Easy Lemon Mousse

Lemon Mousse is an easy, no-bake dessert that's silky, decadent, and light as air. Made with just four ingredients and whipped up in minutes, this mousse is the perfect light dessert for those hot summer months.

What is mousse exactly? Mousse is a soft, creamy dessert that's made by whipping air into it to give it a light and fluffy texture. A classic mousse is usually made with eggs and/or cream, and can be flavored with anything from chocolate, to fruits and spices.

While not a traditional mousse, this easy lemon mousse comes together in minutes and requires no cooking. It's the perfect no-bake dessert for summer - no standing over a hot stove today!

Serve lemon mousse after a light meal, at your next barbecue or picnic, or any time that sweet tooth strikes. It can also be used to make an icebox cake. Lemon mousse is easy to make a day ahead of an event - just refrigerate until ready to serve!

Ingredients and substitutions

Lemon curd can be homemade or store bought. You can find lemon curd near the jams and jellies at your local grocer.

Heavy cream is a must in this recipe - you'll be making a homemade whipped cream. It may also be labeled as heavy whipping cream. Other dairy products, like half & half or whole milk will not work. Heavy cream contains just enough milkfat to whip into whipped cream and hold its shape.

We're adding a small amount of confectioner's sugar to our mousse today. It adds just enough sweetness to balance the tart lemon flavor.

Lemon zest adds a punch of fresh lemon flavor to this mousse. Plus, you can zest a little extra and add to the top of each serving for added visual appeal.

Making whipped cream - tips and tricks

If you've never made homemade whipped cream before, you may want to check out my detailed post here, for extra pictures and a full list of tips and tricks: Homemade Whipped Cream

Here are my favorite tips for making homemade whipped cream:

• Use very cold heavy cream. Cold cream will whip up much more easily than a room temperature or warm cream.
• If your home is very warm, and for a higher chance of success when making whipped cream, refrigerate your bowl and whisk (or hand mixer beaters) for 20 minutes before beginning.
• Whip your heavy cream on medium speed, not high speed. It's less messy and there's less of a chance of overmixing your cream.
• Use a large bowl - your cream will double in size and there will be some splashing while you mix your cream.

Make ahead

Even though mousse seems delicate, it will keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator and hold its shape and texture. However, I recommend serving it within 1-2 days for a party.

I recommend portioning your mousse into individual serving dishes before storing in the refrigerator. This will save time later on, and your mousse will have time to set, undisturbed.

Serving lemon mousse

Mousse is best served in small dessert dishes or bowls. Each serving size will be about a heaping ½ cup. Small bowls, martini glasses, or parfait/sundae glasses are best.

If you'd like to add a topping, a dollop of whipped cream, lemon zest, or a crumbled vanilla wafer are perfect additions.

Or, use your lemon mousse to build parfaits. Crumble a few vanilla cookies or graham crackers and build a parfait by adding thin layers of mousse and crumbled cookies to a decorative glass.

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