Strawberry Mousse

A little while back I was tasked with bringing desserts to a Minifest at 2 KetoDude Carl Franklin’s home. I decided to make individual Strawberry Surprise Crumbles and Cappuccino Mousses. It just so happens that the frozen strawberries were heavily discounted when I went to get all the things I needed from the grocery store, so I hauled quite a load off to my freezer. Consequently I have been inventing all manner of strawberry things because every time I open the freezer they’re all waving at me. First up is Strawberry Mousse. The Cappuccino Mousse was such a huge hit at Cousin Carl’s house I decided a fruity mousse was necessary, too.

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Frozen strawberries are an entirely different beast to fresh strawberries. The flavor is different, the texture, even the color. I made this Strawberry Mousse specifically with frozen strawberries and I would recommend that you do, too. Having a stash of frozen strawberries on hand is always a good idea. I love to eat berries year round, but flying them in from goodness-knows-where and paying the price for that tugs at my sense of frugality, especially when you can get frozen strawberries so cheaply. Whenever I see frozen strawberries on sale I stock up. And leave the fresh strawberries for summer when they cheap, plentiful and local. I do love fresh strawberries. Frozen Strawberries make this mousse quite fantastic though.

As a full-size dessert this Strawberry Mousse be a lovely way to end dinner. It’s light enough after a slap-up celebration meal, but also swanky enough to make your friends think you spent hours working on it, especially if you break out the fancy dishes and take a few minutes to pretty it up with some extra strawberries. At the same time, it’s simple and easy to make, and can be made ahead so you don’t have a time crunch on the day. If you’re making it ahead I would spoon the mousse into the glasses and cover with plastic wrap, leaving the garnish for the last minute before you bring them to the table.

Aside from fancy dinners, these would be awesome made into little individual fat bombs if you just like or need a little something at the end of your evening meal. Spoon the Strawberry Mousse into small silicone molds or spoon or pipe into small ramekin-style dishes. For dishes, cover with plastic wrap before putting in the fridge. For the silicon molds, freeze them unto solid, then remove from the molds and place in an airtight container in the fridge. You could also keep them in the freezer if you are not going to eat them up in 4 or 5 days. Another every day option would be to spoon the mousse into baby Mason Jars or  baby Pyrex (so adorable!) and just whip one out every day or grab one as you pass the fridge on the way to work.

However you decide to serve your Strawberry Mousse, you really need to make some. I’ll let you get on with it.

Strawberry Mousse

Author: Carrie Brown | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 0 mins | Total time: 15 mins + 4 hours setting | Serves: 4 – 6

What You Need

• ¼ cup / 2 fl oz. cold water
• 1 TBSP gelatin
• 4 oz / 110g cream cheese
• 1 cup / 8 fl oz. Greek yogurt
• 6 oz / 170g frozen strawberries, thawed (+ a couple ounces extra if you want to use some for topping as I have in these pictures)
• large pinch salt
• 1 ¼ oz / 35g allulose OR 1 oz / 30g xylitol or erythritol
• 1 cup / 8 fl oz. heavy cream

What You Do

1. Put the cold water in a small dish and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the surface. Allow to stand for at least 5 minutes.
2. Place the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, thawed strawberries, salt and allulose in a large mixing bowl and beat well with a hand mixer (or in a stand mixer) until completely blended together.
3. Gently melt the gelatin in the microwave for about 30 seconds or place the soaked gelatin in a small pan and warm gently until melted. Do NOT boil.
4. Pour the gelatin carefully into the strawberry mixture and beat well.
5. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until firm peaks form.
6. Spoon by spoon carefully fold the whipped cream into  the strawberry mixture until fully incorporated.
7. Spoon into individual glasses or dishes, or pour into a large serving bowl.
8. Place int he fridge for at least 4 hours before serving to allow it to set to the right consistency.

Top Recipe Tips

• The wider the dish you use for the water is, the easier it will be to sprinkle the gelatin evenly over it.
• When choosing which cream cheese and yogurt to buy always read and compare the ingredients lists on the labels.
• Leave your cream cheese out the night before you make this as it will be much easier to mix if at room temperature.
• You can vary the fat amount in the recipe to suit your goals by varying the fat % in the Greek yogurt you buy.
• You will not get the same result if you use fresh strawberries. I recommend you stick to frozen.
• The allulose (or xylitol or erythritol) is there just to sweeten, so you can add more or less to your taste and not affect the consistency or texture.
• Do not over-whip the heavy cream or you will end up with butter. Which isn’t a disaster by any means. Unless you then have to go out to get more cream for the mousse.
• Folding is the act of gently turning the mixtures over each other until incorporated. Folding ensures you do not knock all the air out of the cream that you just spent time whipping into it.

• Check out the Ingredients Guide for information on ingredients.
• Where Are The Macros and Nutritional Info?

Helpful Cooking and Recipe Links

• More mousse recipes
• Come laugh and learn with us over at The Kitchen Podcast
• Come hang out in The Keto Kitchen Facebook Group
• For lots more great recipes check out our scrumptious cookbooks!
• Check out the categories and tags at the bottom of the post to help you find more recipes using certain ingredients or from certain categories.

Podcast Episodes and You Tube Videos

• How and Why to Measure Food
• Where Are The Macros and Nutritional Info?
• Keto / Low Carb Treats: should you eat them? Hear what Dr. Ken Berry and I have to say about it!

Substitutions

• Don’t. Just buy the correct ingredients and you, too, shall have a fabulous outcome!
• Xylitol and allulose are the sweeteners I recommend because they work very well. I also recommend erythritol if allulose or xylitol give you issues, but erythritol can be tricky to use successfully. You can use any other sweetener you like, but I cannot guarantee the results if you choose to use something different. In low carb and keto baking sweeteners are generally not interchangeable if you want great results.
• The alternative to gelatin is agar agar.
• Sub thick coconut milk for heavy cream, Kite Hill cream cheese for cream cheese, and Kite Hill yogurt for Greek yogurt. The flavor of the mousse will be materially different.