What’s my absolute favorite food? That’s easy. Dessert. So when we decided to go keto, my first thought was, “Oh no, no, no, I will not eat those foul-tasting sugar-free desserts! I’ll have to live without the best course of the meal.”
Day by day, I started to figure out how to use sugar and flour substitutes that are now staples in just about every dessert recipe I make. I’ve also turned my tastebuds around so that super sugary, thick-frosted cakes don’t appeal to me anymore. If you’re just starting out on a low-carb or keto diet, don’t despair! You can get the same satisfaction from dessert that you’ve always had.
Shortly after we started our keto journey, my younger brother, Stephen, wanted to jump in, too. He’s thin, but wanted to trim down his stomach a little. He’s always been fit – in fact joined Amy on her 5-year cancerversary trip climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, but was intrigued by the weight loss and general fitness he saw in Amy, Mike, and me.
He’s been all-in for two years, and just ran the Marine Corps marathon last November. This “recipe” is his creation. He brought it to a family gathering, and told me it was very low in carbs. Now I DO love a good mousse, and my favorite flavor just happens to be lemon, but admit I was still skeptical.
One bite and I was sold. I got out my phone to write down the directions. Here we go. Ready? 3 ingredients, and one of them is water. At first, Stephen used just two ingredients: pudding mix and heavy whipping cream. But on his next try, he decided to lighten the texture of the mousse with water. Perfection.
Stock up on sugar-free Jello instant pudding mixes. I buy mine on Amazon in bulk – that’s how awesome this mousse tastes. My fav is lemon, but cheesecake, chocolate and white chocolate are also delicious.
Top with berries, nuts, dark chocolate shavings, lemon zest – all low carb! I use electric beaters for speed, but using a whisk works just as well. It takes a little longer – like 1-2 minutes – for the mousse to thicken.
I promise you will be amazed at this gem of a dessert!
Keto Mousse
You'll get your dessert craving satisfied with a small portion of this very rich mousse. In FIVE minutes, a package of sugar-free instant pudding mix and heaving whipping cream, you'll create a dessert that'll impress your family and guests.
- 1 package sugar-free Jell-O instant pudding (one ounce) (My favorites: lemon and pistachio)
- 1-3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup water
Top or Fold-in
- Melted 85% high-cacao chocolate squares drizzled on top
- Dark chocolate shavings
- Blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries
- Sugar-free whipped heavy cream (I use Land O Lakes)
- Lemon zest
- Juice of one lemon
Beat pudding mix, heavy whipping cream, and water until stiff, about 1-2 minutes.
- And that’s it! Spoon into individual dessert bowls.
- For the lemon mousse: A little harder to find the lemon sugar-free instant pudding, so I buy on Amazon. After beating the pudding mix, whipping cream, and water together, fold in both the zest and the juice of one lemon.
- For the pistachio: Top with chopped, lightly salted pistachios and berries.
- Other sugar-free instant pudding flavors to try: chocolate, white chocolate, cheesecake
8 servings
Super yum! I was craving something sweet. I used Sugar Free Cheesecake flavored pudding mix. I also don’t have a mixer, so put it in my Mini Ninja and it blended in 30 seconds!
Sounds like a great idea, Kathryn! It’s so ridiculously easy, right?
Hi. It sounds terrific – except the instant pudding contains artificial sweeteners – sucralose in particular. I’ve decided that those are all a big no no. Any ideas for something with stevia, erythritol, etc., instead, or some other way to get around that? Overall, I love your recipes. I’m a Keto / Gundry fanatic and focusing on gut health as well as low carbs.
Hi, Doug! Thanks for visiting the site. My husband has been a food scientist for over 40 years. Looked at all flavors of Jello Instant Pudding and find no mention of sucralose (Splenda) included in ingredients. They use aspartame and acesulfame potassium as non-caloric sweeteners. Both of these sweeteners have been evaluated by the FDA and approved for safe use. I understand your preference, however! I’m a big fan of erythritol, and find Truvia to work the best for me. Thanks for a great question.
Doug, the Simply Delish brand of SF, keto pudding mix uses erythritol and stevia. Works perfectly for this recipe too!
Thank you, Dana! Great information.
Hi Joanie,
How much is “one serving” of the Keto Mousse and What do you mean by “one package” of the jello pudding? (they come in various sizes).
Thanks so much! I love your recipes so much, please continue to add more.
Eileen
Hi, Eileen! So glad you’re enjoying the site. Keto Mousse uses (Jello Sugar Free) 1 ounce package. One serving is a tad over a quarter cup. It’s so rich, that’s all it takes to satisfy your sweet cravings.
what size pudding box are you talking large or small?? 5-27-20
The box size is ONE ounce! I buy on Amazon as sometimes the lemon variety is hard to find in the grocery store. Thanks again, Sandy!
Saw this on TV today (with your daughter)…..looks to good!….above you said it is a 1 ounce package. Possibly you meant 4 oz….This is the 1st time I have seen your site…..Wow! such great recipes.
Hi, Michelle! The sugar-free Jello pudding and pie filling is a ONE ounce package. I know it seems tiny, but it packs a wallop of flavor! You may have to order the lemon flavor on Amazon as they are sometimes hard to find in the grocery store. Thanks so much for your kind words!
Will the leftovers keep well?
Hi, Beth! Yes, the leftovers stay fresh for days. Store in covered container in fridge. Thank you for visiting us. Stay well!
I added a block of cream cheese to vanilla sugar free pudding 1 xup heavy cream, 1 cup water and squeezed a fresh lemon and topped with fresh blueberries. I made 6 individual servings…it was yummy
Sounds delicious, Cathy!
Yum I will try this
Thanks, Tammy!
Can you freeze it?
Hi, Melinda! I would not freeze the keto mousse as it’s made with heavy whipped cream that would fall out of emulsion when thawed. You can store in the fridge for a solid week, however. Thanks for a great question!
I just made the lemon mousse for our dessert and it was so ridiculously good. I could have eaten the whole thing😂 but, I didn’t. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Hi, Grace! It really is a five minute miracle, right? I love the flavor, and I love the fact that it’s so incredibly easy to make. The lemon is definitely my favorite flavor. Thanks much for leaving your kind comments!
This is delicious and the perfect sweet treat while on Keto! I also tried sugar-free chocolate pudding mix and it’s just as amazing!!! Thank you!!!!
Hi, Jenn! It’s so good to hear you enjoyed the keto mousse! When my sweet cravings flare up, I love that it only takes a few minutes to fix – immediate gratification. Thanks for leaving a comment and stay well.
Love this! I went for the chocolate mousse! Much faster, cheaper and tastier than many other desserts! Thank you!
Hi, Deb! It’s the easiest dessert recipe you can make, and so filling you can’t eat more than a serving. Try the pistachio or lemon if you’re a fan. Thanks for the rating and comments!
Thank you for being so on point with your replies to people! It has been very helpful. The recipe really helps us get over the hump! Have a blessed day.
Thank you so much, Jamie, for the positive comments! Our Keto Mousse, in particular the lemon flavor, is one of my favorite desserts. Stay well, and have a great rest of the week.
Pudding is corn starch based, contains about 24 g carbs per serving. Is there a brand of low-no carb instant that I’m over looking?
Hi, Kathy! We use Jell-O Sugar Free Instant Pudding and Pie Filling. The total package contents are 24 carbs, but this recipe makes 8 servings, and each serving comes in at 3 net carbs. The add-ins (lemon juice/zest) or toppings add less than 0.5 net carbs. Thank you for visiting us, Kathy!
How did you get 13 calories per serving? Just the HWC HAS 1400 calories. Is there a low cal HWC that you use?
Hi, Anita, and many thanks for this catch! The recipe has been updated as of now. Try 212 calories per serving! We use Word Press Recipe Maker for our nutritional information. This recipe was one of our very first to post. Back then they used a different nutritional calculator and changed my 1 and 3/4 cups of heavy cream to 1/4. I have tried to figure out how this happened, and saw the change in the detailed nutritional information they provided. The way they formulate amounts has changed, which will hopefully prevent this from happening again. I’m very grateful to you for letting me know!
Sounds delicious, I can’t wait to try it. Any advice on using a nut milk instead, even if it’s a 3-1 ratio with hwc? Trying to reduce the fat content.
Hi, Ashnepa! I’ve never tried to switch out the hwc with a nut milk, but I think it’s worth a try. It will thin out the consistency, of course. I’d start with a 1:1 ratio – 1 cup of hwc and 1 cup of nut milk and go from there. Skip the water. I’m intrigued by your suggestion and plan on trying it out. Of course a keto diet is generally high in fat to keep you feeling satiated, but there are folks who don’t loose weight due to their overall high fat intake. Thanks for the suggestion!
Try this recipe with coconut milk which will thicken in the fridge!!
It’s like ice cream consistency!!!!
Hi, Vaunda! Sounds like a great variation for our Keto Mousse. Thank you so much for sharing this idea!
How would you ratio the heavy cream if you wanted to make a more solid pie consistency or would you add a bit of Xanthan gum? Love this recipe….easy…and thanx for the tip on finding different flavors at amazom.
What a great question, Mary! I wanted to make sure I gave you the best suggestion, so I made the lemon mousse (with the lemon juice and zest) and simply replaced the 1/4 cup of water with heavy whipping cream, for a total of 2 cups of heavy whipping cream. Initially we only used hwc, but found it too dense for mousse, which is why we added the water. I also whipped the mousse for a solid 2 minutes. The result is a perfect consistency as a pie filling. Refrigeration does the same…firms it up. I wouldn’t use xanthan gum for the simple reason that this recipe does not utilize heat. The extra hwc does add an additional 25 calories and 0.2 net carbs per serving. Thanks for visiting us!
Made chocolate today and it was outstanding. Even my husband said it was good and he’s not Keto. I added some heavy whipped cream on top and it was decadent! Thank you for this. I can’t wait try other it again.
Hi, Michelle! Can’t believe how easy it is to prepare. If you love lemon, try it with the addition of fresh lemon juice and zest. You may have to order some of the other flavors on Amazon if your local grocer doesn’t carry the one you want. Thank you for your lovely comments!
This keto mousse is amazing! I made it as directed and it was so creamy and delicious. I will definitely be making this again.
It is ridiculously easy, right? This is a “recipe” I make over and over. So glad you enjoyed it and thank you for leaving a comment!