Creamy Lemon Mousse

This rich, creamy, and tangy lemon mousse is the perfect dessert recipe to try out when you’re craving something that’s light and summery.

Creamy, tangy, and super refreshing- this lemon mousse recipe is a winner if you’re looking for a nice dessert to treat yourself to, but don’t want something overly sweet. They’re also great to put together for the next dinner party that you’re hosting- a total crowdpleaser!

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Ingredients For the Recipe
Kitchen Tools Needed
How to Make the Lemon Mousse
Frequently Asked Questions
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
Recipe
Discussion

Ready to try your hands at them? Here’s all you need to know about it before you do.

Ingredients For the Recipe

You’ll need just a few simple ingredients to make this fluffy, creamy lemon mousse.

12 oz cream cheese
1 cup confectioners sugar
juice of one lemon
pinch kosher salt
1 cup whipped topping
1 cup finely crushed shortbread cookies
Lemon wedges, mint leaves or additional whipped topping for decor

Kitchen Tools Needed

How to Make the Lemon Mousse

Once you have all the ingredients ready, it is all about following these simple steps to craft the perfect tasting and looking mousse.

Mix the cream cheese with an electric mixer until it gets creamy.

Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, salt, and mix again.

Add in the whipped topping. Set aside.

Add the cookies to a food processor and process until you get crumbs.

Divide the cookie crumbs into 4 dishes of cups for desserts.

pour the cream mixture over the cookies layer and freeze

Fill the rest of the glass or dish with the whipped topping mixture and leave it in the fridge for at least one hour before you serve.

Chilled Creamy Lemon Mousse ready to enjoy

Decorate it with whipped topping, lemon slices, and fresh mint leaves.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Can I Use Instead of Cream Cheese?

Sour cream, mascarpone cheese, and Greek yogurt are all excellent alternatives for cream cheese. They might not get your mousse to have the same texture and flavor, but you can mix them with some whipped cream to get to the ideal consistency.
Make sure you use unflavored hung Greek yogurt for this recipe, and also opt for a full-fat version, as opposed to the low-fat variety.
Ricotta cheese is also a good choice since it is healthier than cream cheese, but for this recipe, in particular, you might need to combine it with heavy cream to get it to the right consistency.

Which Other Cookies Can I Use?

You can use crushed shortbread cookies or any basic digestive biscuits for this recipe. If you don’t have those, you can also make do with graham cracker crumbs, Nilla wafers, or practically any subtly flavored cookies.

What Can I Top the Mousse With?

The simplicity of this mousse is what makes it a winner, but you can, of course, take it up a notch by experimenting with the toppings. A nice dollop of whipped cream and some fresh berries on the top is a classic you can never go wrong with.
If that’s not what you want, you can throw some desiccated coconut shavings on the top, which will add a nice bit of texture too.
If none of these work for you, a simple sprig of mint leaves can be great too, with the additional freshness it can bring in.

How to Store the Lemon Mousse

One of the best things about this recipe is the fact that you can make it in advance and store it for later.
Just assemble it into individual dessert cups, cover it with cling wrap and refrigerate it, It should stay good in there for up to 5 days. Infant, you will notice that the lemony flavors will turn stronger when you refrigerate the mousse.

What Can I Do With the Leftover Mousse?

Your leftover lemon mousse can be used as a filling for your vanilla cakes. It can really add a nice oomph of flavor and can transform the cake into something more elegant and fancy.
Another great idea is to use the mousse as a layer for your homemade trifle. Crushed graham crackers, chopped fruits, and this mousse- it can all be a delicious combination you would definitely want to try your hands at.
If none of these work for you, you can simply pour this mousse mixture on small dessert bowls that have a layer of the simple cheesecake crust (made by mixing crushed graham crackers and butter). This can be a nice quick and fluffy cheesecake that you can make when you’re in a time crunch.

Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe

Think you’ve got the recipe all covered? That’s great, but don’t forget to keep these additional tips and tricks in mind.

Remember that the chilling and resting time for this no-bake dessert is very important since it is the only way your mousse will set well. 1-2 hours of refrigeration time is an absolute must for this recipe, but if you’re making this on short notice, you can quickly pop it in the freezer for a few minutes to firm it up.
You can also add some lemon zest into the mixture to make it even more tangy and flavorful. For a slightly different flavor, you could use mandarin or orange zest too. The combination of two different citrus fruits together can be great.
Remember to have the cream cheese at room temperature before you use it for the recipe- this will ensure that the mousse is silky smooth and lump-free, just like you want it to be. If you’re making this dessert on short notice, you can remove the outer packaging of the cream cheese (keeping the foil packaging on) and dunk it into a bowl of hot water. Give it 20-30 minutes to soften and you can then use it for the recipe.
If you want to make the dessert more rich and elegant, you can also mix some lemon curd and a bit of whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
If your mousse mixture seems too soft and isn’t stiff enough, you can also mix a bit of unflavored or lemon-flavored gelatin into it.

side view image of Creamy Lemon Mousse served in a glass

Loved making this flavorful lemon mousse? On the hunt for some more mousse recipes to try out? Here are a few you might want to take a quick peek at.

Recipe

Yield: 4 Servings