This fresh strawberry mousse is a delicious no-bake dessert that is perfect for any occasion, from dinner parties to special celebrations. It's light and airy, made with fresh strawberries, sugar, and whipped cream, blended together for a creamy texture.
Mousse is an underrated dessert. It's about time we give it the love it deserves. This strawberry mousse is one of my favorites! It's refreshing for Spring and Summer and easy to make with only 3 pantry staple ingredients.
And like this dulce de leche mousse and cocoa powder chocolate mousse, there's no raw eggs!
The combination of sweet, tangy ripe strawberries in a velvety mousse is just chef's kiss. It's the perfect way to end any meal! Whether you want to savor it on its own or pair it with sliced fruit, whipped cream, or chocolate shavings, I guarantee this mousse will have you licking the jar!
This recipe makes just enough for 3-4 servings. For more small batch recipes, check out my mini carrot cake, small batch vanilla cupcakes, small batch brownies, and small vanilla cake.
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How Is This Recipe Unique?
Dessert mousse is usually made by blending ingredients like whipped cream, eggs, sugar, and a flavoring (like chocolate, fruit, or coffee) to create a fluffy texture.
Most recipes are made with raw egg whites and gelatin to help it set up. This recipe is just made with a thick whipped cream. While it's not traditional, it's just as delicious.
Key Ingredients
- Chopped strawberries- Make sure your fresh strawberries are rinsed, hulled, and roughly chopped before putting them in the blender. Use ripe strawberries that are bright red and still quite firm.
- Granulated sugar- White sugar helps enhance the natural sweetness of the strawberries. I don't recommend brown sugar or coconut sugar since they change the flavor.
- Heavy whipping cream- Use full fat cream that is 36-40% fat. Also make sure your cream is cold before whipping it because the whipped cream will set up faster.
Substitutions
- Frozen strawberries: If you don't have any fresh strawberries on hand, you can use frozen ones. They'll take 6 hours to thaw in the refrigerator. Another way to thaw them is by placing them in an airtight container and then placing the container in a large bowl of cold water. The strawberries will thaw in 15-30 minutes. Pat the thawed strawberries with a paper towel before blending them to remove as much moisture as possible.
How to Make It
Step 1: Puree the strawberries and sugar in a food processor. Pour the strawberry puree through a mesh strainer into a bowl to get rid of any seeds.
Remove ยฝ cup from the puree and set aside.
Step 2: Beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed with your electric mixer.
After 3-4 minutes, soft peaks (peaks that barely hold their shape) quickly turn to medium peaks (peaks that hold their shape but curl at the ends). That's what we want!
Step 4: Gently fold the strawberry puree (reserving ยฝ cup!) into the whipped cream.
Step 5: Add the reserved strawberry mixture to the bottom of your serving cups and spoon the strawberry mousse on top. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour to set. Top with sliced strawberries, chocolate sauce, or whipped cream!
Expert Tips for Success
- Use cold utensils. For the best results, I recommend using a cold bowl, cold whisks, and cold heavy cream for this recipe. Place everything in the refrigerator 15 to 30 minutes beforehand. Plastic bowls will not stay as cold as glass or stainless steel.
- Don't over whip. Keep a watchful eye on the mixer as the mixture can easily transition from soft peaks to stiff peaks to being overwhipped in no time. Once over-whipped, the cream will become dense and clumpy.
- Fold gently. Fold the strawberry puree into the whipped cream gently so that the cream doesn't deflate and ruin the fluffy, airy texture.
Additions and Variations
- Chocolate: Add a layer of melted chocolate to the bottom of the jar before adding the mousse for a delicious chocolate covered strawberry flavor.
- Lemon: Add some fresh lemon juice or zest to the mousse.
- Vanilla: Add a splash of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste for a subtle, sweet flavor.
- Raspberry: Replace some or all of the strawberries with fresh raspberries.
- Almond: Add almond extract or chopped almonds for a nutty flavor and crunchy texture.
- Layering: Create a layered dessert by alternating the mousse with layers of crushed Oreos, graham crackers, cake, or fruit. My small vanilla cake or strawberry crumb cake would be good for this!
Frequently Asked Questions
To make mousse thicker for a cake filling, I recommend adding 1 teaspoon of gelatin or cornstarch mixed with one tablespoon of water. Whip the cream until soft peaks form, add water to a small pot on low heat and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Let it bloom for one minute and then whisk until the gelatin dissolves (don't let it boil). Let the mixture cool and pour it into the cream. Continue to whip until firm peaks form and continue on with the recipe.
Whipped cream will deflate and look curdled if it's over whipped, but you can save it! Slowly pour cold heavy cream into the bowl as the mixer runs on low until the whipped cream is fluffy again. The amount of additional heavy cream you'll need varies from 2 tablespoons to ยฝ cup.
Yes! If you're prepping mousse for a party or other occasion, it can be made 1 day in advance. Make sure the containers you store it in are airtight or cover them tightly with plastic wrap.
More Small Batch Recipes to Try
๐ Recipe
Fresh Strawberry Mousse (No Eggs or Gelatin)
Equipment
- 1 blender
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Ingredients
- 300 g chopped strawberries
- 67 g granulated sugar
- 237 ml heavy whipping cream cold
Instructions
- Wash, dry, hull, and roughly chop your strawberries if needed. Add them and the granulated sugar to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.300 g chopped strawberries, 67 g granulated sugar
- Beat the heavy whipping cream on medium-high speed with your electric mixer for 3-4 minutes until medium peaks form.237 ml heavy whipping cream
- Remove ยฝ cup of strawberry puree from the blender and set aside. Pour the remaining puree into the whipped cream and fold it in gently with a rubber spatula.
- Add 2 tablespoons of reserved strawberry puree to the bottom of 3-4 small serving cups. Layer the mousse on top.
- Let the mousse cups set in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight. Top with fresh fruit, whipped cream, or chocolate shavings and enjoy.
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