This lemon mousse is a wonderful combination of sweet, tart and creamy. It's incredibly easy to make, is made ahead and makes pretty individual servings. All this makes it great for entertaining, though you'd be forgiven for wanting to keep it all to yourself.

two dishes of lemon mousse with half lemon and spoons blurred in side background.

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I've always been a big fan of citrus desserts, I think maybe in part because my sweet tooth isn't THAT sweet and so I like the balance with some tartness. Plus the freshness tends to make even creamy options taste less heavy.

I know the most recent dessert I shared was lemony too, but I make no apologies for that as both my mini lemon pavlovas and this mousse are incredibly tasty. And while both involve cream and lemon curd too, they are quite different. Try them both and pick a favorite (or just enjoy both in rotation!) For now, though, let's enjoy this easy mousse.

It's only five ingredients, no gelatin and no raw egg, just creamy, tasty goodness.

overhead view of two dishes of lemon mousse topped with extra lemon curd in middle, spoons to side of dishes.

What makes something a mousse?

A mousse can be both sweet and savory and is all down to one thing: texture. The name "mousse" is French for "foam" as a mousse has a light, airy and creamy texture thanks to aeration.

This is typically done by adding whipped cream or egg white (or both). As you mix the cream/egg into the base mixture, you do so gently to keep as many of those bubbles as possible. You chill the mixture to help it set, sometimes adding gelatin to help it hold more firmly.

A mousse differs from a soufflé which also uses aeration but is instead baked so that you get a more dramatic rise. It's then served warm, while a mousse is chilled. While the exact texture can vary, mousses tend to be richer and creamier.

dish with chunks of butter, measure of cream, lemon, eggs and dish with sugar.

I for one love both, but generally mousse tends to be easier to make, and has the huge advantage of being made ahead. So it's easy to get it to work to your timeline.

Ingredients in this easy lemon mousse

This mousse is made up of essentially two components: lemon curd and whipped cream. Combined they make a fantastically easy, delicious mousse!

I highly recommend making your own lemon curd as the flavor is just so much more vibrant than almost any you would buy, so I have included a recipe for that as part of this. You can also make this ahead of when you make the rest, if that suits better. However, if you are pushed for time you could substitute with a store bought curd.

stirring mixture of egg and lemon with chunks of butter in it in bowl over water on stove.

While generally traditional French-style mousse use egg white to help give an extra-light texture, it does mean having raw egg in the end mousse and is an extra step.

You are of course welcome to whip that spare egg white you'll have from the base, and fold it into the base before adding the cream. But I honestly don't feel it's needed. It's still light and has less steps (and bowls!) made this way.

whipped cream on top of lemon curd mixture that has had a little cream mixed in with a little reserved lemon curd in dish above.

Final tips

As I say, this is pretty easy to make, but a couple things to help it come out it's best.

Make the curd first using a double boiler/bain Marie and stirring constantly. Once done, give it plenty time to chill before combining with the cream.
Strain the curd with a fine strainer to ensure you remove any lumps (well worth it, just in case!)
Use cold whipping cream, and ideally chill your bowl and beater, starting at a lower speed (to reduce spatter) and increasing as it starts to firm up.
Take care not to over-beat - you want the cream to form peaks that largely hold, but are still fluffy. If you over-beat, the texture becomes more grainy and clumpy as it starts separating.
Fold a little cream into the curd first, to help lighten the mixture, before adding the rest. Fold gently until you have no more streaks, then stop and transfer to dishes.

It might seem like a few things, but it's honestly easy once you get going!

This lemon mousse is wonderfully easy to make, with only a handful of ingredients, and the result is a deliciously sweet-tart, creamy treat that's perfect for any occasion. You might want to make extra to have on standby.

two dishes of lemon mousse with spoons behind front dish and part lemon behind.

Try these other no bake desserts:

Coffee panna cotta (perfect for coffee fans, it's smooth, creamy and delicious)
Strawberry mousse (another easy mousse variation with a lovely berry flavor)
Rhubarb fool (a British classic, with a tasty mix of sweet, tart and creamy)
Plus get more dessert recipes in the archives.

Print Recipe

Lemon mousse

This light, creamy dessert is easy to make and with a delicious citrus flavor.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

chilling time (minimum)1

Total Time20

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: British

Servings:

Calories: 473kcal

Author: Caroline

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Ingredients

For lemon curd

1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 lemon zest ie from 1 lemon
¼ cup lemon juice approximately 1 lemon (but have more as may need more)
2 tablespoon sugar or a little more, to taste
3 tablespoon unsalted butter cut into small chunks

For rest of mousse

½ cup whipping cream heavy whipping cream/double cream

Instructions

Use a bowl for the curd that will rest in a small pot/saucepan without touching the bottom of the pan, or prepare a double boiler. If using bowl and pot/saucepan, boil water in pot so that the bowl would sit in water but without it spilling water.
Beat together the egg, egg yolk, lemon juice and zest, and sugar in the bowl. until well combined - you don't want it bubbly but you want to break up the pieces of egg. Add the chunks of butter.
Rest the bowl in the pan of hot water or transfer t double boiler. Simmer over a low heat to keep the water hot but not bubbling up. Stir the lemon-butter mixture regularly as the butter melts then constantly as the mixture starts to thicken.
It's ready when the curd is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and leave a clean line when you run your finger through it, which should be around 5 minutes. Remove the lemon curd from the heat and strain into a bowl, jar or other container. Cover the top of the curd with cling wrap/film while still warm, then chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but ideally a bit longer, until it is completely cool. You can also make the curd a day or two ahead of time.
As the curd cools (or at least 30 minutes before making mousse, if curd made further ahead), also chill your bowl that you will use for the cream and chill the cream, if not already in fridge.
When ready to make mousse, whip the cream in the chilled bowl, starting at low speed and increasing to high as it starts to thicken. Whip to relatively firm peaks, but take care not to over-beat.
Place most of the lemon curd in a medium bowl, reserving a couple spoonfuls to use as part of decoration on top. Add a spoonful or two of the cream into the curd and mix it through, to loosen up the curd.
Add the rest of the cream to the curd mixture and carefully fold it in, scooping round and up from the bottom, trying to minimize the amount of air you loose. Fold until you no longer have any streaks in the mixture then transfer to individual dishes. Smooth off the tops and if storing, cover.
Chill until needed - the cooling can also help it firm up a bit more though you can serve it straight away. When serving, top with the reserved lemon curd and, if you like, some whipped cream (here I used a little extra mousse that didn't quite fit, which also works)

Notes

This makes a relatively tart curd and, in turn, mousse, so if you prefer a sweeter mousse, you might want to add a little more sugar as you make the curd. If you find the curd too tart after you have made it, the alternative is to add a little powdered/icing sugar to the cream as you whip it.

If you substitute ready-made lemon curd, you need just under ¾ cup (180ml) - note it will likely be quite a bit sweeter, and may not have as distinct a flavor, so I do recommend making the curd if at all possible.

Nutrition

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