A blackberry mousse is a great way to enjoy summer berries. Made with fresh or frozen blackberries, whipped cream, and gelatin (or agar-agar) this gets done in less than 30 minutes.
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Did you know that the word mousse is an old French word for "froth"? A classic mousse is made with eggs and cream whipped to create a foamy texture that is light and airy. And, the more air you incorporate into the mousse the lighter and airier the texture.
One of my favorite desserts, besides cheesecakes, is mousse. In fact, I like making this mousse or my chestnut mousse when I entertain. Why? Because everyone makes chocolate, strawberry, or mango mousse. But, I like to give people a chance to try something different when they visit us. It's a great way to make dinner for your guests memorable.
Why make this mousse?
- If you love blackberries, you must make this mousse.
- The sweet slight tang of the blackberries is incredible. And, the wonderful color of the mousse always gets everyone excited. Perfect to entertain when you have guests over.
- The recipe does not get any easier than this. In fact, it is easier than my chocolate mousse because you don't even need a double boiler.
- The recipe is rich, creamy yet light and airy because we add whipped cream.
- There are 4 component to this mousse
- Blackberry puree - 10 min
- Dissolve the gelatin - 5 min
- Whip the cream - 5 mins
- Assemble - 10 mins
- Chill - 3 hours
Ingredients and substitutes
- Blackberries - I always use frozen during the year because that's what I get. I do get fresh berries in summer, and yet they are quite expensive. So, I use them for garnish and still use frozen for the puree.
- Gelatin - This helps set the mousse nicely giving it that wonderful texture where it is not soft like pudding but not firm like a panna cotta.
- Whipping cream - I highly recommend you use no less than 32% whipping cream or else the mousse will have a very soft texture. I like a nice light and airy texture so I use 38% whipping cream.
- Sugar - we've used granulated in the strawberries and powdered sugar in the whipped cream. You can use granulated in both but the powdered does help stabilize the whipping cream
Step by step instructions
- Blend the blackberries in a food processor with ¼ cup hot water until smooth.
Pro tip - The hot water will ensure the seeds blend too. - Strain through a sieve or mesh. Then add the sugar and combine well.
Pro tip - straining thru a sieve will take away all the fiber and seeds which gives a nicer consistency for the mousse. - Optional - For a more concentrated flavor, this puree can be reduced to half in a saucepan over medium heat
Pro tip - if you choose to reduce the puree, you will need to double the number of blackberries in the recipe to make 6 servings. - Combine the gelatin with 2 tablespoon of water. Let soak for 3 minutes then heat in the microwave for 30 to 40 seconds until completely dissolved. Let cool slightly
Pro tip - if you have any white scum on top of the melted gelatin, take it out with a spoon. - Add the melted gelatin to the blackberry puree. The best way to do this is to add a few tablespoons of puree to the gelatin. Then combine the two.
Pro tip - adding a little puree to the gelatin first will temper and prevent the gelatin from becoming lumpy. - In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment - whip the cream with vanilla extract until stiff peaks.
- Then, gently combine the whipped cream and blackberry mixture until you have no more white streaks. This is your blackberry mousse ready
- Divide the mousse evenly between 6 individual glasses.
Pro tip - I like to pour the mousse into a piping bag and then pour it into the glasses. This makes it easier to pour and keeps the glasses clean. - Chill the mousse in the fridge for at least 3 hours - preferably 4 hours or overnight.
- For garnish, you can top with whipped cream and blackberry. I used a fresh blackberry on each.
- Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
This mousse will last in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Having said that, mousse is made up of whipped cream, which starts to lose volume after about 2 days.
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.
Also, read - how to tort and fill a cake - Basic cake decorating.
Yes, you can. A mousse can stay in the freezer for up to a month at least. Then, 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.
You may also like
- Strawberry Mimosa Recipe - by Arlene of Flour on my Face
- Strawberry Chocolate Pancakes - by Sarah of The Fit Cookie
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Printable Recipe
Best Blackberry Mousse
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Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) Blackberries fresh or frozen
- 4 tablespoon Boiling water
- ¼ cup (100 g) Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Gelatine (or agar-agar)
- 4 tablespoon (60 ml) Water cold
- 1 cup (240 ml) Whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Garnish
- 6 Blackberries fresh
Instructions
- Blend the blackberries in a food processor with ¼ cup hot water until smooth. Pro tip - The hot water will ensure the seeds blend too.
- Strain through a sieve or mesh. Then add the sugar and salt. Combine well.Pro tip - straining thru a sieve will take away all the fiber and seeds which gives a nicer consistency for the mousse.
- Optional - For a more concentrated flavor, this puree can be reduced to half in a saucepan over medium heatPro tip - if you choose to reduce the puree, you will need to double the number of blackberries in the recipe to make 6 servings.
- Combine the gelatin with 2 tablespoon of water. Let soak for 3 minutes then heat in the microwave for 30 to 40 seconds until completely dissolved. Let cool slightlyPro tip - if you have any white scum on top of the melted gelatin, take it out with a spoon.
- Add the melted gelatin to the blackberry puree. The best way to do this is to add a few tablespoons of puree to the gelatin. Then combine the two.Pro tip - adding a little puree to the gelatin first will temper and prevent the gelatin from becoming lumpy.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment - whip the cream with vanilla extract until stiff peaks.
- Then, gently combine the whipped cream and blackberry mixture until you have no more white streaks. This is your blackberry mousse ready
- Divide the mousse evenly between 6 individual glasses. Pro tip - I like to pour the mousse into a piping bag and then pour it into the glasses. This makes it easier to pour and keeps the glasses clean.
- Chill the mousse in the fridge for at least 3 hours - preferably 4 hours or overnight.
- For garnish, you can top with whipped cream and blackberry. I used a fresh blackberry on each.
- Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
How to dissolved agar-agar
- Add every 1 tablespoon of agar-agar use 4 tablespoon of hot water.
- Let come to an almost boil then cook on medium heat
- Agar-agar powder needs about 1 to 5 minutes of slow simmering, while agar-agar flakes take about 10 to 15 minutes of slow simmering.
- If overcooked it can gel with a rubbery texture. So, don't cook too long.
- It is best to add agar-agar to ingredients while they are still warm
- It can set at room temperature (90 to 100 F)and unlike gelatin can hold the shape in hot conditions (180F)
- It can be reheated if set too quickly
Nutrition Information
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
Spenser Louderback
Am I missing something? I don't see the quantity of powdered sugar to use.
Veena Azmanov
You don't need the powdered sugar, Spenser. Just whip the cream with the vanilla extract. Then combine it with the mousse. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Jim Hacker
I just made this and it looks wonderful. The hardest part is waiting for it to set up! I have a bunch of frozen blackberries from our farm, so I wanted to try your recipe. I do have a question about your gelatin/water ratio. You have it as 1 tablespoon of gelatin to 2 tablespoons of water. A tablespoon is 15 milliliters so 2 would be 30. Where did the 120 milliliters of water come from? Am I reading that right? So my batch may not set up right, but I know it'll taste great! Thanks.
Veena Azmanov
Hey Jim. Sorry about that - I just corrected it.
It should have been 4 tbsp of water but 2 would work better if you can dissolve the gelatin. Your mousse should set up beautifully because you have just the right amount of liquid.
Let me know how it was. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Jim Hacker
It does taste great, but it didn't quite set up enough. The gelatin didn't dissolve enough with only 2 tablespoons of water. By adding more water and barely heating it in a microwave, I think it'll be on the money. Thank you once again!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks for the feedback, Jim.
Tisha
The color of this mousse is absolutely gorgeous! A dessert we would devour!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Tisha. I do love the color too