Rainier Cherry Mousse

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Perfectly smooth and creamy Rainier Cherry Mousse!  Rainier cherries are light and sweet, and this small batch recipe highlights the freshness of these summer beauties.  Best of all – the mousse is refined sugar free!

Glass of cherry mousse with cherry on top

Rainier Cherry Summer Dessert

If you’ve never had a Rainier Cherry, you must try them!  Better yet, make this Rainier Cherry Mousse and you’ll be in for a sweet treat.  The Rainier cherry is named after – you guessed it – Mt. Rainier, in Washington state.  It is a sweeter variety of cherry than the Bing, and they have a lighter flesh and skin color than the Bing.  

For a fruit that is light and sweet, I thought a creamy mousse would be the perfect summer dessert to highlight the pretty cherries.  Of course, there are a lot of dessert options for the Rainier.  Just think of everything you would make with a Bing cherry and swap in the Rainier.  Some great cherry ideas we already have in our recipe repertoire:

Cherry Recipes

Mousse Recipes

Any of these recipes would work well with Rainier cherries.  I would recommend taste testing the cherry first (of course!) then decide how much sugar you want to add – or subtract – from any of these recipes. 

Top view of cherry mousse with fresh cherry on top

How to Make Fruit Mousse

If you have every made a chocolate mousse, fruit mousse is not that different.  Mousse is a light and airy dish that gets its texture from whipped cream (or whipped egg whites) that get folded into the base.   

For this cherry mousse recipe, we are going to add the gelatin to the fruit puree.  This is similar to how gelatin is an active ingredient in the little Jello and Pudding packages.  The gelatin first gets melted into liquid before it is added to the fruit puree.  It then goes into the refrigerator to slightly before folding in the whipped cream. 

Now, here is where we change things up a bit.  Instead of dairy whipped cream, we are going to use Whipped Coconut Cream.  Because we are using gelatin to keep the mousse firm, there is not need to worry about the consistency of the mousse changing with the whipped coconut cream.  Plus, as the coconut cream chills, it will firm back up naturally anyway.  And, as I’ve mentioned a few times, whipped coconut cream does not carry a strong (if even detectable) coconut flavor.  

Single serving of rainier cherry mousse

Sugar Free Dessert for Two

Not only are we using non-dairy whipped cream in this recipe, we are using honey to sweeten it.  This does make the cherry mousse a tad bit healthier than its dairy and sugar cousin.  🙂  The reason I chose to use honey this time is because of the fruity and flowery undernotes and how well this combines with the light cherry.  You can swap in maple syrup (or even plain ol’ sugar) if you like, but I highly recommend the honey.  It will not overpower the cherry flavor and does not have a cloyingly sweet flavor.

Some other small batch desserts where we have used maple syrup or honey as a sweetener:

This Rainier Cherry Mousse recipe is definitely one that you want to keep on hand during the hot summer months.  Plus, now is a great time to pick up the beautiful little Rainier cherries.  So, next time you are at the grocery, be sure to pick up a bunch!

Cherry mousse cups on a plate

Rainier Cherry Mousse

Yield: 2
Perfectly smooth and creamy Rainier Cherry Mousse – for two!  Rainier cherries are light and sweet, and this small batch recipe highlights the freshness of these summer beauties.  Best of all – the mousse is refined sugar free!
Prep15 minutes
Cook20 minutes
Chilling Time2 hours
Total2 hours 35 minutes

Equipment

  • 2-3 Serving Glasses

Ingredients
 

  • 2 cups fresh Rainier cherries, pitted and chopped
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin powder
  • 3 tablespoons honey (3 tablespoons for peach puree; 1 tablespoon for whipping cream)
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk, full fat (refrigerate overnight)

Instructions

  • Pit and chop the cherries. Add to a blender along with lemon juice and puree until light and smooth. Set aside.
  • In a small saucepan – without the heat turned on yet – add the water and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Let sit for at least 5 minutes for the gelatin to bloom.
  • Add the honey to the gelatin mix and turn the heat on to medium-low. Heat the mix until the gelatin and honey have dissolved – about 3 minutes. Do not overcook.
  • Add gelatin mix to the cherry puree in the blender and mix for another 30-45 seconds – until all ingredients are thoroughly blended. Keep the cherry puree in the blender and cover with a lid. Chill in the refrigerator until the mix starts to thicken. About 1 hour.
  • While the cherry puree is chilling, make the whipped coconut cream. Open the can of unsweetened coconut milk and scoop out a 1/2 cup of the coconut solids. Add to a chilled bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use. (Optional: If you would like to top the mousse with whipped coconut cream, add more of the coconut solids to the bowl and set some aside for topping).
  • Add the chilled peach puree to the whipped coconut cream and gently fold the mix together. The mousse will be the consistency of the whipped cream and will continue to firm as it chills.
  • Pour the mousse equally into serving glasses or bowls. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour for the mousse to set. Top with more whipped coconut cream (optional). Serve and enjoy!
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Erin Cernich
Nutrition information is calculated by a third-party and should only be considered an estimate and not a guarantee.
Rainier cherry mousse cups on a platter
About the author photo.

about the author ...

I'm Erin and I'm all about desserts - and a little bit of butter!

I've tested, written, and photographed hundreds of recipes on my website. Here you'll find the tastiest small batch gluten free and traditional desserts - all homemade, all simple, and all for you!

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