Eggnog Mousse Cups Recipe

This eggnog mousse is beaten cream cheese, powdered sugar, nutmeg, and 1 cup of eggnog, lightened with 1½ cups of whipped heavy cream and spooned over a gingersnap crust. It takes about 25 minutes of hands-on work and 3 hours in the fridge, and it makes 6 to 8 mousse cups.

There is no gelatin and no stove. The cream cheese and the stiff whipped cream do all the setting, which is why these cups hold for days and are my go-to make-ahead Christmas dessert.

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What Makes Eggnog Mousse Set Without Gelatin?

Two things. Eight ounces of cream cheese gives the base body, a bit like a very soft no-bake cheesecake. Then 1½ cups of cold cream whipped to stiff peaks traps air, and that air is held in place once the mousse is cold.

So the full ratio is simple to remember: 8 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 cup eggnog, and 1½ cups heavy cream, plus ½ teaspoon each of vanilla and nutmeg and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. After 2 to 4 hours in the fridge it holds a spoon and still melts on your tongue. Overnight is even better.

Eggnog is the flavor, not the structure. That means a thick store-bought carton sets a little firmer than a thin homemade one. If your eggnog pours like milk, plan on the overnight chill. The same base, firmer and baked, is what I use in eggnog cheesecake bars.

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Gingersnap or Graham Cracker Crust?

Mix 1½ cups crushed cookies with 3 tablespoons melted butter and the tablespoon of brown sugar until it looks like wet sand. Press about 2 tablespoons into each glass with the back of a spoon and chill the crusts while you make the mousse.

Gingersnaps are my first choice. Their ginger and molasses pick up the nutmeg in the mousse, so the spice runs from the bottom of the glass to the top. Graham crackers are milder and work well for guests who do not like much spice. When I use them, I add a pinch more cinnamon to the crumbs.

Taste one cookie before you add the brown sugar. Very sweet gingersnaps do not need it. Any crumbs left after pressing are worth keeping in a jar for sprinkling on top.

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Beating the Cream Cheese and Eggnog Base

Whip the cold cream first, to stiff peaks that stand straight up when you lift the beaters, then move it to another bowl and put it back in the fridge. Stop there. Cream beaten past that point turns grainy and starts heading toward butter.

In the same bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. It has to be properly soft. Cold cream cheese leaves tiny lumps that never beat out once the eggnog goes in. Add the powdered sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla and beat again.

Now pour in the eggnog slowly, in a thin stream with the mixer on low, and scrape the bowl a couple of times. The base should look like thick, smooth custard. Stir in the rum or bourbon here if you are using it.

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Folding the Whipped Cream Into the Eggnog

Fold the whipped cream in two parts. The first part loosens the base, so do not worry about being gentle. The second part goes in with a spatula, cutting down through the middle and lifting up the side while you turn the bowl.

Stop as soon as the last white streaks disappear. Every extra turn knocks out air, and air is what sets this mousse. Spoon or pipe it over the chilled crusts and smooth the tops. I use the same folding method for my cranberry mousse cups, which sit nicely next to these on a dessert table.

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Should You Add Bourbon or Rum to Eggnog Mousse?

Either one is optional, and 1 tablespoon is enough for the whole batch of 6 to 8 cups. I have tried both. Bourbon gives a slightly smoky, oaky finish. Rum is rounder and warmer, closer to the eggnog you might pour at a party.

If I am serving these with other desserts, I lean toward bourbon. If they are the only dessert, I usually choose rum. Leave it out for kids, or if your eggnog is already spiked, like my spiked eggnog. The texture stays the same either way.

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How Far Ahead Can You Make Eggnog Mousse Cups?

Up to 3 days. Here is the timeline I use for a Christmas party:

• 2 to 3 days before: make the crusts. They keep in the fridge, and I have filled crusts pressed a full day earlier with no problem.
• 1 to 2 days before: make the mousse and fill the cups. Leave them uncovered in the fridge for the first hour so condensation does not drip onto the tops, then cover with plastic wrap or lids.
• Just before serving: add a swirl of sweetened whipped cream and a dusting of nutmeg or cinnamon.

The crust softens a little as it sits and blends into the mousse, which I like. Keep the topping for the last minute, though, because whipped cream weeps if it waits too long. My whipped cream frosting holds its swirl longer than plain whipped cream if you want to pipe the tops an hour early.

Small glasses, jam jars, or 4 ounce plastic cups all work. Six glasses give generous portions, eight smaller ones suit a dessert buffet.

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Eggnog Mousse Too Soft, Lumpy, or Grainy?

• Still soft after 4 hours: the cream was not whipped to stiff peaks or it was folded too long. Give it a full night in the fridge. It will not slice, but it will hold a spoon.
• Small lumps in the base: the cream cheese was cold. Before the whipped cream goes in, set the bowl over a pot of warm water for 30 seconds and beat again.
• Grainy whipped cream: it went past stiff peaks. Fold in a tablespoon or two of cold liquid cream by hand to smooth it out.
• Soggy crust: the mousse went onto warm crumbs. Chill the crusts first, as the recipe says, even for 15 minutes.

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More Eggnog Desserts for Christmas

If eggnog is your thing this December, it shows up in very different textures on this site. Eggnog creme brulee is the warm, crackly contrast to this cold mousse. Eggnog panna cotta is smooth and set with gelatin. For a whole pie, try eggnog pie.

For a cookie tray, eggnog fudge and eggnog snickerdoodles both keep well, and eggnog pudding shots carry the same flavor into New Year’s Eve. If you make these cups, tell me in the comments whether you went with gingersnaps or graham crackers.

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Eggnog Mousse Questions From Holiday Hosts

Does eggnog mousse have raw eggs in it?

No eggs are added. The only egg comes from the eggnog itself, and store-bought eggnog is pasteurized. If you use homemade eggnog, use a cooked recipe and chill it fully first.

Can I make eggnog mousse without cream cheese?

Not with this recipe. The cream cheese is what lets it set without gelatin, so leaving it out gives you a soft eggnog cream rather than a mousse.

How long do eggnog mousse cups keep?

Up to 3 days in the fridge, covered. Add the whipped cream topping on the day you serve them.

Can I make one large eggnog mousse instead of cups?

Yes. Press the crust into a glass trifle bowl or an 8 inch square dish, spread the mousse on top, and chill overnight so it holds when you scoop it.