This recipe for Pumpkin Mousse is creamy, festive and incredibly delicious. This fun, layered dessert is full of pumpkin spice and all the Fall flavours! It’ll surely impress the entire crowd!
Looking for the perfect Fall dessert that absolutely everyone will rave about? Something a little different from the usual but still festive AF? Can’t get enough pumpkin spice? Well, it looks like this recipe for pumpkin mousse was made just for you! It’s light, perfectly creamy and incredibly delicious. It’s super easy to make (the hardest part is the time it takes for it to chill in the fridge!) and has just the right amount of crunch thanks to the chopped pecans on top. And the best part about this pumpkin mousse is that it’s Keto Friendly! So yes, my Low Carb friends, grab a spoon, you can enjoy some of this pumpkin spiced goodness, too!
While I’ll never turn down a pumpkin spiced cookie or muffin, sometimes, I’m just looking for something a little different from the norm. Something a little on the lighter side, a little more fun to eat or serve and something I can just predict will be a hit with the entire crowd. I like recipes that make it seem like you’re this genius kitchen whiz who slaved in the kitchen for hours to produce the most amazing recipe – or, in this case, dessert. But yet, you, and only you, know just how easy (and fun!) it was to make. This recipe for pumpkin mousse is exactly that.
Upon first glance, you’ll see velvety, smooth alternating layers of pumpkin spiced mousse and whipped cream. As if that doesn’t sound good enough, you’ll see the chopped pecans that although simple, add the perfect crunch to this light and festive dessert. When you manage to get a spoonful of all three components, I don’t think you’ll have another Fall where you don’t count on this dessert to put you in the spirit. I meannnn, can we even call it no bake pumpkin cheesecake in a jar? Cause, dang, that’s exactly what it tastes like. Without all the fuss. And hassel. And no signs of hard work. Count. me. in. For every Fall. From here on out. Seriously.
INGREDIENTS FOR PUMPKIN MOUSSE
With only 6 simple ingredients, this recipe for pumpkin mousse is a quick to whip up Fall favourite!
- Pumpkin Purée: Where the pumpkin flavour comes from. It’s moisture keeps this dessert light, refreshing and delicious. To save on time and for convenience, I used canned pumpkin purée. But, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can always try making your own purée from fresh pumpkins yourself at home. PRO TIP: Make sure you’re reaching for pure pumpkin purée at the grocery store and not pumpkin pie filling. They’re not the same thing and using the latter will throw off your mousse!
- Pumpkin Spice: Adds the perfect blend of warm fall spices to this no bake dessert. Generally speaking, pumpkin spice is a combination of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger and allspice. Of course, we make our own at home (in less than 5 minutes!) but you can always use the store bought version, if you prefer.
- Sweetener: For added sweetness, of course! Since this is a Keto Friendly dessert, I used erythritol but any keto friendly sweetener will do. Monk fruit and stevia are always good options. However, if not following a Keto Diet, feel free to use regular sugar instead, if you prefer.
- Cream Cheese: The thick but creamy base for the mousse. Pairs incredibly well with the rest of the ingredients and truly makes this the perfect Keto friendly pumpkin flavoured dessert.
- Heavy Cream: Adds structure and texture to this recipe for pumpkin mousse. It makes it light and fluffy because when blended, heavy cream turns into whipped cream! And I meannnnn…what’s a dessert without a little bit of whipped cream?! Recipe Note: We use heavy cream twice in this recipe because honestly, as I was assembling the jars, I thought they would look extra cute layered and topped with whipped cream instead of just chopped pecans. So I went ahead and made a pumpkin spiced whipped cream to do exactly that. Double whammy for you as the instructions for how to do the homemade pumpkin spiced whipped cream is also in the recipe card down below 😉 While the homemade whipped cream is of course optional, it’s highly recommended! If you’re in a time crunch, you can always fold in some pumpkin spice and vanilla extract into store bought whipped cream or cool whip instead.
- Vanilla Extract: For an extra touch of sweetness and amplifies the flavours of the rest of the dessert.
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE FOR PUMPKIN MOUSSE (KEY TIPS)
- Start with a cold bowl and whisk. Whether you’re using a stand up mixer, electric hand mixer or standard hand whisk, make sure you put the whisk in the freezer along with the bowl you’re going to do the whisking in. Chilling the bowl and whisk for at least 20 minutes makes the process of turning the heavy cream into whipped cream much quicker and more efficient.
- Make sure the rest of your ingredients are cold, too! Unlike other classic desserts or baking recipes, we want to use cold ingredients here. We want the pumpkin mousse to be able to hold it’s shape and structure, especially while assembling it. EXTRA TIP: The cold cream cheese might clump up a bit when mixed with the rest of the ingredients. Don’t worry about getting it totally smooth before folding it into the whipped cream. The little pockets of cream cheese throughout the mousse are actually delicious!
- Be patient when whisking the heavy cream to make whipped cream. If you have a stand up mixer, that’ll probably be your best bet if you’re into doing the least amount of work. However, an electric mixer or even a handheld whisk will get the job done also. You just gotta be extttttra patient. It WILL feel like it’s taking forever and that those stiff peaks will never form. But trust me, they will.
- On the other hand, be careful not to over whisk the heavy cream when making the whipped cream. Too much whisking allows the air to escape and will cause the stability of the foam to break down and leave you with a watery mess instead of whipped cream.
- Allow the pumpkin mousse to chill for at least 4 hours (but up to overnight) before trying to assemble or eat. It’ll firm up a bit and “set” the longer it sits in the fridge. If you try and eat it too soon, it won’t have the right consistency. It’ll be watery and won’t be able to hold it’s shape.
- Work quickly while assembling your dessert. While the layering and beautifying of these desserts are totally optional (it’ll still taste amazing just thrown in a bowl…eh), if you do choose to make them look pretty, just work quickly doing so. The whipped cream and pumpkin mixture will begin to soften/melt the longer they sit at room temperature.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
I love assembling my mousse right in small mason jars with tight fitting lids. That way, I can just tighten the lid and pop them in the fridge! However, if you don’t want to assemble the mousse into jars, store it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge. Either way, the refrigerated mousse will be good for up to 5 days. If making the homemade pumpkin spiced whipped cream as well, store them in separate airtight containers, then pair when ready to eat.
Yes! You can absolutely freeze pumpkin mousse! I would recommend only freezing the mousse part and making the homemade pumpkin spiced whipped cream fresh on the day you want to eat it. Simply thaw the mousse in the fridge overnight when ready to eat. It’ll last in the freezer for up to two months.
This keto friendly pumpkin mousse has about 2.8 net grams of carbs per serving. Serving size = 1 (8 oz.) mason jar with all the fixin’s (pumpkin mousse, homemade whipped cream and chopped pecans).
RECIPE FOR PUMPKIN MOUSSE
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Mousse
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 5 OZ Cream Cheese
- 1/2 cup Pumpkin Purée NOT pumpkin pie filling
- 4 tbsp Sweetener
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Pumpkin Spice
- 1/4 cup Chopped Pecans optional, for garnish
For the Homemade Pumpkin Spiced Whipped Cream
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Pumpkin Spice
Instructions
- Put the bowl and whisk in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.
- When ready to begin, take the tools out of the freezer. Add the heavy cream to the cold bowl.
- Using the cold whisk, whisk the heavy cream on medium speed for a few minutes until stiff peaks form. It might seem like it’s taking forever but trust me, those peaks will form! Careful not to over whisk, though, or air will break down the solid structure of the foam and you’ll get a watery mess instead of whipped cream! Put it in the fridge until ready to use.
- In a separate bowl, add the cream cheese, pumpkin purée, vanilla extract, pumpkin spice and sweetener and beat until smooth. Don’t worry if it’s not completely smooth as the cold cream cheese makes this a little challenging to achieve.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in half the pumpkin mixture into the whipped cream. Add the remaining pumpkin mixture and fold to incorporate it all into the whipping cream. Cover with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to chill and firm up/set – minimum 4 hours but up to overnight.
- To make the homemade pumpkin spiced whipped cream for layering and topping: You’re basically going to repeat step 3 but add pumpkin spice and vanilla extract to the cream before whisking. Transfer the cream to a piping bag (or just cut a hole in a ziploc bag) for easy piping when time to assemble the dessert. Keep it in the fridge until ready to use*
- To assemble: If all you care about is eating this glorious mousse (and I don’t blame you) then simply put some mousse in a bowl, topped with the homemade whipped cream and some chopped pecans, if desired, then devour. If you want to make them all cute and pretty, alternate layers of mousse and whipped in either a bowl or a jar. Top it with chopped pecans and of course, serve cold! Either way, enjoy!
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Notes
Nutrition
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