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Home » Recipes » No Bake Treats

Lemon Mousse

Modified: Jan 29, 2025 · Published: Apr 8, 2021 by Heather · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 974 words. · About 5 minutes to read this article.

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Easy lemon mousse recipe.
Easy lemon mousse recipe.
Easy lemon mousse recipe.

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.

Just tried this one. OMG!! It was so quick it is unbelievable. I never made mousse before and was a bit put off by the need for egg whites in other recipes. This was a hit with me. Will definitely make again. ★★★★★ - Diane

Spoon full of lemon mousse balanced on a glass dish.

Recipe summary

Texture: Creamy, light, and airy.

Flavor: Lightly sweetened with a bright, fresh lemon flavor.

It's quick. Unlike a traditional mousse (made with eggs), this quick mousse comes together in minutes and requires no cooking.

Make ahead. Keeps well in the refrigerator the day before an event.

Great for: A quick no-bake treat for summer.

Similar to: Lemon Icebox Cake and Cheesecake Mousse

Jump to:
  • Recipe summary
  • Ingredients and substitutions
  • How to make lemon mousse
  • Tips and tricks
  • Storage
  • Frequently asked questions
  • Recommended
  • 📖 Recipe
  • Comments

Ingredients and substitutions

Ingredients on a counter top.
  • Lemon curd - Can be homemade or store bought. You can find lemon curd near the jams and jellies at your local grocer.
  • Heavy cream - Heavy cream is a must in this recipe - you'll be making a homemade whipped cream to fold into the other ingredients. 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.
  • Confectioner's sugar - 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. This dessert is meant to be lightly sweetened. If you prefer a sweet dessert, you are welcome to add more sugar.
  • Lemon zest - Adds a significant amount of fresh lemon flavor. Optionally, reserve a little extra to use as a garnish.

How to make lemon mousse

Preparing lemon mousse in a glass bowl.
  1. Whip heavy cream, confectioner's sugar, and salt in a large bowl until medium peaks form.
  2. Carefully fold in lemon curd and lemon zest.
  3. Portion mousse into small dessert glasses.
  4. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours, to allow mousse to firm up.

Tips and tricks

Use very cold heavy cream - Cold cream whips up much more easily than a room temperature or warm cream.

Refrigerate your bowl - If your home is very warm, refrigerate your bowl and whisk (or hand mixer beaters) for 20 minutes before beginning.

Whip on medium speed - 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.

Refrigerate before serving - The refrigeration step is important to achieve the proper texture, so don't skip this step!

Storage

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 ideal results.

Frequently asked questions

Two glass dishes filled with lemon mousse.
Can I make this ahead?

I recommend portioning your mousse into individual serving dishes before storing in the refrigerator and serving within 1-2 days. This saves time later on and your mousse will have time to set, undisturbed.

How do you serve lemon mousse?

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

What toppings can I add to mousse?

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

Can I use lemon mousse in other recipes?

Lemon mousse can be used 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. I've also made a lemon icebox cake using a variation of this recipe.

Why isn't my mousse sweet?

This mousse is not meant to be very sweet - most of the sweetness comes from the lemon curd used. If your lemon curd isn't very sweet, you may want to add some extra confectioner's sugar and whip until incorporated.

Why does my mousse taste like whipped cream?

Mousse is meant to be light, fluffy, and very lightly sweetened. A large portion of the recipe is whipped cream. Don't skip the step of chilling before serving - this firms up the mousse and changes the texture slightly.

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📖 Recipe

Spoon full of lemon mousse balanced on a glass dish.
Pin Print Rate
4.58 from 123 reviews

Lemon Mousse

Made with just four ingredients and whipped up in minutes, this lemon mousse is the perfect light, less-sweet dessert for those hot summer months.
Prep Time15 minutes minutes
Chilling Time1 hour hour
Total Time1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 308kcal
Author: Heather

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (454 g) heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons (14 g) confectioner's sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 cup (320 g) lemon curd
  • 1 tablespoon (6 g) lemon zest
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, add heavy cream, confectioner's sugar, and a pinch of salt. Using a hand or stand mixer, whip for 2-3 minutes on medium speed until medium peaks form.
  • Gently fold in lemon curd and lemon zest until evenly incorporated.
  • Divide into 8 small dessert glasses (about ½ heaping cup per serving). Optionally, garnish with a dollop of whipped cream or additional lemon zest.
  • Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours, to allow mousse to chill and firm up. Serve cold.

Equipment Recommendations

  • Kitchenaid Hand Mixer
  • Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowls
  • Microplane Zester
  • Silicone Spatulas

Notes

  • Lemon zest: 1 tablespoon lemon zest = zest of one large lemon
  • Chill your mousse: Do not skip the step of chilling! This firms up the mousse and changes the texture slightly. 
  • Adjusting the sweetness: This is a lightly sweetened, less sweet dessert, and the sweetness depends on the brand of lemon curd used. If you'd like a sweeter mousse, feel free to add more sugar.
  • Storage: Mousse will keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator, but is best served within 1-2 days.
  • Garnish ideas: Optionally, garnish with a dollop of whipped cream, lemon zest, or a vanilla wafer.

Nutrition Estimate

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 107mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 875IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 39mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

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Comments

    4.58 from 123 votes (110 ratings without comment)

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  1. Colleen

    April 19, 2025 at 2:51 pm

    Super easy and great directions. Came out superb

    Reply
  2. Ajulasne

    March 08, 2025 at 7:24 am

    I just made this and it's gorgeous. Great recipe thanks

    Reply
  3. Sarah

    August 10, 2024 at 5:59 pm

    I made this with lemon curd from Trader Joes. It was delicious. I served it with strawberries, at a bridal shower. Super easy, and very tasty!

    Reply
  4. Yaniris

    July 16, 2024 at 8:51 pm

    I made this and it was delicious as I love everything lemon. I didn't add the powdered sugar since I didn't have any and thought since the lemon curd already has sugar, it wouldn't need it, I also added a couple of drops of lemon extract, which came out so good. I will definitely will do it again.

    Reply
  5. SPK

    June 25, 2024 at 11:49 am

    Added some lemon extract to increase depth of flavor and a few yellow coloring drops. Easy recipe and stood up well. Pretty and tasty. I decorated with a few berries and a mint leaf.

    Reply
  6. B

    March 06, 2024 at 4:25 pm

    Can you make it dairy free?

    Reply
    • Heather

      March 06, 2024 at 6:06 pm

      I'm not very familiar with dairy-free substitutions so I can't say for sure how this recipe would need to be altered. Instead of altering this recipe, I'd recommend using one that's developed to be dairy-free already: https://mommypotamus.com/lemon-mousse-recipe/

      Reply
    • Ajulasne

      March 08, 2025 at 7:30 am

      you could make it dairy free using coconut milk, but you would also need to use some irish moss and lecithin. Use the same amount of coconut milk you would the cream but the night before you would need to soak the irish moss (1/2 oz) rinse it well to make sure you get any sand out of it and blend it once it's been soaked overnight. Mix it into the coconut milk with 1 heaped teaspoon of lecithin, that will thicken it and make it into a mousse. I haven't tried making this non-dairy, but i've made many recipes using this technique and it's worked very well. Good luck

      Reply
    • Lee

      April 30, 2025 at 12:23 pm

      I use Country Crock Plant Cream as a substitute for all heavy cream in recipes. It works fantastic and is shelf stable. I get it at Walmart.

      Reply
  7. Denise

    February 16, 2024 at 9:25 am

    I made this for Valentine’s Day. I served it in the middle of heart shaped puff pastry. Delicious!
    The problem is that I have leftover mousse that I don’t have time to eat ✈️. Can it be frozen? I know whipped cream can be frozen, so logically, I should be able to.

    Reply
    • Heather

      February 16, 2024 at 9:26 am

      Hi Denise, glad to hear you enjoyed the mousse! I haven't tried freezing this recipe myself, but I believe it should freeze and thaw just fine (much like whipped cream).

      Reply
  8. Roberta Snow

    February 03, 2024 at 4:58 pm

    This recipe is VERY easy to make. I had made microwave lemon curd with Meyers lemons, but used a regular lemon for the zest which made the lemon flavor pop! This is a keeper for sure!

    Reply
  9. Sara Bevins

    September 15, 2023 at 11:47 am

    It may have been the lemon curd I used (there was only one choice at the Kroger store, but the Lemon Mouse was tasteless. I had to add a great deal more sugar and lemon zest to make it have any flavor. Will not use this recipe again.

    Reply
    • Heather

      September 15, 2023 at 11:52 am

      Hi Sara, it sounds like it may have been the brand of lemon curd used. With 1 cup of lemon curd and a tablespoon of lemon zest, the mousse should have a strong lemon flavor. As is, the recipe is meant to be lightly sweetened. You're welcome to add additional lemon zest and maybe a pinch of salt to help enhance the flavor, or more sugar if you're looking for a sweet dessert.

      Reply
  10. Betty

    September 08, 2023 at 2:12 pm

    Tried this but not lemony enough, so I added more lemon curd and doubled the sugar but still not lemony or sweet enough. More like eating whipped cream… possibly double the lemon zest, and add a bit more confectioner’s sugar to pop the flavours more?

    Reply
    • Heather

      September 08, 2023 at 2:24 pm

      Hi Betty, mousse is intended to be lightly sweetened and airy, a little thicker than whipped cream, so it sounds like the recipe turned out as intended. The last step of refrigerating helps chill the mousse and give it a thicker consistency. If you'd like a more lemony flavor I'd definitely recommend adding more lemon zest!

      Reply
  11. Bake Up, Little Suzy

    June 18, 2023 at 1:31 am

    This was delicious! I served it with a raspberry sauce, and it was just like summer in a glass. I needed something simple for a dinner party, and it was perfect--everyone raved. It was hot in my apartment, and the heavy cream was pretty soft after whipping. So I only did a little folding in of the lemon curd. It ended up with these delicious swirls of lemon throughout. Yum!

    Reply
  12. Melissa Green

    February 09, 2023 at 12:10 pm

    I added the juice of the lemon that I zested and a bit of Real Lemon juice to make it more tart. The consistency was just like whipped cream until I put it in the refrigerator for a few hours then it completely changed to a mousse.

    Reply
  13. Jane

    January 23, 2023 at 5:40 pm

    So quick and easy. Love it! Definitely the hit of the dinner party and everyone thought I worked hard over it.

    Reply
  14. Diane Morrison

    December 19, 2022 at 9:36 am

    Just tried this one. OMG!! It was so quick it is unbelievable. I never made mousse before and was a bit put off by the need for egg whites in other recipes. This was a hit with me. Will definitely make again.

    Thanks so much for sharing.

    Reply
  15. Maria

    September 14, 2022 at 9:29 am

    Where can the cute parfait cups be bought?
    Thanks 😊

    Reply
    • Heather

      September 14, 2022 at 10:14 am

      The glasses shown are small "Josie" drinking glasses from Crate & Barrel. Unfortunately they don't appear to be on their website anymore.

      Reply
  16. Ciacakes

    September 13, 2022 at 4:54 pm

    Would you recommend this as a cake filling? Also, what's the yield?

    Reply
    • Heather

      September 13, 2022 at 9:24 pm

      This recipe makes about 4.5 cups of mousse. I haven't tried this as a cake filling so I can't say for sure. But I do use a very similar recipe for the layers in this Oreo icebox cake: https://thetoastykitchen.com/lemon-icebox-cake/

      Reply
  17. Kathleen

    August 18, 2022 at 12:42 pm

    Can you use Cool Whip instead of making whipped cream by hand?

    Reply
    • Heather

      August 18, 2022 at 12:52 pm

      Hi Kathleen, I haven't tested this recipe using Cool Whip, but it should work. You'll need four cups of Cool Whip to substitute for the heavy cream and confectioner's sugar.

      Reply
  18. Yolanda M. Choser

    August 05, 2022 at 6:08 pm

    Sounds wonderful!! Instructions so very clear!!! Thankful it was sent to me. ! Will forward it to friends also.

    Reply

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Heather of The Toasty Kitchen

Hi, I'm Heather!

I love cooking with simple, everyday ingredients and want to help you make homemade meals with ease.

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