Coffee Mousse
If you've got powdered gelatin, instant coffee powder and heavy cream, you're most of the way to this vegetarian: about 65 minutes of cooking across 7 steps. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for pan and saucepan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (3)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a small bowl and leave to soften and swell for about 5 minutes.
- Whisk the egg yolks with the castor sugar in a heatproof bowl until pale and thick, then whisk in the warm milk in which you have dissolved the instant coffee.
- Set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and stir constantly until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and reaches about 75C, around 8 minutes; do not let it boil or it will curdle.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the softened gelatin until fully dissolved, then cool the custard, stirring now and then, until it is cold and just beginning to set.
- Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks and fold it gently into the coffee custard.
- In a clean, grease-free bowl whisk the pasteurized egg whites to firm peaks, then fold them through the mixture in two additions, keeping it as light as possible; use only pasteurized whites since they are not cooked further.
- Spoon into four glasses or a serving bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours until fully set before serving.
You'll use: Pan · Saucepan · Whisk
Ingredient substitutions
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
- Heavy Cream
- evaporated milk · ½ cup milk + ¼ cup melted butter · full-fat coconut milk
Tips & common questions
How long does Coffee Mousse take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 8 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of milk?
Try any unsweetened plant milk. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Coffee Mousse vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Coffee Mousse is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Classical Cappuccino in Savour Cafe.jpg by Peachyeung316, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.