If you love a quick and easy dairy-free dessert, you will love this vegan lemon mousse. This citrus dessert is the perfect end to any meal.
I don't know about you, but I love lemon desserts.
Lemon sorbet, lemon ice cream, lemon cheesecake, lemon drizzle cake, lemon muffins, lemon shortbread and lemon ice cream to name a few.
Today's recipe is a simple but luxurious lemon creamy mousse.
A twist on a traditional mousse.
Oh my goodness, it's lush!
And very lemony!
Jump to:
- 🍋 Why you'll love this easy lemon mousse
- 🍋 What you need to make this easy lemon mousse recipe
- 🍊 Variations to vegan lemon mousse
- 🥣 Homemade lemon mousse toppings
- 🥫 Make sure you buy silken tofu and not firm tofu!
- 🍷 How to serve lemon mousse for a dinner party
- 🥛 Storing lemon mousse
- 💭 Top tip
- 🍦 More fruity vegan desserts
- ⭐ Sign up for a free recipe sent to your inbox every morning
- 👩🏻🍳 How to make Easy Vegan Lemon Mousse
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
At a glance - vegan lemon mousse
⏲️ Ready in: 10 minutes (plus chill time)
👪 Serves: 4
🍽 Calories: 201
🧾 Main ingredients: fresh lemons, silken tofu, icing sugar (confectioner's sugar), turmeric (for colour) & optional toppings - vegan cream, vanilla, icing sugar
👩🏻🍳 Suitable for: vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, egg-free, vegetarian & gluten-free
Summarise & save this recipe:
🍋 Why you'll love this easy lemon mousse
I love this creamy dessert, but in case you're not convinced yet, here are a few reasons why it's so good.
- It has a good citrussy lemon flavour
- Quick to make
- Easy to make too
- No artificial colours, flavours or additives
- Made with fresh lemons
- A healthier option
- High in protein (each portion contains just 7g of protein)
- Good for a last-minute dessert
- Tastes amazing
This one's for the lemon lovers.
If you crave a lemon dessert, you will go crazy for this tweak on a traditional lemon mousse.
Serve it as an after-dinner sweet treat, or save it for your next dinner party.
Love lemon desserts and bakes? Try this easy vegan lemon drizzle cake next.
Love a mousse for dessert? Also, try this fresh raspberry mousse, this creamy raspberry jelly mousse or a chocolate orange mousse.
🍋 What you need to make this easy lemon mousse recipe
Here are the simple ingredients you need to make this vegan lemon pudding.
- Fresh lemon juice
- Lemon zest (lemon rind)
- Silken tofu - for the creamy texture and added protein
- Icing sugar - also known as confectioner's sugar
- Turmeric - just a pinch for colour
- Salt - just a pinch to bring out the other flavours
The full printable recipe can be found below, under the step-by-step photos.
🍊 Variations to vegan lemon mousse
You can tweak this no-bake dessert recipe and try other flavours too.
- Orange mousse - add orange zest and juice instead of lemon
- Lime mousse - add lime zest and juice instead of lemon
- Grapefruit mousse - add grapefruit zest and juice instead of lime
- Chocolate cream - add cocoa into the thick cream (heavy cream or double cream) when whipping it
Lemon and chocolate may seem a weird combination but it really works.
I often pair lemon sorbet with chocolate ice cream and it's so good!
🥣 Homemade lemon mousse toppings
Add a layer of vegan whipped cream or whipped coconut cream, then add your toppings.
Here are a few ideas for toppings to add over the cream layer.
- Sprinkles
- Chocolate shavings
- Grated dairy-free white chocolate
- Lemon zest
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Berry sauce - make a mixed fruit compote, by bringing mixed berries (fresh or frozen) to the boil with sugar and lemon juice until thick
🥫 Make sure you buy silken tofu and not firm tofu!
Silken tofu is particularly good for making creamy desserts or creamy sauces.
It is soya bean curd and has a smoother and softer texture than firm tofu, which is better for savoury dishes where you want texture.
Silken tofu is gluten-free, dairy-free, suitable for vegans and contains no preservatives.
Also, it can be found in tetra paks in the oriental aisle of supermarkets and grocery stores, so it can be kept in the cupboard while unopened.
It has a long shelf life (9 months or longer), but once open store it in the fridge and use within for 2-3 days.
I also use it to make a sin-free chocolate mousse, peanut butter pecan pie and an easy raspberry mousse.
🍷 How to serve lemon mousse for a dinner party
If you're serving this dairy-free lemon mousse for a dinner party, you may want to make it look a little fancier.
Choose some pretty glasses to serve the mousse in, glasses with a stem, like wine glasses, look good, but you can use other small glasses.
You want to see the layers.
Add a few raspberries or blueberries as a topping and serve some homemade lemon shortbread on a tea plate alongside the mousse (or look out for accidentally vegan shortbread in your local supermarket, usually the ones that don't say butter or all butter).
Just check the ingredient list to make sure the shortbread is dairy-free.
🥛 Storing lemon mousse
Once made, this lemon mousse can be stored in the fridge until you're ready to serve it.
It will thicken and set slightly as it chills.
Store in the fridge and serve within 2-3 days.
💭 Top tip
If you are serving this mousse for yourself or your family and not for a fancy dinner party, layer up the mousse and toppings in clean jam jars.
The jam jars have tight screw-on lids, to keep the mousse covered in the fridge and less likely to be tainted by other flavours or smells.
You can cover the top of the mousse in glasses with some cling film (saram wrap/plastic wrap) or reusable glass covers, which are usually stretchy silicone.
🍦 More fruity vegan desserts
Looking for more easy vegan desserts to try next? Try these:
Love lemon? You might also enjoy this no-churn lemon ice cream.
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👩🏻🍳 How to make Easy Vegan Lemon Mousse
These step-by-step photos will show you how to make this perfect after-dinner treat with a good lemony flavour. For the full printable recipe scroll down.
Step 1
- Add the silken tofu to a food processor or blender (it doesn't have to be a strong blender or power blender).
- Then add the lemon juice and zest.
- Add the turmeric for colour and the pinch of salt to enhance the flavours.
Step 2
- Next, add the icing sugar to sweeten the mousse, then blend until smooth.
- Divide into 4 glasses and chill in the fridge to thicken.
Step 3
- Now make the topping.
- Add the cold vegan double cream (whipping cream) to a mixing bowl, with the vanilla extract and icing sugar (confectioner's sugar).
- Whisk until thick with soft peaks (you won't get stiff peaks with vegan cream), then spoon over each lemon mousse and smooth with the back of a teaspoon.
- Top with sprinkles and chill until ready to serve this citrus and not too sweet dessert.
- Enjoy!
📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Vegan Lemon Mousse - Dairy-Free Dessert
Ingredients
Mousse ingredients
- 349 g silken tofu
- 3 lemons zest (zest from 3 medium lemons)
- 7 tablespoons lemon juice
- 7 tablespoons icing sugar (confectioner's sugar)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch turmeric (for colour, you won't taste it)
Toppings
- 100 g vegan double (whipping) cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons icing sugar
- ½ teaspoon sprinkles
Instructions
- Zest the lemons, then juice them and set aside.
- Add the silken tofu to a blender or food processor.
- Then add the lemon juice (7 tablespoons), lemon zest, icing sugar (7 tablespoons), salt and turmeric.
- Blend until smooth.
- Spoon into 4 glasses and chill.
- Whip the cream with the vanilla extract and the icing sugar (2 tablespoons) until thick.
- Top the lemon mousse with the cream, then finish with sprinkles.
- Chill until ready to serve.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Store for 2-3 days.
- Cover the glasses with cling film (plastic wrap)
Mary says
Those look amazing and so easy too. I gotta try this.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Super easy Mary. And they taste so good too.
Kim says
I'm all over this. Love lemon desserts and puddings.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Oh me too Kim, someone after my own heart. I love lemon desserts.
Jill says
I am literally drooling looking at this lemon mousse Jacqs. I came over for a browse, so I was excited to see a new recipe. I don't know how you do so much.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Thanks Jill, I would love to have time to do even more. I do hope you try the mousse though, it is so tasty.
Gianne says
The texture was light and fluffy, and the lemon flavor was perfectly tangy. I couldn't believe it was dairy-free. Definitely a new favorite dessert!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
I know, you could never guess it has tofu in it, but great to have added protein.
Naelle Yoshimura says
Fantastic! I'm also going to keep that tumeric trick for any lemon dish at my home, thank you for that!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Yes, it does work well, not enough to taste, but a good natural colouring.
Carol Tucker says
The taste is fabulous but I think my silken tofu is a little too wet because it came out like a delicious tasting soup
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Oh no! Yes it needs drained of the excess liquid first. Try to really drain it well next time. Might be worth tipping it into sieve or onto a clean tea towel or kitchen paper to remove excess liquid. It can be surprising how much is in the container.
Holly says
I love simple, delicious desserts and this one checks all of the boxes. Perfect dessert for spring 🙂
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Oh yes it is definitely delicious and easy. I hope you try it Holly.
Heather says
Came across this recipe when searching for a lactose-free dessert to make for Mother’s day as my M-I-L is on a lactose-free diet.
Wanted to say thank you for this recipe -
I am going to be sneaky and make this and not let anyone know there’s tofu in it and see what people say. Haha! I’m betting no one notices, after reading the reviews… I’m excited to try this. (And I’ll let people know after they finish eating it) 🙂 Here’s hoping ththey like it - hoping it gets raves and then I can let them in on the secret ingredient ;P
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Haha yes I did this with my husband and son first time and no clue. The tofu has no flavour, so really just gives a thickness and creamy texture. I hope everyone loves it. You might also like my date and tahini brownie bites. They are lush and I just made us another batch today.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Oh and do let me know how it goes either here or at [email protected]
TAYLER ROSS says
I made this mousse after dinner last night and it was delicious! Perfectly light and creamy
Jacqueline Meldrum says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it and yes it's perfectly light for an after dinner dessert.
Janet says
Delicious and extra protein 😊
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Oh yes, these lemon mousse desserts are tasty and the added protein is a big bonus. I am glad you enjoyed them Janet.
Erin F says
great taste!!! but what did I do wrong? mine didn't set very well...
Jacqueline Meldrum says
It could just be your lemon had more juice or was a lot bigger. It is a soft set, but should set.
Maria says
Oh my days! I had 1/2 cup tofu in fridge, so i made a half portion of this and added small banana. I licked the hand blender and it's so good. Can't wait to get it out of the fridge for dessert time.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Yay! I am so glad you enjoyed it Maria. I do love a lemon dessert.
Meg says
So quick, so easy, so light and oh soooooo delicious. I love zesty lemon desserts & this ticks all the boxes. My new fav dessert (& hubby's too). Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Jacqueline Meldrum says
I'm so glad you loved it Meg an thanks for taking the time to tell me, I only just noticed your comment.