Making Mango Mousse
Fruit mousses take a bit of work, but the technical frills are worth the extra-silky and luxurious result. Mango is very nice, but many kinds of fruit will work (see the below recipe). Start by peeling two large, ripe mangoes. Yes, I know this is a composite shot, but as you already know, I only have two hands.
This aftermath of this attempted action shot required a bandaid.
Oh well, live and learn. Slice and/or scoop the mango flesh away from the pit.
Combine the flesh with the sugar in a food processor and purée until smooth.
Pour the purée into a fine mesh sieve…
…and using a spatula, press it through until you have nothing but about a tablespoon of fruit fibers left. This step will take you 5-10 minutes, but you want to take the time, trust me.
Add the lemon juice to the sieved purée and stir.
Now pour one third of the purée into a small saucepan and bring it up to a simmer. Sprinkle on the gelatin…
…and stir it in. Keep stirring until it melts completely.
Pour the mixture, along with the rest of the purée, into a medium bowl and whisk it together thoroughly. Allow this to sit at room temperature while you whip the cream.
The next part of the process is like a little dance. The idea is to have the purée at the perfect temperature and the cream at the perfect consistency right at the same time. Since cooling the purée all the way right away will cause the gelatin to set up prematurely, and whipping the cream all the way right away risks a semi-melted or over-whipped end product, you want to do each in stages. So, while the purée is cooling, pour the cream into the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whip.
Whip it. Meanwhile, prepare an ice water bath for the bowl of mango purée. When the cream is whipped more or less to soft peaks…
…place the purée bowl into the ice water bath.
Keep scraping the bottom of the bowl with a spatula to keep the mixture from setting up in large clumps. When you see these sorts of “curds” starting to form, you’re ready to complete the mousse. Remove the purée bowl from the ice water bath.
Promptly whip the cream to stiff peaks…
Then whip in the purée.
Whew! You’re done. Pour the mousse into the mold you’re prepared.
Or, spoon it into bowls and eat!
Hi Joe,
This mango mousse looks glorious. I have a question–i’m looking to make a guava chiffon cake, was wondering if this mousse will stiffen well enough for me to use it as a layer? I would probably pour it into cake pans and refridgerate it overnight and then stack it in-between layers – – do you think that would work? I’m cake stacking challenged, my filling always runs out the sides and i need something fool-proof. Thanks for any help.
Hi June! Thanks for the question. Yes, it does firm up quite well. You shouldn’t have a problem with it as a layer in your cake, provided you make it in a mold…this Bavarian has the texture of whipped cream at first, so it might squish out the sides if there wasn’t a mold around it to support it. After a few hours, however, it will hold its own.
Hi Joe,
This looks excellent! I was planning on making a Charlotte Royale for a birthday party this weekend, but it turns out that the birthday girl doesn’t much care for mango. Any idea how this might be adapted to other fruit? (Maybe lemon or strawberry?)
Thanks!
Hi Adam! I just put up a post on the subject…have a look! (And sorry for the delay).
Hi Joe–I love your blog! I was wondering if you could give any advice for substituting gelatin sheets for the powdered stuff and vice versa. I know that the sheets are supposed to be more reliable and I find them easier to work with, but the powdered is much easier to find.
Hi Claire! Yes, I understand completely. Sheets and powdered gelatin can get a little confusing. I consider four sheets of gelatin to be the equivalent of one 2 1/2 teaspoon packet of the powdered stuff. Some people say five, but I’d rather err on the side of caution. In my universe 1 sheet of gelatin = 1/2 teaspoon powdered.
Posting from Hawai’i, mango country. You can extract the flesh from the mango more easily if you don’t peel. There’s a good set of instructions, with pix, at:
http://homecooking.about.com/od/howtocookbasics/ss/cutmango_7.htm
Thanks Zora! I’m certainly no expert in these matters. – Joe
I always made mango milk shakes while they are in season..will try mousse this season before it runs dry..thanks for the recipe joe.
I promise you’ll like it! – Joe
This was very nice. All of us liked it very much. I substituted gelatine with china grass. Thanks for the recipe Joe. Nice was to cool off our hot summers here…
I’m very glad it worked so well! It’s hot here too…
How much of the china grass did you use per packet of gelatine? I also have difficulty in using the chinagrass that comes in those thick sheets. I find using the agar agar powder more convenient & I feel it gives me a little more control & convenience. Please do share your technique, especialy the exact measure for measure gelatin & china grass substitution.
I think most Asians are wary of heating fruits since that will make the fruit more sour. I guess one can also melt the gelatin with some water and then add it to uncooked mango puree to preserve the natural flavour of the mangos?
I can appreciate that, however remember that the technique involves heating only a portion of the purée, and then only to the point that the gelatin is melted. I generally prefer that over diluting the purée with water. However there’s no problem soaking the gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water, then melting it over medium heat on the stove. Whisk that into the fruit purée and continue as normal.
You have more useful info than the Britsih had colonies pre-WWII.
That’s the sort of compliment that really speaks to me, Loren! I greatly appreciate it!
– Joe
Hi Joe–I am going to make a raspberry version of this for a party and was wondering how long it can sit at room temperature before the mousse begins to soften too much. Also, what do you think about folding fruit into the mousse before pouring it into the mold? Would the fruit release too much water? Thanks for the inspiration!
It depends on the temperature of the room. However I set my mango Charlotte out on a buffet table in an un-air conditioned room for about 3 hours and it held up fine. It was about 80 in there. Mousse like this shouldn’t completely collapse unless it’s really, really hot. As for mixing whole berries into it, that’s fine. Cut berries and/or fruit will release enough moisture to do some damage to the gel.
Best of luck with it!
– Joe
Thanks a lot! I actually tried to make this, following a different recipe but texture of the mousse quite right, however I got it perfect following yours!
Great news, Rob! Thanks for the note!
– Joe
I have been making Mango Mousse for about 10 years! But I make it a little easier.
I peel the mangoes like you and put in food processor then thru a sieve
but i put 3 tablespoons of water and 1 envelope of unflavored gelatin in microwave for 30 seconds~ cool and add to mango puree along w/ 1/2 cup of sugar.
Then I whip my cream and fold. I put 3 raspberries at bottom of a glass bowl and add mousse then top with raspberries to garnish.
It saves a lot of time and appears would be much easier.
To each their own. This isn’t necessarily the definitive method, I don’t claim that any of my techniques and recipes are definitive. They’re simply the ones that I think deliver the best result for the amount of effort I put in. There are many ways to do almost everything on the site. Glad you have a method that works for you!
– Joe
One more thing Joe~ I have also made Raspberry mousse also and it is to Die for!!!!
Whoa…sounds fantastic! I may have to do that one soon…
Thanks Michele!
Hi I love the way that mousse looks. But where is the recipe I want to use it in my individual cakes. I’m in culinary school and next week on Wednesday is my day to make a dessert for our schools restaurant. I also would like to know do you have a mirror mango glaze recipe?? I was going to make a geniose with mango mousse.thank you.
Hey Courtney! Just go over to the menu on the left, go to Pastry Components and look for “Mousse” then “Fruit Mousse.” You’ll find the general recipe for fruit mousses at the bottom, under the photo tutorial. RE: your other question, I should have a mirror mango glaze up, but I don’t. Sorry ’bout that!
Good luck!
– Joe
Thank you
Hi Joe,
Can i use pectin in place of gelatin and still get the same mousse consistency and taste. If i can use pectin then can you give the amt of pectin i need to substitute.
I wish pectin were strong enough to hold up a mousse, Rari. Unfortunately it isn’t. A higher amount of a fish-bone gelatin, of the kind used in Kosher recipes, may work. Would that sort of ingredient be acceptable to you?
– Joe
Joe, I have serious sea-food-fish allergies, the life threatening kind, & I am a vegetarian too. Would using a little extra pectin/agar do the trick? And what if I took the mousse out of the fridge & left it out for a shorter time instead, work? For then, staying cold longer would make it hold up long enough to be consumed?
Hi Plato!
Check the comment fields because I know others have tried that. This mousse is fairly heavy, however. Non animal-based gelatins have a hard time holding it up. I recommend a little experimentation if you feel like it. I know other people would like a purely vegetable alternative. Best of luck and please get back with any results!
– Joe
Hey Joe just wondering if you had tried this with agar agar instead of using gelatin?
Hi Linda!
I haven’t but some readers have. The report is that it’s not strong enough, but as I said, I haven’t tried it myself. Best of luck with it!
– Joe
Hey Joe! Just wanted to shoot you an update. I tried it with the agar and it actually held up just fine 🙂 Maybe the others didn’t adjust according? Not too sure! But it is defin. different in textured and structured. I think it would be a great blog post worth try 🙂
Thanks Linda! Very glad to hear that. I’ll give it a try.
– Joe
Hi
Linda I actually wanted to make a mango mousse using agar agar sheets and but have no clue how much I should use, could you please tell me the amount you used?
Thanks!
I can’t see where it shows the recipe? How much of each ingredient am I suppose to use?
Right here, Vicky:
http://joepastry.com/category/pastry-components/mousse/fruit-mousse/
Scroll to the bottom.
– Joe
hi joe..i wanted to make a chiffon cake with the mango mousse but i wanted to also do a (thin) layer of mango puree/filling. for the filling, could i just leave the puree w/gelatin? would it set or be thick enough to use as filling or would i have to add more gelatin?
Hey, Cyndi!
The mousse should work just fine as-is. However the crumb of the cake will soak up some moisture unless you place a barrier there. Most cake bakers apply a thin scraping of buttercream above and below to lock it in. Fat and water don’t mix, so it’s pretty darn effective!
Let me know how it goes!
– Joe
hey joe..I have a question? I have bought an unflavored gelatin and it smells really bad?may i know why is that?and can i have the recipe of this mango mousse?
Hello Nakko!
First, to get the mango mousse recipe, look in the Pastry Components under Mousse (it’s the Fruit Mousse). There you will find the recipe, at the bottom.
Regarding the gelatin, it can smell quite bad…like dirty feet, especially when you first combine it with hot water. It is because gelatin is made from pig or cow skins. The smell goes away when you use it, don’t worry. Let me know how your mousse turns out!
– Joe
How much expiry date of this mousse
This mousse will last for at least a week in the refrigerator.
– Joe
I m a pestry sheff nd i have a problem in mud pudding that mud pudding is starting the firmantation in 15degrer my recipe is 100gm choclate 50ml water 100gm cake pudding then why this firment after 2days
Hello Avi!
I will try to find a recipe for mud pudding, because right now I don’t know what it is. I would like to help if I can.
– Joe
So, I go to Le Cordon Bleu and I’m in the baking and pastry program. My “cake class”— as I have named it — requires me to complete a “Torte Project”. We are required to use ribbon sponge and joconde. I want to make a mango mousse filling, rum syrup (to lightly moisten the joconde in between layers) and a raspberry glacage. My class is 4 hours long, and I think I only have one class day and a half to complete it…do you think I could make it? Like, will the everything be “set” enough to present?
If you reply, thank you very much!
I reply to everybody! 😉
The smaller the quantity you make the quicker it will cool and set. How thick will your mousse layer be?
– Joe
Okay, so I actually have to make two different flavours of mousse. I’m making mango mousse and white chocolate-raspberry mousse and a mango glacage instead.
And for the thickness of the layers, I’m thinking of doing it about a fourth inch thick.
You’ll have no problem then, I don’t think. They’ll set up fast. Send me a piece maybe?
– Joe
Haha, I would if I could! Thanks so much for the help! :]
My pleasure!
– Joe
Hi there,
Thank you for having this website; it is amazing, exactly what I’ve been looking for!
Can I use mango puree in a can instead of fresh mangoes? Would it compromise the taste?
Hello! I am making cheese cake and I would like to make mange cheese cake. The baked version. Can I add mango puree to the cream cheese batter? Or will it firm up, because it has gelatine. I was thinking of omitting the gelatine, I am not making a mango mousse rather just the puree. Mango, sugar and lemon juice bring it to a simmer and combine it with my cream cheese batter. Thanks!!!
Hi Khan! You are completely right in your thinking that you don’t need gelatin for this job. Just mix a purée of mango into the batter itself. A little lemon juice will help preserve the color, and if you are adding sugar to the cheese batter you probably won’t need to add much if any to the fruit.
Let me know how it turns out!
– Joe
Hello!!!
I made this recipe using just the puree part. But every time the puree would turn brownish or dull in color. It tasted good but the color was not nice to look at, as a result my cheese cake did not look good either. After a while it struck me, I could use wilton orange food coloring (it is the coloring that I use to color butter creams, frosting, cakes and cupcakes. Just a tiny amount of wilton orange food coloring. The puree color change from dull, murky brown to beautiful subtle orange and it worked. It looked and tasted similar to the puree from the super market. In a country where mango is abundant during summer time, I would like to make my own fresh puree, with fresh mangoes and use it on mange cheese cakes and mange cheese tarts.
Thanks!!!!!!
Glad it worked, Khan! Lemon juice will also help preserve color in cut fruit. You can try that and see how it goes!
– Joe
Hi Joe ,
This mousse recipe looks absolutley scrumtious! Id like to use this recipe in my Student assessment , but we only get a certain amount of time, roughly how long does it take for the mousse to be prepared and for the gelatin to fully set?
Hello Joe,
I’m making a mango mousse cake for an Easter party. I have two questions:
First- How large do these usually turn out? It might’ve said it somewhere, but how many people do you think it could serve? Thanks, sorry too, I probably could have found out myself in the recipe, but I couldn’t find it.
And second-My kids don’t really like mango. Does the cake taste allot like mango, or is there a way you could flavor it to make not taste too much like mango? Thanks again.
-Mara
Hi Mara!
The Charlotte royale I made with the mango mousse fed quite a lot of people. At least a dozen. Mousse like that is very rich and smooth, it doesn’t take a lot to satisfy. And to your question, it’s not a terribly strong mango flavor. I myself find mango too perfume-y, but this mousse was delightful. I’ll say it does depend on the mango to some extent. A really ripe, perfume-heavy mango will give you a stronger taste. Have fun and happy Easter!
– Joe
I dont see the measurements. this looks good and I’d like to make it
Hey Leah!
You arrived via google to this post it seems. Head back and you’ll find I included a link. Normally the recipes are accessed through the menu on the left side of the site. Recipes are at the bottom of each tutorial.
Cheers and thanks for visiting!
– Joe
yaaay, thank you
You’re welcome!
– Joe
Hey there..always in luv with ur recipies n blog..truly inspirational u r..i need help!! i have to make a mango kiwi mousse wrapped in a joconde..the bottom layer kiwi mousse n the top mango..my recipie i tried ws diffrnt had macarpone n beaten egg whites and i added gelatin towards th end..as i ws skeptical if it wud stand on its own..
Can u help me improvise this dessert?wat topping would go best on it?caramel sauce?how to enhance its taste?nuts?
Its selected for a competition so plss help..:))
Hi Ned! Happy to help if I can. So the mousse you have is working and you just need a garnish? I’m not completely sure I understand.
– Joe
Mousse is yea workin..but as a whole i think tht “wow” factor is missing..so suggest a good topping pls..thanx a lot for replyin..:))
Well let’s see…you could go with a natural compliment like raspberry on the one hand, or go way out there with something like foie gras (a hip combination at the moment…great with the pistachio as well I’d think). In between there are lots of options. Something crunchy like an almond praline might be nice (get some of those caramel flavors in there as well). Almond flavors are great with mango just generally, so I’d think about how you could work something more concentrated like marzipan in there if you wanted to. Just a thought. White chocolate is another thing that you might consider. Mint works nicely with both pistachio and mango, if that appeals. Rum does too.
Gosh, the possibilities go on and on when you think about it, especially when you start thinking about textures. I dunno…is any of this any help?
– Joe
Thaaaaank u..u r a star..:)) il mix n match evrythin n lets c..:) wil let u knw if i win..haha
hi joe I m big fan of you. can you give me a eggless cream brulee rcipy
Hi Joe – thanks for the recipe! It’s the perfect dessert for my BBQ today and was perfect seeing as one of my guests is three months pregnant and not eating raw eggs! I was nervous about not using eggs in a mousse recipe because i’d lose that fab moussey consistency but it came out beautifully! (I made myself a small taster pot, you know, just to check… Was eaten in 2secs!)
Great, Leanne!
It is silky smooth, isn’t it? Thanks for the note!
– Joe
…its a gr8 recipe but unfortunately i live in the area where there is no availability of gelatin…so what can i use instead of gelatin???or can i make it without using gelatin??
Hello Namra!
Check the comment field for this post and the recipe post since people have tried all sorts of different thickeners with varying results. Some are types of gelatin but others are various vegetable thickeners. That’s the best place to start since I don’t have much experience with vegetarian thickeners. There you can get a good idea for the quantities other readers have used. Best of luck!
– Joe
thanx……for telling me the substitutes….but i got gelatin now………:)…!
Hi Joe,
I really want to try this recipe as it sounds and looks so mouthwatering and tempting but I do not get unflavoured gelatin in Qatar 🙁 can I use mango flavoured jelly mix instead? Plz advice.
I managed to find unflavoured gelatine in one of the stores. Thanks.. will try it out and let you know.
Joe,
I made the mousse following every step carefully. The mango pulp with gelatin in ice bath never really started to get curds abd now as the mousse is setting in the fridge there are tiny balls of gelatin (more like gummy bears) what do you think went wrong or what did I do wrong?
Hi Sara!
It sounds like the gelatin didn’t melt completely. The fruit puree might not have been hot enough to melt the gelatin all the way…that’s my thinking at any rate. It’ll still taste good. But try again! These sorts of things can take a little practice.
Cheers,
– Joe
Thanks Joe. It still is heavenly yummylicious. I finished half the portion in 6 hours. I’m going to make again but with another fruit. One question, if i use berries won’t the berries turn watery when you blend them with sugar. They wont really be a pump like mangoes or bananas. Does that matter? Will they require more gelatin?
Good news, Sara, and please do keep in touch!
– Joe
I sure will. Thanks to you and your amazing website!!!
I made popovers which were awesome. I am next going to attempt floating islands. I am an indian who has never done baking or has never made anything other than indian desserts. Your recipes with detailed steps and pictures with the added pinch of humour is inspiring me to try to bake and make desserts. Keep the good work going!!
Hi,
I found your recipe to be interesting and thought I should try today, but I just wanted to know for how long this can be stored in refrigirator? Can I store this for a couple of days and will it still be good?
Hello Shalini!
Yes you can indeed store this for several days in the refrigerator. No problem. Best of luck with the mousse!
– Joe
Hi just discovered your site by accident. Should have found you months ago. Just finished my Patisserie Course at Tafe Australia.
I have lots fresh guava can I replace mango, Is it necessary to cook the guava I like the idea of fresh also with the mango.
Can I freeze this dessert for a week or so.
Hope to hear from You
Carmel
Hello Carmel!
First, congratulations on the degree! I tihnk you can use guava, though you’ll need to heat at least a little of the puree so you can melt in the gelatin. On the freeze front, gelatin doesn’t thaw well…expending ice crystals tend to undermine the gel and make it turn to mush. However you can eat it as a frozen dessert…that works quite well. Let me know how your experiments go!
– Joe
Hi!!! I will definitely tru your recipe since mine doesn’t seem to work. Forst of all I didn’t sieve tha mango. I do it in th blender and dissolve the gelatin in boiling water and I let it sit for a while and then blend it with the pure. While I do that I am whipping my cream to stiff peaks. Then I just fold in the mango pure into the whipped cream in three parts but I seem to get white little parts from the cream. After hours of refrigeration my mousse feels a little stiff of consistency instead of airy and lite!!! Please help me!!!!
I have another question…why do some mango mousse recipes or any fruit recipes have whipped egg whites??? They have all three: gelatin, whipped cream and egg whites. What do the egg whites do to the consistency of the mousse??? I cant use egg whites because in my country eggs aren’t pasteurized!! Thanku!!!
Hi! Just wondering how much mango mousse does your recipe yield. I wanted to use the mousse as a topping for a yellow cake. Is the mousse sufficient for a 9-inch round or 9X13 sheet cake?
Hi Vivienne! Yes indeed it will be enough for that use. This yields several cups — I need to measure next time! 😉
– Joe
I could not find the agar agar quantity. Please can you post that below my question? I will be a tin of mango puree as mangoes are not in season now.
Thanks
Hi Joe!
I found your recipe and it looks wonderful–can’t wait to try it!
I have a question, though. I had a mango mousse that I purchased from a French bakery that I was very unhappy with, as it has a distinct “fishy” taste. So much so that neither I nor my guests could eat it, as you could barely taste the mango they the fish. When I went back to the bakery (and took the mousse back) I was told that “this is how fresh mango mousse is supposed to taste”.
From my reading of your post/comments, this seems to be maybe because of the use (or overuse/improper use) of fish bone based gelatin?
Is it REALLY supposed to taste fishy? I somehow have a hard time believing that.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts/advice/opinion!
Oh good lord no, Christina…it is NOT supposed to taste like fish. Not by a mile. They were clearly using a fish bone gelatin, and the amounts of that gelatin you’d need to support a mousse like this would indeed give it a strong fish flavor. Yuck!
Use a standard gelatin and you’ll have no trouble at all.
Here’s to mango without trout! Cheers,
– Joe
Thank you! I love being right! Can’t wait to try making it myself, now!
Heh. Me too! Let me know how it goes!
– Joe
Can I use mango jelly powder instead of gelatin? Thank you ^^
Hi Joe i wanted to know if i could use this filling recipe for my cupcakes and how would i combine that with kiwi ???