A mousse always feels like a fancy dessert, but this dulce de leche mousse is so simple to make. It comes together in just 20 minutes and uses marshmallows and cream instead of raw eggs to give you an incredibly rich and fluffy texture everyone will love.
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Imagine enjoying the flavours and texture of mousse without having to mess around with raw egg whites! This recipe uses marshmallows in place of the eggs you’ll find in more traditional mousse recipes so it’s not only easier to make, but you don’t have to worry about serving raw eggs to your family and friends.
I adapted this recipe from Nigella Lawson’s ‘Instant Chocolate Mousse’ recipe found in Nigella Express (Chatto Windus/Knopf Canada, 2007). Instead of chocolate, I chose to flavour my mousse with dulce de leche.
The deep caramel flavour of the dulce de leche gives this dessert a decadent feel and you can dress it up even further as I did here with a drizzle of ready-made caramel sauce and a sprinkle of sea salt on top. Instant salted caramel mousse!
If you’re looking for other easy yet impressive desserts, check out my recipe for Nutella Tarts or my Mini White Chocolate Cheesecakes.
Everyone will feel very special when you serve them this mousse and only you will know just how easy it is to make! Don’t worry, it’s our little secret 😊
This Mousse is:
- Light and airy. The marshmallows help to create airy bubbles throughout the mousse.
- Smooth and creamy. The whipping cream and butter give the mousse an ultra-smooth texture.
- Sweet and salty. Sweet dulce de leche flavours and a sprinkle of sea salt on the top make this dessert the ultimate in creamy salted caramel mousse.
- Quick to prepare. It takes 20 minutes to prepare and then the fridge does the rest of the work!
Ingredient Notes
The full list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Dulce de Leche: This sauce is made by cooking down sweetened milk until it’s thick and dark. It has a smooth milky caramel flavour. I find mine in jars in my local grocery store near the peanut butter and jam. If you can’t find it in the store, it is readily available online.
- Mini marshmallows: These are what give the mousse its light and airy texture. Make sure you go for the plain kind and not any of the coloured varieties.
- Whipping cream: Sometimes called heavy cream or double cream, look for a cream that is at least 35% fat. The fat gives our mousse a rich and silky texture.
How to Make this Recipe
I suggest using either an electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the wire whip to whip the whipping cream. It makes the job so much easier. To make it go even faster, keep your bowl and attachments in the fridge to cool down until you’re ready to whip the cream.
- Melt. Add the marshmallows, dulce de leche, butter and water to a heavy pan and melt together over low heat until everything is smooth. This will take about 5 minutes.
- Whip. Pour the whipping cream into a large bowl and whip on medium until it’s thick. You are looking for stiff peaks. This takes 5 – 7 minutes. Keep an eye on the cream as you’re whipping to make sure it doesn’t whip too much and split. (This is when the milk solids separate and you end up with cream and liquid).
- Fold. Gently fold the whipped cream into the dolce de leche marshmallow mixer until everything is smooth and combined.
- Chill. Pour the mousse into a glass or plastic container with a lid (or 4 individual containers) and chill in the fridge for 3 hours. The mousse will be thin and pourable at first and will thicken up to a mousse-like consistency as it chills.
- Serve. If you chilled the mousse in one big container, portion it out into individual jars or bowls. You can eat it plain like this or if you’d like to dress it up a bit, drizzle over some store-bought caramel sauce and sprinkle with sea salt to turn it into a salted caramel mousse.
Recipe Tips
- Make ahead. It only takes a few minutes to prepare the mousse, but you do have to allow it to chill for at least 3 hours before serving. The chilling time lets the mousse thicken up and develop that light and airy texture we all love!
- Balance the sweetness. Dulce de leche is very sweet on its own and so are the marshmallows. Once you add the whipped cream, it will cut the overall sweetness. You can add a little bit more whipped cream if you find your mousse is still too sweet, but it shouldn’t be the case. I also like to add a sprinkle of sea salt on top of the mousse before serving to balance out some of the sweetness.
- Watch the heat. You should melt your mixture over low heat, but if the marshmallow mixer starts to stick to the bottom of the pot, remove it for a few seconds while continuing to stir, then place it back over the heat. Continue to move it on and off the heat to prevent sticking.
- Scale up. You can easily double this recipe if you’re making it for a crowd.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dulce de leche is creamier than caramel as it is made from sweetened condensed milk that it is boiled until it turns a deep brown colour. On the other hand, caramel is made by boiling water and sugar together so it is less creamy in texture.
Marshmallows add air and they help to thicken the mousse. In this recipe, they are taking the place of the egg yolk and egg whites you often find in traditional mousse recipes.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this delicious mousse on its own or jazz it up a bit. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Make it salted caramel mousse by drizzling with store-bought caramel sauce and sprinkling with salt
- Dust the top with cocoa powder
- Sprinkle toasted coconut over the top
- Spread between cake layers as mousse filling
- Sandwich gingerbread or shortbread cookies together with it
- Pipe some whipped cream swirls on top
- Decorate the top with white or dark chocolate curls
Storage
The mousse is best eaten on the day it’s made which is when it will have the lightest and fluffiest texture. To keep it fresh, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
This dulce de leche mousse is truly addictive. I hope you have a chance to try it for yourself!
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see it! Share it on Instagram: #bakersbookshelf
Dulce de Leche Mousse
Ingredients
- 3 cups mini marshmallows (150 grams)
- ½ stick butter (softened) (50 grams)
- 5 tablespoons dulce de leche
- ¼ cup water (60 ml)
- 1 ½ cup whipping cream (heavy cream) (354 ml)
Topping (optional)
- caramel sauce for drizzling
- sprinkle of sea salt
Instructions
- Put the marshmallows, butter, water, and dulce de leche in a heavy pot.
- Heat on low, stirring constantly until everything melted. If the mixture looks like it's sticking to the bottom of the pot, remove it briefly from the heat and continue to stir for a few seconds, then put it back on the heat until fully melted.
- Let the dulce de leche mixture cool while you whip the cream with either a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the wire whip. You want it to be nice and thick, which will take about 5 – 6 minutes at medium speed.
- Gently fold the heavy cream into the dulce de leche mixture until everything is smooth and combined.
- Pour into a large glass container (or 4 smaller ones) for 3 hours to set. The mousse will be light and airy once it's set.
Notes
- Dulce de Leche: This sauce is made by cooking down sweetened milk until it’s thick and dark. It has a smooth milky caramel flavour. I find mine in jars in my local grocery store near the peanut butter and jam. If you can’t find it in the store, it is readily available online.
- Mini marshmallows: These are what give the mousse its light and airy texture. Make sure you go for the plain kind and not any of the coloured varieties.
- Whipping cream: Sometimes called heavy cream or double cream, look for a cream that is at least 35% fat. The fat gives our mousse a rich and silky texture.
- Make ahead. It only takes a few minutes to prepare the mousse, but you do have to allow it to chill for at least 3 hours before serving. The chilling time lets the mousse thicken up and develop that light and airy texture we all love!
- Balance the sweetness. Dulce de leche is very sweet on its own and so are the marshmallows. Once you add the whipped cream, it will cut the overall sweetness. You can add a little bit more whipped cream if you find your mousse is still too sweet, but it shouldn’t be the case. I also like to add a sprinkle of sea salt on top of the mousse before serving to balance out some of the sweetness.
- Watch the heat. You should melt your mixture over low heat, but if the marshmallow mixer starts to stick to the bottom of the pot, remove it for a few seconds while continuing to stir, then place it back over the heat. Continue to move it on and off the heat to prevent sticking.
- Scale up. You can easily double this recipe if you’re making it for a crowd.
Debbie says
I loved this recipe! Not too sweet. Thank you.
Julianne says
Thank you so much for sharing, Debbie!