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No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake Mousse Cups

May 12, 2013 by overtimecook 84 Comments

One of my most popular desserts ever, these No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake Mousse Cups look elegant, but are actually easy to make, freezer-friendly and make the might light and refreshing dessert!lemon cheesecake mousse on OvertimeCook

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Update: 5.24.21: I am incredibly honored that over the years since this was originally posted, it has been an enormous hit with fans and followers all over the world! While the original recipe is perfect as is, I have updated the post with some FAQ and tips

People often ask me where my recipe ideas come from. And I never know what to answer- no, I really can’t answer. Because I simply don’t know.

Okay, sometimes I know. I mean, the Butterscotch Bundt Cake that I published in my column in Ami magazine was a dream I had during my commute home from work one day. Okay, so I can’t exactly tell you where the dream came from, but it’s something. And some recipes are carefully researched and created to fit a theme, holiday or inspiration.

But this recipe came to my head, completely formed, in a split second. I was talking to my sister-in-law about dessert I would bring for a party she was making. She mentioned a yellow color scheme, so naturally my mind went to lemon. And then, because there’s a cheesecake holiday coming up, my mind went to cheesecake. And in a tenth of a second, this entire recipe appeared, fully formed, in my head.

Good news is, it was as delicious in real life as it seemed in my head. And better news, it’s super easy, no bake, and looks really pretty. Can you possibly ask for anything else?

FAQ about No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake Mousse Cups

Scroll past the FAQ for the recipe itself!

Can I freeze these cups?

Yes, you absolutely can (I have a batch in my freezer as I type this!). They can be served frozen (it will have an ice cream like texture), partially frozen, or you can fully defrost and serve cold, for more of a creamy texture.

They can be stored in the fridge for a few days, but if you want to make them more ahead of time, you should freeze them.

Can I make this in a large graham cracker pie crust instead of individual cups?

Yes, you can. Note, however, that the only way to slice it into neat portions is to freeze it. At it’s non-frozen consistency, it can only be scooped, not sliced.

You can also make this mixture in a large trifle bowl, instead of individual cups.

Can I make this in a different fruit flavor, instead of lemon?

Yes, I have done it many times! You’ll want to sub a different flavor of fruit pie filling (homemade or from a can), in place of the lemon pie filling. I’ve done it with strawberry, blueberry, cherry, apple and others. It’s important to note, however, that while lemon pie filling is smooth and creamy, most fruit fillings are not.

What I like to do is open the can or container of pie filling and stick an immersion blender right in! Blend until completely smooth and creamy, then proceed with the recipe.

Another note is that while lemon pie filling is sweet, it’s slightly tangy and often less sweet than other fillings. To compensate for the additional sweetness of the other flavors, I omit some or all of the powdered sugar in the recipe. My reccomendation is to make it with no sugar, then taste and add it at the end if you feel it’s necessary. (Simply stir it in with a rubber spatula.)

Do you have any serving suggestions to make this even prettier and/or more delicious?

I sure do! Here are some of my favorite serving suggestions:

  • Top the lemon mousse with a layer of strawberry sauce. You can use a store-bought sauce of your choice, but my preference is to use the homemade strawberry sauce from this recipe, which is very easy to make.
  • Instead of strawberry sauce, you can top the No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake Mousse Cups with a dollop of whipped cream and some slices of fresh strawberries.
  • Instead of using graham cracker crumbs, you can play around with crunchy elements to use instead, such as vanilla cookie crumbs, lemon wafer rolls (I like to stick them into the top for a cool visual element!), vanilla or lemon cake crumbs, etc. You can have fun and go crazy, just make sure that the flavor of the crumbs works well with lemon!
  • Make a layered dessert by making another flavor of mousse per my instructions above. My choice for this would be strawberry. Use a tall cup, and pipe or spoon alternating layers of the two flavors of mousse into it. It’s a great way to make this extra elegant!

Can I use homemade lemon curd instead of lemon pie filling?

Yes, you certainly can. It’s obviously more work, but well worth the effort! You can also use lime or grapefruit curd instead of the lemon.

 

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lemon cheesecake mousse 3

 

5.0 from 6 reviews
Print
No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake Mousse Cups
Author: Miriam Pascal, OvertimeCook.com
Recipe type: dessert
Serves: about 20 small cups
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream or non-dairy whip topping
  • 1 cup lemon pie filling
  • 12 ounces unwhipped cream cheese (or tofutti cream cheese)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • a few drops yellow food coloring, optional
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
for graham cracker crumbs
  • ½ cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons melted butter or margarine
Instructions
  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the cream until stiff.
  2. Remove from the mixer and set aside. (No need to wash the bowl before continuing.) Add the lemon pie filling and cream cheese to the mixer and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla extract, food coloring (if using) and powdered sugar and beat until combined.
  3. Using a rubber spatula, add the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, slowly (do it in batches), until its fully incorporated. Set aside.
  4. To make the crumbs, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter or margarine.
To assemble the cups:
  1. Place a small amount of the crumbs on the bottom of a cup. Pipe the mousse over the crumbs to fill the cup, then add more crumbs on top.
  2. Serve chilled.
3.2.2925

Enjoy!

lemon cheesecake mousse 1

 

 

 

If you liked this recipe, you’ll also love: 

Coffee Mousse Trifles

Shortcut Cannoli with Chocolate Mousse Filling

Lemon Sticky Buns

Lotus Pumpkin Mousse

Peanut Butter Mousse with chocolate pretzel crumbs

Tools needed for this recipe: 

Piping Tip (1M) 

Piping Bag

 

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Thanks for stopping by friends! Hope you love these gorgeous little treats. Have a great Shavuot and come back after for some yummy healthy recipes. -Miriam

 

Disclosure: OvertimeCook.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

 

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Filed Under: Cheesecake/Dairy Desserts, Dairy, Dessert, Frozen Treats, Holiday, Mousse and Trifle, No-Bake Dessert, Shavuot, Super-Easy Tagged With: cheesecake, dairy, dessert, food, lemon, mousse, no bake lemon cheesecake, No-Bake, recipe, shavuos


Comments

  1. foodallday says

    May 12, 2013 at 4:50 am

    Reblogged this on Food Incorporated.

    Reply
  2. Nechamah says

    May 12, 2013 at 7:41 am

    I love your creativity.

    Reply
    • leah says

      May 12, 2013 at 11:22 am

      how many mousse cuos do these make

      Reply
      • barbara says

        October 30, 2014 at 11:58 pm

        I made these tonight , only made 10. What size cups did you use to make 30? And should I add more pie filling or some lemon zest to make it more lemony? Thanks.

        Reply
        • Cindy says

          June 26, 2018 at 11:20 pm

          I plan to use lemon curd instead of pie filling , it has much more flavor

          Reply
  3. gottagetbaked says

    May 12, 2013 at 10:46 am

    Who cares where the ideas come from when they’re this good! Beautiful photos, Miriam, of a beautiful dessert! These are just as lovely to look at as I’m sure they are to eat. My husband would love these since his favourite dessert flavour is lemon.

    Reply
  4. sweetbakedlife says

    May 12, 2013 at 10:57 am

    Beautifully delicious! On my list to try! 🙂

    Reply
  5. taste of colours says

    May 12, 2013 at 11:10 am

    i will need to make it:) it looks amazing

    Reply
  6. Sarah Massry says

    May 12, 2013 at 3:24 pm

    Wow! These look great. Would love to try them.

    Reply
  7. Idy m says

    May 12, 2013 at 7:09 pm

    I made something like this once. Only instead of lemon pie filling, I used vanilla pudding and freshly squeezed lemon juice. And I used lemon pound cake on the bottom, and dried some of the cake to crumble on top.
    Oh, and I but them in some fancy tall schnapps cups.
    But your pic is waaaaay better than mine…

    Reply
  8. Esti says

    May 12, 2013 at 7:52 pm

    Could these be piped into mini tart shells?

    Reply
    • overtimecook says

      May 12, 2013 at 8:11 pm

      You bet! Yum. 🙂

      Reply
  9. Bernice says

    May 12, 2013 at 8:34 pm

    What a beautiful dessert! I love these bite-size desserts.

    Reply
  10. doucelumiere says

    May 12, 2013 at 10:19 pm

    My dad adores lemon desserts! I think I’ll try making this tomorrow morning so he’ll have something scrumptious when he comes home from work. By the way, your creativity is astounding. I would never be able to whip something up like that without guidelines.

    Reply
  11. janetfctc says

    May 12, 2013 at 11:49 pm

    These look absolutely delicious! I love anything lemony… add in creamy and I’m beyond ecstatic!

    Reply
  12. Freidi says

    May 13, 2013 at 9:39 am

    Love what you did with them!!!!!

    Reply
  13. Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie says

    May 13, 2013 at 12:08 pm

    Some of my best ideas come to me while driving!

    Reply
  14. themondaybox says

    May 13, 2013 at 7:01 pm

    The no bake is perfect for warm weather desserts and the lemon mousse looks creamy and delicious! It looks so fancy in the glasses. 🙂

    Reply
  15. Mina says

    May 13, 2013 at 8:16 pm

    How would it taste if I prepare the mixture for second day shavuos and assemble right before I serve. Would it taste the same ?

    Reply
    • overtimecook says

      May 13, 2013 at 11:06 pm

      Should be fine!

      Reply
  16. Miriam Esther says

    May 13, 2013 at 9:26 pm

    Can these be made in advance

    Reply
    • overtimecook says

      May 13, 2013 at 11:06 pm

      Sure! They freeze nicely!

      Reply
  17. candice says

    May 13, 2013 at 10:38 pm

    So pretty! Absolutely love the square stem dishes. Could you tell me where I could purchase them? Thanks.

    Reply
    • overtimecook says

      May 13, 2013 at 11:07 pm

      They sell them at my local grocery store- not sure where online they carry them!

      Reply
    • overtimecook says

      May 13, 2013 at 11:08 pm

      PS they’re disposable 😉

      Reply
  18. gaytra says

    May 13, 2013 at 11:03 pm

    A fun treat to make with my 4 year old!!! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  19. sarah. says

    May 14, 2013 at 12:22 am

    yum! i already made cheesecake though 😛

    Reply
  20. Raquel says

    May 14, 2013 at 12:47 am

    Wow!!! This looks delicious! I’ve been looking for a good/different dairy dessert and I love the fact that it has lemon too. Can’t wait to try this! Have a great chag!

    Reply
  21. cristinahale says

    May 26, 2013 at 11:24 pm

    perfect for dessert! I should try this one..thanks

    Reply
  22. Fizzy says

    July 26, 2013 at 5:46 am

    How many cups would this make?

    It looks really good and seems like its not that hard to make

    Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  23. Naomi says

    October 15, 2013 at 6:45 pm

    I froze this and it make delicious creamy mini ice cream trifles.
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • overtimecook says

      October 15, 2013 at 8:20 pm

      Great idea!

      Reply
  24. KK is Kray says

    October 17, 2013 at 9:45 pm

    I’m about to make it so I am going to let you know how it goes……..

    Reply
  25. Kit kat says

    October 17, 2013 at 9:55 pm

    Hi i hate this it is,so stupid I burned them iin the oven because it did not show how long to cook them!!!!!!

    Reply
  26. KK is Kray says

    October 17, 2013 at 9:58 pm

    Me too! It calls for no bake, but then again, it says to heat the oven at 333 degrees. WHY! Idk u tell me!

    Reply
  27. Meira says

    November 7, 2013 at 8:32 am

    Hi,
    Approximately how many lemon mousse cheesecakes do you get from each recipe? Thanks!

    Reply
    • overtimecook says

      November 7, 2013 at 7:43 pm

      About 3 dozen, but it will depends on the size of your cup.
      Enjoy!

      Reply
      • Meira says

        November 7, 2013 at 7:46 pm

        Thanks!!!

        Reply
  28. Tzipporah kranz says

    November 13, 2013 at 5:36 pm

    Is powdered sugar regular sugar or confectionary sugar?

    Reply
  29. Carey says

    December 12, 2013 at 10:19 am

    How long will these last in the fridge? I want to make them ahead of time for a party. Thanks!

    Reply
    • overtimecook says

      December 13, 2013 at 12:35 am

      If you make them ahead of time, you’re best off freezing them!

      Reply
      • lanie says

        July 24, 2017 at 11:20 pm

        Can these be frozen completely assembled? And do you think they would be ok in the freezer for a few weeks? Thanks.

        Reply
        • overtimecook says

          August 7, 2017 at 11:16 am

          Sure

          Reply
  30. Ola says

    January 2, 2014 at 5:59 am

    Hello,
    These really look and sound lovely, but where I come from we don’t get lemon pie filling. What is it precisely (I take it it’s some ready-made formula/mix for a cake) and can it be replaced with some assembled ingredients?
    Thanks for taking time to answer!

    Reply
    • overtimecook says

      January 2, 2014 at 6:31 pm

      You can sub homemade lemon curd instead.

      Reply
  31. meechal says

    January 15, 2014 at 9:59 am

    What is lemonn pie filling….is it canned or lemon meringue filling by bakers choice which comes in a box?

    Reply
  32. Kelly says

    April 2, 2014 at 11:51 am

    Is the lemon pie filling from a can?

    Reply
    • overtimecook says

      April 2, 2014 at 2:54 pm

      Yes!

      Reply
  33. Mel says

    April 9, 2014 at 2:01 pm

    I just made these – the flavor was absolutely amazing. I’m in the UK and used lemon curd instead of lemon pie filling since that was all that was available. I have a question – the texture of my filling was VERY liquidy. I thought it would set after chilling them all day but it remained the same. The taste was spot on – no complaints there, but is it intended to be so liquidy (like the consistency of a cake batter or even an uncooked cheesecake batter), or is it supposed to be a bit more firm and aerated like a mousse?

    Any tips would be useful!

    Reply
  34. MW says

    May 29, 2014 at 11:26 am

    omg! these look absolutly delicous… a must to try…. i luv anything lemon so make that dairy…. i think ill eat it all by myself…
    just a quick comment. it would be helpful if it has a print button like your other recipes have….

    Reply
    • overtimecook says

      May 29, 2014 at 12:16 pm

      I’m working on adding the print button to the old recipes…it’s a lot work though so it’s not happening overnight!

      Reply
  35. Ilana B. says

    July 4, 2014 at 12:28 pm

    I just made these and they’re awesome! What do you think about using other flavored pie filling? Like strawberry?

    Reply
    • overtimecook says

      July 7, 2014 at 1:48 pm

      That works nicely.

      Reply
  36. Cate says

    October 16, 2014 at 3:20 am

    I couldn’t find lemon pie filling so bought lemon curd, will that work? Thanks 🙂

    Reply
  37. Rosemary says

    December 6, 2014 at 9:48 pm

    Wow they look great I can’t get pie filling in australia so will try lemon curd, I will make them into round glass teacups thanks for sharing your recipes

    Cheers

    Rosie

    Reply
  38. Nechoma says

    December 12, 2014 at 3:40 pm

    Hi-what kind of tip did you use to pipe these? They look delicious!

    Reply
    • overtimecook says

      December 13, 2014 at 6:26 pm

      Wilton 1M

      Reply
  39. Ester Becker says

    February 12, 2015 at 6:14 pm

    Made these for an event the other night and they looked gorgeous and everyone loved them!!! I used 2 oz mousse cups and this recipe filled exactly 40 cups. I did need about double of the graham cracker part though… Thank you!!

    Reply
  40. nancy says

    February 14, 2015 at 10:07 pm

    OMG these are so easy to make and are absolutely delicious

    Reply
  41. Zaira Rodz says

    April 30, 2015 at 7:30 am

    i make them last night for my baby shower which is today and they look amazing, and they taste great i’m not very fan of key lime pie but my husband is and he want me to do something like this. everything is very clear and easy to make i’m not the greatest cooker and they came out great!!! one comment to make the recipe is for about 10 to 12 of those little champage plastic glass the you can find in the dollar store so just doble or triple the ingridients if you want to make more! good luck !

    Reply
  42. shayna says

    May 13, 2015 at 8:57 pm

    I made these a while ago and they were a hit. thinking of making for shavous, but my oldest said that he didn’t like the crumbs on the bottom. do you have any suggestions for something else that would do instead?

    Reply
  43. Chantal Modes says

    May 13, 2015 at 9:22 pm

    So this recipe was super easy of course and since i am making your strawberry cheesecake trifles i decided to pour this into 2 graham cracker crusts. No way to slice that of course so i froze the pies…. And it is DELICOUS!!!! Tastes like a perfect lemon freeze dessert… No my question is do i prepare a blueberry sauce or just top with crumbs or both? I love the combination of blueberrie and lemon. Thanks for a WINNER of a recipe!!!

    Reply
  44. shevi says

    May 22, 2015 at 3:59 pm

    How much is 12 oz in toffuti cc? The ones I have is 8oz each

    Reply
    • overtimecook says

      May 26, 2015 at 12:43 am

      1 1/2 packages.

      Reply
  45. leah says

    June 3, 2015 at 7:32 pm

    do you think this would go with blueberry pie filling instead? want to make it for a purple color scheme?

    Reply
    • overtimecook says

      June 3, 2015 at 8:34 pm

      Sure – blend it first to get a smooth texture.

      Reply
  46. Seema says

    March 20, 2016 at 8:31 pm

    Hi we do not get lime pie filling in India.is there any other alternative to it.

    Reply
  47. Bree says

    March 24, 2016 at 1:35 pm

    This recipe is fantastic! instead of lemon pie filling I used Lemon curd in a jar (Dickinsons brand). It was SOOOOOO good. I piped the filling into 2 oz glasses and was able to get about 20 desserts. Just delicious and refreshing!!

    Reply
  48. Chani says

    July 11, 2016 at 12:32 pm

    These were amazing! We had similar ones at a recent wedding, and I decided I must try them. Then i saw this in your cookbook and knew this was the right recipe to try! I made them as a parve dessert for a meat meal on Shavuos. They were a hit! It made 15 desserts – in 4 oz cups.
    Enjoy!

    Reply
  49. Tzofit Goldfarb says

    September 22, 2016 at 4:54 pm

    What is the equivalent of 1 cup of lemon pie filling? I have one box of the lemon flavor My-T-Fine. Its 2 and 3/4 oz. Will that work?

    Reply
    • overtimecook says

      September 27, 2016 at 4:11 pm

      I’m not familiar with the produce you’re talking about. If you cant get the canned stuff, you can use lemon curd.

      Reply
  50. Thelma says

    August 22, 2017 at 6:46 pm

    I made the filling and served it in white chocolate cups …topped with a little crumble and a candied lemon slice.. it really was a show stopper … I also made lemon shortbread cookies… served on black dishes…
    I think we eat with our eyes first … and it looked fabulous…!

    Reply
  51. ava says

    February 15, 2018 at 5:54 pm

    hi! my friend recommended this recipe.
    would it work in a graham cracker pie crust? and can i make it on thursday and serve it saturday?

    Reply
  52. MICHELLE ROIZMAN says

    March 14, 2018 at 10:45 am

    Can I make these today, Wednesday refrigerate, pipe into cups tomorrow, Thursday, refrigerate and serve on Shabbos day?

    Reply
    • overtimecook says

      April 9, 2018 at 6:17 pm

      You can keep these (fully assembled) in the fridge for a few days, or longer than that for in the freezer.

      Reply
  53. e p says

    May 14, 2018 at 3:37 pm

    Hi, if I dont use the food coloring will the mousse look white or more yellowish? (Im making for a party and need it to be white). Thank you

    Reply
  54. Shira says

    May 16, 2018 at 5:38 am

    If I made these dAiry what substitutes would I use?

    Reply
  55. chani says

    November 28, 2018 at 5:39 pm

    Hi,
    I can’t wait to try this recipe. I was wondering if I can use Bakers Choice Lemon cream instead of the lemon pie filling.

    thank you

    Reply
    • overtimecook says

      December 2, 2018 at 12:48 pm

      Sure

      Reply
  56. Cindy Spagnol says

    August 11, 2019 at 1:08 am

    Just made these. They are awesome!!! Love this recipe!! I got 12.

    Reply
  57. Auntie Doni says

    May 25, 2021 at 10:33 pm

    I made your recipe today for our Neighborhood Gal Pal Afternoon Card Game Get-Together.
    I got 8 six ounce dessert cups (adorable little disposable cups and spoons from Dollar Tree BTW) and 3 half pint Mason Jars.
    I doubled the amount of “crumbs”.
    I made up my own homemade Meyer Lemon Curd and parked that in the `fridge a few days ago.
    For the Mason Jars, I did 2 layers of Mousse and crumbs, along with a sprinkle of crumbs atop all desserts.
    For service tomorrow with the Girlies, I’ll top each dessert cup with some Whipped Cream for fun.
    The three Mason Jars are going to the neighbor who can not attend.
    I tasted the “filling” and it was wonderful, I’ll report back later as to what the group thought.
    ALOHA!

    Reply
  58. Brianna says

    March 21, 2022 at 11:28 am

    This has been one of my go to spring and summer recipes for years and one of my friends requires this for her birthday every year. Instead of graham crackers I have been using Vanilla Wafers, though I find that when using them its better to eat them same day as the wafers do get soggier quicker.

    I will have to experiment with flavors but the lemon is just so classic. Thank you for sharing this so many years ago.

    Reply
  59. MYRNA says

    August 8, 2022 at 3:11 pm

    DO YOU HAVE TO PIPE THE FILLING?

    Reply
    • overtimecook says

      August 26, 2022 at 12:31 am

      No

      Reply

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