Easy White Chocolate Mousse with Cream Cheese and Cranberries
This white chocolate mousse with cream cheese layered with cranberries is the perfect winter dessert. The smooth and creamy white chocolate is the best balance for the tart cranberry-orange sauce. While this dessert looks and sounds kind of complicated, it is much more simple than you think!
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
Cranberry Orange Sauce
- 3 cups cranberries
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Mousse Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 8 ounces softened cream cheese
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Candied Cranberries
- 1 cup granulated sugar You will use ½ cup for the simple syrup, then ½ cup for coating the cranberries.
- ½ cup water
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
Instructions
Cranberry Orange Sauce
- Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until the cranberries have burst and the sauce is thickened just slightly.
- Add them to a food processor or blender and blend until it is smooth.
- Allow it to cool before using it in the dessert. This can be made up to 7 days in advance!
Make the Mousse
- In a medium-sized bowl, whip whipping cream to stiff peaks. I like to use a hand mixer, but you can also use a whisk and whip it by hand as well. Once it is whipped well, place in fridge while you mix the rest.
- In another bowl, but using the same beaters and hand mixer, mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla.
- Now, place white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 second intervals until the chocolate is melted. Mine took about 1 minute and 15 seconds, remember to mix every 30 seconds, it will burn easily. If you have a microwave that runs really hot, make sure and check every 20 seconds. Mix carefully until smooth.
- Pour the white chocolate into the cream cheese mix. On medium speed, mix until smooth.
- Pull your whipped cream from the fridge and add in half to the cream cheese mix. Blend until smooth. Add in the rest of the whipped cream, but this time use a spatula and fold in. If this doesn't get it as smooth as you would like, you can always blend on low speed with the hand mixers for just a minute.
- Cover and place in fridge. I like to let it sit about an hour.
Candied Cranberries
- Add ½ cup sugar and the ½ cup water to a small saucepan. Cook it over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. This is your simple sugar.
- Place the cranberries in a bowl and pour the simple sugar over the berries and mix them well.
- You will need to let the cranberries sit for a time, I like to Pour them over a cooling rack, spread them apart, and let them sit for 30-45 minutes.
- Now, add them to a bowl and sprinkle them with the remaining sugar. Mix until they are coated and spread them back out on the cooling rack. They are ready to go at this point!
Assemble the Cups
- Now, pipe into small serving dishes. I like to fill it about halfway, then add 2 tablespoons of cranberry orange sauce. Then pipe the remaining mousse on top.
- I also topped mine with some candied cranberries. These aren't necessary, but are really pretty! That recipe is also included in the post.
Notes
How to Store
If you won't be eating these right away, you can always store the mousse cups in the fridge for 24 hours. They will hold for up to 48 hours, but may get a touch watery with the cranberry sauce.
If you plan to hold for longer, wait to assemble the mousse and cranberry sauce in the cups until right before serving.
Just know if you are topping with the candied cranberries, don't add then until right before serving.
Expert Tips
Make sure to give your cranberry sauce time to chill before assembling. It will turn into a mess if you don't! It will make the mousse melt and it won't hold up.
The sugared cranberries are completely optional. I just think they are really pretty. They hold well for at least 48 hours, so you can make them well ahead of time.
This can also be made as a single dessert similar to a trifle. You will just need to use a 1-quart dish if you plan to serve it this way.