Pumpkin Mousse

If you’re looking for an alternate to pumpkin pie without turning on the oven, this Pumpkin Mousse is it! It’s a light and fluffy no bake pumpkin dessert made without eggs, gelatin, or cream cheese. Serve it as a Thanksgiving dessert for two.

Fluffy Pumpkin Mousse Recipe for Two (No Gelatin, Eggs, or Cream Cheese!)

I’ve been blogging for 19 years now so with Thanksgiving for two coming up, I’ve done all the traditional small batch desserts such as small pumpkin pie, small pumpkin cheesecake, and even small pecan pie.

Then earlier this year I shared with you my homemade chocolate mousse, and that got me thinking – it’s time to add my Pumpkin Mousse recipe to the list!

It’s an airy and creamy no bake pumpkin mousse with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg that taste like you’re eating pumpkin pie but without the crust.

Plus it’s made without gelatin, eggs, or cream cheese so it’s super simple to gather the ingredients and make (and is a little bit easier on your grocery bill).

For a double dose of fall flavor I served it with cinnamon whipped cream on top (although I’m also a big fan of cream cheese whipped cream since those flavors pair so well together).

As I researching current pumpkin mousse recipes and seeing how I can make my own adjustments, I noticed a lot of recipes don’t cook the puree; some even use cream cheese to stabilize.

I knew I didn’t want to use cream cheese as it would overpower the pumpkin flavor as I learned with my peanut butter mousse.

First round I used canned pumpkin puree straight from the can without cooking it. Although it worked just fine, I noticed after 24 hours the mousse started weeping (which means liquid started leaking out).

We definitely don’t want a runny mousse, so after multiple rounds of testing I cooked down the pumpkin with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg on the stovetop first before folding it into whipped cream (as I did with my strawberry mousse).

Not only does this method cook out some of the liquid so your mousse doesn’t deflate and weep, it helps caramelize the pumpkin so it doesn’t taste like it came straight from the can.

Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Mousse Recipe

• Made without gelatin! – Although traditional mousse recipes use gelatin to set up firmly, you don’t need it here.
• Made without eggs! – No stressing about eating raw egg.
• Made without cream cheese! – I find cream cheese overpowers the pumpkin flavor, so I found a way to make mousse stable without it.
• Makes two servings! – It makes the perfect amount to be a romantic dessert for two.
• Make it ahead of time! – You need a minimum of 4 hours for it to set up and chill, so you can make it up to 2 days ahead of time.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Mousse

To make the best recipe for pumpkin mousse ever, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Heavy cream: Adds richness due to the fat content and helps the mousse set up
• Pumpkin: The star of the mousse! Use canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie flavored)
• Brown sugar: Sweetens the pumpkin puree and gives it a better fall flavor with the added molasses in the sugar
• Cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt: Flavors the mousse
• Vanilla: Enhances the pumpkin flavor

How To Make Pumpkin Mousse

Here’s how to make your pumpkin mousse recipe:

1. Cook together heavy cream, pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla until sugar dissolves.
2. Whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
3. Fold pumpkin puree into whipped cream.
4. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to firm up.

Leftover mousse can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Tips for Making Fluffy Pumpkin Mousse

• Use cold heavy cream: – Cold cream whips more effectively and helps you achieve stiff peaks.
• Cool the pumpkin mixture: It should no longer feel warm to the touch. If it’s too warm, it’ll melt and deflate the cream when folded in.
• Beat to stiff peaks: Stiff peaks should stand upright when you lift the beaters. If the peaks fall over, you’re at the soft peak stage and didn’t beat long enough.
• Fold instead of stirring: Folding in your pumpkin rather than stirring helps preserve the air whipped into the cream.
• Chill it long enough: The mousse needs time to set. 4 hours is the minimum although overnight is preferred (plus it tastes better as flavor develops over time).

How To Serve Pumpkin Mousse

As mentioned in the intro, I garnished my mousse with pumpkin whipped cream for an extra flavor of fall.

In addition to cinnamon, here are some other whipped cream flavors you can use:

• Traditional Homemade Whipped Cream
• Maple Whipped Cream
• Honey Whipped Cream

More Desserts For Two

If you enjoyed this classic pumpkin mousse recipe, here are more desserts for two:

• Eggless Pumpkin Pie
• Mini Pumpkin Pies
• Mini Apple Pies
• Apple Crisp For Two
• Lemon Mousse
• Tiramisu For Two