Don’t wait, don’t hesitate. Whip up a batch of this wonderful Mascarpone Mousse as soon as humanly possible. It’s one of those easy keto desserts that delights all the senses. So impossibly rich and creamy, sweet but not overly so, and with a perfect balance of flavors.
You may have noticed that creating eye-catching desserts that don’t look or taste sugar-free is kind of my specialty. And I love giving them a bit of a gourmet twist. Whether it’s Keto Kentucky Butter Cake or dreamy Keto Raspberry Mousse Tart, I love pushing the boundaries on what can be done with low carb ingredients.
I have a particular love of using mascarpone cheese in my dessert recipes. The slightly sweet flavor of this Italian-style cream cheese comes naturally from the cream, without any sugary additives. I use it everything from Keto Tiramisu to my famous Keto Chantilly Cake.
I first made this easy mousse recipe in 2015 and it’s been a fan favorite ever since! If you’ve never tried roasted strawberries, I highly recommend.
Why you will love this recipe
Your tastebuds won’t believe that this Mascarpone Mousse is low carb and sugar-free!
- So easy to make: This wonderful dessert takes only 15 minutes of active prep time.
- Gourmet flavor: The creaminess of the mascarpone paired with the heavenly roasted strawberries tastes like something you’d get at a fancy restaurant.
- Beautiful presentation: The contrast between the white mousse and the red berries is eye-catching!
- Last minute dessert: Need a dessert you can whip up and serve immediately? This creamy mousse doesn’t require time to set so it’s ready in a flash. Perfect for when you have company coming!
- Low carb: With only 6.2 grams of carbs, this is a keto dessert you can feel good about!
Reader’s Thoughts
“I made this today, OMG! Who ever thought to roast strawberries, omg and then add them to a mascarpone mousse ???? DELICIOUS!!!! And I had NEVER made my own whipped cream before, DEFINITELY A GAME CHANGER for me! Thank you for this recipe! It is AMAZING!” — Christa
Ingredient Notes
- Mascarpone cheese: This creamy Italian soft cheese has a naturally sweet taste. Most brands are made with cream so they have very few carbs per serving. But a few brands contain milk and have more carbs so read your labels!
- Cream cheese: Mascarpone can split easily so a little cream cheese helps stabilize the mousse. Make sure it’s at room temperature before you beat it, to ensure a smooth consistency.
- Heavy whipping cream: This lightens up the the delicious mousse.
- Sweetener: You need a powdered sweetener for the mousse. I recommend allulose for the strawberries, to make them more syrupy, but erythritol also works.
- Strawberries: Fresh berries work best for roasting, although you can do frozen if that’s all you have. You can also use blueberries.
- Vanilla extract: A touch of vanilla brings out the best flavor in the roasted berries.
Step by Step Directions
- Prepare the berries: Place the berries in a greased baking dish and sprinkle with the sweetener. Add the vanilla extract and toss to combine, then spread out in a single layer.
- Roast the berries: Roast 20 to 25 minutes, until the berries are soft and tender and have released much of their juices.
- Combine the cheeses: In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone, cream cheese, sweetener, and vanilla together until well combined.
- Whip the cream: In another bowl, beat the heavy cream until it holds stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until no streaks remain.
- Divide and serve. Pipe or spoon the mousse into 6 small dessert cups. Top with the roasted berries and serve immediately.
Tips for Success
Mascarpone can be finicky and split easily, so make sure not to over-beat it. Using some cream cheese helps stabilize it during the beating process. Make sure both the mascarpone and the cream cheese are softened before beating together.
While I highly recommend the flavor of the roasted strawberry topping, you can also use fresh berries. It would also be delicious with any one of these keto toppings:
Frequently Asked Questions
Real Italian mascarpone contains just two ingredients: heavy cream and lemon juice. It has a naturally sweet flavor from the heavy cream but has no added sugar. American-style cream cheese is made with cream and milk, along with an acid like lemon juice or vinegar. Store-bought brands also use thickeners and stabilizers such as xanthan gum to make it more shelf stable.
You can store this mousse in the fridge for up to 5 days, as long as your ingredients are fresh. You can make it a few days before serving if you need to plan ahead.
This keto mascarpone mousse recipe has 6.2g of carbs and 1.1g of fiber per serving. That comes to 4.4g net carbs per serving.
More keto mousse recipes to love
Mascarpone Mousse with Roasted Strawberries
Ingredients
Roasted Strawberries
- 2 cups (288 g) quartered strawberries
- 2 tsp allulose sweetener, or any granulated sweetener
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Mascarpone Mousse:
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) mascarpone cheese, softened
- 3 ounces (85.05 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup (63.33 g) powdered sweetener
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (178.5 g) whipping cream
Instructions
Roasted Strawberries
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF and lightly grease a medium-sized baking dish.
- Add the berries and sprinkle with the sweetener. Add the vanilla extract and toss to combine, then spread out in a single layer.
- Roast 20 to 25 minutes, until the berries are soft and tender and have released much of their juices.
Mascarpone Mousse
- In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone, cream cheese, sweetener, and vanilla extract together until well combined and smooth.
- In another bowl, beat the heavy cream until it holds stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until no streaks remain.
- Pipe or spoon the mousse into 6 small dessert cups. Top with the roasted berries and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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I Think i ruined it by adding mascarpone cream mixture to whipped cream instead of other way around…. ugggggg Any remedy?
Did it curdle? If you have a little xanthan gum that might work. Beating in some cream cheese might help too.
Fabulous idea. I got a question about serving it immediately, particularly after you said in one of your comments it keeps well. But my question is about the strawberries. Are you recommending it be served immediately because the roasted strawberries are still warm from the oven? That sounds appealing.
Also the recipe has prompted me to do something similar with peaches or cherries in brandy. The brandy’s optional but I think roasting the peaches or cherries could really help their sweetness. And pecans are in the mix there, somewhere. Probably a sprinkling on top.
Yes, the mousse is chilled but the strawberries are warm, which is lovely!
Oh good heavens, this is incredible! My hubs, who is very anti-ketogenic tasting anything said this was as good as any he’s ever had. In fact, this tastes exactly like the full-calorie cheesecake filling, so I plan to make little keto tart holders and pipe this lushiness into them, and chill. A-maz-ing!
I love it when we win over the non low carbers!
Delicious! I just made it and everyone had seconds. Thank you!
Thank you for all your dedication and hard work. I share your posts on my FB page for friends and family. I was wondering if whipped coconut milk would work instead of the whipping cream for my lactose intolerant family members. The cheese is fine for them so no worries there. Thank you again for all you do.
Whipped coconut “cream” (the creamy part of the can of milk) should work. Make sure it’s VERY cold and chilled when whipping and adding to the mousse because it’s not nearly as stable as whipped cream.
How would it taste if I left out the sweetener?
Probably not very sweet but might be interesting.
Wow!, this is good… at first I thought it was just going to taste like other “no bake cheesecakes” , but was pleasantly surprised it had a much different taste and was very light…. I just cut up some fresh strawberries to go on top…. it was the perfect ending to my night. Thank you for this recipe, I’ve made so many of your desserts and they always come out perfect and delicious.
JUst made…..OMG! Fabulous! Thank you so much for another “keeper”
Can I use just fresh strawberries, not roasted? Will this effect the taste?
It will be a different taste but still very good!
Second time making these ,they are wonderful!!!
Will it be okay to use regular sugar or powdered sugar? Maybe turbinado? This sounds too delicious to pass up!
Powdered sugar would work.
I used the powdered sugar and it came out grainy … not smooth. I have used mascarpone in the past and my desserts always came out smooth and creamy. I wonder if the culprit was the powdered sugar? I’ll have to try it again using the sweetener listed.
Made this yesterday and loved it! Didn’t have strawberries but sprinkled nuts and dark choc chips. It was is winner!
Every time I search low carb, you are my go to. Your recipes are delicious. I’m making this for a dinner party tonight and am sure it will be a hit. Thanks again and don’t stop publishing your great recipes.
Thanks, Susan!
What nice light dessert idea when we’re in the season of heavy foods. Thanks, and welcome to your new house!
Thanks!
Do you think I could sub creme fraiche for the mascarpone? I really want to make these now, but my mascarpone went bad.
Hmmm, mascarpone is more solid than creme fraiche and it also tastes a lot sweeter, without the “tang” of creme fraiche. Although I think it would be good, it won’t be the same and may be more goopy. Can you add a bit more cream cheese?
Carolyn,
THANK YOU!
I have no experience using alternative sweeteners, but when I needed to bring dessert to a luncheon honoring a lady living with diabetes you came through for me.
I picked up a container of Truvia at the store and ran a bunch of it through my food processor to try and approximate a more powdered consistency. That worked well!
I prepped the mousse at home and portioned it out into serving cups, then transported them to the luncheon in my cooler. When we were ready to eat I topped the mousse with fresh blueberries (since they are in season right now, and since you told me berries are better from a carb standpoint than stone fruits). Even the gal who doesn’t eat cream could partake of a bowl of fresh blueberries and wanted the recipe for her spouse.
I’ve shared your blog with the whole group.
Thank you for this recipe!
Kirsten, you have no idea how happy this makes me. Diabetes is still so misunderstood and people think that because a sugar is natural, it’s fine for everyone, including diabetics. But honey and maple syrup are so concentrated in sugar, it’s almost worse. And many fruits are too high as well. Alternative sweeteners are also misunderstood and tend to all be thought of as “artificial” when many of them are as naturally-occuring as regular sugar. I am working hard to change the perceptions of these things and you really helped advance the cause! 🙂