but you don't have to worry about raw eggs here. It's creamy, indulgent, and perfect for any occasion, from casual gatherings to special celebrations like date nights or dinner parties.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy- Don't be intimidated by making the custard! This dulce de leche mousse is actually very simple to make. If you follow the instructions, your mousse will turn out perfectly in just 20 minutes.
- 6 ingredients- You only need 6 simple ingredients to make this delicious mousse pudding. There's also no raw eggs or gelatin!
- Pre-portioned- The mousse is piped into individual cups and chilled until you're ready to serve.ย You can also use it as a topping or filling for cakes.
Key Ingredients
For quantities and full instructions, see the recipe card below.
- Egg yolks- Traditional mousse is made with whipped egg whites (or whipped cream here) and a flavoring, like ganache, pureed fruit, or custard. This mousse has a custard made with egg yolks. Make sure the eggs are room temperature, pull out of the fridge 1-2 hours before starting. To separate the yolks, crack your egg over a bowl or sink. Gently push into the crack with your thumbs, dividing the shell in half. Let the whites drip into the bowl or sink. Carefully transfer the yolk back and forth between the shells so it doesn't break, then gently place in a bowl.
- Heavy cream- Use heavy cream for the custard and whipped cream that has a minimum of 30% milkfat.
- Dulce de leche- Dulce de leche is a thick, and sweet caramel sauce popular in Latin America, originating in Argentina. It's also known as "milk jam", "manjar" in Chile, Peru, and Uruguay, or "arequipe" in Colombia. It's made by slowly cooking down sweetened milk until the sugars caramelize, creating this a smooth, melt-in-your-mouth confection. You can find dulce de leche in the global/Latin section of most large grocery stores. I used the brand Nestle La Lechera. If you have leftover dulce de leche, make these frosted dulce de leche cookies or dulce de leche buttercream!
Substitutions and Variations
- Homemade dulce de leche: If you can't find dulce de leche, you can make homemade dulce de leche by boiling an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk with the label removed. Cover the can in a pot with water and simmer for 2-3 hours . The longer you boil, the darker and thicker the dulce de leche will be. Carefully remove the can with tongs and cool to room temperature before opening with a can opener.
- Caramel: This recipe also works with an equal amount of caramel sauce or melted dark chocolate instead of dulce de leche!
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: First, place the egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk until pale yellow.ย
Step 2: Heat the cream in a saucepan on medium-low until it begins to bubble around the edges.
Step 3: Slowly pour hot cream into the egg mixture while whisking to temper the egg yolks. This cooks and stabilizes the yolks, creating a custard.
Step 4: Return the custard to the saucepan. Whisk over low heat, stirring often until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
Step 5: Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and dulce de leche until smooth. Transfer the custard to a large bowl and let it cool completely.
Step 6: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or with an electric hand mixer, beat remaining cold heavy cream until it reaches stiff peaks.
Step 7: Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled custard in 2 additions until no white streaks remain. Don't overmix.
Step 8: Use a spoon to portion the mousse into cups or small jars. You can also transfer the mousse to a pastry bag fitted with a large round or star piping tip and pipe it into the jars decoratively. Cover the jars and let refrigerate for 1-3 hours to set, the serve!
Expert Tips for Success
- Don't overheat the cream. When heating the cream in the saucepan, it should only bubble and foam on the sides. Don't let it boil. If the cream is too hot, it can scramble the egg yolks instead of gently tempering them.
- Keep an eye on the custard. While the custard thickens in the saucepan, keep an eye on it and stir constantly. It can go from smooth and silky to thick and lumpy and curdle quickly! It can also burn if you leave it on the hot burner too long without whisking. If you have a thermometer, the custard should only reach 175-180ยฐF/82ยฐC.
- Use cold heavy cream for whipping. For the lightest, fluffiest whipped cream, make sure your heavy cream is chilled. Cold cream whips up faster, forms stable peaks, and holds its shape longer than it does at room temperature.
- Don't overwhip the cream. Be careful during the final stages of whipping the cream because stiff peaks can deflate and curdle rapidly! If this happens, you can fix it by adding a little more cream and whipping on low speed.
How to Store
Store leftover dulce de leche mousse in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. I recommend covering the jars with plastic wrap and placing it directly on the surface of the mousse so it doesn't form a skin.
If you're making the mousse ahead of time for guests, I recommend serving it after 1 day in the fridge for optimal freshness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Caramel and dulce de leche are similar, but they do have major differences. Caramel, like my homemade salted caramel sauce, is made by melting down sugar and adding butter and heavy cream. Dulce de leche is essentially caramelized sweetened condensed milk, so it is a bit richer and sweeter than caramel.
If you whip the heavy cream too much, your mousse might turn grainy as it chills. If you over whip the cream, the milk solids can separate and give your mousse a grainy feel. Whip the heavy cream just until it forms firm peaks on the whisk.
If your mousse is runny, you probably have under-whipped the cream. We want stiff peaks that hold their shape, not soft peaks. The tips of the peaks should stand up and not bend. If you can't get your mousse to thicken or set with properly whipped cream, try adding a little cornstarch to a couple tablespoons of water. Add it to the mousse a little at a time and keep an eye on how it thickens.
More Small Batch Recipes to Try
๐ Recipe
Dulce de Leche Mousse
Equipment
- 1 Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with the wire whip attachment
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Ingredients
- 4 egg yolks room temperature
- 50 grams granulated sugar
- โ teaspoon salt
- 300 grams heavy cream for the custard
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 200 grams dulce de leche ยพ cup
- 240 grams heavy cream cold for whipping
Instructions
- First, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl until the color is pale yellow.ย4 egg yolks, 50 grams granulated sugar, โ teaspoon salt
- Place heavy cream in a medium saucepan. Heat on medium-low until it begins to bubble around the edges. Don't let it boil.300 grams heavy cream
- Slowly pour the hot cream into the egg mixture while whisking to temper the egg yolks.ย
- Return the mixture (or custard) to the saucepan. Whisk over low heat for 5-7 minutes, mixing often until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract and dulce de leche until smooth. Then transfer the custard to a large mixing bowl and let cool completely.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 200 grams dulce de leche
- Next, whip the remaining cold heavy cream In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or with an electric hand mixer until stiff peaks form.240 grams heavy cream
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled custard in 2 additions until no white streaks remain. Don't overmix.
- Use a spoon or piping bag with a large tip to portion the mousse into cups or small jars. Cover the jars and refrigerate for 1-3 hours until set.
- Once chilled, garnish the mousse cups with a dollop of whipped cream, a drizzle of melted dulce de leche, or cookie crumbs. Serve cold or at room temperature for a softer texture.
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