Pumpkin Mousse is a creamy fluffy dessert for fall. Whip it together in no time. It’s the ultimate easy no-bake autumn dessert. Try it today!
There are so many delicious Pudding desserts you can make in the fall an this mousse is an easy no-bake dessert that you can make when you want the festive flavor. For more desserts like this, check out my Butterscotch Pudding and Pumpkin Bread Pudding.
Why You’ll Love This Mousse?
- Easy to whip together ahead of time when hosting a party or serving a crowd.
- Great for the fall when you have leftover ingredients from other pumpkin desserts.
Sabrina’s Pumpkin Mousse Recipe
This is a great recipe for the fall when you have leftover ingredients from other pumpkin desserts but you don’t want to spend another night baking! For a warmly spiced pumpkin flavor, all you need is pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. You can make your own homemade puree and spice blend, or pick up some at the store.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream , very cold
- 8 ounces cream cheese , softened and cut into cubes
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3.4 ounces instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1 cup whole milk , very cold
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
Instructions
- Add heavy cream to stand mixer and beat on high speed until it forms soft peaks.
- Add in cream cheese and beat to stiff peaks.
- In a large bowl whisk together vanilla pudding mix, pumpkin pie spice, and milk for 2 minutes until smooth.
- Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Whisk pumpkin into pudding mixture until smooth.
- Add the whipped cream mixture into the pudding and fold it in until creamy.
- Spoon into a serving dish or small serving cups.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
Nutrition
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Sabrina’s Tips
You want to start with super cold heavy cream and milk so that your pudding mixture sets quicker and your whipped cream reaches stiff peaks easily. One thing you don’t want cold though is the cream cheese, or it won’t blend as well. It is best if you let it soften to room temperature.
Table of contents
About this Recipe
This Pumpkin Mousse recipe is a delicious and simple treat for the holiday season. It’s easy to whip together in a matter of minutes, then you just have to let it set in the fridge for a few hours. With vanilla pudding, cream cheese, heavy cream, and milk, it comes out just as light and fluffy as any of your favorite mousse desserts. Then add real pumpkin and a blend of warm spices to make it perfect for autumn.
Ingredients
- Whipped Topping: Instead of frozen whipped topping, this pumpkin fluff recipe starts with heavy whipping cream beaten to until stiff peaks form. It makes for a much lighter, fluffy dessert.
- Cream Cheese: The cream cheese mixed with the whip cream is what helps stabilize the cream mixture and keep it firm instead of using gelatin or cool whip. You don’t want to use cold cream cheese or it won’t blend as well.
- Sugar: Since you are also adding instant pudding mix, you don’t need too much sugar or it will end up overly sweet. The granulated sugar adds the perfect amount of sweetness, although you could swap it with brown sugar too.
- Pudding Mix: Some instant vanilla pudding mix adds sweetness and vanilla flavor while also helping thicken the mousse as it sets. Cheesecake instant pudding mix in this pumpkin dessert recipe would be a delicious flavor combination too!
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: A blend of pumpkin spices makes this dessert taste of pumpkin pie and not just pumpkin flavor! You can make your own blend with our Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe or use a store-bought blend.
- Whole Milk: The cold milk is what activates and sets the instant pudding mix. If you were using cooked pudding, you would have to cook the milk and pudding mixture then cool completely before adding. This recipe skips that step, just make sure to use super cold milk!
- Pumpkin Puree: The key to the real pumpkin flavor in this dessert is of course using real pumpkin! You can use canned puree or make your own Pumpkin Puree. Just make sure not to use canned pumpkin pie filling because it already has sugar and spices added.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Electric Mixer: An electric beater or stand mixer whips up your cream to perfect peaks in no time! Whisking by hand could take up to 10 minutes but the electric mixer has it done in less than 3 minutes and your arm won’t get tired.
- Mousse Cups: You could use any kind of glass to serve you mousse, but it’s always nice to serve this festive dessert in a pretty clear glass to show off the beautiful orange color and light, airy texture.
Can this be made ahead of time?
Yes! Since you need a couple hours for the mousse to be properly set, this is a great dessert to make the night before or the morning of the day you want to serve it. It will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge but it has the best light and fluffy texture in the first 48 hours.
Pairing Suggestions
Once you’ve made the Pumpkin Mousse you can add your favorite toppings to each serving like Whipped Cream, graham crackers, or ginger snaps. You can also sprinkle some extra pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon right on top for a pretty flavorful dusting.
How to Store
- Serve: Serve chilled out of the fridge. This is best kept in the fridge when you are not serving.
- Store: It’s best to keep this dessert chilled because after about an hour it will start to melt and separate. Wrap the mousse cups with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Transfer the mousse to a freezer-safe container, or individual containers, and top with a layer of plastic wrap before adding the lid. The plastic keeps out excess moisture and prevents freezer burn. The mousse will stay good for up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw and then beat with an electric hand mixer to fluff it back up.
Ideas to Serve
- Pumpkin Mousse Pie: This Mousse can also be used to make Pumpkin Mousse Pie. Just pour the mousse into a Graham Cracker Crust or regular baked buttery Pie Crust and put the dish in the fridge to set. After about 2 hours you can cut yourself a slice of delicious pie.
- Pumpkin Mousse Parfaits: A great way to use up some leftover Gingerbread Cookies or gingersnap cookies. Alternately layer the fluffy mousse with cookie pieces and Candied Pecans in individual glasses. Top with a dollop of Whip Cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Frequent Questions
While they are both creamy desserts, there are a couple key differences between mousse and pudding. Pudding is usually a cooked mixture of milk with sugar and the warm milk mixture is thickened with cornstarch or unflavored gelatin. Mousse generally uses a whipped topping (like whipped cream) and usually you add a pudding mix to help thicken and flavor it.
To make Vegan Pumpkin Mousse, you’ll need to use a Vegan instant vanilla pudding mix as well as swapping in a milk alternative like almond milk. For the heavy cream, use coconut cream because the high coconut milk fat content will stiffen up similar to regular heavy whipping cream. Finally, use a vegan cream cheese or sour cream.
Variations
- Toppings: For some delicious and beautiful toppings try adding brown sugar, powdered sugar, cinnamon, shaved chocolate curls, Cool Whip, or ginger snaps.
- Milk: You can use dairy-free milk alternatives for the whole milk like light coconut milk or almond milk. To replace the heavy whipping cream, use coconut cream or a plant-based whipping cream alternative.
- Sweeteners: If you want to replace the regular, white granulated sugar in the recipe try using brown sugar or maple syrup. You can also use sweetened condensed milk for the milk to sweeten the mousse.
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