Do you know what’s missing in your life? Specifically, Four Ingredient Easy Pumpkin Mousse. There are probably other things, but I write about food. I can assure you, this is one easy and delicious recipe you can use in eight different ways.

 

Plus, it has endless variations so it’s like having, I don’t know, a thousand zillion different recipes in one.

Do I exaggerate? It’s possible, but please read on.

 

This handy recipe takes only five minutes to prepare, and makes four servings, and it can be made with either whipped cream or frozen non-dairy whipped topping. Consider, cream is all natural, lower in sugar yet higher in fat content. Conversely, the whipped topping makes this recipe incredibly easy to prepare. You decide what’s best for your family.  

 

 

EASY PUMPKIN MOUSSE

 

Yield: 4 (one cup) servings  Time: 5 minutes + time to whip cream if using

 

What You’ll Need:

 

• 1 ½ cups whipping cream, whipped OR (8 ounce) tub of whipped topping
• 1 (15 ounce) can of pumpkin puree
• 1 (5 ounce) box of vanilla pudding mix (dry pudding mix)
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

 

 

Here’s How:

 

1. First, whip the heavy cream, if using.
2. Next, blend all of the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
3. Finally, spoon each serving into a bowl, chill for 1-2 hours. Serve and enjoy!

 

Additionally, you can jazz this up with lots of flavor variations. Use different varieties of pudding mix, French vanilla, butterscotch or caramel pudding.

 

Also, the flavor can be easily altered. After the pumpkin pie spice, try adding more cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, even curry.

 

 

Add toppings and drizzles like granola, crumbled cookies, chopped walnuts, almonds or pecans, coconut, chocolate, white chocolate or butterscotch chips, caramel, maple syrup.

 

You could even add extracts like almond, coconut, maple, hazelnut, rum, or caramel to add a twist.

 

This can be made sugar free by using sugar free pudding and unsweetened whipped cream.

 

Gluten Free Warning 

Most pudding mixes are made with corn starch, which means they should be gluten free. In any case, I’m sure Jell-O Brand pudding is gluten free but I’m not positive about other brands. Therefore, I would urge you to look closely at the ingredient list of the pudding mix you purchase if gluten is an issue for yourself or your family. 

 

 

Now, dessert in a bowl is lovely but what else can we do with this?

 

Serve as dip  

Simply plop this mixture into a pretty bowl and serve it with sliced apple and pear, cookies, vanilla wafers, graham crackers, or pretzels. Then you to dip, eat, repeat.

 

No-Bake pie

To use the mousse as a pie filling just dump the entire thing into a pie crust. Besides graham cracker crusts, cookie, or pre-baked pastry crusts work, too. You just chill it for 1-2 hours and serve with whipped cream.

 

No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake 

First you whip 8 ounces of room temperature cream cheese, then and the pumpkin, vanilla pudding mix, and pumpkin pie spice and mix it all together. Afterward, add the whipped topping in 3 stages as this maintains maximum fluff.  Finally, spoon the filling into a graham cracker crust, or in a prebaked pie crust. Then, you refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. When you’re ready to serve, top with additional whipped topping and nuts if desired.

 

No Bake Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake

Prepare as above, substituting caramel pudding for the vanilla, then drizzle with caramel topping.

 

Pumpkin Mousse Dessert Bars

First, you make a cookie crust – crumble 25 golden sandwich cookies in a food processor or go all old school with a zip top bag of cookies and smack them with a rolling pin. Then, mix with 4 tablespoons melted butter and press into an 8X8 inch baking pan and bake the crust for 15 minutes at 350F degrees. After the crust cools, spoon a smooth layer of mousse (with cream cheese or without) on top of the crust. Lastly, add a thick layer of whipped cream or topping and refrigerate. Garnish with cinnamon.

 

Frozen Dessert

You can serve this mousse frozen! Because, who doesn’t like pumpkin ice cream?

 

Iced Mousse Sandwiches

Similar to ice cream sandwiches, make mousse sandwiches using ginger snaps, butter cookies or oatmeal cookies. Then wrap individually and freeze for a frosty treat.

 

Filling for Cake

You simply spread this versatile mousse between two layers of cake, or use the no-bake cheesecake version as filling and frosting. This is especially good with spice cake, yellow, chocolate, butter pecan, carrot cake, caramel cake, okay, just about any cake.

 

Filling for a Jelly Roll

Use your favorite recipe for sponge cake in a jelly roll pan. Once baked and cooled, spread the mousse on the cake and roll, jelly roll style. Refrigerate before serving.

 

Make Ice Box Cake

Using a spring form cake pan; begin with a layer of cookies, then alternate layers of cookies  and mousse. Refrigerate overnight so the cookies soften to the texture of cake. As for the cookies, chocolate wafers are amazing, but I’ve also used oatmeal cookies and ginger snaps with great results. Then you serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

 

Layered in a Trifle

Don’t you love a good gingerbread trifle this time of year?  Cut gingerbread into cubes and alternate layers of cake cubes with mousse and whipped cream. Then add toasted pecans and dust with cinnamon on top.

 

Doughnut salad?

Here’s a wild and wonderful idea I saw that sounded too decadent not to share. Ready? First you break doughnuts into pieces and make the trifle above using doughnuts in place of gingerbread. Please don’t tell your healthcare professional you know me.

 

In the event you happen to have an extra can of pumpkin laying around you’ll love this recipe – The Easiest Two Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins. Ever. 

 

 

Although pumpkin is thought of as a seasonal flavor, this light, cool and fluffy dessert is delicious year-round.  Remember, the ingredients for this recipe will wait in the pantry and freezer to be ready and waiting whenever you need a quick treat.

In other words, life is unpredictable, so it’s nice to know you’re only four ingredients and five minutes away from dessert, doesn’t it?