Easy Strawberry Mousse Recipe (Without Gelatin)

Why you’ll love this recipe

• 🥚Simple Ingredients: You only need 3 easy to find main ingredients.
• 👨🏻‍🍳Quick and Easy: It’s the easiest mousse recipe you can find.
• 🙌Make Ahead: This mousse is the perfect make ahead dessert for any big or small gathering.
• 🥣Customizable: You can make it more elegant with some chocolate or cookie toppings, or customize the flavor my adding other fruits.

Ingredient Notes

• Strawberries: Fresh, ripe strawberries are the best for this recipe, but frozen strawberries would work as well.
• Sugar: Regular granulated sugar is fine. You can also use different types of sugar, like brown or coconut, but the end result (both flavor and color) will differ.
• Heavy Cream: Whipping cream is the main ingredient for a perfect mousse and you cannot achieve the same airiness with other types of creams.
• Vanilla (optional): Vanilla is optional but highly recommended to enhance the strawberry flavor. You can use vanilla paste, but also a whole vanilla bean, or vanilla extract.

This is just a short review of the ingredients; for the complete recipe, including quantities, scroll down to the recipe card 👇

Best methods for a perfect mousse

This easy strawberry mousse is gelatin free and eggless, but here are some other methods if you want a foolproof stable and airy mousse every time.

• Classic French mousse: Reduce the heavy cream in half, and add 1 egg white, beaten until you have stiff peaks. For a more decadent mousse, you can also mix the egg yolk with the sugar before adding the strawberries. This version has also no gelatin.
• Gelatin: This is maybe the most common method for making mousse without eggs. Mix 1 teaspoon of powdered gelatin with 2 tablespoons of water, then add it to the strawberry puree.
• Agar-Agar: The process is similar to the gelatin one. Mix 2 teaspoons of agar-agar into 1/4 cup of water of milk, before adding it to the strawberries.

How to Make Strawberry Mousse

1. Using a blender or food processor, blend the fresh strawberries into a smooth puree.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the strawberry puree and granulated sugar. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens slightly.
3. In a large bowl, whip the cold heavy cream and vanilla bean paste until stiff peaks form.
4. Gently fold the cooled strawberry mixture into the whipped cream in small batches until well combined.
5. Divide the mousse evenly into serving glasses or bowls. Smooth the tops with a spoon or spatula.

Tips and Tricks

• If the strawberry mixture is too watery, add a teaspoon of cornstarch and mix well.
• You can add more or less sugar, depending on your preference.
• Strain the strawberry puree to remove the seeds to get a smooth and creamy mousse.
• Make sure the strawberry mixture is fully cooled before you add it to the whipped cream, to avoid losing texture.
• Keep the cream and bowls as cold as possible to achieve the perfect whipped cream texture.
• To make an extra stable strawberry mousse and add extra layer of flavor, add 1/2 cup of cream cheese to the strawberry puree (before adding the heavy cream).

Make Ahead and Storage

This strawberry mousse is the perfect make ahead dessert because it needs to set in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours before serving. You can even make it the night before and keep it covered in the fridge until ready to serve.

Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Common Questions