I have this weird memory of being a kid, sitting on the kitchen counter, and just eating peanut butter straight from the jar with a spoon. It was the best.
This recipe is basically that feeling, but for grown-ups. We’re going to make the lightest, fluffiest peanut butter mousse you’ve ever had, and it’s so easy you’ll wonder why you haven’t made it before. I promise, you can do this, and it’s going to be amazing.
It’s one of those desserts that looks super fancy but is secretly simple. Your friends will think you’re some kind of kitchen genius.
What You’ll Need
Getting your ingredients ready first is like, the number one rule of not having a meltdown in the kitchen. It’s called “mise en place” if you want to be fancy, but I just call it “getting your junk together.”
Here’s the thing, the quality of your stuff really matters here. Especially the peanut butter and the cream cheese. Don’t skimp. You want the full-fat, good stuff for the best flavor and texture. It makes a huge difference, trust me on this one.
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Heavy Whipping Cream | 1 ½ cups |
| Cream Cheese | 8 ounces |
| Creamy Peanut Butter | 1 cup |
| Powdered Sugar | ¾ cup |
| Vanilla Extract | 1 teaspoon |
| Salt | ¼ teaspoon |
For the toppings, you can get creative, but the crunch is kind of the whole point.
| Topping Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Roasted Salted Peanuts | ½ cup |
| Mini Chocolate Chips | ¼ cup |
| Chocolate Syrup | For drizzling |
The Tools for the Job
You don’t need a bunch of crazy equipment. Just the basics. If you don’t have an electric mixer, you can do it by hand, but your arm is going to be really, really tired.
- Electric Mixer (a hand mixer works great)
- Two large mixing bowls
- A spatula (one of those rubber ones)
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Serving glasses or small bowls
- A knife for chopping peanuts
Step-by-Step: Let’s Make Some Mousse
Alright, let’s do this. Read through all the steps once before you start. It helps you get a feel for the flow and avoid any “oops” moments later.
Step 1: First, get your cream cheese out of the fridge. It needs to be totally, completely, 100% room temperature. Not cold-ish. Room temp. Let it sit on the counter for at least an hour. This is the most important step for avoiding lumps.
Step 2: Pour your cold heavy whipping cream into a big bowl. Using your electric mixer, whip it until it forms stiff peaks. You’ll know it’s ready when you can pull the beaters out and the cream stands up straight without flopping over. Don’t over-whip it, or it’ll get weird and grainy. Set this bowl aside for a minute.
Step 3: In your second large bowl, put the softened cream cheese. Beat it with the mixer on medium speed for about a minute until it’s super smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with your spatula.
Step 4: Add the creamy peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and the little pinch of salt to the cream cheese. Mix it all together on low speed at first (so sugar doesn’t fly everywhere), then turn it up to medium. Keep mixing until it’s all one color and totally smooth.
Step 5: Now for the magic part. Take about one-third of your whipped cream and gently fold it into the peanut butter mixture with your spatula. We’re “folding,” not stirring. Go down the middle, scrape along the bottom, and fold it over the top. This lightens up the peanut butter base.
Step 6: Add the rest of the whipped cream to the bowl. Gently, and I mean gently, fold it all together until there are no white streaks left. The goal is to keep all that air you whipped into the cream. If you stir it hard, you’ll end up with pudding, not mousse.
Step 7: Spoon or pipe the mousse into your serving glasses. You can get fancy with a piping bag, or just use two spoons. Fill ’em up about three-quarters of the way.
Step 8: Cover the glasses with plastic wrap and put them in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours. You can even leave them overnight. This step is non-negotiable; it lets the mousse set up and get firm.
Step 9: Right before you serve, chop up your roasted peanuts. Sprinkle the peanuts and mini chocolate chips over the top of each mousse. Add a little drizzle of chocolate syrup if you’re feeling extra.
Pro Tips from My Kitchen
I’ve made this recipe a hundred times, and I’ve made all the mistakes so you don’t have to. Here are a few things that make a big difference.
- Cold Bowl, Cold Cream. Before you even start, stick your mixing bowl and the beaters from your mixer in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Super cold equipment helps the heavy cream whip up faster and get more volume. It makes your mousse way fluffier.
- Use “No-Stir” Peanut Butter. You know the natural peanut butter where the oil separates? Don’t use that for this. It can make the mousse greasy or cause it to split. Go for a classic brand like Jif or Skippy Creamy. The texture is more consistent and stable.
- Taste Before You Chill. After you fold everything together, give it a tiny taste. Does it need a little more sweetness for your liking? A bigger pinch of salt to make the peanut butter flavor pop? Now is the time to adjust it. You can’t fix it once it’s set.
Swaps and Fun Variations
Once you have the basic recipe down, you can play around with it. It’s pretty hard to mess up.
- Different Nut Butters: Try it with almond butter or cashew butter for a totally different vibe. SunButter (sunflower seed butter) works great if you have a nut allergy.
- Add Some Crunch Inside: Gently fold in a half-cup of mini chocolate chips or crushed pretzels right into the mousse at the very end for a surprise texture.
- Make it Boozy: For an adults-only version, add a tablespoon of crème de cacao or a nutty liqueur like Frangelico into the peanut butter mixture in Step 4.
- Peanut Butter & Jelly: Put a spoonful of raspberry or strawberry jam at the bottom of the glass before you add the mousse. It’s like the best sandwich ever, but for dessert.
| To Swap… | Use This Instead… |
|---|---|
| Creamy Peanut Butter | Crunchy PB |
| Mini Chocolate Chips | Toffee Bits |
| Roasted Peanuts | Crushed Pretzels |
| Cream Cheese | Mascarpone Cheese |
Making It Ahead of Time
This is one of the best desserts to make for a party because you can do almost all of it the day before.
You can make the mousse completely and store it in the serving glasses, covered, in the fridge for up to two days. Just wait to add the toppings until right before you serve. If you add the peanuts too early, they’ll get soft and lose their crunch, which is just sad.
Leftovers and Storage
If you somehow have leftovers (which, like, how?), you’re in luck. The mousse stays good for a while.
Just keep them covered in the fridge. They’ll be perfectly delicious for up to 4 days. The texture might get a little denser after the second day, but it’s still fantastic. I do not recommend freezing this mousse; it thaws out with a watery, weird texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions people always ask me about this recipe.
Q1. My mousse is lumpy! What did I do wrong?
Ans: Your cream cheese was probably too cold. It has to be super soft room temperature to blend smoothly with the other ingredients.
Q2. Can I use low-fat cream cheese or peanut butter?
Ans: You can, but it won’t be as rich or creamy. The fat is what gives the mousse its amazing texture and helps it set properly, so I really recommend using the full-fat versions.
Q3. Why is my mousse runny?
Ans: You either didn’t whip your cream to stiff peaks, or you stirred too hard when you were folding it into the peanut butter base, knocking all the air out. Be gentle!
Q4. Can I make this dairy-free?
Ans: Yes, but it takes some specific swaps. Use a dairy-free cream cheese alternative and swap the heavy cream for chilled, full-fat canned coconut cream (just the solid part at the top of the can).
Wrapping Up
See? That wasn’t so hard. You just made an incredible dessert that feels way more complicated than it actually is. It’s the perfect thing to bring to a party or just to have in the fridge for when you need a little something sweet.
Now go make it! And when you do, please come back and leave a comment. Tell me how it went, if you tried any of the variations, or if you have any questions. I love hearing how it turns out for you guys.
