Vanilla Mousse – Food Faith Fitness

Elegant and luscious, this Vanilla Mousse will class up your dining table.

Ice cream is my favorite food, and I will stand by my highly-controversial argument that if you want to know if an ice cream parlor makes a good product, you have to try their vanilla flavor. The taste is so subtle, so delicate, so unassuming and yet so outrageously delicious, that if a creamery can get the complex flavor right, they can pretty much do anything.

Mousse, on the other hand, is more sophisticated than pudding and a rarer treat than ice cream. Thick, rich and impossibly smooth, chocolate mousse typically gets all the fanfare. Yes, chocolate mousse is delicious, but vanilla mousse has a delicious vanilla bean flavor with a light and fluffy texture. I spent two months in Tahiti, home to one of the world’s most famous types of vanilla, and the homegrown scent is quite intoxicating. 

Is Vanilla Mousse Healthy?

This vanilla mousse recipe includes ingredients such as cream, which is high in fat, and has a significant amount of sugar, so this dessert is best enjoyed in moderation. However, this mousse has been described as “feathery” and “lighter than air”, so this won’t be a belt-buster. Pair it with fruit to pump up the healthy factors. Or, go full-tilt boogie into dessert land and enjoy with cookies and brownies!

Different Types of Vanilla

Madagascar produces “bourbon” vanilla beans (which have nothing to do with the liquor). Madagascar is the world’s biggest vanilla producer – and because of this and its creamy flavor, it’s the most popular type of vanilla.

Mexico is where vanilla originated before being exported to other climates. Mexican vanilla beans are similar to bourbon vanilla beans, but Mexican vanilla is mellower, with a slightly spicy, woody twist. 

Tahiti is the home of the most expensive vanilla bean. Highly fragrant, this vanilla is commonly used in perfumes.

Uganda, where the rarest vanilla bean is found, notably produces vanilla that has hints of milk chocolate in its flavor profile. It’s similar in taste to Madagascar vanilla, but sweeter.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• Pinch of kosher salt
• Seeds from 1 vanilla bean pod, scraped
• 4 to 5 tablespoons powdered sugar
• Fresh fruit, for serving (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Prep

Chill equipment, bloom gelatin.

Whip

Beat cream with sugar and vanilla; add gelatin.

Chill

Refrigerate mousse until set. Serve with fresh fruit if desired.

Devour

FAQs & Tips

Serving Suggestions

Mousse is an excellent standalone dessert, but it will taste delicious slathered on these Instant Pot Brownies or gluten-free Almond Flour Sugar Cookies. And in case you want to save yourself some pain at the scale, serve it atop a refreshing, healthy rainbow of Fruit Salad.

For more of the silkiest and sexiest of desserts, check out our luxurious Strawberry Mousse and the over-the-top rockstar, Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Parfait With Brownies.