Refreshing 3-ingredient lemon mousse recipe that's eggless and requires no cooking. It's light and airy with a delicious balance of tart and sweetness. An amazing light dessert for hot days.
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Why This Recipe Works
This lemon mousse without gelatin is deliciously tart and sweet with an airy and light texture. It's so refreshing and perfect for this hot weather. And the best part is, there's no cooking involved.
Marco has been making this 3-ingredient lemon mousse without fail for like 100 million times. It's a success-guaranteed, easy, and straightforward recipe that you can't go wrong with it, even if you try!
Our secret ingredient to make this mousse airy and light is using very cold evaporated milk. And this also means you don't need to whisk any eggs to get that desirable texture because this recipe is an eggless lemon mousse recipe.
Ingredients For This Mousse
Evaporated milk - Full fat. Not low-fat or skimmed.
Condensed milk - Yes, we're making lemon mousse with condensed milk! Find regular (full-fat) and sweetened ones. This is going to be our only sweetener, and it's also adding that creamy smooth touch to the mousse. I also use it in my delicious no-bake lemon cheesecake, easy mango sago pudding, and lemon meringue pie.
Lemon juice - Freshly squeezed, please. You'll need around 2-3 lemons, of an adult fist size. I love to use fresh lemons as they have a more intense flavor and smell, like when I use them in my famous lemon loaf cake!
⭐ See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step-By-Step Instructions
1. Whisk evaporated milk. Pour the evaporated milk into a big bowl. Whisk on high speed for a good 7-9 minutes using a handheld whisk, until it's thick and triples the volume. This is important to get an airy and light texture. And as you can see, we're making our lemon mousse without cream!
2. Mix in condensed milk. Pour the condensed milk into the bowl and whisk until everything is well combined.
3. Pour in lemon juice. While whisking on low speed, slowly pour in the lemon juice. Continue whisking for 1 minute until the mixture thickens. Spoon into small glasses of choice. Chill in the fridge for a minimum of 8 hours, preferably overnight. Enjoy!
Recipe Expert Tips
- Make sure the evaporated milk is very cold. Chill it in the fridge 1 day earlier. This will make it triple the volume when we whisk it. That's what is going to make our mousse airy and light.
- The lemon juice will thicken the milk mixture. So mix well for a good 1-2 minutes. If for some reason the mixture is still loose, don't worry. It'll firm up beautifully in the fridge later.
How To Serve And Store
Serve - Cold from the fridge. Add a lemon wedge and sprinkle some lemon zest to make them look fancy! You can also add some sweetened whipped cream or my delicious lemon curd (or both!) on top. Or pair them with your favorite berries.
Store - In the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Place them in an air-tight container to avoid getting stale fridge odor. As days go by, the lemon juice will start to separate (remember, we're not using gelatin here) and forms a thin layer on the bottom. The taste won't change, they'll still be amazing!
Recipe FAQs
It's an uncooked light and airy dessert that's usually served cold. The lemon flavor is achieved by adding fresh lemon juice and sometimes even lemon zest.
Yes! In fact, I'd highly recommend making this one day before serving. This way it'll have time to chill and set properly.
You can but just know that the texture won't be the same.
More Fresh Lemon Recipes
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📖 Recipe
3 Ingredients Lemon Mousse (Eggless)
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Ingredients
- 12 fl oz (354 ml) full fat evaporated milk , very cold
- 14 oz (397 g) full fat (regular) sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup (125 ml) lemon juice
Instructions
- Pour the evaporated milk into a big bowl. Using a handheld whisk, beat it on high speed for 7-9 minutes until it gets thick and triple the volume.
- Add in condensed milk and mix everything well.
- While whisking on low speed, slowly pour in the lemon juice. Mix for 1-2 minutes until the mixture thickens. Spoon into small glasses and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 8 hours, preferably overnight. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure the evaporated milk is very cold before using. I like to chill it in the fridge 1 day before.
- The lemon juice will thicken the mixture. If for some reason yours is still quite loose, no worries. It'll be properly set in the fridge after a few hours.
- I use glasses of ⅔ cup (more or less) to serve.
Originally published on Apr 27, 2018. Updated with improved text and pictures on Jul 15, 2023.
Kay says
This is a great recipe, super easy. My only criticism is not a strong enough lemon flavor. Suggestions?
Bea & Marco says
Hi Kay! So glad you enjoyed it! For a stronger lemon flavor, we’d add the finely grated zest of 1–2 lemons. It gives a bigger lemony punch without changing the mousse texture. Hope that helps!
Marie Belle says
This recipe easy, simple and delicious. My husband suffers from celiac and cant' digest gluten well. This recipe has been a life saver for me!
Bea & Marco says
Hi Marie Belle, thank you so much! We're so happy this recipe has been such a helpful one for you 😊
Janine says
Hi! Do you think this would work as a topping for a pistachio cake? I'm thinking after the cake cools to top with this mousse and refrigerate overnight. Then add a raspberry coulis on top of the mousse. I guess I'd have to keep the cake in the fridge before serving so the mousse stays in a solid state. What do you think?
Bea & Marco says
Hi, Janine, sorry for the late response! We haven't used this mousse to top cakes before, so we can't really say. We're thinking it might not be suitable due to its soft/light texture. Hope it helps in some way, do let us know if you've tried it!
Deb says
So quick and easy to make, and so delicious, obviously! Just three ingredients that cost me €4.32 made 20 portions. We'll be eating a lot of lemon mousse over the next few days, but we're not complaining. Thanks for the recipe.
Bea & Marco says
Awesome! I'm happy to hear that, Deb! Yes, this mousse is very convenient, cheap and easy. Thanks for leaving your feedback!
May says
Hi! I want to make this but don’t currently have an electric whisk. Could I use a hand whisk or maybe a blender instead?
Bea & Marco says
Hi, May! I don't recommend using a blender as the volume will triple its size and it'll overflow. You could use a hand whisk but just know that it'll take a bit of effort. Hope it helps!
Marissa says
I didn't expect this will work but it did. LOL!! So easy. so delicious.
Thank you!
Bea & Marco says
Haha! Right? It's like magic. We love it. Thanks, Marissa!
Sandra says
Will this freeze
Bea & Marco says
No this doesn't freeze well, sorry!
Lorraine says
I have added lemon zest to o boost the flavour and added mashed raspberries at the bottom of the sundae glasses as another twist
Jane Hellier says
Ye s I have made this recipe and it’s lovely
Bea says
Awesome! Thanks for your feedback, Jane!
Maria Bendana says
So easy and delicious, a hit!
Bea says
Thanks Maria!
Marisol says
This looks delish 🙂
Bea says
Thanks Marisol!