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Enjoy the delicious flavours of beloved pumpkin pie without the fuss! This feather light pumpkin mousse layered with crushed ginger cookies and whipped cream is a delicious, quick to make no-bake dessert and a joy to look at!
If you love all things pumpkin, take a look at my quick Spiced Pumpkin Mug Cake. Ready in 3 minutes!
It’s difficult not to get excited with so many holidays right around the corner and I am in full planning mode. Never too early to begin dreaming up my holiday table!
Although I’ve already made a pumpkin pie this year my family is not satisfied with just one. But although I’m a big pumpkin pie fan myself, I don’t like to faff around with the pastry. So this year I decided to bring all the goodness of a pumpkin pie but ditch the crust!
Meet Pumpkin Mousse Trifle, a shockingly good easy fall dessert. Fluffy mousse layers sandwiched between crushed ginger cookies and whipped cream. Easy, quick and delicious. Inspired to traditional English Trifle, but with a personality all its own!
How to make it
The good news here is that this pumpkin mousse recipe is quick and easy to make. Although it sounds fancy, pumpkin mousse is nothing but a combination of pumpkin puree (use your own or canned), egg yolks, sugar, pumpkin pie spices and whipped cream.
The mixture is set with gelatine and flavoured with Galliano, a vanilla liqueur, that the gelatin is dissolved in, although an alcohol free option can be found below.
Layer it all together, top with fluffy whipped cream, and you are there!
One of the best things about this gorgeous mousse is that it should be made ahead of time. It needs several hours to set properly.
That means you can prepare the dessert a day ahead, leaving the day of celebration free for other tasks.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- This is a recipe that ideal for making a day ahead. Not only will this give plenty of time for everything to set, it means one less thing to do on the day!
- If you want to keep this pumpkin mousse alcohol free, simply substitute Galliano with water and add an extra teaspoon of vanilla to the mix.
- Choose a good quality This is an affiliate link.canned pumpkin purée for this recipe, or better yet, make your own!
- Ginger or gingersnap cookies are fantastic as the base for these desserts, but plenty of choice here. Graham crackers, Oreo crumbs or plenty of other options here!
- I added some crumbled cookies as a garnish, sprinkling them on top. Optional, of course, but they look great!
Serving suggestions
This is a pleasantly light dessert, which means it can go down especially well after a heavy meal. Perfect for enjoying after Thanksgiving dinner!
I’ve served it as an alternative to pumpkin pie, and at gatherings around Thanksgiving when individual portions make things easier for everyone.
Storage and leftovers
Have a few extra pumpkin mousse trifles left over? No matter, it just means you get to enjoy them for longer!
The trifles can be stored in a fridge for 3-4 days. Cover them with plastic wrap so they don’t absorb any smells from the fridge.
More pumpkin desserts to try
- Autumn Mississippi Mud Pie
- Spiced Pumpkin and Chocolate Cake with Maple Cinnamon Frosting
- Pumpkin Loaf with Butterscotch Streusel Topping
- Pumpkin Pie with Chocolate Swirl
- Toffee Pumpkin Muffins
Pumpkin Mousse Trifle
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Hand mixer
- This is an affiliate link.Mixing bowls
Ingredients
For the pumpkin mousse
- 2 tsp unflavoured gelatin
- 60ml / 1/4 cup Galliano, or any other vanilla flavoured liqueur
- 400g / 1¾ cups This is an affiliate link.pumpkin puree, your own or canned
- 200g / 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolks, large
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
- 250ml / 1 cup heavy cream
- 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
For the trifle
- 7-8 ginger cookies, crumbled
- 250ml / 1 cup double/heavy cream
- 4 tbsp icing/powdered sugar
- 1 tsp This is an affiliate link.vanilla extract
Instructions
For the pumpkin mousse
- Pour Galliano in a small microwavable bowl and sprinkle gelatin powder over it, let stand for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl combine pumpkin puree, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and vanilla and egg yolks, mix with a whisk until well combined.
- Put the bowl with Galliano and gelatin in the microwave and heat it on high for 1 minute, gelatin should be fully dissolved. Pour the gelatin mixture into the pumpkin mixture and combine.
- Whip heavy cream until soft peaks form and gently fold it into the pumpkin mixture.
- In a medium bowl combine heavy cream with icing sugar and vanilla and whip with a hand mixer until soft peaks form.
- Crumble the cookies and set aside.
To assemble the trifle
- Layer the pumpkin mousse, crumbled ginger cookies and whipped cream in small glasses starting with the pumpkin mousse and finishing with crumbled cookies as shown in photos.
- Chill in a refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Notes
- This recipe could be made a day ahead.
- To make this dessert alcohol free, replace the Galliano with water and an extra teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This looks amazing! Can you make one big trifle using the same recipe? I don’t have individual glasses.
Absolutely!!
Was a bit of a challenge converting ingredients I can find in Italy (gelatin in sheets, amaretti cookies instead of ginger, vanillina powder instead of liquid vanilla, etc) and sizing the recipe up to 60 servings, but this was a HUGE hit for our “American” Thanksgiving dinner for the Italians in my valley! Thank you for this deliciousness!
I am absolutely thrilled to hear that, Iz! Amaretti cookies sound like a perfect substitute. Happy Thanksgiving!
Looks absolutely delicious – you know my weakness for all things pumpkin!
Thanks, Lucy!! I am so happy you like it, my pumpkin loving friend! 😉