Spiced Pumpkin Yogurt Mousse

Pumpkin puree and warm spices give this chilled mousse its autumn flavor, while whipped cream supplies the air that makes it light. Greek yogurt adds tang and enough body to keep the portions spoonable without gelatin.

Details

Yield: 6 servings, about 2/3 cup each
Prep: 20 minutes
Chill: 2 hours
Equipment: two mixing bowls, whisk, electric mixer, flexible spatula, six covered dessert cups

Ingredients

1 cup (245 grams) plain pumpkin puree
3/4 cup (170 grams) plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
1/3 cup (70 grams) packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup (240 milliliters) cold heavy whipping cream

Method

Whisk pumpkin, yogurt, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until smooth. Continue until no sugar clumps remain and the mixture falls from the whisk in a thick ribbon.
In a clean bowl, beat the cold cream on medium speed to medium peaks, 2–4 minutes. The lifted beater should leave a peak whose tip bends; stop before the cream looks grainy.
Fold one-third of the whipped cream into the pumpkin base to loosen it. Fold in the remainder in two additions, turning the bowl and scraping from bottom to top. Stop when no white streaks remain.
Divide among six cups, cover, and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Serve cold; the mousse should hold a soft mound on a spoon.

Ingredient functions

Pumpkin provides flavor, color, moisture, and puree solids, but it does not aerate. Whipped cream creates the mousse structure. Greek yogurt thickens the base and balances the sugar. Brown sugar dissolves into the wet mixture and contributes a mild molasses note. Salt and spices sharpen the pumpkin flavor; none replaces the cream’s structural role.

Cues and troubleshooting

A loose mousse usually comes from underwhipped cream, warm cream, or vigorous stirring that deflated the bubbles. Chill the bowl and cream, then fold gently. If the cream becomes clumpy and begins releasing liquid, it is overwhipped; start that component again. A gritty base means the brown sugar was not fully dispersed. Let the pumpkin mixture stand five minutes, whisk again, and only then add cream.

Use plain pumpkin puree, not sweetened pumpkin-pie filling, which would change both sweetness and consistency. Keep the finished mousse refrigerated and discard portions held above 40°F for more than 2 hours.

Substitutions

Dark brown sugar can replace light brown sugar by weight for a stronger molasses flavor. Two-percent Greek yogurt works, though the mousse will be slightly softer. Do not replace heavy cream with milk. For a different spice profile, replace the three ground spices with 1 1/4 teaspoons of an unsweetened pumpkin-spice blend.

Storage

Cover each cup and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Quality is highest during the first 24 hours, before the mousse loses air. Do not freeze it; thawing can separate the yogurt and cream.

Spiced Pumpkin Yogurt Mousse