Deliciously light and fluffy, this whipped strawberry mousse recipe is the perfect dessert for almost any occasion!
Easy strawberry mousse recipe
Whip this simple dessert up in minutes, with just three ingredients!
Guests will fall in love with the impossibly smooth and creamy texture, and it’s a wonderful way to use up a bounty of fresh summer strawberries.
Serve the thick strawberry mousse at parties, summer barbecues, romantic date nights, or any time you’re craving a quick dessert that’s sure to impress everyone who tries it.
Use leftover strawberries in this Strawberry Bread
Strawberry cheesecake mousse FAQs
Fresh or frozen strawberries
The recipe can be enjoyed all year long, not just when strawberries are in season.
If you opt for frozen strawberries, be sure to fully thaw the berries. Pat off any ice crystals and excess moisture before beginning, to avoid runny or watery mousse.
Can you use other berries?
Absolutely, this strawberry treat will also work with fresh or frozen raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, or pitted cherries.
Substitute the two large strawberries for three cherries, four raspberries or blackberries, or seven blueberries. To achieve a smoother texture, you can strain raspberry or blackberry puree to remove the seeds.
If you experiment with other fruits, such as orange, banana, mango, pineapple, or fresh figs, be sure to report back with your results.
Vegan strawberry mousse
For dairy free mousse, choose the coconut cream option or a plant based cream cheese, such as Tofutti or Trader Joe’s vegan.
The recipe is already vegetarian (without gelatin) and egg free. It can be made with no refined sugar if you blend coconut sugar or date sugar until it reaches a powdered sugar texture.
Can the recipe be made ahead of time?
Yes, this is a great make-ahead dessert. I actually recommend making it ahead of time, because the classic strawberry mousse will thicken as it sits.
The dessert will keep for up to four or five days if properly stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Once in the container, the berry mousse is portable and non messy, making it a great option to bring to baby showers, brunch or tea parties, book clubs, or other events.
Still craving strawberries? Try a Strawberry Smoothie
Above, watch the simple strawberry mousse recipe video
Ingredients for the strawberry mousse dessert
The recipe calls for cream cheese or coconut cream, powdered sugar or a similar sugar free alternative, optional plain regular or Greek yogurt, and optional vanilla bean paste.
Unlike many other strawberry mousse recipes, this one is naturally eggless and dairy free, with no gelatin, Cool Whip, condensed milk, heavy cream or whipping cream, mascarpone, agar agar, or strawberry Jell-O.
The strawberry recipe can be vegan, gluten free, paleo, keto, and added sugar free.
For a keto strawberry mousse with no sugar added, you can use a powdered monk fruit or allulose blend, erythritol, or powdered xylitol. I have not tried stevia and believe using such a small amount would result in a runnier, thinner texture.
How to make strawberry mousse
Read through the recipe instructions, and gather your ingredients.
If using the cream cheese option, let this ingredient come to room temperature so it will be easier to blend and will yield a smoother final result.
If using the coconut cream option, open the can to make sure its contents are thick and creamy, not rock solid. Every now and then, you may encounter a can with hard or flakey cream. Unfortunately, such cans will not work well to make mousse.
To make the recipe, first cut the stems off of the strawberries. Blend or mash the berries until they are fully pureed.
Add all remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth. If you are making mousse with hand beaters, look for stiff peaks to form.
A food processor, hand mixer, or a good blender will give you the fluffiest, airy strawberry mousse, because they whip air into the recipe. If you only have a fork, it can work as long as you do not mind that the texture will not be nearly as light and fluffy.
After blending the no bake recipe, transfer the strawberry cream to glasses, bowls, or cups. The mousse dessert will thicken considerably as it chills.
More serving suggestions are listed below.
Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight covered container for up to four days. While you technically can freeze the dessert, it will no longer have the best creamy texture.
Serving suggestions
This fancy homemade strawberry dessert can be served so many ways.
Layer it into parfait glasses with Coconut Whipped Cream, diced strawberries, and sponge cake, turning it into beautiful pink strawberry shortcake parfaits.
Or use a star piping tip to pipe the recipe into cups or glasses and make individual mini strawberry mousse cups, garnished with sliced strawberries and graham crackers, mini chocolate chips, or crushed Oreo cookie crumbs.
Add thick and creamy strawberry mousse filling to the centers of Oreo Cupcakes or traditional Healthy Blueberry Muffins. Or eat it right out of the bowl with a spoon.
The whipped mousse is also a wonderful frosting for brownies or a decoration on top of cakes, pies, tarts, or cheesecakes instead of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Try layering it with Homemade Nutella
Strawberry Mousse
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese or coconut cream
- 4 oz yogurt or additional cream cheese or coconut cream
- 1 cup powdered sugar or sugar free alternative
- 5 medium size strawberries
- optional 1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- If using cream cheese, let it come to room temperature. Or if using coconut cream, open the can to make sure its contents are thick and creamy. (On the rare occasion you encounter a can of coconut cream that is hard and flakey, unfortunately these cans will not work well for mousse.) Remove stems from the berries and blend or mash until pureed. Add all remaining ingredients, and blend until completely smooth, using a food processor or blender, or a hand mixer. Transfer to serving dishes, and refrigerate. The mousse will thicken considerably as it chills.View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
More Easy Mousse Recipes
Another recipe I can’t wait to try. My grocery list grows every time I read one of your posts! LOL I love all three flavors. It all depends on my mood and the weather. I tend to lean towards strawberry in summer. Vanilla is my favorite when I don’t feel well. Chocolate is good anytime, of course! Thanks Katie!
This is the EXACT recipe I used for my daughters first birthday party cupcakes! Not even kidding! I used date sugar, just a teaspoon and a tiny pinch of salt. Great minds…even though yours is consistently better LOL
I have to ask … what does one do with coconut milk that doesn’t thicken? Can you tell if it is thick before you open the can? I live in a very rural area and don’t have many options as to which brand of coconut milk I’ll buy IF I can find it. Thanks.
And congratulations on the gorgeous strawberries.
there are plenty of recipes for coconut milk…katie has “milkshake” recipes that say to use it if you want a really creamy shake, you could do that if you end up with a can that wont thicken…you could also make an icecream recipe with it, or popsicles. I made popsicles with coconut milk and cocoa with a touch of sugar, it tasted like a macaroon. the cocoa really brought out the coconut flavour
This looks so luscious! The salt brings out the sweet taste so you don’t need to add as much sweetener. It works! I do it all the time in cooking.
Most of the time, I’m a chocolate girl–all the way. However, if it’s a dish in which assorted toppings are involved (e.g., fro-yo or ice cream), I go for the vanilla 🙂
Hello Katie, i just discovered your blog yesterday and have been scouring its contents since! Since going Paleo a few months ago it’s refreshing to find a blog that has such amazing dessert recipes that are so healthy AND easy! And it’s nice to know that you can enjoy the sweeter things in life without feeling guilty 🙂 (if there’s one thing I miss, it’s having dessert after dinner). I can’t wait to try a tonne of them out in the holidays, especially the Luna Bars, they look AMAZING!
Thanks a tonne for creating such an amazing blog, I will definitely be checking up regularly to see what new recipes you have in store 🙂
This is fantastic Katie. So you grew those strawberries? That is great if so!
I will always be chocolate first, vanilla second, and strawberry last. However, I would make this in a heartbeat. 😉
I’m boring, lol… I almost aways go vanilla! Although like another poster, it’s mostly so I can go crazy with lots of toppngs, haha. I keep meaning to buy full-fat coconut milk and try the cool whip / frosting shots, but all I have on hand now is reduced fat, darn it!
I have a total brown thumb, too! And Katie, you look lovely in that picture… Congrats on the strawberries!
Hi Katie!
I’m sure you got this question before. Which brand of stevia do you use? I am living in Germany and we don’t have as many brand options as you have in the States. Also, when do you use liquid and when powdered stevia? I would like to have a recommendation and maybe order it online.
This looks amazing. Much love from germany,
Nikki
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/02/dining/02Appe.html?pagewanted=all
This article explains why it might not be as bad as was thought, but still suggests using it in moderation. The science doesn’t really seem to exist either way, as what you’d really have to wait for is studies with the health effects ( most of these articles seem to be trying to predict the effects by pointing to one or two components of the coconut).
Hi Katie! Can’t wait to try these later. I have a question, though… I’ve tried several times to make the chocolate shots, and it seems like the coconut milk NEVER gets thick enough, at least never as thick as the can in your picture. I’m using Thai Kitchen full-fat, so it’s not the brand. I leave it in the fridge overnight but it just doesn’t seem to get there. Have I just gotten multiple bad cans, or do you think there’s something else I’m missing?
One other random question: What WordPress theme do you use? I like the layout.
Thanks so much! You’re one of the people who has made going vegan a total blast! I have more fun with food and dessert now than I ever did as an omnivore. 🙂 I really appreciate everything you do!
Hugs,
Jen
Update: This time it seemed to work! Yummy. Idea for leftover, watery coconut milk: Frozen banana, a few strawberries, stevia, 1/4 cup coconut milk, and almond milk. Delicious straw-banana shake! 🙂
Oooh, why not put these frosting shots on top of your strawberry shortcake pancakes? Yum, I am going to try that…although I do prefer chocolate! Or I could just put your chocolate frosting shot on your brownie batter pancakes! The possibilities are endless!:D Thanks again, Katie!
To those of you with the problem of your coconut milk not getting thick….you need to “listen” to the dan before you buy it……pick the can up in the store and just shake gently…basically just turn it upside dow and back a couple of times…you shouldnt hear any liquid moving in the can, you know hat sloshing sound…the can should sound solid, this means the inside has already set up. Then after chilling, i always just turn the can over and open the bottom and just pour off the liquid, then your just left with the solid. Hope this helps!
Thanks so much, Susan! That was helpful. 🙂
And by dan i mean can lol
I think, vanilla? I love chocolate, but I think I left my chocoholism in my childhood days. (more for you, right?!). Anyway, this looks wonderful! And gorgeous photo with the strawbs 🙂