This lemon mousse is ultra fluffy, creamy, and is tangy and zesty. The mousse has a lemon curd base for a rich lemon flavor. It holds its shape beautifully when scooped and is very stable. It has eggs in it for a rich flavor and fluffy texture - but don't worry they're cooked! I love serving a generous scoop from a large bowl, drizzled with a touch of quality extra virgin olive oil and a fresh basil leaf for garnish. It's the perfect light and refreshing finish to a festive dinner. Make it a few hours or the night before so that it has enough time to set.
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🍋 Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- Easy lemon dessert: No baking and only a few steps required for a simple lemon mousse with vibrant flavors and a fluffy, creamy texture.
- Scoopable texture: This mousse holds its shape for the perfect lemon mousse that you could serve and scoop from a large bowl onto individual serving plates. Or serve in individual serving cups.
- Fluffy and creamy: A combination of whipped cream and meringue make this mousse set up beautifully into a fluffy, tangy cloud.
- No raw eggs: The yolks get cooked in the lemon curd and the whites get cooked in the swiss meringue. This produces a more stable mousse that is safe for everyone to eat if you're worried about consuming raw eggs.
📝 Key ingredients
Read through for all the tips you will need for success!
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below.
Lemons: You'll need about two large lemons - one for the zest and the juice, and a second for just the juice.
Eggs: This recipe uses three whole eggs, separated. You'll need both the yolks and the whites so you won't have any leftovers.
Whipping cream: 35% cream, or whipping cream, adds richness to the mousse. Without the cream, the mousse doesn't hold its shape as well and is too light.
Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter - if you use salted butter, I don't recommend adding salt to the recipe.
Vanilla extract: A hint of vanilla elevates the citrus lemon flavor in the mousse.
Extra virgin olive oil (optional): If you love high quality olive oil on vanilla ice cream, this is a similar concept. It adds richness and the peppery flavor works beautifully with the creamy and tangy lemon mousse.
Basil leaves: Basil leaves are a delicious garnish for this dessert, adding freshness and playing beautifully with the lemon olive oil flavors.
👩🍳 Step by step how to make lemon mousse
Step 1: Combine the egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir together. Heat on low heat until it thickens and bubbles.
Step 2: Take it off the heat and immediately add butter, salt, and vanilla. Stir to melt and strain the lemon curd into a large serving bowl.
Step 1: Combine egg whites and sugar in a bowl that fits on top of a saucepan with simmering water. Heat to 165°F (74°C). Or, rub it between your fingers and if you don't feel any sugar grains and it feels hot then it's ready.
Step 2: Immediately whip up the meringue to stiff peaks with an electric mixer.
Step 3: Gently fold the meringue into the lemon curd.
Step 4: Whip the cream to stiff peaks in the empty bowl from the egg whites (no need to wash it).
Step 5: Gently fold the whipped cream into the mousse. Smooth the top, wipe the edges of the bowl, cover, and chill for at least two hours - or overnight.
Step 6: When ready to serve, scoop generous portions of chilled mousse onto plates, drizzle with olive oil and add a leaf of fresh basil.
✔️ Expert lemon mousse tips
- Strain the lemon curd: This removes any lumps and lemon zest in the curd, creating a super smooth lemon mousse.
- Be gentle with the mousse: Especially when you're folding in the egg whites and whipped cream. Stop folding as soon as it is incorporated.
- Use good quality extra virgin olive oil: A light drizzle of olive oil adds richness and a bit of peppery bite to an already light lemon mousse. It's the perfect balancing touch!
🥄 Make ahead and storage
This lemon mousse is great to make ahead as it needs to set and stores really well in the fridge. Make it the night before! The swiss meringue is stabilized from the cooking process so it doesn't weep and collapse in the mousse. Store the mousse in the fridge and enjoy within three days of making it.
🥚 Meringue AND whipped cream belong in mousse
Both meringue and whipped cream have their place when it comes to making a mousse. The key to a light and fluffy mousse that holds its shape is air and stabilization. Meringue incorporates the most amount of air. When you whip egg whites and sugar to stiff peaks, they increase in volume up to 8 times! Compared to whipped cream which only doubles its volume when whipped. By incorporating meringue into mousse, you get a cloud like texture that is ultra satisfying.
I did find that without the whipped cream, the mousse didn't feel luxurious or rich at all. It also was a little too soft to scoop. I tried making the mousse again and folded in some whipped cream in the end to see if it would improve and it sure did! It had a creamier mouthfeel and held its shape perfectly when scooping. The acidity in the lemon juice set the whipped cream, similar to my lemon posset recipe where lemon juice sets unwhipped cream to a pudding-like texture.
📖 Recipe FAQs
An easy way to use eggs to create a super light mousse, but not worry about the risks that come with raw eggs, is to heat the eggs up! The yolks get cooked in the lemon curd and the whites get heated and cooked in the process of making swiss meringue - which is more stable than regular meringue. This results in an even more stable mousse, a win in my books!
No, the yolks and whites are heated up to safe temperatures in this recipe. You should use a thermometer to ensure that the eggs reach 165°F (74°C). This is the temperature at which salmonella is killed.
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📖 Recipe
Lemon Mousse with Lemon Curd
Equipment
- Medium saucepan
- heatproof bowl
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs divided - yolks for the curd, whites for the meringue
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large lemons
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream chilled
- extra virgin olive oil good quality, as needed for garnish
- 6 fresh basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Combine egg yolks and ¼ cup sugar in a small saucepan and stir together until smooth. Add the grated zest from 1 lemon, and ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice. Stir together.3 large eggs, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 2 large lemons
- Heat the lemon curd on medium low heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Once it starts bubbling and thickens up, take it off the heat.
- Immediately add butter, vanilla, and salt to the hot lemon curd. Stir the curd until the butter melts and it's smooth. Strain it into a large bowl to remove the zest. Set aside to cool.⅓ cup unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Find a heat safe bowl that fits on top of a small saucepan without touching the bottom. Add water to the bottom of the saucepan and set it to simmer.
- Add egg whites and ½ cup sugar into the bowl. Stir together to combine. Place the bowl on top of the saucepan. Stir frequently. Once the sugar dissolves, use a thermometer to check the temperature of the egg whites. Once it reaches 165°F (74°C), carefully remove the bowl from the heat. If you don't have a thermometer, touch the egg whites and rub it between your fingers - it will be hot and you won't feel the sugar grains.½ cup granulated sugar, 3 large eggs
- Use an electric mixer and a whisk attachment to whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. This will take about 5 minutes.
- Fold half of the egg whites into the lemon curd, then add the other half and fold until evenly incorporated.
- Whip the heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks with a whisk attachment in the empty bowl from the egg whites (no need to wash it).½ cup heavy whipping cream
- Fold the whipping cream into the mousse mixture, being careful and stop folding as soon as it is evenly incorporated. If you overwork it, it won't set. Transfer into individual serving bowls or keep it in the large bowl.
- Smooth the top and cover. Refrigerate the mousse for at least 2 hours to set - I let it set overnight.
- When ready to serve, scoop generous portions onto plates and drizzle with a bit of high quality, extra virgin, olive oil. Top with a basil leaf (optional). Serve immediately while it's chilled.extra virgin olive oil, 6 fresh basil leaves
Notes
- Strain the lemon curd to remove the lemon zest and any lumps for a smooth mousse.
- Be gentle when folding the mousse so it doesn't deflate.
- Use good quality extra virgin olive oil for drizzling on top.
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