Passion Fruit Mousse

Passion Fruit Mousse is an unbelievable creamy and delicious classic Brazilian dessert. It's quick and easy to make, and super impressive! This foolproof recipe has 3 ingredients, can easily be made in a blender in less than 15 minutes, and you can make it ahead.

Years ago, my Brazilian chef friend Rosalia, gave me a taste of a Passion Fruit Mousse she'd made (Mousse de Maracujá in Portuguese).

Without question, it was one of the most delicious bites of anything I'd ever tasted in my life. Like, life-changing-delicious!

Rosalia told me how she'd made it, exactly the way she'd grown up making it in Brazil. Ever since, I've been making it whenever I get my hands on fresh passion fruit. (Though, you can use frozen passion fruit pulp -- often called passion fruit purée -- which is available in many stores.)

I think this dessert, with its ultra creamy and velvety texture, and sweet and tangy flavor, will blow your mind!

What to Know About the Ingredients

• passion fruit juice and pulp. If you can get your hands of fresh passion fruit when they're in season, do it! Passion fruit season is typically mid-summer through winter, and you'll likely find the best selection at your local Farmers' Market. You can also buy frozen passion fruit pulp at most Latin markets and in most larger grocery stores -- OR -- you can learn how easy it is to cut and juice fresh passion fruit (see tutorial link below).
• heavy cream or Cream de Leite. For this recipe you can use heavy cream or Creme de Leite -- also called Table Cream), which is more traditional. It has a slightly lower milk fat content than heavy cream and isn't as quite as easy to find. Creme de Leite should be available in almost any Latin grocery store and sometimes in the Latin aisle or area of larger markets, whereas, you can find heavy cream pretty much anywhere. Both will produce an incredible dessert!
• sweetened condensed milk. You should be able to find this at any grocery store. If you need a substitute, check out this Taste of Home article, but I would highly advise sticking to the sweetened condensed milk. It provides the perfect amount of sweetness and creamy texture.

How to Make Passion Fruit Mousse

* You'll often find gelatin in mousses. This is a recipe for passion fruit mousse without gelatin.

- First, cut and juice the passion fruits. Follow my Step-by-Step Guide For Juicing Passion Fruit.

- Pour the cream into a powerful blender and blend on high until it's thick (soft to medium peaks), meaning the cream will hold it's shape if you scoop a spoonful of it. This will probably take less than 15 seconds!

- Add the passion fruit juice and sweetened condensed milk, and blend to combine.

Recipe Tip: A blender is a great way to whip cream very quickly. The only caveat is that you really have to watch it carefully. It will only take a few seconds, and if it's over whipped it will break down. Should that happen, here's how to fix it. You can of course use a hand or stand mixer, or a whisk (with muscle) to whip the cream, if you prefer.

- Chill the mousse in the refrigerator, covered, either in a bowl with plastic wrap or in a plastic container with a lid, for about 2 hours before serving. (I think it's also delicious at room temperature as soon as it's ready!)

Variations

I absolutely love the mousse as is, in its purest form. However, below are a few delicious ideas if you want to mix things up.

• You could add a touch (about 2 teaspoons) of vanilla - it'll be very subtle, but it's lovely with passion fruit.
• Passion fruit is also lovely mixed with other tropical fruit juices, like pineapple or mango. To try this, use one part passion fruit juice, and one part of the other fruit you choose.

You can serve the mousse with or without the passion fruit pulp (including seeds) on top. Equally delicious both ways, but it definitely adds a touch of beauty and interest to the presentation.

It's very common to eat passion fruit seeds. In fact, passion fruit lovers just spoon the pulp with the seeds, directly from the skin into their mouth. They have a light crunch, which is a delightful addition to most passion fruit recipes.

Making it Ahead and Storage

This is an excellent make-ahead dessert!

• For guests, I usually make it a day or two ahead, portion it into individual ramekins or dessert glass goblets, cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Then all I have to do is bring them out when I'm ready to serve. Perfect for a dinner party! (If you garnish with the fruit pulp, you can also do that ahead, being sure the plastic wrap isn't touching it.)
• Should you have leftover mousse (not likely!), it can be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days. It can also be frozen this way for up to a month (see below Pro Tip).

Pro Tip: This can easily double as PASSION FRUIT ICE CREAM! All you have to do is freeze it overnight in a tightly sealed container. That's it, and it's amazing! (I would do this without the garnish.)

More Must-Try Desserts with Passion Fruit

• Passion Fruit Ice Cream
• Passion Fruit Ginger Cheesecake
• Passion Fruit Chocolate Ganache Bars

After one bite, I hope you'll be as hooked as I am on the delicious and alluring flavor of passion fruit mousse!

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