Passion Fruit Mousse

By
Marian Blazes
Marian Blazes
Marian Blazes is a freelance writer and recipe developer with a passion for South American food. She wrote a cookbook focusing on the cuisine of Brazil.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 07/28/21
Passion Fruit Mousse

The Spruce / Christine Ma
Prep: 5 hrs
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 5 hrs 40 mins
Servings: 3 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
930 Calories
72g Fat
63g Carbs
13g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3
Amount per serving
Calories 930
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 72g 92%
Saturated Fat 39g 195%
Cholesterol 146mg 49%
Sodium 165mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 63g 23%
Dietary Fiber 11g 40%
Total Sugars 47g
Protein 13g
Vitamin C 43mg 213%
Calcium 119mg 9%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 650mg 14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Known as maracuyá in Spanish, the passion fruit vine is native to South America and produces a tangy, seedy fruit that's ideal for juices, smoothies, and desserts. It's eaten on its own by simply slicing the fragrant fruit in half, while the watery seeds can be turned into a variety of preparations. High in vitamins and antioxidants, passion fruit is also very high in fiber, with over 10 grams in just one 100-gram serving.

Passion fruit is widely used in Latin cuisine and is becoming more available in the United States, even if very expensive. If finding fresh fruit is hard, try ordering frozen pulp online, which will still yield an incredible flavor for your preparations. Passion fruit can be small and purple or big and yellow outside.

Passion fruit mousse is one of the best ways to enjoy the fruit's distinctive tropical flavor. Choose to serve this mousse in parfait glasses topped with whipped cream, or make our delicious nut-based crunchy crust to complement the silkiness of the mousse. Be mindful that our recipe tops the mousse with the crust preparation and then inverts the entire dessert for the crust to be at the bottom.

Ingredients

For the Mousse:

  • 3/4 cup passion fruit pulp (thawed frozen pulp, or 3 to 4 medium fruits)

  • 1/2 cup water, divided

  • 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin

  • 2 tablespoons rum, or orange liqueur

  • 3 large egg whites

  • 1/3 cup sugar

  • 1 cup whipping cream

For the Crust:

  • 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

  • 3/4 cup dried shredded coconut

  • 2 ounces (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted

  • 1 cup whipped cream, for garnish

  • 1 cup fresh fruit (such as raspberries, strawberries, passion fruit seeds), for garnish

Steps to Make It

Prepare the Fruit Mixture

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Passion Fruit Mousse ingredients

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  2. If using fresh fruit, slice the passion fruit in half and scrape the pulp into a saucepan. If using pulp, place it in a saucepan.

    passion fruit in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  3. Heat fruit on low heat, stirring until it dissolves slightly and becomes more liquid. Do not boil.

    passion fruit in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  4. Strain the pulp into a measuring cup and let it cool. Measure 3/4 cup. Reserve a few seeds for decoration.

    passion fruit with the pulp strained out

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  5. Place 1/4 cup of water in a small glass bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Heat in the microwave for 15 seconds and stir. Repeat until the gelatin is melted and dissolved, but be careful the water doesn't boil.

    water and gelatin in a bowl

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  6. Add the gelatin and the rum or liqueur to the measured passion fruit juice and mix well. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

    passion fruit juice, gelatin and rum

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

Make the Meringue

  1. Mix the sugar and 1/4 cup of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Using a candy thermometer, check for 250 F and then remove the mixture from the heat.

    sugar and water in a saucepan, candy thermometer

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  2. Using a standing or hand mixer, beat the egg whites until they form peaks.

    egg whites beaten with a hand mixer in a bowl

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  3. Slowly add the hot sugar mixture to the egg whites, letting it run down the side of the bowl as you continue to beat. The meringue should start forming stiff peaks. Continue to beat the meringue on low speed until it cools. Reserve.

    meringue beat with a hand mixer

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

Make the Mousse

  1. In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Reserve.

    whipped cream in a bowl

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  2. Carefully fold the chilled passion fruit mix into the meringue. Do not overmix.

    fold the chilled passion fruit mix into the meringue

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  3. Mix a small amount of the meringue and passion fruit mixture into the whipped cream.

    Mix a small amount of the meringue and passion fruit mixture into the whipped cream

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  4. Fold all of the whipped cream back into the meringue mixture.

    Fold all of the whipped cream back into the meringue mixture

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  5. Lightly grease the ramekin molds it with a small amount of vegetable oil and pour the mousse into the mold. Chill to set.

    pour the mousse into the ramekin molds

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

Make the Crust

  1. Gather the crust ingredients.

    crust ingredients

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  2. In a food processor, mix the chopped macadamia nuts, coconut, and melted butter together until you have a sand-like texture.

    mix the chopped macadamia nuts, coconut, and melted butter together in a food processor

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  3. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the molded mousse, spreading it evenly.

    spread crust on top of the mousse

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  4. Chill the dessert for at least 4 hours, or overnight until the mousse is set.

    passion fruit mouse with crust in ramekins

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

Decorate and Serve

  1. Turn the mousse upside down out onto a serving plate.

    Passion Fruit Mousse on a plate

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  2. Garnish with whipped cream, passion fruit seeds, or raspberries.

    Passion Fruit Mousse, Garnished with whipped cream and passion fruit seeds

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

Variation

The crust is optional and if you are gluten free, you can prepare this recipe by simply spooning the mousse into individual serving bowls or glasses and chilling until set. Serve the dessert in the bowls or glasses, and garnish with whipped cream and additional fruit as desired.

What to Do With Leftover Fruit?

If you have any leftover frozen or fresh fruit, simply mix it with condensed milk and place it in the fridge for a few hours to set. There's no need for gelatin or any other additions. You can also make this mixture with seeds; the delicious crunch of the seeds and the sweetness of the condensed milk make this an easy and wonderful dessert. Serve with crushed graham crackers on top.

Article Sources
The Spruce Eats uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Passion Fruit, Raw. United States Department of Agriculture