This delicately sweet and airy Light Lemon Mousse is made without raw eggs. Made with Greek yogurt, it's a delicious gluten-free dessert, flavoured with fresh lemon juice and blueberry sauce. A perfect make-ahead dessert to end a meal at any time of the year!
Jump to:
- ❤️ Why you'll love this lemon mousse recipe
- 🛒Simple Ingredients
- 🥄 How to make the best Light Lemon Mousse
- 🔁 Ways to vary this fresh lemon mousse recipe
- Readers' Questions
- 🥄What kitchen equipment will I need to make Lemon Mousse?
- ⏲️ Can I make lemon mousse ahead of time? How long will it stay fresh?
- 🌟Did you make this recipe?
- 🗒 More delicious desserts to try
- 📖 Recipe
❤️ Why you'll love this lemon mousse recipe
- A light and fluffy dessert, perfect to end a meal at any time of year. This delightful lemon mousse is made with creamy Greek yogurt!
- Made without raw eggs. This recipe is perfect for those who want to avoid using raw eggs in their desserts. Many mousse recipes contain raw eggs. While this recipe relies on meringue for its light, fluffy texture, the egg whites are heated to 160°F. to destroy any potential bacteria, making it safe for those with compromised immune systems.
- Bright lemon flavour: It's a refreshing dessert that's bursting with bright citrus flavor, an ideal dessert to finish a heavy meal.
- It's gluten-free, so everyone can enjoy it!
- Ideal for any occasion: Baby showers, Mother's Day, Easter, summer barbecues or winter holiday parties, this fluffy lemon mousse will be a welcome dessert any time!
🛒Simple Ingredients
Here are a few notes about the key ingredients. You'll find a complete list with amounts in the recipe card below.
- gelatin: You can use either powdered gelatin or sheet gelatin.
- Greek yogurt
- heavy cream
- lemon juice from fresh lemons, freshly squeezed: Avoid bottled lemon juice in this recipe. Fresh lemon juice will make all the difference!
- lemon zest: I like to choose fresh organic lemons, especially when I'm using lemon zest.
- pure vanilla extract
- egg whites
- sugar
- cream of tartar
🥄 How to make the best Light Lemon Mousse
- Begin by making a blueberry sauce (or any berry sauce). The sauce (sometimes called a coulis) has to cool and set before adding the lemon mousse.
- Set out your dessert glasses, as you will need to fill them as soon as you've finished whipping the ingredients. (This dessert would be cute in 8-ounce Mason jars, too.)
- Pour a small amount (about 2 tablespoons) of the berry sauce into each dessert glass. Set aside or refrigerate to cool completely.
- In a small bowl, pour the 3 tablespoons of water. Sprinkle the gelatin over the top and set aside to soften. If using sheet gelatin, place it in a bowl with enough water to cover.
- In a medium bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, heavy cream, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla. Set aside.
- Separate the eggs and put the whites into a different medium bowl, one that will fit over a pot of water. (Tip: To avoid getting any yolks in the egg whites, add each egg white to a small bowl or cup before adding to the other whites. If you accidentally break a yolk, you've only ruined one egg white, not the entire bowl.) Save the egg yolks for another use.
- Set up a faux double boiler. I use a heat-proof glass bowl set over a pot of simmering water.
- Mix the egg whites with the sugar and cream of tartar in a medium glass bowl and whisk continuously over simmering water until the temperature reaches 160°F. Add the softened gelatin mixture, (or the gently wrung, softened gelatin sheets.) Transfer to the bowl of your stand mixer (or to a large bowl.) Using the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form (about 4 - 5 minutes.)
- Immediately add the yogurt-lemon mixture and beat for one more minute.
- Carefully spoon into dessert glasses on top of the blueberry or raspberry sauce. Garnish with reserved lemon zest. Refrigerate for 20 - 30 minutes to set before serving.
🔁 Ways to vary this fresh lemon mousse recipe
You can make different variations of this gluten-free lemon mousse simply by changing the type of fruit sauce you serve it with!
I've made this mousse with both raspberry sauce and blueberry sauce. The raspberry sauce was a little too tart for me. I had to double the amount of sugar to make it sweet enough to complement the lemon mousse, so blueberry sauce or cherry sauce would be my first choices.
Readers' Questions
You can use powdered gelatin (like Knox brand) or sheet gelatin.
Note that different brands of gelatin may have different "bloom" numbers. That number refers to the strength or stiffness of the gelatin. Knox gelatin, commonly used in North America, has a bloom number of 225 while "gold" sheet gelatin, commonly used in some countries in Europe is 200. In his article detailing how to use gelatin, David Leibowitz laments "Substituting sheet gelatin for powdered gelatin is perhaps the most controversial ratio known to the baking world."
There is a lot of conflicting advice about converting powdered gelatin amounts to sheet gelatin, but the amounts in this recipe are what work perfectly for me.
I have not tried this recipe with agar-agar yet.
🥄What kitchen equipment will I need to make Lemon Mousse?
Read through the recipe and get all your equipment and ingredients ready before you start.
You will need:
- a small saucepan for the blueberry or raspberry sauce
- a fine sieve
- a mini food processor or blender (optional)
- a small dish for softening the gelatin
- a cooking thermometer
- dessert glasses or 8-oz Mason jars
- 2 medium glass or heat-proof bowls, one of which fits over a medium to large saucepan (for heating the egg whites and sugar)
- a whisk
- a stand mixer, if you have one, or a large glass or metal bowl and an electric hand mixer
- a spatula
⏲️ Can I make lemon mousse ahead of time? How long will it stay fresh?
Lemon mousse will keep for a few days in the fridge, making it an excellent choice for a make-ahead dessert.
Looking for other light or lemon desserts? Try these:
- 10-minute Creamy Lemon Cherry Parfait
- 5-Minute Microwave Honey Lemon Curd
- Gluten-Free Lemon Curd Tart with Berries
🌟Did you make this recipe?
When you make this fluffy lemon mousse with Greek yogurt, please leave a comment and a star rating below. I love hearing from you! Thanks in advance. Subscribe to my newsletter and have new recipes delivered straight to your inbox.
🗒 More delicious desserts to try
- How to Make Paleo Lemon Curd
- Gluten-free Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake
- Paleo Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Coconut Butter Frosting
- Gluten-Free Dutch Apple Pie with Almond Flour Crust
📖 Recipe
Light Lemon Mousse with Greek Yogurt
Ingredients
Berry Sauce (or Coulis)
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries or blackberries
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Lemon Mousse
- 1 teaspoon gelatin (or 2 sheets)
- 3 tablespoon water
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest (reserve a little for garnish)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 egg whites
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
Berry Sauce (or Coulis)
- Combine all ingredients in a medium pot. Heat over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 8 - 10 minutes or until slightly thickened.
- Transfer to a small food processor or blender and pulse until smooth.
- Press through a fine sieve to remove seeds. Allow to cool. Refrigerate leftover sauce.
Light Lemon Mousse
- In a small dish, pour the 3 tablespoons of water. Sprinkle the gelatin over the top and set aside to soften. If using sheet gelatin, place in a bowl with enough water to cover.
- In a medium bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, heavy cream, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla. Set aside.
- Separate the eggs and put the whites into a different medium bowl, one that will fit over a pot of water
- Mix the egg whites with the sugar and cream of tartar in the medium glass bowl and whisk over, not in, simmering water until the temperature reaches 160°F. Add the softened gelatin powder mixture (or gently wrung-out gelatin sheets.)
- Transfer to the bowl of your stand mixer (or to a large bowl.) Using the wire whip attachment, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form (about 4 - 5 minutes.)
- Immediately add the yogurt-lemon mixture and beat for one more minute.
- Carefully spoon into dessert glasses on top of the blueberry or raspberry sauce. Garnish with reserved lemon zest. Refrigerate for at least 20 - 30 minutes to set before serving.
Valerie
Can you make day in advance
Flavour & Savour
Yes, Valerie, you can make it ahead of time. It will last a few days in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
kathi @ laughingspatula
This looks yummy AND figure friendly...yes!