Whip up this impossibly light and fluffy lemon mousse recipe at home in minutes, with just four ingredients!
Easy lemon mousse recipe
If you are looking for a light dessert to serve at a dinner party or spring or summer picnic, this healthy lemon recipe perfectly fits the bill.
Guests will think you spent hours in the kitchen, but the recipe surprisingly comes together in just about five minutes. It is pretty much foolproof!
Readers also love this Banana Ice Cream
Lemon mousse ingredients
You only need three or four ingredients to make lemon mousse without gelatin: the zest and juice of one fresh lemon, cream cheese or coconut cream, plain yogurt or additional coconut cream, and sweetener of choice.
It may seem like a small amount, but do not omit the lemon zest. This is what gives the mousse its classic lemon flavor, so be sure to include it.
The healthy lemon mousse is made with no lemon curd and no heavy cream. It can also be keto friendly and sugar free if you use erythritol, liquid or powdered stevia, or your favorite low carb or low calorie sweetener of choice.
Look for full fat coconut cream or cream cheese. For vegan lemon mousse, simply use your favorite nondairy yogurt and vegan cream cheese or the coconut option.
The recipe can also be gluten free, no bake, and paleo, with no oven or stove required.
Still craving lemon? Try these Keto Lemon Bars
How to make a lemon dessert without eggs
Begin by reading through the recipe and gathering all of the ingredients.
If you are going with the cream cheese mousse version, bring the cream cheese to room temperature. Mix everything until smooth.
Using a food processor, hand beaters, or a blender will yield the fluffiest results, because they allow you to whip air into the mousse. However, if you only have a fork, it still technically works. The texture will not be the same, but it still tastes good!
As there are no eggs in the mousse with lemons, it does not need to be baked or heated on the stove. Simply transfer the filling to glasses or bowls of choice, and enjoy. See below for serving suggestions.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight covered container for three to four days.
This week’s trending recipe: Healthy Blueberry Muffins
How to serve lemon mousse
Serve it in parfait glasses, layered with graham cracker crumbs
Or in bowls with blueberries and Coconut Whipped Cream
Try it with fresh mint and thinly sliced lemon on top
Or as a whipped frosting for vanilla cake or lemon cupcakes
The lemon mousse is also wonderful when paired with raspberries, blackberries, or crushed pistachios or with ladyfingers as part of a lemon berry trifle.
Or mix it into Overnight Oats for a fancy breakfast that tastes like dessert.
Lemon mousse recipe video
Watch the step by step recipe video above
The recipe was adapted from my Vegan Cheesecake and this Keto Cheesecake.
Lemon Mousse
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 8 oz cream cheese or coconut cream
- 2/3 cup yogurt or additional coconut cream
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar or erythritol
- zest of 1 lemon
- optional food coloring or pinch turmeric for color
Instructions
- If using, bring cream cheese to room temperature. Combine all lemon mousse ingredients in a blender or food processor, or with a hand mixer, until smooth. Serve in glasses or bowls. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for 3-4 days. View Nutrition Facts
Notes
Have you made this recipe?
Tag @chocolatecoveredkatie on Instagram
Easy Mousse Recipes
Chrisy Sanderson says
Delicious and super easy to make!
CCK Media Team says
Thank you so much for making it 🙂
Sue says
Hi, could I use this to sandwich my lemon drizzle cake x
CCK Media Team says
Hi, we have never made a lemon drizzle cake so aren’t really sure what it entails. But if your recipe calls for a generic lemon mousse, this one should work just fine. Be sure to report back if you try!
Sue says
Hi, sorry what I meant was would the mousse hold up to use instead of buttercream to sandwich my cake, thanks x
tami says
I do not think it would hold up. It’s firm, but when left out for any length of time, it breaks down.
Joe says
I’ve used a mousse to sandwich cake layers so I can give some insight. Katie’s recipe uses cream cheese, which is often used to stabilize things like icing and dip. When I make mousses, I’ve always added a teaspoon of plain gelatin (bloomed in water, melted, and cooled to room temperature) to the mousse, and it holds up well (even though this recipe doesn’t use gelatin). I also heard that instant pudding mix stabilizes whipped cream well, so if you make Katie’s mousse with coconut cream instead of cream cheese, you could add instant pudding mix as a stabilizer (I suggest sugar free lemon pudding mix as this is a lemon mousse).
Trina says
The full can of coconut or just the firm part?
CCK Media Team says
Hi Trina, coconut cream is a different product from coconut milk, so almost all of the can should be firm. If there’s a little water at the bottom, it’s fine to include that or discard it, but it shouldn’t be much if the can says “coconut cream” not milk. Hope that helps!
Glen says
is the “powered sugar” – icing sugar or caster sugar?
Sam says
Powdered sugar is icing sugar
Catherine C says
Will this work with low-fat cream cheese?
CCK Media Team says
Hi, we have never tried it. If you experiment, be sure to report back!
Karen says
If you use yogurt, what kind of yogurt? Would Greek yogurt work or is it too thick?
CCK Media Team says
It works!
Stacey says
I just finished making the lemon mousse and it was ready, set, go delicious! My only problem was that I could not stop eating it and my husband saw me making it; is a very small serving left for him. It was smooth and oh so lemony- yeah! I used Total greek yogurt.
CCK Media Team says
Thank you so much for making it!
Karen says
We loved this lemon mousse!
tami says
this was SO easy, and SO incredibly good!
I added a smidge of natural yellow food coloring,
a can of coconut cream, and coconut whip,
served with gluten free vanillan wafers.
The company all thought it was so good!
Joanna says
Very good, as usual Katie. Thank you!
Gail says
Is this recipe thick enough to pour into a graham cracker crust and serve chilled as a pie?
Delia says
I made this for my mother’s day tea and it was a hit. All left my husband ate all the remaining. I’m making them for our office unplug dY tomorrow.
Alie says
Is it ok to use coconut sugar or granulated sugar if it’s going in the blender anyway?
I also have soft light brown sugar – would that be better? I wouldn’t want to ruin the colour!
CCK Media Team says
Oh you absolutely can. Pulse the sugar alone before adding other ingredients, and it will turn powdery 🙂
Karen Knox says
Is anyone else able to print these recipes? What’s the secret? I get to the “print” screen but nothing ever prints. I’m left with having to take multiple screenshots of the recipes. Very frustrating.
Debra aufiero says
Hi, I want to make the lemon moose for my grandson. When u say to use coconut cream do you mean in the can. Can I use non dairy yogurt.
Thanks,
Debra aufiero
CCK Media Team says
Hi, yes in the can. We do not recommend yogurt because it will not be as rich and decadent or mousse-like. But you can definitely do the cream cheese version if you want coconut free 🙂
Geraldine Lee says
Hi Katie, I’m a fan of your recipes. I was just wondering if you would include weights in grams for your international fan base. It’s just more precise than cups and ounces. Thanks.
CCK Media Team says
Hi Geraldine! Katie is starting to do just this 🙂
For future recipes, she will try to add a section called “Converting the recipe to gram measurements” such as the one in this recipe: https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/chocolate-zucchini-bread-recipe/
Katie prefers using a food scale, so we definitely appreciate how helpful it is to include gram measurements for her readers.
Julia says
Thanks for asking this, Geraldine. Great to hear the gram conversion is going to happen. I have spent countless hours trying to convert cup measurements to grams; and have often abandoned recipe sites because of the difficulty. Can’t wait! Meanwhile I am keen to try the lemon recipe, so I will convert it to grams, for what I hope will be the last time:).
Tinkerbell says
This is not the texture of a mousse More like lemon posset I used more lemon rind and juice to bring out the lemon flavour
Barbara Friesen says
I just made this – I cannot see how there are 5, let-alone 7, servings here. I have some dessert glasses with stems that are only about 1 1/2 inches high and 2 1/2 inches in diameter, and I estimate that I would get about 3 servings.
What am I missing?
Anne Marie says
Hi. If using coconut cream instead of cream cheese, how strong is the coconut flavor?
CCK Media Team says
It shouldn’t be strong at all and is hidden by the lemon 🙂
Annie says
Made these using the cream cheese and yogurt. They were awesome. I’m going to try them next using the coconut cream. Katie, everyone of your recipes that I’ve tried has been fabulous.
JD says
Delicious! I modified this a bit, especially since here in Canada for some reason our cream cheese bricks are over 8oz. I didn’t find the initial amounts had enough lemon and sweetness for my liking, so I added more, with a pinch of sea salt and fresh Mexican vanilla, since who doesn’t love lemon & vanilla?? Then I topped with a bit of homemade blueberry compote, and coconut whipped cream.
It was devoured in seconds, with requests for more!
Definitely a huge hit!
Stacy says
Could this be put over a shortbread crust for a type of lemon bar??
Carole says
I’m a bit confused about getting printed recipes from your selections. I’m in the age group of those people who didn’t grow up with electronic ~ anything’s! It’s the ‘Gene’ I never got!!
I like to choose from your suggestions of current recipes ~ and print for ‘future repeats’ and make them.
It took some time to understand how to do this. I’m used to seeing print somewhere along with the recipe.
Just a suggestion for ‘old timers’ who like your selections and want to keep the ‘how-to’s’ for another time.
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Hi! There should be a “print recipe” option in the top right of each recipe box, right under where it says to leave a review. Just click on that printer icon and it should take you straight to the printable version 🙂
Tracy says
The three little dots in the very top right corner allow you to”open in browser” which should have a print tab which allows you to print. I’m in my 60’s and it took a bit of trial and error to figure this out 😝
Donna Ross says
How much coconut cream do you use if you don’t use any cream cheese? It just says add more coconut cream but not how much. I may be missing something but I don’t understand. It sounds delicious and I would like to make.
Thank You
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Hi! It is the same – an equal substitution, so 8 oz 🙂
Izzi says
I wondered if vegan options for yogurt and/or cream cheese will work as well?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Yes! Many brands of vegan cream cheese work just fine, and I’ve never had a problem using vegan yogurt anywhere that calls for dairy yogurt 🙂
Randa says
Curious if the vegan version worked for others- I used the coconut cream (I did not use the liquid) with a vegan greek yogurt. There is no setting time noted in the instructions.
Izzi says
I wondered the same. I’m going to add 1/2t agar agar powder, which is what I add to make a vegan panna cotta. It does a great job setting puddings and I’m dying to try this one.
Gail says
This was AMAZING! Super quick to make and tasted sooooo good. Made this for company – 2 guests can’t have sugar and it was such a treat for them to have such an incredible dessert, they went back for seconds! Thanks for this recipe Katie!!!!!
Theresa Preston says
Can you use Greek yogurt instead? Adding some protein to it.
K says
I’ve made this twice now with light cream cheese, siggi’s 0% fat skyr, and sweetener instead of sugar (whole foods erythritol/monk fruit blend). It is SO GOOD. I did increase the sweetener the second time I made it as I have a super sweet tooth. I made it into 4 servings (again, super sweet tooth) and it still fit my nutrition goals. Lemon desserts are some of my very favorites, and I’m looking forward to making this all summer.
Stephanie says
This recipe was almost a disaster for me. I doubled it and made it with vegan cream cheese (Kite Hill). The result was a runny, soupy mess. Not even close to mousse.
I tried adding additional powdered sugar. That didn’t help much. Then I read some comments on here, and one person said that she used agar agar to help thicken the mixture. I had some on hand and decided to try it as a last ditch effort. It didn’t thicken immediately, but after resting in the fridge for about 30 minutes, it gelled up quite nicely. Crisis averted for desserts I was making for an event!
I can only assume that the vegan cream cheese was the culprit because this is a relatively straightforward recipe. Ended up getting rave reviews, so I would make it again with the knowledge that using vegan cream cheese likely will require some tweaks.
(Oh, also…I wanted a bit more lemon flavor, so I added a some lemon extract. Just the right amount of tartness!)