This light and fluffy Vanilla Bean Mousse is the easiest mousse recipe you can make. If you love homemade desserts, this deliciously light mousse has a sweet flavor. You will want to make this over and over again!
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If you love mousse, this easy Vanilla Mousse recipe is easy to make from scratch. I use vanilla bean paste, which adds a distinct, sweet vanilla flavor.
I must admit, I almost feel guilty sharing this mousse recipe with you. This creamy mousse is easy to make; it only has three simple ingredients. This thick, creamy vanilla mousse is made without eggs and is the perfect dessert for those who can’t have eggs. All you need are just a few ingredients, and you are on your way to making this easy vanilla mousse recipe! Check out all of my delicious mousse recipes.
(*This post got a huge facelift with new photos. This was an older recipe on the blog from way back in 2016. I wanted to give it a redo because my photography has improved so much from back when I was still new to blogging. I shared one of the older photos at the bottom of the post.)
Allergen Information:
This recipe is gluten-free, soy-free, egg-free, and nut-free.
You can make this mousse dairy-free by using VERY cold canned coconut cream. Don’t use regular coconut milk or low-fat coconut milk. It has to be canned coconut cream. You can learn how to use coconut cream to make whipped cream with this coconut whipped cream tutorial.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Heavy Whipping Cream – I recommend whipping cream. Half and half will not thicken. Ensure you use real whipping cream and that it is gluten-free.
- Vanilla Bean Paste – You can use real vanilla beans if you prefer. Use a sharp knife to cut down the bean pod for vanilla beans. Pull it open and scrape the seeds out of the pod.
- Powdered Sugar – Use powdered sugar and not cane sugar.
If your family loves mousse as much as mine does, try this delicious Fresh Raspberry Mousse recipe. It is hands down one of the most popular mousse recipes on my blog. This raspberry mousse makes a great cake filling between layers!
Step-By-Step Directions:
Making this French vanilla mousse without gelatin is not hard to make. Let’s walk through the simple steps. This is a beginner-level recipe.
Step 1: Pour the heavy cream into a large
Step 2: Add the 3 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste and powdered sugar and whip to blend it all together.
Step 3: Refrigerate the mousse for 2 hours until it is very cold. After it is fully chilled, use a wire whisk to whip it up.
Step 4: Make it fancy! Spoon the mousse into a piping bag with a medium star tip. Pipe the mousse into glassware, a bowl, a mug, or any fun single-serve dish. Spoon the mousse into the containers or a nice stem glass if you don’t have a piping bag and tips. You can dress this easy vanilla dessert any way you like!
🔑 Sandi says: You can also use this vanilla mousse filling for cake! Spread it on as you would frosting and build up your cake layers.
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Topping Ideas
- Dust this vanilla bean mousse with chocolate shavings.
- Top with fresh berries as I did.
- Drizzle on a dark or milk chocolate sauce.
- Add sprinkles (Check my list to ensure your sprinkles are gluten free!)
Frequently Asked Questions:
For this recipe, I didn’t want to use gelatin. The best way to thicken mousse without gelatin is to make sure your whipped cream forms stiff peaks when you whip it.
I recommend refrigerating this mousse for at least two hours. If you want it to chill faster, you can put it in the freezer for 45 minutes to one hour.
This mousse should keep fresh for up to 3 days in your refrigerator. Store it in an air-tight container so it doesn’t dry out.
If your mousse is runny, most likely, you did not whip the heavy whipping cream long enough.
If your cream is not really cold, it will not whip as well. Never try to whip room-temperature whipping cream.
How To Store Vanilla Mousse:
Store the mousse in an airtight container in your refrigerator. The mousse will stay fresh for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing this mousse.
More Gluten Free Vanilla Desserts:
- Gluten Free Vanilla Cake
- Gluten Free Vanilla Crescent Cookies
- Old Fashioned Vanilla Cream Sauce
- Easy Gluten Free Vanilla Wafers
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Light and Easy Vanilla Mousse With Vanilla Bean Paste
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whipping cream * see note
- 3 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
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Instructions
- Pour the whipping cream into a large mixing bowl. Use an electric hand mixer on high speed to beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form. This should take 4-5 minutes.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla beans. Mix on low speed for 10-15 seconds to blend them together.
- Put into a container and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Keep the mousse covered so it doesn't dry out.
- Remove the vanilla bean mousse from the refrigerator and use a whisk to rewhip it quickly. You can either spoon the mousse into glassware, or you can make it fancy and use a frosting piping bag to pipe the mousse into the glassware.
Notes
- If you don’t have a vanilla bean paste, use one vanilla bean or a teaspoon vanilla extract. If you substitute vanilla extract, ensure to use pure vanilla extract.
- Heavy cream and whipping cream are very similar, but heavy cream has a slightly higher fat content. I recommend using whipping cream for this recipe.
- If your mousse turns out runny, you probably didn’t whip the whipping cream long enough. Be sure the peaks are stiff before adding the vanilla and powdered sugar.
- You can make this mousse dairy-free by using VERY cold coconut cream. Don’t use regular coconut milk or low-fat coconut milk. It has to be canned coconut cream. You can learn how to use coconut cream to make whipped cream with this coconut whipped cream tutorial.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This mousse will keep fresh for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
lol this is just whipped cream…..
This is not in any way a mousse I’m afraid.
It is a recipe for Creme Chantilly. Otherwise known as
whipped cream
Can this mousse be frozen?
Hi Teresa, I haven’t tried freezing it. If you do, please let me know how it works.
Great looking recipe! Just wanted to add it to a cake layer, and I wondered when would I add gelatin to set it a bit more? I saw a comment about gelatin 🙂
Hi Rae, I don’t think alone this would hold up between cake layers, but I do like your idea to add a little gelatin to firm it slightly.
Hi Sandi, I was just wondering if this would be ok as a filling in a cupcake? Like would it sustain or just melt? Love the recipe!!
Hi Jess, I love this recipe too, but I don’t think it will work as a cupcake filling. I would think a frosting would hold up better.
Exactly how much powdered sugar does it need?? Tablespoons.. Cups???
Hi Gabriel, In the recipe it calls for 3 tablespoons. Thank you.
Hi Sandi, I’m a beginner with a couple of questions, in the ingredients there is no gelatin mentioned but in the comments there is a question about adding it and you say to sprinkle it into the cream so if so how much gelatin? What is a creamer? Also in the ingredients it says 3 tablespoons cups of icing sugar so which one is it?
Thankyou for posting, I’d to love to try it.
Hi Marie,
I use gelatin, but so many readers don’t like it…if you want to use it, the mousse will set a little better. 1 teaspoon.
Hi, is it just gelatin powder? Or do I have to prepare with water?
Hi Carla, thank you so much for your question. I sprinkled the gelatin into the whipped cream as I was whipping it. I hope this helps. Sandi