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With just 4 ingredients, you can have the silkiest, creamiest Peanut Butter Mousse for dessert! The whipped cream and crushed peanuts on top are optional, but you’ll love the textural contrast. This recipe makes 4 servings, but it’s so simple to double or triple and serve more.
In the dessert world, mousse can be a fancy thing or it can be an easy thing with a few shortcuts. If you’re guessing that I’m going to share the shortcut version that comes together in just minutes with only a few ingredients, then you know me so well.
One of the reasons I love mousse so much is because it’s faster to make than pudding. Both desserts are creamy and rich, but mousse sets up into a slightly firmer texture than pudding.
If you want a sweet creamy little treat that comes together in minutes, you have to make this cream cheese and whipped cream based dessert. I will warn you, though, that it needs to set for 1 hour in the fridge to become its best self.
Why you’ll love Peanut Butter Mousse
If you’re a peanut butter lover, you have to try it in its mousse form! The ethereal, fluffy texture of mousse lets the flavor shine through with just the right amount of sweetness. This recipe only has 4 ingredients, so be sure to use your favorite peanut butter!
Ingredients for Peanut Butter Mousse Recipe
- Peanut Butter. You should really use your favorite brand of peanut butter here, yes, even if it has palm oil. You don’t have to use the natural stuff.
- Cream Cheese. It’s best to soften the cream cheese before attempting to make this recipe so that it evenly incorporates into the mousse. If it’s cold, there will be lumps that will not go away no matter how much you beat them.
- Heavy Whipping Cream. We’re lightening the peanut butter mousse mixture with freshly whipped cream. Only heavy whipped cream (or double cream) will work for this.
- Powdered Sugar. I prefer powdered sugar here because it dissolves more easily into the mousse.
How to make Peanut Butter Mousse
In one bowl, add the heavy cream. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy and soft peaks form (about 2-3 minutes). Add the powdered sugar and beat until slightly firmer.
In a separate bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese and peanut butter until very light and fluffy.
Gently fold three-quarters of the cream mixture into the peanut butter and cream cheese mixture. Reserve the remaining whipped cream for decorating.
Portion the peanut butter mousse into 4 serving bowls, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. (This can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the fridge). Serve with the reserved whipped cream and garnish with crushed peanuts.
Tips for making Easy Peanut Butter Mousse
You really need a hand mixer to make mousse, because we’re whipping the peanut butter and cream cheese together, and for whipping the heavy cream. It just wouldn’t get as fluffy by hand.
So, this is the hand mixer I have used and loved for years!
Peanut Butter Mousse Recipe Substitutions/Variations
- Peanut Butter. You should use your favorite peanut butter for this recipe, because that is the dominant flavor in this dessert. You may also use other types of nut butters. Sunflower butter is delicious, as is cashew butter. Almond butter is a bit too gritty, in my opinion, but if you don’t mind that, try it!
How to serve:
I divide this dessert into 4 small cups, decorate with whipped cream and then serve with crushed peanuts on top. You can double or triple this recipe to serve more people, if you like!
I also recommend storing any leftovers in the freezer for a delicious texture that’s similar to a fudgesicle (but with peanut butter!).
How to store Four Ingredient Peanut Butter Mousse
This mousse needs to be kept in the fridge at all times, because it contains fresh dairy products.
FAQs
A mousse is a thick, densely flavored mixture (either a custard, compote, or sauce) lightened with whipped cream. There are several types of mousse, and some are thickened with gelatin, but not this recipe for 4 ingredient peanut butter mousse.
In this case, the mousse is thickened with cream cheese and then chilled to firm up. Most mousse is thickened with gelatin or other stabilizers. This is a simple, pared down recipe.
In my expert copious dessert-eating opinion, mousse is thicker than a pudding but thinner than ice cream. It’s a fluffy, even more intensely flavored pudding. It should holds its shape when scooped, and melt in your mouth.
Four Ingredient Peanut Butter Mousse
Makes 2 8-ounce jars.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- For serving: crushed peanuts
Instructions
- First, add the cream to a bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high until soft peaks start to form, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the powdered sugar to the whipped cream, beat again until slightly firmer and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat together the peanut butter and softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Stir about three-quarters of the whipped cream mixture into the peanut butter and cream cheese mixture. (Reserve the remaining whipped cream for topping the desserts).
- Refrigerate the mousse until very cold, about 1 hour.
- Serve the peanut butter mousse garnished with the leftover whipped cream and crushed peanuts.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 554Total Fat: 44gSaturated Fat: 24gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 110mgSodium: 228mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 1gSugar: 31gProtein: 8g
I like the Mr.’s style. Yours too. I’d be double fistin’ the wine and parfaits, that’s how I roll!
Everything about this is amazing. Found you via Two Peas & Their Pod. So happy I did!
Oh goodness me! These look absolutely amazing and I WILL be saving this recipe to make in the near future. :)
Let me wipe the drool away from my mouth, as I think about Peanut Butter Mousse.
This are amazing!! Are the cookies delicious on their own (in powdered sugar or half dipped in chocolate)? I am thinking of doubling the recipe to have leftover cookies too….thank you for this recipe!!!!!!
Oh yes, Stephanie! I ate quite a few cookies plain before I perfected the recipe. They have a drier texture, since I intended for them to soak up peanut butter mousse, so I definitely recommend dipping them in chocolate to help with that, if they’ll be eaten plain. Enjoy :)
Oh man! I need to make this soon, it looks so amazing!!
I am so excited to find your blog! This was my first recipe to try and it was out of this world!!