This Easy Strawberry Mousse Cups recipe is topped with a homemade Strawberry Compote. It is a deliciously light, fresh and creamy dessert that is perfect on a hot Summer day, to serve at a dinner party or for Valentine's Day!
Why we love this recipe
There is nothing more fresh, creamy and delicious than a light fruit mousse in Summer! This simple strawberry mousse recipe is topped with a simple homemade strawberry compote and is perfect for so many occasion - especially when you are craving the delicious flavours of sweet strawberries!
We love this recipe because:
- It is an eggless mousse recipe. It uses a combination of whipped cream and a little bit of gelatin instead of egg whites.
- The dessert is no bake and can be prepared in advance. It has a lightly set texture but is still super soft and creamy.
- It is made with 5 ingredients (plus the compote) only and easy to prepare.
- It can be made with frozen strawberries so you can enjoy this dessert all year round, just like this Strawberry Panna Cotta!
- The mousse is relatively low in sugar, packed with fresh fruit flavours!
More Mousse Recipes:
Ingredients
The mousse part of the dessert is made with 5 simple ingredients (scroll down to recipe card for all quantities):
- Strawberries: you can use fresh or frozen strawberries here. Try to go for ripe, naturally sweet fruits that have lots of flavours.
If using frozen strawberries, make sure they are fully thawed and drain to avoid adding unnecessary water into the mousse.
- Sugar: Caster Sugar (fine white granulated sugar). This recipe will work with a liquid sweetener substitute like maple syrup, but you may have to add a little bit more gelatin to set the more liquid mousse.
- Vanilla: I used Vanilla Paste for the best flavours but Vanilla Extract will work too.
- Gelatin Powder: unflavoured and with a little bit of very cold water (check your gelatin packet for water content required). I use about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoon of cold water.
You can use Gelatine Sheets instead - about 1 1/2 sheets rehydrated in cold water and well drained.
- Cream: Heavy / Thickened Cream - or Heavy Whipping Cream. Make sure the cream you use contains at least 30% fat content or it will not whip or stay stable. A Dairy-Free Cream alternative can be used as long as you can whip it into stiff peaks.
The Strawberry Compote topping is simply made with Strawberries (Fresh or Frozen), a little bit of Caster Sugar, Vanilla and Lemon Juice.
How to make Strawberry Mousse
There are three main steps required to make this strawberry dessert: make the strawberry puree, add the gelatin then chill and lastly fold in the whipped cream and chill again.
- Photo 1: Wash, hull then blend the strawberries until very smooth. You can use a blender or an immersion blender.
If using frozen strawberries, make sure they are fully thawed and very well drained first.
- Photo 2: Place a thin mesh sieve over a small saucepan and pour the blended strawberries over it. Press the fruit through and discard any seeds or larger chunks.
If the puree does not seem to sieve through the mesh, you might need to blend it a little bit more.
- Photo 3: Add the Sugar and Vanilla. Whisk in, then turn on low heat and bring to a simmer.
- Photo 4: While the strawberry puree is heating up, prepare the gelatin. Place the gelatin powder in a small bowl with a little bit of very cold water. Stir then set aside for a couple of minutes until it solidifies and resembles a thick paste.
Check your gelatin packet for the required water content to dissolve the powder as it could vary. I used about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoon of water (very cold).
- Photo 5: Once the strawberry puree starts to simmer, remove it from the stove and add the rehydrated gelatin mixture.
Note that the strawberry puree does not need to boil; it just needs to be hot enough to dissolve and activate the gelatin.
- Photo 6: Whisk well until all the gelatin paste has dissolved.
- Photo 7: Transfer into a clean bowl or shallow pan like a brownie pan. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface of the strawberry mixture and place in the fridge to cool down for 30 minutes to 1 hour (more or less depending on how deep your container is).
If you try to fold in the whipped cream while the strawberry mixture is still hot, it will melt it. If the strawberry mixture has started to set when you take it out of the fridge, simply whisk it vigorously to loosen it.
- Photo 8: Place the cold Heavy Cream (thickened cream) in the bowl of your stand mixer (or large bowl if using a hand mixer) and whisk on medium speed. Slowly increase the speed until stiff peaks form.
Be careful when whipping the cream towards the end - it could over-whip quickly and turn grainy.
- Photo 9: Gently fold in the whipped cream a little bit at the time, in three or four times.
- Photo 10 & 11: Use a silicone spatula to delicately fold the whipped cream into the strawberry mixture, trying not to deflate the whipped cream.
The strawberry mousse will look very liquid and soft at this point - that is normal!
- Photo 12: Pour the creamy dessert into the serving cups then place in the fridge to set for at least 2 to 3 hours - or preferably overnight.
- Once the strawberry desserts have set, top it with the Strawberry Compote (or your choice of topping) and finish with fresh strawberries. You could also garnish the dessert with a sprinkle of desiccated coconut or some fresh mint leaves.
Recipe FAQs
Yes - simply make sure they are fully thawed and very well drained to avoid adding unnecessary water / liquid to the strawberry puree.
This recipe will work with no gelatin, but the mousse will not be as stiff or stable without it. It will have a very soft and creamy texture instead.
I do not recommend using this mousse as a cake filling or as frosting as it is still quite light and soft and will not be able to hold the weight of a cake above it.
I topped the dessert with a simple Strawberry Compote, but you could also finish it with a Strawberry Coulis, some fresh Berries or a dollop of whipped cream. I used a strawberry sliced in half as a garnish.
Tips for Success
- For more texture in the mousse, you can keep small chunks of strawberries when you blend them and skip sieving it.
- Adjust the quantity of gelatin to create your perfect texture. This mousse uses a small amount of gelatin just to help it set but still remains relatively light and soft. For a more stable, set mousse, you can increase the quantity of gelatin powder slightly.
- Don't worry if the mousse seems to be too runny just after folding in the whipped cream. It requires a few hours in the fridge to set both the gelatin and the whipped cream. If you can prepare it in advance and leave it in the fridge overnight, that is even better!
Storing & Freezing
The strawberry mousses are best eaten within 2 days and should be kept in the fridge. They can be prepared in advance; it is even recommended to let them set overnight. Add the toppings before serving.
Can you freeze fruit mousse? No, it is not recommended to freeze this strawberry mousse. You would get a very watery texture when thawed.
More Fruit Desserts
Made this recipe? Let us know if you liked it by leaving a comment and rating below! And don't forget to share your creation on Instagram with the hashtag #abakingjourney and tag @a.baking.journey
Easy Strawberry Mousse
Ingredients
Strawberry Mousse
- 500 gr (1.1 lbs) Strawberries - fresh or frozen
- 50 gr (1/4 cup) Caster Sugar - or fine white granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Paste - or extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Gelatin Powder - plus a little bit of cold water
- 250 ml (1 cup) Heavy / Thickened Cream - or heavy whipping cream
Strawberry Compote Topping
- 250 gr (0.5 lbs) Strawberries - fresh or frozen
- 30 gr (2 1/2 tablespoons) Caster Sugar - or fine white granulated sugar
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Disclaimer
I highly recommend using the measurements in grams & ml (instead of cups & spoons) for more accuracy and better results.
Instructions
Strawberry Mousse
- Wash, hull then blend the strawberries until very smooth (see note 1 if using frozen strawberries). Place a thin mesh sieve over a small saucepan and pour the blended strawberries over it. Press the fruit through and discard any seeds or larger chunks (see note 2).
- Add the Sugar and Vanilla. Whisk then turn on low heat and bring to a simmer.
- While the strawberry puree is heating up, place the gelatin powder in a small bowl with a little bit of very cold water (see note 3). Stir then set aside for a couple of minutes until it solidifies and resembles a thick paste.
- Remove the saucepan from the stove when it starts to simmer and whisk in the gelatin mixture until completely dissolved.
- Transfer into a clean bowl or shallow pan and cover with plastic wrap touching the surface. Place in the fridge to cool down for 30 minutes to 1 hour (see note 4).
- In the bowl of your mixer (or large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer), whip your heavy / thickened Cream until you reach stiff peaks.
- Very gently fold the whipped cream into the strawberry mixture in three or four times with a silicone spatula.
- Pour the mousse into the serving cups then place in the fridge to set for at least 2 to 3 hours - or preferably overnight.
Strawberry Compote
- Wash, hull and cut the strawberry in half. Place them in a small saucepan along with the Sugar, Lemon Juice and Vanilla.
- Turn on low to medium heat and leave to simmer until the fruits have softened and the liquid starts to thicken - about 10 to 20 minutes depending on how soft the fruits are.
- Leave to cool down slightly then transfer into a clean jar and place in the fridge to chill for 1 hour.
- When chilled, pour over the set strawberry mousses (preferably just before serving) and garnish with a fresh strawberry.
Notes
- If using frozen strawberries, make sure they are fully thawed and very well drained before blending them.
- You could also blend the strawberry a little bit less and keep some small chunks of strawberries (without sieving them) if you want a mousse with a little bit more texture.
- Check your gelatin packet for the required water content to dissolve the powder as it could vary. I used about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoon of very cold water. Avoid adding too much water if not required.
- The time could vary depending on how deep your container is. The strawberry mixture does not need to be very cool, but it shouldn't be more than room temperature. If the strawberry mixture has started to set when you take it out of the fridge (too cold), simply whisk it vigorously to loosen it.
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