Easy Vanilla Mousse Cups

Vanilla mousse in a glass dessert cup placed over a small white plate and topped with fresh berries.

3.77 from 13 votes

This Vanilla Mousse recipe is easy to make with a few ingredients only. The mousse is deliciously light in texture yet rich in taste and packed with fresh vanilla bean flavours. It is a great make-ahead dessert for a special occasion or a dinner party.

Prep Time30

Cook Time10

Chilling Time5

Total Time5 40

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Servings: to 6 servings

Calories: 596kcal

Author: Sylvie

Ingredients

240 ml Thickened Cream / Heavy Whipping Cream (part 1) min. 35% fat content
1 fresh Vanilla Bean Pod or 2 teaspoon vanilla paste
40 gr Caster Sugar
2 large Eggs at room temperature
8 gr (1 tablespoon) Cornstarch
360 ml Thickened Cream / Heavy Whipping Cream (part 2) min. 35% fat content

Instructions

Note: This recipe was first published in January 2023 and edited in April 2025 to address issues with the mousse not setting. The ingredients remain the same but the process has been slightly adjusted.
Pour the first part of the cream (part 1) in a large saucepan. Slice the vanilla bean in half and scrape off the seeds with a small parring knife. Put both the seeds and the remaining vanilla pod in the saucepan. Stir to combine then heat up on low heat until it starts to simmer. Once it simmers, turn off the heat, cover with a lid and set aside to infuse for 10 to 15 minutes.
In the meantime, place the sugar and eggs in a large bowl. Whisk for about a minute to combine, then mix in the cornstarch.
Remove the vanilla pod from the warm cream (see note 1) then slowly pour the cream over the egg mixture while whisking. Continue to mix until completely smooth (see note 2).
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan over low heat. Cook for about 5 or until the mixture has thickened (see note 3). Make sure to continuously stir with a heat proof spatula to insure the bottom of the cream does not over-cook and make sure not to let it boil.
Transfer the custard into a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap touching its surface and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours or until completely cool.
Pour the second part of the cream (part 2) in a large bowl (if using an electric mixer) or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium to medium-high speed until you reach stiff peaks (see note 4).
Take the chilled custard out of the fridge and lightly whisk to loosen it. Gently fold in the whipped cream in 3 or 4 times. You should get a light and fluffy mixture that is not too firm.
Gently pour into 4 to 6 (larger / smaller portions) serving cups and refrigerate for at least 3 hours - preferably overnight. Serve plain or garnish with your choice of topping once completely set.

Notes

Keep the leftover vanilla pod to make homemade vanilla extract for example.
This step is called "tempering the eggs". It allows to slowly rise the temperature of the eggs to avoid a sudden change of temperature that could make the egg curdles or burn.
The mixture should coat the back of a spoon or spatula and have reached 82 to 84 degrees Celsius (180 to 183 degrees Fahrenheit).
It is better to under-whip than over-whip the mousse here. You can stop at medium peaks if you want a lighter dessert, or continue to stiff peaks for a stiffer, more stable vanilla mousse.

Nutrition