If you love pumpkin pie, you'll love this light pumpkin mousse! It tastes like light fluffy pumpkin pie filling. It's a mix between no-bake cheesecake and French mousse, with sweetened pumpkin puree folded with whipped cream and sweetened egg yolks.
The mousse itself is unbelievably easy to prepare and you can use fresh or canned pumpkin. We used canned pumpkin purée here (not pumpkin pie filling).
We upped the spiciness level of the mousse with 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice. If you want yours a little less spicy, reduce the amount to 1 ½ teaspoons. Also, keep in mind the mousse must chill before serving, at least two hours, so plan accordingly.
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Ingredients
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Egg yolks: we use large eggs in this recipe and the egg yolks weigh between 15 to 20 grams each.
- Powdered sugar: also called icing sugar or confectioners sugar. Use a sieve to sift the sugar into the eggs yolks to avoid lumps.
- Pumpkin purée: this is not pumpkin pie filling. We haven't tested it, but you could probably use pumpkin pie filling in place of the purée and pumpkin pie spice.
- 35% whipping cream: whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. That means the cream holds its shape, but is still soft, flows a bit, and is not stiff. See chantilly cream for what this looks like.
- Pumpkin pie spice: the quintessential autumn spice blend. Available in most grocery stores in the spice section of the baking aisle.
Method
Step 1: Whip the egg yolks and icing sugar until fluffy and lightened in colour.
Step 2: Blend in the pumpkin puree and spices.
Step 3: Whip the cream to form soft peaks.
Step 4: Gently fold in the pumpkin mixture.
Step 5: The mousse mixture should be fluffy and light - don't over mix.
Step 6: Spoon the mousse into dishes and chill before serving.
Top Tips
- Use a tasty pumpkin puree: this isn't the recipe to hide watery pumpkin in - if you don't like the taste of the puree, you won't like the mousse!
- Mix, mix, mix: and then don't over-mix! The egg mixture should be very light and fluffy, but the pumpkin mixture should be folded into the cream, not whipped.
- Go for soft peaks: if you whip the cream into stiff peaks, it won't mix well with the pumpkin and will make for lumpy mousse.
Recipe Notes
This mousse is light and fluffy. It is not stable enough to use as pie filling.
If making your own pumpkin puree, use a sweet pumpkin or winter squash as this is a dessert recipe. Sugar pie is great and so is butternut.
To quickly brings eggs up to room temperature, submerge them in a cup of warm (not hot!) water for a couple of minutes.
Traditional French mousse is made with both raw egg yolks and raw egg whites. This recipe substitutes whipped cream for whipped egg whites. We highly recommend using room temperature egg yolks as they make for a lighter mousse than eggs that are cold from the fridge.
Make Ahead and Store
Make Ahead: if you plan on making the mousse ahead of time, store it without any of the toppings or garnishes, as they can become soggy over time. Top immediately before serving.
Storage: because this recipe only makes four servings, we cover the mousse dishes loosely with wrap or lids and keep them in the fridge until ready to serve. It lasts four days in the fridge.
About Raw Egg Yolks
Please note: this recipe contains raw egg yolks. Though the risk is minimal, we don't recommend pregnant, very young, or elderly people eating this.
If you are worried about consuming raw egg yolks, you could try cooking the the pumpkin mixture. We haven't tested this. That being said, we think the best way to do so is to cook the pumpkin-egg yolk mixture over medium-low heat until it reaches a temperature of 170ºF (77ºC). Once the mixture reaches temperature, remove it from the heat and let it cool completely before folding it into the whipped cream.
Eggs are considered safe to eat once they reach 160ºF (71ºC), but most classic custards are cooked to 170ºF (77ºC). Anywhere in that range is fine.
Variations
- If you can't find, or don't like pumpkin pie spice, consider trying homemade chai spice.
- You might be able to make this dairy-free by using a good vegan whipping cream alternative.
- Fold in ½ cup of chocolate or butterscotch chips when you fold the pumpkin and whipped cream together.
- Top the mousse with a drizzle of caramel, salted caramel sauce, or chocolate sauce.
- Crushed meringues would be very pretty as a topping!
- Crumble brown sugar shortbread cookies, gluten-free gingerbread cookies, or brown butter sesame seed cookies.
- Sprinkle mini marshmallows on top before serving.
Recipe FAQ
How far in advance can you make pumpkin mousse?
While it will last about four days in the fridge, it's best in the first day or two after making. We recommend mixing it a day before serving if you want to make it for a special occasion.
Can you eat canned pumpkin without cooking it?
Yes, canned pumpkin is already cooked and ready to eat. For this recipe it can be used right from the can.
What's the difference between canned pumpkin and pumpkin puree?
There's no difference. These should both only contain 100% pumpkin unless otherwise stated. What you want to avoid mixing up is canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie filling, which has additional ingredients.
More Easy Fall Desserts
If you make this Easy Pumpkin Mousse or any other autumn recipes on the Baked Collective, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more baking, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Homemade Pumpkin Mousse (Easy, No Gelatin)
Equipment
- 2 Mixing bowls
- Hand or stand mixer
- Wooden spoon
- Whisk
- Measuring cups and spoons or a digital kitchen scale
Ingredients
- 5 large egg yolks 80 to 100 grams
- ½ cup powdered sugar also called confectioners or icing sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin purée not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- â…› teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup 35% whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine the egg yolks and powdered sugar together in a mixing bowl.
- Using a hand or stand mixer, whisk the two together on high speed until pale yellow and creamy for about 1 minute.
- Add the pumpkin purée, pumpkin pie spice, and salt to the bowl.
- Continue to mix until the pumpkin is well combined for about 1 minute.
- Add the whipping cream and vanilla to a second mixing bowl (or, transfer the pumpkin mixture to another vessel then wash and dry the first bowl).
- Whisk the cream on high speed to the soft peak stage, where the cream holds its shape but isn’t stiff for about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Spoon the whipped cream into the bowl of pumpkin.
- Gently fold the cream and pumpkin together until no white or orange streaks remain.
- Spoon the mousse into four small bowls or glasses.
- Place the mousse in the refrigerator to chill for 4 to 5 hours before serving.
- When ready to serve, top the pumpkin mousse cups with more whipped cream, a sprinkle of candied nuts, or crumbled, gingersnap cookies (see notes for more serving suggestions).