Passion Fruit Mousse – The Classic Brazilian Dessert

This Brazilian passion fruit mousse is an easy recipe that is creamy, sweet, and slightly tart. To top it off, it has a rich tropical flavor that will make you want more!

Passion fruit mousse

Passion fruit mousse (Portuguese: mousse de maracujá) is one of my favorite Brazilian desserts because of its flavor, texture, and easiness to make.

It is a sweet dessert, but the tartness from the passion fruit balances it out, giving it a perfect and light tropical flavor.

It has a creamy but slightly stiff texture that melts in the mouth. The passion fruit seeds add a nice crunchiness to the mousse.

Beyond that, this passion fruit mousse recipe is one of the easiest Brazilian recipes as you make most of it in a blender.

As someone born and bred in Brazil, I can safely say that we have many delicious passion fruit recipes, but today’s mousse is one of the top favorites.

After all, this tropical fruit is very welcome on warm days, which aren’t rare in Brazil.

Where is passion fruit mousse from?

There is no consensus or any record about where this delicious passion fruit dessert was created.

However, passion fruit is a Brazilian fruit (some people abroad call it maracuya fruit, and therefore, mousse de maracuya), and every time I Google it, it says it originated in Brazil.

Since I can’t track down a definite origin, my best guess is this is a Brazilian dessert.

Oh, well, I have been eating this my whole life, so there is a good chance it is true, right?

Ingredients

• Passion fruit – I will describe below how much of the pulp you will need, not in fruit numbers, as its size can differ significantly depending on the region you live in. This way, you can buy the unsweetened passion fruit concentrate or even the frozen passion fruit if that’s easier for you. However, if you want to make the sauce, you will need to buy the pulp with seeds for decoration. It gives a nice final touch.
• Lime juice – It helps the mousse to taste fresher!
• Unflavored gelatin – The gelatin thickens the mousse a bit, giving it its delectable semisolid and dense consistency. You can leave it out if you want your dessert to be very creamy, but I particularly like it when the thickened mousse melts in my mouth.
• Sweetened condensed milk – A must-have for most Brazilian desserts, the condensed milk is the only sweetener you will need for this recipe. I always use this brand here because that’s what my mom always used at home.
• Heavy cream – The heavy cream will give your passion fruit mousse its creaminess. Most people in Brazil use Media crema table cream, but I prefer heavy cream for a slightly thicker consistency.
• Sugar (optional) – To make the sauce topping.

Do you need fresh passion fruit?

Obviously, using fresh fruit will always be your best bet flavor-wise, but since it can be expensive or even difficult to find passion fruit in some regions of the US, Canada, and Europe, you can use the pulp instead.

Do you need gelatin for passion fruit mousse?

Not necessarily. There is no consensus in Brazil whether or not one should use the gelatin. Some people prefer to omit it, leaving their mousse with a looser texture, almost pourable.

If you don’t have unflavored gelatin on hand, you can still make this passion fruit dessert, but in that case, I recommend you let the mousse set in the fridge overnight.

I prefer it with gelatin as it thickens the mousse without hardening it too much. Either way, it will be delectable regardless!

How to serve passion fruit mousse

Pour the passion fruit mousse into 4 small dessert molds, glass bowls, mason jars, or even Martini glasses. Then, top it with the sauce and serve cold.

It yields 4 portions of 5.5 fl oz/150 ml each.

How can I store the leftovers?

Because this passion fruit mousse recipe doesn’t call for egg whites, you can store it in the fridge for up to 7 days, covered.

However, it is very unlikely it will last that long since this dessert is truly mouthwatering.

Also, because this recipe calls for gelatin, I don’t recommend freezing it, or it might lose its structure.

Tips for making a delicious mousse

• Blend the ingredients for 5 full minutes. That’s important to create a fluffy and light mousse.
• You can use more passion fruit pulp for a stronger flavor.
• If using the fresh fruit, pick a passion fruit that is slightly wrinkled and has a deep yellow or purple color—it depends on the variation available in your region, but it won’t interfere much with the taste.

Try these other passion fruit recipes

• Passion fruit juice
• Passion fruit tea
• Passion fruit smoothie
• Passion fruit caipirinha

How to make passion fruit mousse

Here’s a thorough step-by-step instruction on how to make passion fruit mousse. As always, you can find the printable version at the bottom of this article.

Mousse

Combine the passion fruit pulp and lime juice in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Place the gelatin sheets in a bowl, cover them with the water and warm them in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir it to dissolve the gelatin and put it back if needed. Be careful not to boil the water.

Stir the gelatin in the passion fruit mixture, and make sure no gelatin pieces are left undissolved. Transfer it to the blender.

Add the sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream and blend it for 5 full minutes on medium-high speed.

Pour your passion fruit mousse into 4 small dessert bowls, cover, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Sauce

Combine the passion fruit pulp with seeds and the sugar in a saucepan. Cook it until the sugar dissolves, and the mixture starts boiling, over medium-low heat.

Continue simmering for another minute or two, or until it thickens slightly.

Place the sauce in a small bowl and refrigerate it to use later.

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