Name: Pumpkin Mousse Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients: 1 1/2 Cups Milk; 1 Package (1 Ounce) Instant Butterscotch Pudding Mix; 1/2 cup Canned Pumpkin; 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon Ginger; 1/4 teaspoon Allspice; 1/2 Cup Whipped Topping

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Pumpkin Mousse Recipe

Who knew that this Pumpkin Mousse Recipe would be such a hit with my husband and our boys? I should have seen it coming. They can’t resist a good pumpkin dessert. For once, a favorite family recipe is an easy to make recipe. It’s a win/win all around.

This recipe for pumpkin mousse is very quick to throw together. You will, however, need to plan ahead because the Pumpkin Mousse needs to chill in the fridge for a few hours. It’s much better that way. If you try to rush it, the pumpkin mousse will taste overly rich. It won’t have that mellowed flavor. You’ve got to wait it out this time. I know, it’s so hard to resist.

The History of Mousse

Not quite a pudding and not quite a custard, where did light and fluffy or creamy and thick dessert mousse come from? The answer might surprise you. First, there were savory mousses. Made with liver, fish, or even eggs, savory mousses use eggs or gelatin as a “binder.” They were typically served warm, though there are always exceptions.

Now we must delve into the history of chocolate, at least a little bit. According to History.com’s Hungry History website, chocolate has been around for 4,000 years. Aztecs and Mayans traded, using cocoa beans as currency. Spanish conquistadors brutally entered the scene, returning home with the stuff. Spain kept it a secret for nearly 100 years–until a wedding.

The daughter of Spanish King Philip III, Anne, married French King Louis XIII in 1615. Anne of Austria loved chocolate and brought it with her. The secret was out! It soon spread to the rest of Europe.

Savory Mousse Enters the Scene

The 18th century French were serving savory mousses. After Johannes van Houten invented the cocoa press, enabling cocoa powder and all the innovative recipes that would soon come with it, in 1828, it was only a matter of time until the invention of the sort of mousse we know today.

Madison Square Garden in New York City was the site of a Food Exposition in 1892. It was here that the first recipe for chocolate mousse was written down. I think it’s safe to assume that it was not invented right then and there but had been around for awhile. The Nibble shares that it wasn’t until the 1930s when dessert mousse became a “thing.”

Now? People get creative! Either whipped cream or whipped egg whites are found in most typical mousse recipes. But as to other flavorings, well, that can be just about anything, I think. Just look at my pumpkin mousse recipe below. The 1700s French wouldn’t believe it.

Simple Dessert: Recipe for Pumpkin Mousse

Cool and creamy, this Pumpkin Mousse Recipe is a great way to welcome in the change of season when it doesn’t feel like the change of season with all this heat and humidity. It makes a nice light dessert after a heavy meal any time of the year Enjoy!