Make your dessert work for you with this easy Protein Mousse recipe. Rich and creamy, this sugar-free treat has 14g of protein in every serving!
You know I love making a decadent dessert that defies expectations. Especially a rich, creamy dessert that has all the flavor and texture of the sugary kind, without all the sugar.
For me, mousses of all flavors are a particular favorite. I adore the airy texture, the silky mouthfeel, and above all, the heavenly flavor. I have many wonderful recipes, including Keto Peanut Butter Mousse and my classic Keto Chocolate Mousse.
And the delightful thing about mousse is that it’s infinitely adaptable. It can be so many different, delicious things with so many variations. It can even be a healthy, high-protein dessert or snack!
If you want a treat that helps fuel your body while delighting your tastebuds, look no further than this Chocolate Protein Mousse.
Why you will love this recipe
The wonderful part about this healthy protein mousse is that it takes only about 5 minutes of your time to make. You can eat it straightaway, or allow it to firm up more in the fridge for a few hours.
It has a rich chocolate flavor and a super creamy mouthfeel. And it packs a whooping 14g of protein per serving, without any added sugars and only 3.9g net carbs. It tastes like an indulgent dessert, but offers a wonderful nutrition profile.
As long as your cottage cheese and heavy cream are fresh, the mousse will last in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also use it in other fun ways, turning it into popsicles or even putting it in your Ninja Creami!
Ingredient Notes
- Cottage cheese: I use part-skim cottage cheese to help keep the fat content down a bit, but any variety should work.
- Protein powder: For this mousse recipe, I like using chocolate whey protein powder. See the Tips for Success for more options.
- Espresso powder: This is an optional ingredient but it helps intensify the chocolate flavor. You can more if you want a mocha flavor.
- Heavy whipping cream: Folding whipped cream into the chocolate makes it extra light and fluffy.
- Sweetener: Any powdered sweetener should work in this recipe.
- Cocoa powder: For a deeper chocolate flavor, I recommend using Dutch process cocoa. It also blends better into the other ingredients.
- Vanilla extract: A little vanilla helps enhance the chocolate flavor in this mousse recipe.
Step by Step Directions
1. Blend the cheese: In a blender or food process, combine the cottage cheese, chocolate protein powder, and espresso powder. Blend until smooth.
2. Whip the cream: In a large bowl, combine the heavy cream, sweetener, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract. Beat together until the cream holds stiff peaks.
3. Fold together: Add the cottage cheese mixture to the whipped cream, gently folding together to avoid deflating the peaks as much as possible.
4. Chill to set: Divide the mixture between 4 dessert glasses and chill until it firms up, 1 to 2 hours.
Tips for Success
If the cottage cheese you use is thinner and a bit watery, I recommend draining it for an hour or so first. Simply place it into a fine mesh sieve and set over the sink.
Cottage cheese can often taste quite salty so this protein mousse recipe doesn’t call for any additional salt. Once the sweetener, vanilla, and cocoa powder are mixed in, it won’t taste salty or savory.
Protein Options: Although this recipe calls for chocolate whey protein powder, you have plenty of options. Any kind of protein powder (egg white, whey, vegan, etc.) should work here, although plant-based powders tend to have a more earthy flavor.
If you don’t have chocolate protein powder, plain or vanilla can also work. But you will want to add an additional tablespoon of cocoa powder and some additional sweetener. Add those in when you blend the cream cheese.
Sweetener Options: This recipe does not rely on the sweetener for consistency or texture so feel free to use what you like best. It should be a powdered version to avoid any grittiness.
Frequently Asked Questions
This keto mousse recipe will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it for several months. I had some fun with it recently and froze it in silicone molds like this for individual servings. You can then let it pop it out of the molds and let it thaw before serving. You can also eat it frozen with some keto chocolate sauce!
Cottage cheese is a wonderful low carb high protein food. Each ½ cup serving of cottage cheese has 12 to 14 grams of protein and only 3 to 5 grams of carbohydrate. I really like the Good Culture brand, for the probiotics as well.
This protein mousse recipe has 5.1g of carbs and 1.2g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3.9g net carbs per serving.
More high protein dessert recipes
Protein Mousse Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup cottage cheese
- ⅓ cup chocolate whey protein powder
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder optional
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoon powdered sweetener
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a blender or food process, combine the cottage cheese, chocolate protein powder, and espresso powder. Blend until smooth.
- In a large bowl, combine the heavy cream, sweetener, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract. Beat together until the cream holds stiff peaks.
- Add the cottage cheese mixture to the whipped cream, gently folding together to avoid deflating the peaks as much as possible.
- Divide the mixture between 4 dessert glasses and chill until it firms up, 1 to 2 hours.
Linda says
Hi Carolyn, do you happen to know if adding extract to this would cause a problem with consistency? I’d love to try almond or mint! I figured I could whip it into the cream but wasn’t sure how cottage cheese reacts with it. Thanks!, Linda
Linda says
Oops sorry I missed it the first time!
Patti Weyers says
This looks great!! Can I use Equip brand protein powder to make this?
Thanks!!
Patti
Barb says
Hi Caroline I have a couple questions. Can I use chocolate collagen protein instead of the whey? And can I substitute stevia for the erythritol as my gut issues cannot handle erythritol? Thank you so much for all of your great recipes! Happy healthy New Year to you and yours.
Valerie says
“And it packs a whooping 14g of carbs per serving, …” I think you meant 14g Protein. Sounds delicious and will keep it for a future dessert.