Truth be told, I’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth—so when it comes to gatherings, I’m usually the one bringing dessert. This Easy Strawberry Mousse has become a go-to favorite: light, creamy, and full of fresh berry flavor. It’s the kind of make-ahead treat that feels a little fancy but is surprisingly simple to whip up, making it perfect for everything from showers and potlucks to spring and summer dinners with friends.
This no bake recipe is a beautiful blend of freshly pureed strawberry for a sweet, but tart taste, paired with honey to enhance their natural sweetness. Cool Whip is the perfect addition to create a light, fluffy and creamy final product that will satisfy all the sweet teeth at your gatherings.
What is Strawberry Mousse?
Mousse is a light and airy dessert that has a dense foam-like texture. Typically, a strawberry mousse would be made with fresh fruit, sugar, heavy cream, egg whites or gelatin. We make this version with honey and icing sugar for sweetness, and xanthan gum instead of egg whites or gelatin.
Jump to:
- What is Strawberry Mousse?
- Why You Will Love Easy Strawberry Mousse Recipe
- Ingredients
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to Make Our Strawberry Mousse Recipe without Gelatin
- More Recipes You Will Love
- How to Store This Easy Strawberry Mousse Recipe
- What to Serve with Our Easy Strawberry Mousse
- Top Tip
- Frequently Asked Questions About Our Easy Strawberry Mousse Recipe
- More Recipes You Will Love
- Easy Strawberry Mousse
This Easy Strawberry Mousse recipe was inspired by my love for strawberries, and needing a lighter, guilt-free dessert option.
Why You Will Love Easy Strawberry Mousse Recipe
- Easy: It is right in the title. This is such a quick recipe to whip up and serve the next day.
- Flavorful and Fresh: It is a light and airy dessert, but full of sweet freshness.
- Minimal Ingredients: With just a few ingredients, you have a lighter dessert option.
- No Bake: Everyone loves a no bake recipe that can be prepared in advance.
Ingredients
With only five ingredients needed, convenience is one of the best parts of making the dish.
See the recipe card below for the exact quantities of each ingredient.
- Strawberries: Fresh strawberries are such a beautiful base for this delectable dessert.
- Honey: A natural sweetener to contrast the tartness of strawberry.
- Icing Sugar: An intense sweetness without adding a gritty texture.
- Xanthan Gum: A thickening agent to help set the mousse.
- Cool Whip: Creates that perfect creamy texture and add lightness to the dish.
For this recipe, you'll want to have on hand a food processor, spatula, measuring cups and spoons, medium bowl and 4-ounce serving bowls.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are some helpful ideas for you to customize this Strawberry Mousse.
- Maple Syrup: For a light caramel profile you can use this instead of honey.
- Light Corn Syrup: It might be a bit more sweet than honey but is a great substitute.
- Castor Sugar: Instead of icing sugar you can use castor sugar.
- Whipping Cream: If you prefer to make your own version of Cool Whip you can use whipping cream and some added sugar for sweetness.
- Vegan Swap: Use a coco cool whip instead of the traditional.
- Fruit Alternatives: You can mix up any fruit in this recipe but for seedier ones like raspberries and blackberries you will want to strain out the seeds first.
- Frozen Strawberries: You can use frozen, but need to thaw them fully. They may hold more water, so you may need to add extra xanthan gum at the end. Keep in mind a little goes a long way.
How to Make Our Strawberry Mousse Recipe without Gelatin
As daunting as mousse may sound to some people, trust me, it is so simple.
Puree strawberries, honey, icing sugar in a food processor (note: it will likely be a watery consistency).
Add xanthan gum and mix well until it starts to thicken up (about 1-2 minutes).
Pour into a medium bowl and add Cool Whip. Mix until combined.
Portion into 2 4-ounce glasses (or one larger glass/bowl), and chill in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight. Serve with any desired garnishes.
Hint: When incorporating your Cool Whip it is important not to over mix. Too much mixing could make the texture grainy so be gentle to keep it smooth and creamy.
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How to Store This Easy Strawberry Mousse Recipe
This recipe rarely lasts long enough to store, but here are some helpful hints if you end up with leftovers.
- Refrigerator: Place in an airtight container and store for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer: The texture of mousse can change when freezing, so I prefer to freeze it in a small freezer bag and remove as much air as possible. It keeps for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, place into your serving dish and garnish prior to eating.
- Make Ahead: As it will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days you can make ahead and take out when ready to serve. Don’t worry, it cannot overset, it will still be creamy and delicious the next few days.
What to Serve with Our Easy Strawberry Mousse
- Cookies: A crunchy shortbread cookie gives an added texture.
- Fresh Fruit: Keeping things lighter, you can serve with a platter of assorted fruits.
- Chocolate Desserts: We all love a strawberry-chocolate combo. Whether it is chocolate sauce or shavings directly on the mousse, or as a side there are many things you can try. Also, our Cookies from Devil's Food Cake Mix are a super fast, chocolatey cookie you can make to serve alongside.
- Hot Chocolate: We have two great recipes Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate or a White Chocolate Pink Recipe that you can whip up quickly.
Top Tip
Trust the process. If you are not familiar with xanthan gum, I am here to tell you that a little goes a long way. Ensure you allow your food process to run for two minutes to see the consistency before adding any additional (and if you do, small increments).
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Easy Strawberry Mousse Recipe
Do you have questions about making easy strawberry mousse?
We like to keep this recipe very simple and just cut the stems off our washed and dried strawberries. You can choose to hull them as well, but it is not necessary.
A typical mousse with gelatin can take a few hours to set, whereas with xanthan gum it does take longer. We prefer to leave it overnight in the fridge, but you can check on it after 6 hours.
The simplest way to garnish a strawberry mousse is by piping whipped cream on top. A freshly halved or chopped strawberries can be added. Some people like to use fresh mint, strawberry puree, or even chocolate drizzle.
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Easy Strawberry Mousse
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Spatula
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- 4-ounce Serving Bowls
Ingredients
- 6.5 ounces strawberries about 9
- 3 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon icing sugar
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- ¼ cup Cool Whip
Instructions
- Puree strawberries, honey, icing sugar in a food processor, it will likely be a watery consistency.
- Add xanthan gum and mix well until it starts to thicken up (about 1-2 minutes).
- Pour into a medium bowl and add Cool Whip. Mix until combined.
- Portion into 2 4-ounce glasses (or one larger glass/bowl to garnish and add additional toppings), and chill in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight.
Notes
- When incorporating your Cool Whip it is important not to over mix. Too much mixing could make the texture grainy so be gentle to keep it smooth and creamy.
- If you are not familiar with xanthan gum, a little goes a long way. If you need to add more after adequate processing time, small increments is best.
- Light Corn Syrup can be used instead of honey but it is a bit more sweet.
- Instead of icing sugar you can use castor sugar.
- If you prefer to make your own version of Cool Whip you can use whipping cream and some added sugar for sweetness.
Nutrition
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Tina says
I’ve been looking for a fresh dessert for spring and this is it! So good!
Eva Filer says
Thanks for the review, I love that it feels guilt-free!
Eva Filer says
This recipe is so light and air! Almost a guilt-free dessert.