If you love cheesecake but don't want to turn on the oven, this Cheesecake Mousse is going to be your new favorite. It's a no-bake dessert using cream cheese and frozen whipped topping, that takes just 20 minutes to put together. With all the rich, tangy flavor of classic cheesecake in a light, fluffy mousse. It's also a great make-ahead dessert.
Use this delicious mousse in both our Strawberry Cheesecake Taco Pancakes and Banana Caramel Taco Pancakes.
Cheesecake Mousse Ingredients
- Cream Cheese - the base of that classic cheesecake flavor. Make sure it's at room temperature so it blends completely smooth with no lumps.
- Powdered Sugar - dissolves instantly into the cream cheese for a silky texture, unlike granulated sugar which can leave a slight grit.
- Vanilla Extract - rounds out the cheesecake flavor and keeps it from tasting flat.
- Frozen Whipped Topping (Cool Whip) - folded in for that light, airy mousse texture, without the extra step of whipping your own cream.
- Graham Cracker Crumbs - optional, but they add that classic cheesecake-crust flavor and a little crunch against the creamy mousse.
Recipe Variations
Spruce up this easy recipe by adding some fresh lemon zest, fresh berries, or a sprig of mint.
If you like a nice topping for this mousse, consider fresh strawberry puree, or blueberry sauce, or even some homemade lemon curd.
How to make Cheesecake Mousse
How to make the mousse
Place the room temperature cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
Beat on medium speed until completely smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure there are no lumps.
Add half of the whipped topping and beat on medium until blended.
Then add the remaining whipped topping and gently fold it in by hand. Folding (rather than beating) at this stage keeps the mousse light and airy instead of deflating it. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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How to make the dessert as shown
Place the graham crackers in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin, you want fine crumbs, not big chunks, so they layer nicely.
Sprinkle a layer of crushed graham crackers into the bottom of a small mason jar or dessert cup.
Pipe (or spoon) the mousse over the crumbs, filling the jar about halfway.
Repeat the layers until the jar is full, then top with more crumbs.
Serve the Cheesecake Mousse as is or with a little bit of fruit. Enjoy!
How to store Cheesecake Mousse
This mousse is a great make-ahead dessert. You can make it up to 2-3 days in advance, just keep it covered in the fridge and hold off on adding the graham cracker crumbs until you're ready to serve, so they stay crunchy instead of going soft.
It also freezes well, Cool Whip is sold frozen, so it holds its texture nicely in the freezer too. Enjoy it straight from the freezer or let it sit out for a few minutes to soften slightly. Both ways are delicious.
Recipe FAQ's
If you prefer, you can use homemade whipped topping instead, but Cool Whip (or your favorite brand of whipped topping) is perfect for a quick, simple dessert mousse.
Cool Whip is sold frozen, so this mousse holds its texture nicely in the freezer too. Enjoy it straight from the freezer, or let it soften for a few minutes first. Both ways work.
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Complete Recipe
Cheesecake Mousse (no bake)
Equipment
- 1 Mixer
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese room temperature
- ½ cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 8 ounces Frozen Whipped Topping such as Cool Whip
- ¼ cup Graham Cracker Crumbs optional
Instructions
To make the cheesecake mousse
- Place the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
- Beat, on medium speed, until smooth.
- Add half of the whipped topping and continue to beat on medium until blended.
- Next, add the remaining whipping cream and fold into the cream cheese mixture.
To make the cheesecake mousse dessert as shown
- Place the graham crackers in a Zip-loc bag. Crush them using a rolling pin.
- Sprinkle some of the crushed graham crackers into the bottom of a small mason jar, or dessert bowl of your choice.
- Put the cheesecake mousse into a piping bag. Pipe the mousse over the graham cracker crumbs, filling the container about half way.
- Repeat the previous steps until the dessert cup, or bowl, is filled. Top with more crushed graham crackers and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Serve the Cheesecake Mousse as is or with a little bit of fruit. Enjoy!
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