It's the time of year with fall arriving and Thanksgiving planning around the corner. Say “pumpkin” and most people say “pie”, but pumpkin is not just for pie. Try this low-carb dessert, my creamy pumpkin mousse the whole family will love. No pie crust to deal with, just a light, airy, low carb mousse. Add this recipe to your Thanksgiving desserts menu.
I’ve made this creamy pumpkin mousse many times to the delight of family, guests and clients alike. The best thing is it can be made a day ahead (or first thing in the morning). Getting something done and off your checklist in advance is always welcome. Canned pumpkin puree makes this recipe easy. Read the can label and buy plain pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling
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Ingredients
The lightness and flavor of this pumpkin mousse is a nice alternative to traditional pumpkin pie. Since it's low-carb (low sugar), it's a keto pumpkin mousse.
- 1 packet unflavored gelatin
- Cold water
- 3 large egg yolks
- ¾ cup monk fruit blend (for low carb)
- 1 15 ounce can plain pumpkin
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 ½ cups well-chilled heavy whipping cream
- ⅛ teaspoon ground clove
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla paste
Ingredient Tips
- This recipes uses just heavy cream, no cream cheese, so it's a fluffy dessert
- Say no to Cool Whip whipped topping (ick seriously?)
- Use a pumpkin spice blend versus the combination of cinnamon, ginger and clove.
- Because I use monk fruit, it satisfies your sweet tooth without high sugar
Low Carb or Not
Using granular monk fruit keeps this low-carb and almost zero sugar. If you use natural granulated sugar, each serving will have 27 grams of sugar (27 carbs). Another option I often used is to go half and half; half monk fruit and half sugar. That comes in at about 13 grams of sugar. Here is the monk fruit blend I use.
Tools
- Electric hand mixer
- Medium bowl
- Medium size pot or pan
- Digital thermometer
- Something to serve in
- If you want to pipe it, a piping bag and start tip
Instructions
The first thing is to do what is called "bloom" the gelatin. That means soften it and make it usable. Add the gelatin powder and cold water to a medium bowl and let it stand for about 5 minutes to soften. Whisk in the yolks and monk fruit (or sugar) until pale, creamy and thick.
Place a medium saucepan with a few inches of water on the stove and bring to a simmer. Place the bowl with the egg mixture on top of the pan and whisk continually until a digital kitchen thermometer reaches 165°F. It will take a few minutes. You'll get a little arm workout. You're cooking the raw eggs so they don't scramble.
When the base is cooked, cool it down by beating with an electric mixer, about 5 minutes. Beat in the spices and pumpkin puree, then refrigerate until cold and thickened, about an hour.
Lastly, with clean beaters, whip the cream to stiff peaks with the vanilla on high speed, then fold in the pumpkin mixture by hand with a flexible spatula. It's ready to serve. See tips below for using a piping bag.
Garnish and Serve
You can serve pumpkin mousse in a variety of ways. I’ve piped it into pastry puffs, white chocolate cups, stemmed wine glasses, glass dessert dishes or individual ramekins. Garnish with a little more homemade whipped cream, a sprinkle of cinnamon, maybe gingersnap cookies or Amaretti cookie (or the crushed sprinkles of the cookies).
If you want to get fancier, make it into a pumpkin mousse trifle by layering into glasses with the crushed cookies.
How to Pipe
Mousse and other soft fillings, either sweet or savory, are easy to store and transport in a disposable piping bag. I often use a star piping tip in the size of #823 – #867. These are larger tips than what you usually find at typical stores. They can be purchased at a restaurant supply, pastry supply, or on the web for a few dollars.
Disposable 18" piping bags are available on Amazon or cooking supply stores. I use them not only for piping mousse, but deviled egg filling and even fancy mashed potatoes. They come in handy and are clean and sanitary compared to the old cloth style.
Piping Tip
At the end of dinner, place the mousse in a disposable piping bag (or do it ahead of time) with a star or plain piping tip. When you are ready for dessert, slice off the tip of the plastic bag to expose the tip, twist the top of the bag to squeeze the contents down into the tip and pipe. Being right-handed, I twist and gently squeeze with my right hand and guide the bag with my left.
More Pumpkin Recipes
Looking for more pumpkin recipes? Try this pumpkin cake, black bean pumpkin soup, or gluten-free, grain-free pumpkin tart. How about a pumpkin pie smoothie for breakfast?
📖 Recipe
The Best Creamy Pumpkin Mousse
Equipment
- Electric hand mixer
Ingredients
- 1 ½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin less than 1 envelope
- 1 ½ tablespoons cold water
- 3 large egg yolks
- ¾ cup monk fruit blend or natural sugar, or half and half
- 1 15 ounce can plain pumpkin
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 ½ cups well-chilled heavy whipping cream
- ⅛ teaspoon ground clove
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla paste
Instructions
Cook Base
- In a medium metal bowl sprinkle gelatin over cold water to soften for 1 minute. Whisk in egg yolks and sugar until smooth, then set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook egg mixture, whisking constantly, until a digital kitchen thermometer reads 165°F. Tilt bowl to facilitate easier measuring of the temperature.
Cool Base
- Remove the bowl from pan and with a hand electric mixer, beat egg mixture until cool and thickened, about 5 minutes. Mixture will be very sticky. Beat in pumpkin and spices. Chill pumpkin mixture, covered, until thickened and cool but not completely set, about 1 hour.
Combine and Finish Mousse
- In a bowl with clean beaters beat cream with vanilla until it holds stiff peaks, then gently fold into pumpkin mixture.
To Serve
- To serve spoon into stemmed glasses or small jars. Cover glasses with plastic film and chill until firmed up, about 3 hours, and up to 1 day. Before serving, garnish if desired. Ideas in post.
Optional Piping Directions
- Transfer mousse to a large disposable pastry bag fitted with a large star tip (see below) and pipe into stemmed glasses. Alternatively spoon into glasses or small bowls.
Carol says
Followup question: Assuming I need to quadruple this recipe in order to get 18 cups of final product, do you think that's a good idea or should I make 4 separate batches?
Carol
Sally says
You might be able to handle a double batch (as I have done that for larger parties) but not a quadruple batch. That's a lot at once for a home kitchen and standard size appliances. Thinking you will for sure need to use a standing mixer with a whisk attachment. You will get better consistency with two double batches. You will really need those disposable piping bags (and tips) to store, then execute to fill your phyllo cups. And the mousse can be made a day or even two ahead, stored in the bags with tips in place, ready to go, then fill your phyllo cups. It's good to make it ahead, because it sets up nicely under refrigeration. Can't wait to hear how it comes out. Any other questions, please email me!
Carol says
Thanks again, Sally. Good to know I can make the mousse ahead. Once I looked at the quantity of ingredients, I decided that a quad recipe was just asking for trouble. Glad you confirmed it. I have a standing mixer with a whisk attachment, so I'm good there.
However... I just took a closer look at the Wilton decorator tube thing I bought months ago. Nice bunch of tips... but... the cylinder only holds about a cup, so I need to hunt down some bags so I'm not endlessly filling the Wilton cylinder.
Thanks again for your help and encouragement... I'll definitely tell you how it all turned out!
Carol says
GREAT recipe! Thanks. I'm planning to pipe this into 36 phyllo cups that I'll make in a cupcake pan. Question: Do you have any idea how many cups your recipe makes?
Thanks!
Carol
Sally says
Hi Carol. Oohhh, I wish I had that note. It is a generous serving for 6, so depending on the appetites of your guests you may be able to get 8 out of the recipe, especially after a Thanksgiving dinner. Another thought. When you do your phyllo cups, try adding warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg to flavor the phyllo cups. You will have to report back how they came out!
Carol says
Oh, great idea to flavor the phyllo cups! Maybe a tiny bit of sugar, too?
Here's the "how to" I'm following for the phyllo cups: http://www.fifteenspatulas.com/homemade-phyllo-cups/
Originally, I was going to make baked phyllo cannollis, then decided that all it would take for is one person to pick up a cannolli, bite into it, and the pumpkin mousse would go shooting out the other end... splat! No good could come of that. LOL
Madonna says
Oops, I meant evaporated milk. I don't mean to sound so pedant, but I seem to need more instructions than the norm. As I said before I love your site and I in no way mean anything critical with all my questions. Everything I have made from your site has been excellent. Your family is very lucky, and now so am I.
Sally says
You're not being critical at all. You are being inquisitive and that's good. I'm always happy to help. Half and half should work fine as a sub for evap milk. Glad the recipes are working for you!
Madonna says
I think I will be having two different meals that I will have to bring dessert. I think this is my Thanksgiving dessert. Your instruction said chill mousse, uncovered, until firmed up a bit, about 3 hours, and up to 1 day (loosely cover after 3 hours). What is the purpose of leaving it uncovered? Does it not form a skin on top?
Also for pies I notice that a lot of recipes for pumpkin pie use a can of condensed milk. Can I use half and half with the same result? Although I will use canned pumpkin, I try to limit any canned ingredients.
Sally says
Hi Madonna - This is my favorite pumpkin dessert! When I recommend chilling uncovered after you have piped or spooned into the serving containers (glasses, cups, white chocolate shells, etc) it's just so you don't mess up the look. Its ok for a few hours uncovered...or you can cover it loosely with plastic film. I'll make a note in the post with a better explanation. Thanks much for asking. You are a good detail person! I am also going to test this recipe this week with a product called Healthy Top, which is a vegan replacement for whipped cream. Lower in fat and calories.
When it comes to baking a pumpkin pie and altering ingredients, that's hard to say Here is a recipe for a replacement I've been wanting to try.
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,183,151170-244199,00.html