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This single serving lemon cheesecake mousse is a no-bake dessert made with cream cheese, fresh lemon juice, and whipped cream for a light, creamy cheesecake-style treat that’s ready in minutes.
Featured Comment
“Oh my gosh, that was sooo good.”
– Judy
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No-Bake Dessert: This lemon cheesecake mousse comes together without turning on the oven, making it simple and approachable.
- Perfectly Portioned: Made as a single serving, this dessert is ideal when you want just the right amount.
- Creamy Lemon Flavor: A smooth cheesecake base paired with fresh lemon juice and zest creates a balanced sweet and tangy flavor.
- Quick to Prepare: Made with a short list of ingredients and easy steps, this dessert is ready in minutes.
- Make-Ahead Option: Prepare the mousse in advance and chill until ready to serve for a refreshing dessert.
This lemon cheesecake mousse is one of those desserts I turn to when I want something light, fresh, and full of flavor without a lot of fuss. The lemon adds just the right amount of brightness, and the creamy filling feels smooth and luxurious with every bite.
It’s the kind of dessert that feels special, even though it’s made with simple ingredients and a few easy steps. I love serving it well chilled, when the flavors have had time to settle and the texture is at its best.
Looking for more no-bake single serving dessert recipes? Try our easy small batch buckeyes recipe, crunchy quick puppy chow, creamy small batch peanut butter fudge, and our refreshing mini grapefruit posset recipe.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this no-bake lemon cheesecake mousse recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
For the Crust
- Graham crackers: These sweet, whole wheat cookies are typically found in the cookie aisle of U.S. grocery stores and form a classic cheesecake crust. Lemon cream-filled cookies, vanilla wafers, or digestive biscuits (common in the UK) also work well. If you have extra graham crackers, use them in a small batch of peanut butter bars, individual key lime pie, or easy s’mores dip.
- Butter: Melted butter binds the cookie crumbs together, creating a firm crust that holds its shape.
For the Lemon Cheesecake Mousse
- Cream cheese: Use block cream cheese at room temperature, not cream cheese spread. This gives the mousse structure and a classic cheesecake flavor. Low-fat cream cheese may be used if preferred. Extra cream cheese can be used in our no-bake cheesecake recipe, our easy peanut butter pie recipe, or a simple hot spinach dip recipe.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the mousse and balances the tart lemon flavor.
- Lemon juice and lemon zest: Freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest provide the brightest lemon flavor. If using bottled lemon juice, omit the zest, knowing the lemon flavor will be less pronounced. Extra lemon juice can be used in a small buttermilk pie, small batch mango sorbet, or a single serving lemon posset.
- Heavy cream: Whipped heavy cream gives the mousse its light, airy texture. Heavy cream is also known as double cream in some regions and is essential for a no-bake cheesecake-style filling. Consider using any leftover cream in single serve banana pudding or our small French silk pie recipe.
Recipe Variations
These easy variations let you change the flavor of this no-bake cheesecake mousse while keeping the same simple method.
- Lime Cheesecake Mousse: Replace the lemon juice and zest with fresh lime juice and zest for a bright, citrus-forward version.
- Orange Cheesecake Mousse: Use fresh orange juice and zest for a sweeter, milder citrus flavor.
- Berry Cheesecake Mousse: Spoon fresh raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries into the bottom of the serving dish before adding the mousse.
- Chocolate Crust: Swap the graham crackers for chocolate sandwich cookies or chocolate wafers for a rich chocolate base.
- No-Crust Lemon Cheesecake Mousse: Skip the crust and serve the mousse on its own for a lighter dessert option.
How To Make A Lemon Cheesecake Mousse
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
This no-bake lemon cheesecake mousse comes together quickly with just a few simple steps.
- Make the Crust: Stir the cookie crumbs and melted butter together in a small bowl. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of your dessert dish using the back of a spoon. Set aside.
- Mix the Cheesecake Base: In a separate bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth.
- Whip the Cream: In another bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Fold and Assemble: Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until combined. Spoon the mousse over the prepared crust.
- Chill: Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Expert Tips
- Finely crush the graham crackers: Fine crumbs create an even, compact crust that holds together well.
- Whip the cream to stiff peaks: This gives the mousse its light, airy structure and helps it hold its shape.
- Use room temperature cream cheese: Softened cream cheese blends smoothly and prevents lumps.
- Choose the right dish: A 10-ounce ramekin or a small pie or tart pan works best for this recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You can prepare the mousse up to 2 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Yes. This is a no-bake dessert and does not require an oven.
The mousse may be runny if the cream was not whipped to stiff peaks or if the cream cheese was too soft or overmixed.
Yes. The mousse can be served on its own in a dish or glass without a crust.
Chill the mousse for at least 20 minutes to allow it to set properly.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this single serving lemon cheesecake mousse or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Get a Quick Recipe Overview
Lemon Cheesecake Mousse For One
Equipment
- 10-ounce ramekin or dessert dish
Ingredients
For the Crust
- ¼ cup graham cracker crumbs (2 large sheets)
- 1 tablespoon salted butter -melted
For the Lemon Cheesecake Mousse
- 2 ounces cream cheese -room temperature
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ cup heavy cream (4 ounces)
Instructions
- Mix the cookie crumbs and melted butter in a small bowl. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of your dessert dish using the back of a spoon. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth. Use a spoon or a hand mixer on low speed.
- In another bowl, whip the heavy cream with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until combined.
- Spoon the mousse over the prepared crust and smooth the top.
- Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Finely crush the graham crackers: Fine crumbs create an even, compact crust that holds together well.
- Whip the cream to stiff peaks: This gives the mousse its light, airy structure and helps it hold its shape.
- Use room temperature cream cheese: Softened cream cheese blends smoothly and prevents lumps.
- Choose the right dish: A 10-ounce ramekin or a small pie or tart pan works best for this recipe.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Can you use ready made whipped cream instead of homemade?
Yes but store-bought whipped cream tends to be much sweeter than homemade, you may want to reduce the amount of sugar you use in the recipe.
So fantastic. Simple perfect size
This was very good. I used lemon extract instead of the lemon zest. I will be making this again.
Such a good dessert and so easy to make. Only thing I did different was add a teaspoon of vanilla extract….. Cause I like vanilla
Very good and the best part was it was so fast and easy to make.
Cheese Cake, I am wondering if you can use this same recipe and do it in a small spring form pan? I can’t seem to find a recipe using a spring form pan and wanted to make it like for Christmas Eve or Da y desert. What are your suggestions?
thanks so much!
Ann, this lemon cheesecake has a mousse-like texture and is not as firm as a traditional cheesecake so I don’t think it will work well in a spring form pan. If you want to use the spring form pan, you could do an upside down cake ( https://onedishkitchen.com/caramelized-banana-upside-down-cake/ ) and feel free to use a different fruit, if necessary. The pan used is a 7-inch pan. If the pan you are using is smaller, you might like to try the flourless chocolate cake – https://onedishkitchen.com/flourless-chocolate-cake-for-one/
Delicious
I made this today without the crust, mostly to save a few calories. Loved it. I could hardly wait for it to chill.
Next time I’ll crush one little section of graham cracker to sprinkle on top just for texture, or a vanilla wafer would be good.
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for your feedback.
So quick and easy. I made it without a crust in a parfait dish with fresh blueberries. I like the idea of adding lemon cookies with the mousse. I recently bought some Pepperidge Farm lemon cookies that would be great with this. I am learning to cook for one and have made several recipes from your site. In fact I had curried cream of vegetable soup using your curried carrot soup recipe.
I’m so happy you are enjoying the recipes, Mary. Thank you so much for letting me know.
The lemon Oreos or snaps sound delish! If you want to use with the mousse, I suggest crushing up some and just layering with the mousse to make a parfait. This will be on the menu as soon as I can go get the cookies!
Oh my gosh, that was sooo good. I made it without the crust because I don’t have the small pans yet but I’m going to order them asap.
I love it without the crust too, Judy. Thanks so much for letting me know you enjoyed the recipe. It makes me so happy to hear!