This 2-Ingredient Pumpkin Mousse Is the Easy Dessert You'll Fall For

This no-cook dessert takes 10 minutes to make.

By
Annika Panikker
Annika Panikker
Annika Panikker
Annika is a chef turned food content creator since 2017, and is currently featured in Simply Recipes. She has been in the food service industry since 2010 and started out as home baker in Mumbai, India when she was 15 years old.
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Published September 28, 2023
Annika Panikker
2-ingredient pumpkin mousse topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin spice, all in a sherbert glass. On the counter, a spoonful of mousse

Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker

This pumpkin mousse really has it all: it feels fancy thanks to its rich creaminess, but it couldn’t be easier to make. There’s no cooking involved, it only requires two ingredients, and it comes together in 10 minutes or less. It also feeds a small crowd.

To make two-ingredient pumpkin mousse, you’ll just need canned pumpkin pie filling and whipping cream. Prepackaged pumpkin pie filling is readily available during the autumn, and is already seasoned with warming pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, sweetener, and salt. It’s the perfect quick fix for this recipe. 

This simple recipe is great for making ahead since it needs to chill for at least an hour in the fridge. It’s easy enough for a weeknight but elevated enough for a dinner party. I can imagine serving it at Thanksgiving, its lightness a welcome change after a heavy meal. And it’s so easy that kids can make it.

No Pumpkin Pie Filling? No Problem!

If you don’t have pumpkin pie filling handy, you can use plain pumpkin purée. Add 2 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice or 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground clove, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, and 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger. Also add 1 tablespoon vanilla, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, and a good pinch of salt. Stir it together until well combined and follow the rest of the recipe.

2-ingredient pumpkin mousse topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin spice, all in a sherbert glass. On the counter, a spoonful of mousse.

Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker

Optional Additions

This simple mousse is perfectly sweet and spiced as-is but is also easy to tweak. Here are a few ideas:

  • Add 1 tablespoon of dark rum or brandy to the mixture while folding the pumpkin filling and whipped cream together. 
  • Canned pumpkin pie filling is already sweetened. However, if you want to add more sweetness to the mousse, add up to 2 tablespoons of maple syrup into the mixture while folding. 
  • Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract for more vanilla flavor. 
  • An additional pinch of salt goes a long way. I also love adding sea salt flakes on top just before serving. 

Make It Ahead

This is a fantastic make-ahead dessert. Prepare the mousse, transfer the mixture to your serving dish(es), cover, and place in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight. Pumpkin mousse can be made up to 24 hours in advance and the flavor is even better after it chills for several hours. 

Someone serving a spoonful of 2-ingredient pumpkin mousse onto a small plate at a dinner table. On the dinner table, a bowl with more mousse topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin spice and more small plates with spoons

Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker

How to Serve

The mousse is excellent on its own, but a little presentation makes it look more enticing. Add more whipped cream on the top, a dusting of cinnamon, a few toasted pumpkin seeds, a sprinkle of sea salt flakes, and/or some crushed biscuits.

I love serving pumpkin mousse in a large bowl/platter and spooning it into dessert bowls when ready to eat. Alternatively, you can divide the mousse mixture into individual glasses or bowls before chilling.

Simple Tip!

The setting time of the mousse will depend on the serving dish—the larger the dish the longer the setting time—so plan accordingly.

Pumpkin Treats

2-Ingredient Pumpkin Mousse

Prep Time 10 mins
Chill Time 60 mins
Total Time 70 mins
Servings 6 to 8 servings

Chill time is 1 hours minimum.

Ingredients

  • 1 (29 to 30-ounce) can (3 cups) pumpkin pie filling

  • 1 1/2 cups (354 ml) heavy whipping cream, cold

Optional garnishes:

  • 1/4 cup prepared whipped cream

  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds

  • Ground cinnamon, for dusting

  • 1 pinch sea salt flakes

Method

  1. Strain the pumpkin pie filling:

    Place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and add the pumpkin pie filling to the strainer. Let the excess liquid drip off for 5 minutes.

    Once it’s done draining, add the strained pie filling to a clean bowl.

    Simple Tip!

    I hate kitchen waste, so I save the liquid and add it to pancake batter or smoothies.

    Pumpkin pie filling in a fine mesh strainer next to a brown kitchen linen and a measuring cup with a small spatula for 2-ingredient pumpkin mousse recipe

    Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker
  2. Meanwhile, whip the cream:

    Add the whipping cream to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Use an electric mixer with beater attachment(s) to whip to stiff peaks. When you remove a beater, the whipped cream should stand at a point without completely falling over. This will take a couple of minutes.

    Bowl of whip cream next to a brown kitchen linen and a small plate with a spatula for easy pumpkin mousse recipe

    Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker
  3. Fold the mousse together:

    Add a couple of spoons of the whipped cream into the pumpkin pie filling and gently mix together until combined. This will loosen up the pumpkin mixture a bit.

    Transfer the pumpkin pie filling to the whipped cream bowl and use a rubber spatula to gently fold them together just until combined. Be gentle to ensure you don’t knock the air out of the whipped cream.

    Whipped cream and pumpkin puree folded together using a spatula in a bowl next to a browl kitchen linen for 2-ingredient pumpkin mousse recipe

    Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker
    Whipped cream and pumpkin puree continiously folded together using a spatula in a bowl next to a browl kitchen linen

    Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker
    2-ingredient pumpkin mousse in a bowl with a spatula next to a brown kitchen linen

    Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker
  4. Chill:

    Spoon the mousse into individual serving dishes or one large dish. Place one on top of a kitchen towel spread out on the counter. Tap a few times to dislodge bubbles and help smooth the top. Repeat with the other dishes. If needed, smooth the top(s) with a spoon.

    Cover and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. If desired, top with more whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon and serve. 

    Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!

    2-ingredient pumpkin mousse in a sherbert next to a bowl with more, a spoonful with some mousse a plate, and a brown kitchen linen

    Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker
    Bowl of pumpkin mousse on a pile of kitchen towels

    Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker
    Single serving of 2-ingredient pumpkin mousse topped with whiped cream and a dusting of pumpkin spice in a sherbert glass, and in the surroundings, a bowl with more whipped cream, a bakers dusting wand filled with pumpkin spice on a small saucer, and a brown kitchen linen

    Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
257 Calories
16g Fat
28g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 257
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 21%
Saturated Fat 10g 52%
Cholesterol 50mg 17%
Sodium 223mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 28g 10%
Dietary Fiber 8g 30%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 4mg 19%
Calcium 67mg 5%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 182mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.