Easy & Light Mascarpone Mousse (for Mascarpone Lovers)

This mascarpone mousse is for mascarpone lovers! And it is super easy to make too.

With just a few strokes of a whisk, you'll get a luxurious make-ahead dessert that comes together with only 5 simple ingredients.

This light and creamy mousse is flavored with a hint of vanilla and then topped with a thin coat of cacao powder and fresh berries—gluten-free, sugar-free, and a great low-carb option.

I have a long history with mascarpone cheese. Childhood celebrations were filled with Tiramisu, Panna Cotta, mascarpone cream, or mascarpone cheesecakes—no complaints here.

This one is another old family favorite where the dessert-making process is more simplified than a Panna Cotta, and the mascarpone cheese is turned into a very light and soft mousse.

It's a perfect simple indulgence to treat yourself or for small celebrations.

Jump to:

• Why you'll love this luxurious make-ahead dessert
• Ingredients
• Notes on how to make mascarpone mousse
• How to bloom gelatin
• Helpful tips on beating egg whites to stiff peaks
• Notes on egg yolk mixture
• How to incorporate Mascarpone cheese
• Putting it all together
• Storage
• More mascarpone or ricotta desserts you should try
• Other unique mousse desserts you might like
• 📖 Recipe

Why you'll love this luxurious make-ahead dessert

• Mascarpone cheese just gives every dessert a more luxurious touch.
• This vanilla mascarpone mousse is creamy, silky, and not overly sweet.
• You can whip it up in 15 minutes.
• Then simply chill for at least 5 hours in the fridge or overnight.
• It's an easy and great make-ahead dessert.
• It presents beautifully when divided among ramekins or lovely small glasses and topped with cacao powder and berries.

Ingredients

There are only 5 simple ingredients, plus the garnishes.

Mascarpone cheese: You only need one container. I usually grab the one from BelGioioso, but I have also used other brands. You'll find mascarpone typically in the deli or specialty cheese section.

Gelatin sheets: a few gelatin sheets will give a bit of body to this light-as-air mascarpone mousse. I prefer using sheets over gelatin powder because it's so much easier to use and adds a very clean tasteless staying power. Use gold or platinum sheets for a decent bloom strength and a slightly firming result.

Eggs: Take the eggs out of the fridge for about 20 to 30 minutes or so before embarking on this recipe. At room temperature, the egg yolks will mix more evenly with the rest of the ingredients.

Vanilla extract adds a subtle touch of flavor that works well in this mascarpone mousse, especially when topped with cacao powder.

Confectioners sweetener: I use Swerve, a sugar replacement, but you can substitute this with the same amount of regular powdered sugar.

Garnishes: I highly recommend cacao powder, blackberries or fresh raspberries, and (chocolate) mint.

Notes on how to make mascarpone mousse

• The full recipe below follows a certain order to make this mascarpone mousse recipe in less time and for every step to flow smoothly together.

• But I'll dive deep here into a few steps, from how to bloom gelatin, tips on making stiff peaks from egg whites, what to do with egg yolks, how to incorporate the mascarpone cheese, and how to put it all together.

• I suggest glancing over these notes before making this easy mascarpone mousse.

How to bloom gelatin

It's easy to work with gelatin sheets to give this easy mascarpone recipe a bit of body. But here are a few steps and notes that will be helpful.

• Soak the gelatin sheets in water for 5 minutes to soften them.
• Use cold water to prevent them from dissolving.
• Submerge each sheet one at a time into the water to ensure all sides get properly hydrated.
• If you submerge them all at once, they might stick together and not get fully hydrated.
• Once spongy, gently squeeze the leaves to remove any excess water (discard water).
• Place the softened sheets in a small saucepan with the vanilla extract over the lowest heat setting.
• Then continuously stir for about 30 seconds only or just enough for the sheets to dissolve, and you get this brown-vanilla-like liquid.
• Ensure the gelatin sheets do not warm up too much, just enough to dissolve.
• Then immediately remove the saucepan from the stove.
• This avoids gelatin clumps once your process it into the mascarpone mixture.
• Melt the spongy gelatin sheets right before it goes into the mascarpone mix.

Helpful tips on beating egg whites to stiff peaks

• Ensure your eggs have come to room temperature first before separating the egg yolk from the egg whites.
• I usually remove them from the fridge and let them rest on the kitchen counter for about 30 minutes— it helps beat egg whites properly to stiff peaks.
• You can either use a stand mixer or an electronic hand mixer with a whisk attachment.
• Beat your egg whites until stiff, meaning until peaks stand straight up when you lift your beater from the mixture (about 5 minutes on medium speed).
• But, yes, believe it or not, I've made this recipe many times, beating the egg whites by hand by whisking vigorously back and forward in a stainless steel bowl. It just might take you 5 minutes or so.
• The key to a stable white foam with beautiful peaks is to use either a glass or metal bowl and wipe it thoroughly clean first.
• Because any dust, wet, or fatty particles in it will prevent the egg whites from stiffening.

Notes on egg yolk mixture

• Another advantage of having your eggs come to room temperature is beautiful and workable egg yolks.
• They will mix so much better with the rest of the ingredients.
• I've incorporated the confectioner sugar into these yolks in the picture below.

How to incorporate Mascarpone cheese

• I also let the mascarpone rest on the kitchen counter for about 20 minutes before making the mascarpone mousse.
• Because you're whisking the mascarpone into the egg yolk by hand, it will be much easier to get a smooth consistency quickly when at room temperature.
• Gently whisk—no vigorous movements here—until well combined.

Putting it all together

• When it's time to incorporate the prepared gelatin, go slowly.
• Work in TINY batches.
• Whisk in each batch of the gelatin-vanilla liquid gently until completely dissolved into the mascarpone mix before adding the next batch.
• Don't rush this and work in batches because the gelatin can otherwise easily clump.

• Then gently fold the stiffed egg whites into the mascarpone mix until well combined.
• The mixture should become airy.

• Divide the mascarpone mixture equally into 6 ramekins or glasses.
• Chill in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours or overnight.

• This mascarpone mousse will not be wobbly like a Panna Cotta.
• But rather smooth, light, and airy.

• When ready to serve, coat with cacao powder.
• Then garnish with (black)berries and some chocolate mint (optional).

Storage

• Cover the mousse with a plastic wrap or ramekin cover.
• Keep chilled in the fridge until ready to eat.
• Keeps well for about 4 to 5 days

More mascarpone or ricotta desserts you should try

Other unique mousse desserts you might like

• Chocolate coffee mousse
• Chocolate peanut butter avocado mousse
• Low-carb vegan cheesecake in a cup

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Have questions? Simply comment below or message me. If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and a starred review below. Thank you!

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📖 Recipe