Coconut Lime Mousse

Servings6

Time to Cook15 minutes

Time to Prepare15 minutes

Recipe developed for BC Egg by Diversivore

This delicious no-bake dessert can also do double duty as a breakfast! Try it as a parfait with your favourite granola and a dollop of vanilla yogurt.

We’ve given two different preparations methods for you to choose from on this recipe. If you have a high-speed blender like a Vitamix that heats as it blends, this recipe is ridiculously easy to put together. If you don’t have a high-speed blender not to worry – the stove top recipe is also simple, it just takes a bit longer and uses a couple more dishes.

Ingredients

4 large large eggs separated
90 g sugar (a little under 1/2 cup)
1 cup coconut cream (see note)
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup lime juice
1 tbsp lime zest
1/8 tsp salt
7 g gelatin (e.g. 1 packet Knox brand) (see note)
1/4 cup hot water

Instructions

High-Speed Blender Method

Place the coconut cream and coconut milk in a high-speed blender (e.g. Vitamix) along with the egg yolks, sugar, lime juice, and lime zest. Start the blender at the lowest speed and gradually increase it until it’s running at the highest setting. Run the blender at high speed for 4 minutes before turning it off and allowing the mixture to cool until substantially (it should be near room temperature or lower before stirring in the egg whites).
In a separate large, non-reactive bowl, combine egg whites with a pinch of salt and whisk to stiff peaks.
Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the coconut/egg/lime mixture until just combined.
Dissolve gelatin in 1/4 cup of hot water, then gently whisk this into the coconut/egg/lime mixture. Stir until the gelatin is well mixed in, but take care not to over-stir and deflate the whipped egg whites.
Pour the mousse into individual bowls or glasses and chill for at least 2 hours. Garnish with toasted coconut, yogurt (vanilla is good), fresh fruit, etc. For added texture and depth, serve with a good quality granola.

Traditional Stove-Top Method

Heat the coconut cream and coconut milk in a small saucepan over medium heat on the stove top. Stir regularly, keeping the heat low enough to keep the liquid very warm, but not boiling or simmering.
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a small bowl until well-combined and glossy.
Temper the egg yolk mixture by slowly pouring about 1/2 cup of hot coconut cream into it while whisking briskly.
Pour tempered egg yolks into the rest of the coconut cream while whisking vigorously. Return the mixture to the stovetop and heat over a low flame, stirring regularly, until the mixture thickens enough to easily coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and refrigerate.
In a large bowl, combine the cooled coconut cream and egg mixture with the lime juice and zest. Whip until fairly well-set and forming small peaks.
In a separate large, non-reactive bowl, combine egg whites with a pinch of salt and whisk to stiff peaks.
Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the coconut cream until the entire mixture is just combined.
Dissolve gelatin in 1/4 cup of hot water, then gently whisk this into the coconut mousse. Stir until the gelatin is well mixed in, but take care not to over-stir and deflate the whipped egg whites.
Pour the mousse into individual bowls or glasses and chill for at least 2 hours. Garnish with toasted coconut or fresh fruit. For added texture and depth, serve with a good quality granola.

Notes

Coconut cream: coconut cream and coconut milk are not the same thing (and coconut water has nothing to do with this whatsoever). Much like dairy milk/cream, coconut milk (canned or homemade) will separate out into thicker cream on the top and thinner milk on the bottom. This recipe calls for 1 cup of the thicker cream layer and 1/2 cup of the thinner milk. If you’ve got well-mixed coconut milk, let it stand in the refrigerator for a few hours then scrape off the top cream layer.

Gelatin: To make this recipe vegetarian you can substitute the gelatin for agar. To substitute it into this recipe, omit step 8 and instead soak an equivalent amount (7 g) of powdered or sheet agar in 1/4 cup of water for 15 minutes, then bring this to a gentle boil. Stir until the agar agar is completely dissolved, and cooled slightly. Fold into the mousse and chill.