With just three simple ingredients and a few minutes in the blender, you can create a light and airy mousse that's bursting with bright and zesty lemon flavor. Cottage Cheese Lemon Mousse is the ultimate snack - it's nourishing and filling enough to satisfy your cravings after a workout, but also elegant and delicious enough to impress your dinner guests.

This is truly a "choose your own adventure" kind of dessert - you can enjoy it whenever and however you like. And let's not forget about its protein-packed goodness - one cup of cottage cheese contains approximately 30 grams of protein.

If you're a fan of cottage cheese, you will also enjoy my other cottage cheese recipes, such as Cottage Cheese Ice Cream, Strawberry Cottage Cheese Smoothie, and Cottage Cheese Quiche. I've also put together a round-up post with lots of creative cottage cheese ideas. But regardless of how you enjoy cottage cheese, one thing is for sure: its protein-packed goodness and versatility make it a fantastic addition to any meal or snack. Personally, I love having this mousse recipe for breakfast with a slice of peanut butter toast.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• It's easy to prepare with just three simple ingredients
• Great option for those looking for a gluten-free dessert alternative
• Healthier alternative to traditional mousse recipes thanks to high protein cottage cheese
• Doesn't require any baking or cooking, making it a quick and easy option
• Perfect make ahead treat
• Great meal prep option for a healthy snack
• Can be easily scaled up or down to serve a small or large group of people
• It's a light and refreshing dessert option with no added refined sugars

Ingredients

• Cottage Cheese - I used a 2% cottage cheese but you could choose a fat free or lactose free version if that suits your dietary preferences.
• Lemon Zest and Juice - When zesting the lemon, make sure to grate only the outer yellow layer of the peel, as the white pith underneath can be bitter. If you prefer a more intense lemon flavor, you can add a little extra zest or juice to the mousse, to taste.
• Pure Maple Syrup - If you don't have pure maple syrup on hand, you can also use honey.

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Substitutions & Variations

• Greek Yogurt: If you don't have cottage cheese, you can substitute Greek yogurt. It will definitely give the mousse a tangier flavor and you may want to add more maple syrup to adjust for that.
• Lime Juice: If you don't have a lemon, you can substitute a lime or an orange for a slightly different flavor.
• Honey: If you don't have maple syrup, you can substitute honey or a few drops of stevia.
• Chocolate Lemon Mousse: Add ½ tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder to the recipe and blend it with the other ingredients to create a decadent chocolate lemon mousse.
• Raspberry Lemon Mousse: Add a tablespoon of seedless raspberry jam to the recipe and blend it with the other ingredients to create a delicious raspberry lemon mousse. Reduce the amount of maple syrup.

I have not experimented with any other substitutions or alterations for this recipe. If you decide to make any changes by adding or substituting ingredients, I would love it if you could share your results with us by leaving a comment below.

How To Make Healthy Lemon Mousse

Here are the step-by-step instructions to make this recipe.

Step 1: Optional Step for Thicker Mousse

If you want a thicker mousse, place 500 grams of cottage cheese in a strainer lined with cheesecloth over a bowl and refrigerate overnight to drain off excess whey.

Step 2: Combine Ingredients and Blend

Add the cottage cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest and maple syrup to a high-powered blender. Blend on high for 30 seconds until completely smooth.

Step 3: Adjust for Taste

Taste the mousse and adjust the sweetness or tartness to your liking. If you want it sweeter, add a little more maple syrup. If you want it more tart, add a little more lemon juice.

Step 4: Chill and Serve

Transfer the mousse into two small dessert bowls. Enjoy right away, or if you like it cold, chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Expert Tips

• If you don't have a high-powered blender, you can use a food processor or immersion blender. You may need to blend longer to achieve a creamy consistency.
• For a thicker mousse, strain the cottage cheese overnight in a cheesecloth-lined strainer over a bowl to remove excess whey.
• You can use the excess whey to kick start fermentation projects like fermented onions.
• Choosing an organic lemon is highly recommended for this recipe since you will be using the zest.
• For a professional-looking presentation, you can transfer the mousse to a piping bag and pipe it into dessert cups or ramekins.
• You can make the mousse a day ahead of time. Store the mousse covered in the fridge.

Recipe FAQs

Storage

Fridge

This lemon mousse can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. If you've already divided your cottage cheese lemon mousse into individual dessert cups, you can store them in the fridge with a layer of plastic wrap over the top to help keep them fresh. When you're ready to serve the mousse, simply remove the plastic wrap and garnish with your desired toppings.

More Recipes You'll Love