This creamy pumpkin mousse with maple whipped cream is impossibly light. Its dreamy texture melts in your mouth, and the pumpkin spice, maple, and vanilla flavors are heavenly.
This recipe is gluten and refined sugar-free, and is so simple to make you won’t believe it. Using real maple syrup brings a natural sweetness without being overly sugary. Which makes this treat ideal if you don’t want a super sweet dessert.
We love serving with crunchy elements like ginger snaps or toasted nuts for some contrast.
Another plus is that this creamy pumpkin mousse is so versatile. You can use it as a stand-alone dessert, cake topping, in a pie crust, or layered into parfaits.
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out our other reader favorites like creme brulee, easy churros with cinnamon sugar coating or baked cinnamon apple crisp.
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Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Here’s why we are making this mousse on repeat right now:
- The perfect make-ahead dessert: This creamy pumpkin mousse tastes even better after chilling it for a few hours, allowing the flavors to meld together. Prepare it in advance for easy entertaining.
- Homey, cozy flavors: Nothing beats the combination of pumpkin spice, vanilla, and maple syrup with rich cream.
- 10 minutes: We love an easy dessert that’s quick to make.
- Light: Enjoy this delicious treat without the feeling of heaviness from a baked dessert.
- Crowd-pleaser: A mousse is always a party-pleaser. It’s a win with kids and grown-ups alike!
Ingredient and Substitution Notes
It doesn’t take much to put together this creamy pumpkin mousse with maple whipped cream. Here’s what to round up:
- Heavy whipping cream: Adds a luscious, airy texture to the mousse. For a dairy-free alternative, use coconut cream.
- Real maple syrup: We love the hint of caramel-like taste. You can substitute honey or agave syrup.
- Pumpkin purée: The base of the mousse. Make sure you use pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling, to control the sweetness and spices.
- Cream cheese: Creates a silky, tangy foundation for the mousse. For a lighter option, substitute with mascarpone or a whipped dairy-free cream cheese.
- Pumpkin pie spice: A blend of warm spices that enhance the pumpkin flavor. Mix cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves as a DIY substitute if unavailable.
- Real vanilla extract: Avoid artificial vanilla for the best taste.
- Half & half: You can replace it with whole milk or a plant-based creamer.
Optional toppings: Depending on what you like, add pecan halves, a light dusting of ground cinnamon, and some ginger snap cookies!
See recipe card for quantities.
Variations of this Creamy Pumpkin Mousse
Get creative with other flavors and add-ins; here are a couple of ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
- Chocolate: Fold in some melted dark or milk chocolate to the mixture.
- Boozy mousse: Stir in a little bourbon, rum, or spiced liqueur.
- Vegan pumpkin mousse: Swap heavy whipping cream with whipped coconut cream, cream cheese with plant-based cream cheese, and half & half with almond or oat milk for a dairy-free version.
- Pumpkin cheesecake mousse: Increase the cream cheese and layer the mousse with crushed graham crackers or cookie crumbs.
- Nutty: Fold in chopped pecans or walnuts. Sprinkle toasted nuts on top for a crunchy finish.
- Spicy: Fold in a little ground ginger and a tiny touch of cayenne pepper.
- Citrusy: Mix in a little orange zest – this is so fresh and tasty.
- Caramel pumpkin mousse: Drizzle caramel sauce into the mousse mixture or over the top before serving. We like to add crushed toffee to this version.
- Coffee-infused: Stir in a small amount of strong espresso or instant coffee powder.
Top Tips
As you can tell, it’s an easy recipe to follow. Having said that, there are a few important tricks to getting the perfect airy mousse and overall result:
- Chill your tools: For the best whipped cream texture, chill your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 10–15 minutes before whipping.
- Use room temperature cream cheese: Ensure the cream cheese is softened to room temperature for smooth blending without lumps.
- Avoid overmixing: Fold the cream in very gently. This will keep the whippy texture.
- Pipe the mousse: Go pro and pipe your mousse. Transfer the mousse to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip and pipe swirls to do this.
- Top it with crunchy bits: Add ginger snaps, crushed cookies, or toasted nuts. Crunchy toppings are so delicious with the creamy mousse.
Storage Notes
Store the creamy pumpkin mousse in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To save time, make the mousse a day or two ahead of time and keep it chilled. The flavors will meld nicely.
Add any crunchy toppings, like nuts or cookies, just before serving them to keep them nice and crisp.
Freezing
We don’t recommend freezing this dessert.
FAQ
If you prefer a firmer mousse, you can reduce the amount of whipped cream or add a small amount of gelatin dissolved in water to stabilize the texture.
Yes, you can use store-bought whipped cream for convenience, but fresh whipped cream adds a lighter, fluffier texture.
To make a dairy-free version, swap the heavy cream with coconut cream, the cream cheese with a dairy-free cream cheese alternative. Swap the half & half with a plant-based milk like almond or oat milk.
Yes, fresh pumpkin works well! Roast and puree the pumpkin, making sure it’s smooth, thick, similar to canned purée. Be sure to remove excess moisture so you don’t get a watery mousse.
Can I make this mousse without pumpkin pie spice?
You can create your own spice mix by using cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with creamy pumpkin mousse:
Creamy Pumpkin Mousse with Maple Whipped Cream
Ingredients
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 6 T. real maple syrup divided
- 1 15- oz. can pumpkin purée not pumpkin pie filling
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened, cubed
- 2 T. pumpkin pie spice
- 1 t. real vanilla extract
- ⅓ c. half & half
Optional
- Pecan halves
- Ground cinnamon for dusting
- Ginger Snap cookies for serving
Instructions
- Beat the heavy whipping cream in a large bowl with a hand mixer until it doubles in size. Add 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and continue beating until light and fluffy. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Beat the pumpkin purée, cream cheese, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, half &half, and remaining maple syrup in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer until thoroughly blended.
- Taste and adjust seasonings, as desired, and transfer to individual dessert bowls. Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour.
- To serve, remove from refrigerator and top with maple whipped cream, pecans, and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, if desired. Enjoy!
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