No Bake Lemon Mascarpone Mousse (Printable Version)

Light, tangy lemon and rich mascarpone combine in this creamy no-bake dessert. Ready in 20 minutes, perfect for effortless entertaining.

# What You Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, cold
02 - ½ cup heavy cream, cold

→ Citrus

03 - Zest of 2 lemons
04 - ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

→ Sweeteners

05 - ⅓ cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Garnish

07 - Fresh berries
08 - Additional lemon zest
09 - Fresh mint leaves

# How to Make It:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine mascarpone cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat with hand mixer on medium speed until smooth and fully incorporated.
02 - In a separate chilled bowl, whip heavy cream using hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Do not overwhip.
03 - Gently fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture in two additions using rubber spatula. Fold until just incorporated and mixture is light and airy.
04 - Spoon or pipe mousse evenly into individual serving glasses or bowls. Smooth tops with spatula if desired.
05 - Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for minimum 2 hours until fully set and thoroughly chilled.
06 - Top with fresh berries, sprinkle of lemon zest, and mint leaves immediately before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • No oven required, which means your kitchen stays cool even in July
  • The texture is what clouds must taste like, light enough to eat seconds without guilt
  • It comes together in twenty minutes but looks like you hired a pastry chef
02 -
  • Room temperature mascarpone will seize up and turn curdled when mixed, so keep everything chilled until the exact moment you need it
  • Overmixing when folding the whipped cream will deflate the air and give you a dense pudding instead of that dreamy cloudlike texture
03 -
  • Chill your mixing bowl and beaters for ten minutes before whipping the cream, which helps it whip faster and hold its shape longer
  • Use a microplane or fine grater for the lemon zest to get delicate aromatic shreds without any bitter white pith

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