Mango cream cheese mousse is an ultra easy dessert. It doesn’t require any cooking and can be prepared one day ahead so you can relax the day you’re hosting your dinner party. The other cool thing about it is that the dessert is gluten free, making it a perfect option if one of your guests has a gluten allergy.
I flavored cream cheese with Alphonso mango pulp and added the same stabilizers I typically use in place of eggs (xanthan gum and lecithin). I also folded in some whipped cream so the mousse is light and airy. The interplay of the tanginess of the cream cheese with the sweetness of the mango is really incredible, and far more complex in flavor than I expected. The only negative about this recipe is that it’s so easy to make that I’m worried that we’ll be indulging in it more than we should (I served it in 3-ounce dessert cups). We’ll just have to spend more time exercizing!
1. Info for Mango Cream Cheese Mousse Recipe
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins
- Servings: 14
- Calories: 420kcal
2. Ingredients for Mango Cream Cheese Mousse Recipe
- 3 cups cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 1-½ cups mango pulp (see tips)
- 2-¼ cups superfine sugar (or granulated sugar)
- 1 cup heavy cream, cold
- 1 cup half and half
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- ½ teaspoon liquid lecithin
- 1 teaspoon orange oil (or any citrus oil or olive oil)
3. Directions:
- Whisk the cream cheese to soften it. Add 1-¼ cups superfine sugar, 1 cup of mango pulp, salt and vanilla extract.
- In a small bowl, combine ½ teaspoon xanthan gum, ½ teaspoon lecithin and 1 teaspoon oil. Add the mixture to the half and half. Stir well. Allow to rest for 5 minutes so the mixture will thicken.
- Always make sure the beater blades and bowl are completely clean prior to whipping cream for optimum results. The whipping cream should be whipped cold. Whisk the heavy cream for about 2 minutes at a low speed. Add 1 cup superfine sugar, increase the speed of your mixer and keep beating for another 2-3 minutes until it forms soft peaks. Don’t over-beat or the texture will become grainy.
- Using a silicone spatula, combine the cream cheese and half and half. Stir well. Add 1/3 of the whipped cream to the mixture to soften it. Add the rest of the whipped cream and gently fold it in. Transfer the mousse to a pastry bag fitted with a round tip.
- I used 3-ounce dessert cups.
- Drizzle about 1 teaspoon of mango pulp into each side of the cups; there will be a marbling mango design once the cups are covered with mousse. Pipe or spoon the filling into the cups. Drizzle about ½ teaspoon of mango pulp on top and level the filling with a spatula. Wrap each cup and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours.
- Bon appétit!
