Cottage cheese desserts are everywhere right now, and for good reason: blended until smooth, cottage cheese turns into a thick, creamy base packed with protein. This sugar-free cottage cheese pumpkin mousse blends it with pumpkin and warm spice, then folds in a little whipped cream for a light, pipeable mousse.
No one will guess there is cottage cheese inside. Each of the 6 coupes has about 105 calories, 10g protein and 5g net carbs, sweetened with powdered allulose.
There is no oven at all. A small amount of gelatin helps the cottage cheese pumpkin mousse set softly in the fridge, so it holds its swirl.
Why You’ll Love This Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Mousse
- 10g protein per serving. Blended cottage cheese is the base.
- Silky, not grainy. A high-speed blender turns the curds completely smooth.
- No oven. Blend, fold, pipe and chill.
- Pretty in a glass. Piped swirls in dessert coupes, served right in the glasses.
Ingredient Notes
Cottage cheese. One and a half cups of Good Culture Simply 2% cottage cheese is blended for 1 to 2 minutes until completely smooth and curd-free. This step is what makes the texture silky.
Pumpkin and spice. Three-quarters of a cup of LIBBY’S 100% Pure Pumpkin and a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice give the classic pumpkin flavor, with ¾ teaspoon of alcohol-free vanilla flavoring.
Neufchâtel and cream. Two ounces of Philadelphia Neufchâtel add body, and 2 tablespoons of cold Land O Lakes heavy whipping cream are whipped to soft peaks and folded in for lightness.
Gelatin. Half a teaspoon of unflavored gelatin, bloomed in a tablespoon of cold water, lets the mousse set softly so the piped swirls keep their shape.
Allulose. A third of a cup of powdered pure allulose sweetens the mousse and blends in smoothly. Allulose is a rare sugar that the FDA allows to be excluded from the total sugars and added sugars declarations on the Nutrition Facts label.
If you want to check the nutrition of staples like cottage cheese and pumpkin yourself, you can look them up on USDA FoodData Central.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Mousse
You need six 6-fl oz dessert coupes, a high-speed blender, an electric mixer, bowls, a piping bag and a microwave-safe bowl. Prep takes about 25 minutes, nothing is baked, and the mousse chills for at least 3 hours.
Blend the pumpkin base
Step 1. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let it bloom for 5 minutes.
Step 2. Blend the cottage cheese for 1 to 2 minutes, until completely smooth and curd-free.
Step 3. Add the pumpkin, Neufchâtel, powdered allulose, pumpkin spice and vanilla, and blend until creamy.
Step 4. Microwave the bloomed gelatin in 5 to 8-second bursts until dissolved. Do not boil.
Step 5. Stir 2 tablespoons of the pumpkin mixture into the gelatin, then another 2 tablespoons, and blend this back into the pumpkin mixture.
Fold in the cream
Step 6. Whip the cold heavy cream separately until soft peaks form.
Step 7. Transfer the pumpkin mixture to a bowl and fold in one-third of the whipped cream.
Step 8. Gently fold in the remaining cream until evenly combined and softly aerated.
Pipe and chill
Step 9. Divide the mousse evenly among the six dessert coupes.
Step 10. Pipe broad circular swirls with a soft pointed peak on top of each serving.
Step 11. Cover carefully and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, until softly set.
Step 12. Serve the cottage cheese pumpkin mousse chilled, directly in the glasses.
Success Tips for Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Mousse
Blend the cottage cheese thoroughly. Give it the full 1 to 2 minutes before adding anything else. Any curds left now will show in the finished mousse.
Dissolve the gelatin fully. Warm it in short bursts and temper it with a little pumpkin mixture so it blends in without lumps.
Fold gently. Fold the whipped cream in two additions to keep the mousse creamy, softly aerated and pipeable.
Keep it simple. The recipe calls for no toppings or garnishes, so the smooth piped swirl is the finish.
More Pumpkin and Cottage Cheese Desserts
If you prefer a version without cottage cheese, my classic sugar-free pumpkin mousse is made with Neufchâtel and Greek yogurt. For chocolate, try the sugar-free cottage cheese chocolate mousse.
And for a pumpkin dessert you can slice, the sugar-free no-bake pumpkin cheesecake is a holiday favorite.
Storage
Refrigerate the cottage cheese pumpkin mousse covered for up to 3 days.
Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Mousse FAQ
Can you taste the cottage cheese?
Not when it is blended completely smooth. It becomes a creamy, neutral base for the pumpkin and spice.
Do I need a high-speed blender?
The recipe uses one to blend the cottage cheese until completely smooth and curd-free, which is what keeps the mousse silky.
Why is there gelatin?
Half a teaspoon of gelatin helps the cottage cheese pumpkin mousse set softly so the swirls hold their shape in the fridge.
How is this different from your regular pumpkin mousse?
This one is built on blended cottage cheese for 10g protein per serving. The regular sugar-free pumpkin mousse uses Neufchâtel and Greek yogurt.
Is allulose a sugar alcohol?
No, allulose is a rare sugar, not a sugar alcohol.
Creamy, gently spiced and secretly full of protein, this cottage cheese pumpkin mousse is the easiest way to get your pumpkin fix this season.
Sugar-Free Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Mousse
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Sprinkle gelatin over cold water. Bloom 5 minutes.
- Blend cottage cheese 1–2 minutes until completely smooth and curd-free.
- Add pumpkin, Neufchâtel, powdered allulose, pumpkin spice and vanilla. Blend until creamy.
- Microwave bloomed gelatin in 5–8-second bursts until dissolved. Do not boil.
- Stir 2 tbsp pumpkin mixture into gelatin, then another 2 tbsp. Blend this back into the pumpkin mixture.
- Whip cold heavy cream separately until soft peaks form.
- Transfer pumpkin mixture to a bowl. Fold in one-third of whipped cream.
- Gently fold in remaining cream until evenly combined and softly aerated.
- Divide evenly among six dessert coupes.
- Pipe broad circular swirls with a soft pointed peak on top of each serving.
- Cover carefully and refrigerate at least 3 hours until softly set.
- Serve chilled directly in the glasses.
Notes
- Blend cottage cheese thoroughly for silky texture.
- Dissolve gelatin fully to prevent lumps.
- Keep mousse creamy, softly aerated and pipeable.
- Do not add toppings or garnishes.
- Refrigerate covered for up to 3 days.