Veena Azmanov

Cake Artist and Food Enthusiast

You are here: Home / Cooking Recipes / Homemade Desserts / Blackberry Mousse with or without gelatin

Blackberry Mousse with or without gelatin

*Updated* By 57 Comments

Recipe Print

Blackberry Mousse Classic & Eggless Recipes

A blackberry mousse is a great way to enjoy summer berries. The blackberry mousse without gelatin uses agar-agar and eggless pastry cream for a vegetarian blackberry mousse. While the classic version uses gelatin and pastry cream made with eggs. Both are decadently delicious. A perfect dessert that sets quick and makes a pretty presentation to serve family and friends.

This blackberry mousse without gelatin recipe is decadent as it is delicious. This simple, easy and effortless recipe made with eggless vanilla pastry cream as a base uses agar-agar instead of gelatin so it's eggless and vegetarian. A perfect dessert that sets quicker than classic mousse recipes and makes a pretty presentation to serve family and friends.
Blackberry, Blackberries, Mousse, Eggless, Classic, with gelatin, without gelatin, vegetarian

Did you know that the word mousse is an old French word for “froth”? A classic mousse is made with an egg-based custard and cream whipped to create a foamy texture that is light and airy. The more air you incorporate into the mousse the lighter and airier the texture.

One of my favorite desserts, besides cheesecakes, is mousse. I will attempt to make mousse with almost any fruit just because we love it SO much!!  And often, I will try to making an eggless or vegetarian instead of the classic. Which is why I have so many different versions of the same recipe.

Food Blog Genius – Monthly Collaboration Theme – Valentine Recipes from Breakfast to Dessert

This month of Valentine is always so exciting, isn’t it? Everyone is posting things Valentine related, things are all so pink and hearty. Love it! So, this month, my food blogger friends and I decided to bring you some Valentine recipes from breakfast to dessert.  And look at the cool choices we have here.  Whether it’s French toast for breakfast, shrimp pasta for lunch or cookies for tea. I will link all these recipes below the recipe card for you.

This blackberry mousse without gelatin recipe is decadent as it is delicious. This simple, easy and effortless recipe made with eggless vanilla pastry cream as a base uses agar-agar instead of gelatin so it's eggless and vegetarian. A perfect dessert that sets quicker than classic mousse recipes and makes a pretty presentation to serve family and friends.
Blackberry, Blackberries, Mousse, Eggless, Classic, with gelatin, without gelatin, vegetarian

Let’s talk ingredients and Substitutes (Save/Pin)

  • Blackberries – I always use frozen during the year because that’s what I get. I do get fresh in summer, and yet they are quite expensive. So I use them for garnish and still use frozen for the puree.
    Please note – If you buy frozen blackberries that have been sweetened you may want to reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe. The frozen I get are not sweetened.
  • Agar Agar/gelatin – I’m not a vegetarian, and yet often I prefer to use agar-agar instead of gelatin because it’s plant-based so a bit more healthy than gelatin. But I have also made this on occasion with gelatin and both work beautifully.
  • Vanilla pastry cream – You can use my decadent and delicious classic French vanilla pastry cream with eggs. But you can also make an eggless vanilla pastry cream and no one will know the difference.
    I have given you the ingredients and method for both here as well as on their individual post with progress pictures and videos.

Useful Tips and Tools 

  • A heavy bottom saucepan works great when cooking milk based custards.
  • You will also need a good blender to blend the fruit puree.
  • I like to use my stand mixer with a whisk attachment to whip the cream, and yet a hand mixer works just as well.
  • Also, a few mixing bowls to combine all the ingredients
  • And, a whisk and a spatula to combine all the ingredients together.
  • Lastly, a few glasses or ramekins to set the mousse in.
This blackberry mousse without gelatin recipe is decadent as it is delicious. This simple, easy and effortless recipe made with eggless vanilla pastry cream as a base uses agar-agar instead of gelatin so it's eggless and vegetarian. A perfect dessert that sets quicker than classic mousse recipes and makes a pretty presentation to serve family and friends.
Blackberry, Blackberries, Mousse, Eggless, Classic, with gelatin, without gelatin, vegetarian

Method

Prepare blackberry puree

  • Save a few blackberries for garnish.
  • Blend the remaining blackberries in a blender with 60 ml (1/4 cup) hot water. The hot water will ensure the seeds blend too.
  • If the puree is very gritty, strain it thru a sieve. Mine was just perfect.
  • Set aside.
This blackberry mousse without gelatin recipe is decadent as it is delicious. This simple, easy and effortless recipe made with eggless vanilla pastry cream as a base uses agar-agar instead of gelatin so it's eggless and vegetarian. A perfect dessert that sets quicker than classic mousse recipes and makes a pretty presentation to serve family and friends.
Blackberry, Blackberries, Mousse, Eggless, Classic, with gelatin, without gelatin, vegetarian

Classic pastry cream

  • In a heavy-bottom saucepan combine sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, vanilla, and salt. 
  • Slowly add the milk while whisking to prevent lumps.
  • Place the saucepan on medium heat until the pastry cream thickens. 
  • You want the pastry cream to come to a boil so the cornstarch will thicken the mixture.
  • Add the blackberry puree and stir well to combine.
  • Sift through a sieve. 
  • Cover with the plastic wrap touching the surface of the cream.
  • Set aside to cool completely.
This blackberry mousse without gelatin recipe is decadent as it is delicious. This simple, easy and effortless recipe made with eggless vanilla pastry cream as a base uses agar-agar instead of gelatin so it's eggless and vegetarian. A perfect dessert that sets quicker than classic mousse recipes and makes a pretty presentation to serve family and friends.
Blackberry, Blackberries, Mousse, Eggless, Classic, with gelatin, without gelatin, vegetarian

Eggless pastry cream

  • Pour 1/4 cup milk in a bowl, stir in the cornstarch – and set aside.
  • Pour remaining milk and sugar in a saucepan and bring to almost boil.
  • Add cornstarch mixture and stir until thick and creamy.
  • Lastly, add the vanilla.
  • The mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.
  • Stir in the blackberry puree.
  • Cover with the plastic wrap touching the surface of the cream.
  • Set aside to cool completely.
Eggless Vanilla Pastry Cream is a perfect base for many desserts such as fruit tarts, mousses, Bavarian Creams Ice-cream etc. Compared to the Classic made with egg yolks this one is less on the calories and more healthy to indulge in without loosing any of the silky smooth goodness.
How to make eggless vanilla pastry cream, eggless pastry cream recipe, pastry cream without eggs, substitute for pastry cream, vanilla pastry cream substitute

Whip the cream

  • Whip the cream using a whisk attachment until soft peaks.
This blackberry mousse without gelatin recipe is decadent as it is delicious. This simple, easy and effortless recipe made with eggless vanilla pastry cream as a base uses agar-agar instead of gelatin so it's eggless and vegetarian. A perfect dessert that sets quicker than classic mousse recipes and makes a pretty presentation to serve family and friends.
Blackberry, Blackberries, Mousse, Eggless, Classic, with gelatin, without gelatin, vegetarian

Dissolve the agar agar or gelatin

  • Place 2 tsp agar-agar or gelatin with remaining 60 ml (1/4 cup) water.
  • Let sit for 3 minutes to dissolve.
  • For the gelatin – gently warm the gelatin in a double boiler or microwave at 30-sec intervals until completely dissolved.
  • For the agar-agar – boil the water for about 3 minutes on low heat.
  • Set aside to cool slightly but still warm.
Stabilizing Whipped Cream - 5 different methods - soak the gelatin
5 Methods to Stabilize Whipped Cream, how to make whipped cream

Assembly 

  • First, add just a couple of tbsp of cooled blackberry pastry cream to the agar-agar or gelatin and whisk well to avoid any lumps.
    (we are tampering the agar-agar or gelatin so it won’t seize)
  • Then add the agar-agar/gelatin mixture to the full batch of blackberry pastry cream.
  • Next, fold in the whipped cream until well combined.
  • Pour or pipe equal amounts into desired bowl, cups or ramekins.

Chill until set

  • Place the fill cup in the fridge for at least 3 hours to chill completely.
  • The mousse will set in an hour or two but it tastes great if chilled for a couple of hours.
  • Garnish with a blackberry when ready to serve.
  • I dusted with extra powder sugar too.
This blackberry mousse without gelatin recipe is decadent as it is delicious. This simple, easy and effortless recipe made with eggless vanilla pastry cream as a base uses agar-agar instead of gelatin so it's eggless and vegetarian. A perfect dessert that sets quicker than classic mousse recipes and makes a pretty presentation to serve family and friends.
Blackberry, Blackberries, Mousse, Eggless, Classic, with gelatin, without gelatin, vegetarian

SAVE THIS RECIPE ON PINTEREST FOR LATER. TRIED MY RECIPE? SHARE IT WITH ME, PLEASE.
Share a picture of your work with me by uploading an image here below my image on this board. You can also find a collection of my tutorials and recipes here on Pinterest.

This blackberry mousse without gelatin recipe is decadent as it is delicious. This simple, easy and effortless recipe made with eggless vanilla pastry cream as a base uses agar-agar instead of gelatin so it's eggless and vegetarian. A perfect dessert that sets quicker than classic mousse recipes and makes a pretty presentation to serve family and friends.
Blackberry, Blackberries, Mousse, Eggless, Classic, with gelatin, without gelatin, vegetarian

Frequently asked questions

Can I use this blackberry mousse as a cake filling?

Absolutely, you can use this as a blackberry mousse cake filling between cake layers. Just make sure to use a buttercream dam around the mousse to prevent the mousse from leaking thru.
Read – how to tort and fill a cake – Basic cake decorating.

Can I use other fruits instead of blackberries?

Absolutely! Try raspberries, blueberries, strawberries or mixed berries. Make sure to strain the puree when using berries to remove the seeds and thick skin.

Can I make this a vegan blackberry mousse?

You can with the following substitutions to the recipe.
Use eggless pastry cream made with almond or coconut milk instead of dairy milk. And use whipped coconut cream instead of dairy whipping cream. With everything else remaining the same.

Can you make blackberry mousse without gelatin?

Yes, if you use the right substitute. Agar-agar is a kind natural gelatin made from seaweed.

Can you freeze mousse?

Yes, you can. A mousse can stay in the freezer for up to a month at least. Thaw it in the fridge overnight not on the counter.
Having said that mousse does not completely freeze and when it thaws it may separate.

How long will this blackberry mousse last?

This mousse will last in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Having said that, mousse is made up of whipped cream which starts to loose volume after about 2 days.

Can I add chocolate to blackberry mousse?

Absolutely, both white, as well as dark chocolate, are great options to add to mousse. The color of the mousse will determine the chocolate you use.
If you use white chocolate I highly recommend using no more than 100 grams / 3 oz and reduce some sugar in the recipe since white chocolate is sweet.
If you use dark chocolate – again no more than 100 gram / 3 oz and note that the mousse will be chocolate color and not this beautiful blackberry color.

What other Mousse Recipes can I make?

You can use this same recipe with any other fruit. Try some of these mousse recipes that I have shared with you.

This strawberry mousse recipe takes no shortcuts and is the ultimate in luxury when you looking for a classic dessert. A simple, easy and effortless recipe made with French vanilla pastry cream, fresh cream and whipped egg whites creates a light and airy texture that just melts in the mouth. You can make it with fresh or frozen strawberries any time of the year.Classic Strawberry Mousse Recipe – Mousse au Strawberry (12)
Delicious mango mousse cake with a mango jello center that just melts in the mouth. Glazed with a creamy mirror glaze for that ultimate smooth finish. A few extra steps in the making but still a simple, easy and effortless recipe with a very impressive show-stopper dessert.Mango Mousse with Mango Jello insert and Mirror Glaze (38)
Rich Creamy and indulgent mini chocolate tarts aka Cream Cheese Chocolate Mousse Tart in just 10 minutesCream Cheese Chocolate Mousse Tarts, Chocolate Mousse Tarts, Cre
This thick, creamy and delicious vegan chocolate mousse is an absolute treat when you need an indulgent chocolaty treat. Made with real chocolate and coconut cream as a base; this simple, easy and effortless recipe gets done in less than 15 minutes. Vegan Chocolate Mousse Recipe
This blackberry mousse without gelatin recipe is decadent as it is delicious. This simple, easy and effortless recipe made with eggless vanilla pastry cream as a base uses agar-agar instead of gelatin so it's eggless and vegetarian. A perfect dessert that sets quicker than classic mousse recipes and makes a pretty presentation to serve family and friends.

Blackberry Mousse Classic & Eggless

Author: Veena Azmanov
5 from 27 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 3 hrs 40 mins
Calories: 102kcal
$10
Adjust Servings Here: 12 Servings

Description

This blackberry mousse recipe is decadent as it is delicious. This simple, easy and effortless recipe made with eggless vanilla pastry cream as a base, and uses agar-agar instead of gelatin, so it's eggless and vegetarian. A perfect dessert that sets quicker than classic mousse recipes and makes a pretty party presentation to serve family and friends. 

Equipment /Tools

Ingredients

CLASSIC BLACKBERRY MOUSSE

  • 450 grams Blackberries fresh or frozen
  • 100 grams Sugar
  • 120 ml Boiling water
  • 250 ml Milk full-fat
  • 4 Egg yolks
  • 250 ml Whipping cream
  • 2 tbsp Cornstarch
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract

EGGLESS BLACKBERRY MOUSSE

  • 450 grams Blackberries fresh or frozen
  • 100 grams Sugar
  • 120 ml Boiling water
  • 250 ml Milk
  • 250 ml Whipping cream
  • 2 tbsp Cornstarch
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp Agar-agar
Metric – US customary
ADJUST SERVINGS HERE – 12 Servings

Conversions – Switch between Metric & US for other measurement options

Instructions

PREPARE BLACKBERRY PUREE

  • Save a few blackberries for garnish.
  • Blend remaining blackberries in a blender with 60 ml (1/4 cup) hot water. The hot water will ensure the seeds blend too.
  • If the puree is very gritty, strain it thru a sieve. Mine was just perfect.
  • Set aside.

CLASSIC VANILLA PASTRY CREAM

  • In a heavy-bottom saucepan combine sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, vanilla, and salt.
  • Slowly add the milk while whisking to prevent lumps.
  • Place the saucepan on medium heat until the pastry cream thickens.
  • You want the pastry cream to come to a boil so the cornstarch will thicken the mixture.
  • Add the blackberry puree and stir well to combine.
  • Sift through a sieve.
  • Cover with the plastic wrap touching the surface of the cream.
  • Set aside to cool completely.

EGGLESS VANILLA PASTRY CREAM

  • Pour 1/4 cup milk in a bowl, stir in the cornstarch – and set aside.
  • Pour remaining milk and sugar in a saucepan and bring to almost boil.
  • Add cornstarch mixture and stir until thick and creamy.
  • Lastly, add the vanilla.
  • The mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.
  • Stir in the blackberry puree.
  • Cover with the plastic wrap touching the surface of the cream.
  • Set aside to cool completely.

WHIP THE CREAM

  • Whip the cream using a whisk attachment until soft peaks.

DISSOLVE THE AGAR AGAR OR GELATIN

  • Place 2 tsp agar-agar or gelatin with remaining 60 ml (1/4 cup) water.
  • Let sit for 3 minutes to dissolve.
  • For the gelatin – gently warm the gelatin in a double boiler or microwave at 30-sec intervals until completely dissolved.
  • For the agar-agar – boil the water for about 3 minutes on low.
  • Set aside to cool slightly but still warm.

ASSEMBLY

  • First, add just a couple of tbsp of cooled blackberry pastry cream to the agar-agar or gelatin and whisk well to avoid any lumps.
  • (we are tampering the agar-agar or gelatin so it won’t seize)
  • Then, add the agar-agar/gelatin mixture to the full batch of blackberry pastry cream.
  • Next, fold in the whipped cream until well combined.
  • Pour or pipe equal amounts into desired bowl, cups or ramekins

CHILL UNTIL SET

  • Place the fill cup in the fridge for at least 3 hours to chill completely.
  • The mousse will set in an hour or two but it tastes great if chilled for a couple of hours.
  • Garnish with a blackberry when ready to serve.
  • I dusted with extra powder sugar too.

About Videos – most recipes has two videos – a quick version in the post & longer detailed version on this recipe card. Sometimes a similar recipe video may be used. Please do subscribe to my channel if you like my videos

Nutrition Information
Calories: 102kcal | Carbohydrates: 11.8g | Protein: 2.4g | Fat: 5.4g | Saturated Fat: 3.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 26mg | Potassium: 0mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8.7g | Vitamin A: 0IU | Vitamin C: 0mg | Calcium: 0mg | Iron: 0mg

The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you

Keywords – blackberry, Blackberry mousse, dessert, eggless blackberry mousse, mousse
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear how it was.Mention @veenaazmanov or tag me on Instagram #veenaazmanov

Here’s is the list of recipes in the collage below for Valentine’s Day Collaboration

  1. Strawberry Mimosa Recipe – by Arlene of Flour on my Face
  2. Stuffed French Toast with Ricotta and Berries by Kirsten, of Treat Your Self Sweeter
  3. Strawberry Chocolate Pancakes – by Sarah of The Fit Cookie
  4. Slow Braised Red Wine Lamb Stew with Moroccan Spices by Gloria of Homemade & Yummy
  5. Spicy Shrimp Pasta by Melisa and Greg by My Wife Can Cook
  6. Soft Almond Cookies by Julia of Imagelicious
  7. and of course Easy Blackberry Mousse Recipe by Me!!
A collection of valentine inspired recipes from breakfast to dinner including my blackberry mousse without gelatin

FTC Disclosure – The following page may have affiliate links. We are a participant in the amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Please read full Disclosure, Disclaimer & Copyright.

About Veena Azmanov

Veena Azmanov is a professional Cake Artist and Food Enthusiast. The Founder, Editor, Creator and Recipe Developer on this blog. Follow her cake and food journey on this blog as she explores new and classic recipes with a twist.

Reader Interactions

Do Ads bother you? I know, I apologize.

You see, my site is FREE for you but it's NOT FREE for me.

I have to pay for every single thing on this blog, right from hosting, or video editing tools to these little share buttons you see above. The better a user experience I want to give you, the more my blog expenses go up.

These ads help me pay those bills and makes it possible for me to share my recipe with you for free. It also enables me to use blogging as a job so I can use the earning to provide for my family.

While I know these aren't always appreciated, these are necessary to make this a win: win situation for both you and me.

I truly appreciate your support and understanding

Thank you so much

Comments

  2. Mikayla

    You’re blog is so informative! I love learning from your posts, I’m so inspired to make some fruit mousse with all the summer berries I buy. Thank you so much!

    Reply

  3. Rae

    As I just looked outside, my blackberry bushes are taking over my front lawn and I had no idea what I was going to do with all of them (except for the obligatory jam and BBQ sauce). Can’t wait to try your vegetarian twist on mousse!

    Reply

  4. Stephanie

    We have so many blackberries growing in my garden right now. This looks like an amazing dessert that I know my boys would absolutely love. We will be making this as soon as we harvest our next set of berries!

    Reply

  6. Hannisha

    Hello, Veena the mousse looks delicious can this recipe be used for making a layered mousse cake…If yes what changes need to be made? Thanks in advance..

    Reply

    • Veena Azmanov

      Hey Hannisha. When you say layered mousse cake, do you mean a layer of mousse over a cake then topped with another layer of mousse? If yes, then you can use this mousse recipe. It will need to be set for an hour or two before you add another layer on top.

      Reply

      • Hannisha

        Hey tried it the way mentioned above and refrigerated the final layer overnight but its a little soft to touch hopefully it doesnt spill off when i de mould it.

        Reply

        • Veena Azmanov

          Check the agar-agar powder. Did you use full-fat whipping cream? The whipping cream alone is good enough. The agar-agar just helps it stabilize it further. You can see in the picture mine set quite well.

          Reply

  7. Nidhi

    Hi, looks lovely. Definitely would love to try this. Could this be used as a cake filling. Thinking of making raspberry mousse and use it as a filling with white chocolate on the outside.

    Reply

    • Veena Azmanov

      Absolutely Nidhi. You can use it as a cake filling. I would highly recommend adding an extra tbsp of cornstarch to make it a bit more thicker so it sets firm and of course use a frosting dam to keep it all in.

      Reply

  8. Raymon

    Thank you for this recipe. We love blackberry. Made it yesterday and it was a big hit. Such an easy recipe too . Thanks for sharing

    Reply

    • Veena Azmanov

      Than you Raymon. Happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe. We do love it very much as well. Thanks for coming back to write this feedback. Always happy to hear from those who try my recipes. Thanks

      Reply

  9. Tristan

    Tried this recipe last week and it was absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. We love blackberries so this was a treat.

    Reply

    • Veena Azmanov

      Thank you Tristan – So happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for coming back to write this feedback. Always get to hear from those who try my recipes. Appreciate it very much.

      Reply

  11. Mona

    One more thing I don’t have frozen or fresh blueberries but Ihave frozen blueberry purée what quantity do I need to make mouse?

    Reply

  12. Mona

    Hi
    What should be the amount of agar agar to be used for making other mouse.?can I keep your mousse recipe as base and use different fruits purée like lichi,raspberry ,or pistachio?

    Reply

    • Veena Azmanov

      You can use it as a base for similar fruit purees. Raspberry will work. Pistachio is not fruit and lichi is more liquid. So you will need to create recipes for these two differently. Thanks

      Reply

  13. Mona

    Hello mam
    I was making pistachio mousse for entremets but I don’t want to agar or egg . What can be added to make mouse firm that stays stiff in entremets and in what ratio

    Reply

  14. Julia

    I love all your tips! I didn’t know that blending with hot water would help with seeds – awesome suggestion! Like you I try to make my desserts lighter so I love that there are no eggs in this recipe!

    Reply

  21. sushma

    I love the fact that these are vegetarian and eggless.. Not many recipes are!!!

    Loved the texture and how it has turned out!! And you totally got me there with the valentine’s day recipes…

    Reply

  22. debi at Life Currents

    It’s really nice to see a vegetarian mousse recipe. I love that you used agar agar instead of gelatin. I think many people don’t even know that gelatin is animal based. The color of this is beautiful, and blackberries are my favorite berry! Great work!

    Reply

  24. April J Harris

    It’s so nice to find a beautiful mousse like this without eggs in it. I’m not keen on using raw or lightly cooked eggs and I often avoid mousse because of it. Your Blackberry Mousse is wonderful – great that it is vegetarian too. Also love that you can use frozen blackberries!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Translate »