This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Ras Malai with a twist makes a delicious fusion dessert for Diwali. Ras Malai Mousse is flavored with milk, cardamom, saffron, and nuts. Light, airy, and creamy.
Ras Malai tops my three favorite Indian desserts. It’s milky, creamy, and perfectly sweet. Whenever I attend Indian weddings, if Ras Malai is on the menu, no matter how full I am, I must indulge.
For me, the best part of Ras Malai is the ras – the liquid part, so clearly I needed to make Ras Malai Mousse using just the liquid part of this delicious dessert.
If you love ras malai, check out these Eggless Ras Malai Donuts.
Is this dessert Eggless?
Yes! You don’t need any thickeners to make Ras Malai Mousse. Using heavy whipping cream is key in obtaining the right texture in this dessert.
Can I use Heavy Cream in place of Heavy Whipping Cream?
Yes! Heavy cream and heavy whipping cream can be used interchangeably. I used Heavy Whipping Cream from Trader Joe’s, but feel free to use heavy cream as well.
Note: you cannot use light cream or half n half in this recipe because it does not contain enough fat to make whipped cream.
Tips on making Ras Malai Mousse:
- Prepare the liquid portion of the Ras Malai. The ‘ras’ (juice) should reduce to half the amount and you should see malai (cream) bits floating around. This takes 15 minutes.
- Allow the Ras Malai portion to cool for 30 minutes and refrigerate for at least an hour. The mixture will thicken up slightly.
- Prepare the whipped cream. Make sure you use heavy cream and stiff peaks have formed. If you overbeat the heavy cream, you will end up with butter. Whipped cream should be light and fluffy. This takes 5-6 minutes.
- Add the Ras Malai to the whipped cream in small batches. Mix with an electric mixer for 1 minute each time, again do not overmix, but make sure the mix is slightly thick and light. This takes 5 minutes.
- Garnish with rose petals, saffron, pistachios, and vrak (Indian silver foil).
Ras Malai Mousse is:
Insanely Delicious
Light & Airy
Fluffy
Creamy
Flavorful
Indian Fusion
Eggless Dessert
7 Ingredients
Gluten-Free
How to make Ras Malai Mousse recipe step by step?
Prepare the liquid part of the Ras Malai
1. Begin by heating whole milk on medium heat in a nonstick pot. I love Ballarini PFOA-FREE.
2. The milk should be boiling 5 minutes later.
3. At this time add a few strands of saffron. Stir and cook for 5 minutes.
4. In the meantime, chop almonds and cashews.
5. Add the almonds and cashews to the milk.
6. Stir and gently scrape the sides of the pan to ensure the ‘malai’ cream is not wasted.
7. Immediately add sugar. I added 3 tbsp which was enough for me, you can add a little more if you wish. Boil for 5 minutes.
8. Stir occasionally. Notice little bits of ‘malai’ forming in the milk. Allow this mixture to thicken up for another 5 minutes.
9. Add ground cardamom.
10. Stir. Notice the milk mixture has reduced to half. Scrape the sides to make sure none of the malai is wasted.
11. Transfer Ras Malai mixture to a bowl. Let it cool for 30 minutes, then place into the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Prepare the Whipped Cream
1. Place the mixing bowl into the refrigerator for 30 minutes before starting. Add cold heavy whipping cream to the cold mixing bowl.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the whipping cream on low-medium speed, and slowly increase. This is what you should have 2 minutes later.
3. Two minutes later you’ll notice the cream mixture starting to thicken up.
4. Another minute or two later, you should have whipped cream. Make sure stiff peaks have formed. DO NOT OVERMIX ELSE YOU WILL END UP WITH BUTTER.
Blend it all – Make Ras Malai Mousse
1. Add 1/2 cup of the ras malai mixture to the whipped cream.
2. Beat with an electric mixer for a minute max.
3. Add another 1/2 cup of the ras malai mixture. There should be no more mixture left or very little leftover.
4. Beat for another minute ensuring the mousse stays light and airy, but does not turn into butter.
5. Add a few strands of saffron for color and flavor.
6. I also added 1/2 tbsp of sugar for a little more sweetness, you can add none or a little more.
7. Mix well. This is the desired texture. It should look like whipped mousse, not super light like whipped cream, but slightly thick and creamy.
8. Transfer into serving glasses. I used these Mini Martini Glasses which are super cute.
Garnish
1. Garnish with rose petals, saffron, pistachios, and vrak (Indian silver foil). Place in the fridge until the mousse thickens up some more. Serve cold!
More Indian Desserts
- Rice Kheer | Indian Rice Pudding
- Kulfi Tiramisu
- Gajar ka Halwa | Indian Carrot Pudding
- Rose Water Cake with Almonds and Rose Buttercream
- Healthy Almond Date Ladoo
- Milk Peda
- Ras Malai Donuts
Ras Malai Mousse
INGREDIENTS
for liquid ras malai
- 2 cups whole milk, organic grass-fed
- few strands of saffron
- 1 tbsp cashews, chopped
- 1 tbsp almonds, chopped
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
for whipped cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, or heavy cream
for ras malai mousse
- prepared whipped cream
- 1 cup ras malai liquid, divided
- few strands saffron
- 1/2 tbsp sugar, more or less if need be
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the liquid part of the Ras Malai
- Begin by heating whole milk on medium heat in a nonstick pot. I love Ballarini PFOA-FREE.
- The milk should be boiling 5 minutes later.
- At this time add a few strands of saffron. Stir and cook for 5 minutes.
- In the meantime, chop almonds and cashews.
- Add the almonds and cashews to the milk.
- Stir and gently scrape the sides of the pan to ensure the ‘malai’ cream is not wasted.
- Immediately add sugar. I added 3 tbsp which was enough for me, you can add a little more if you wish. Boil for 5 minutes.
- Stir occasionally. Notice little bits of ‘malai’ forming in the milk. Allow this mixture to thicken up for another 5 minutes.
- Add ground cardamom.
- Stir. Notice the milk mixture has reduced to half. Scrape the sides to make sure none of the malai is wasted.
- Transfer Ras Malai mixture to a bowl. Let it cool for 30 minutes, then place into the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Prepare the Whipped Cream
- Place the mixing bowl into the refrigerator for 30 minutes before starting. Add cold heavy whipping cream to the cold mixing bowl.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the whipping cream on low-medium speed, and slowly increase. This is what you should have 2 minutes later.
- Two minutes later you’ll notice the cream mixture starting to thicken up.
- Another minute or two later, you should have whipped cream. Make sure stiff peaks have formed. DO NOT OVERMIX ELSE YOU WILL END UP WITH BUTTER.
Blend it all – Make Ras Malai Mousse
- Add 1/2 cup of the ras malai mixture to the whipped cream.
- Beat with an electric mixer for a minute max.
- Add another 1/2 cup of the ras malai mixture. There should be no more mixture left or very little leftover.
- Beat for another minute ensuring the mousse stays light and airy, but does not turn into butter.
- Add a few strands of saffron for color and flavor.
- I also added 1/2 tbsp of sugar for a little more sweetness, you can add none or a little more.
- Mix well. This is the desired texture. It should look like whipped mousse, not super light like whipped cream, but slightly thick and creamy.
- Transfer into serving glasses. I used these Mini Martini Glasses which are super cute.
Garnish
- Garnish with rose petals, saffron, pistachios, and vrak (Indian silver foil). Place in the fridge until the mousse thickens up some more. Serve cold!
I made this a second time and it was even better! I love that it’s make ahead and easy to serve. I served it in ice cream cones and that was a fun way to eat it.
Thank you so much Khushboo for your kind words. I love the ice cream cones idea. 🙂
The ras malai mousse recipe is amazing! I’ve made it several times, it comes out so light and airy every single time. Perfectly sweet…everyone loved it, thanks so much for sharing it with us! ❤️❤️❤️
We have to make this recipe on Wednesday. Where to we buy the Ras Malai liquid for this recipe? We live in a small town (Napa) that does not have alot of options.
HI wendy,
For this recipe there is no need to buy the ras malai liquid, you have to make it. I’ve mentioned adding the Ras Malai Liquid, however in the ingredients section these are the ingredients you need to make it –
for liquid ras malai
▢2 cups whole milk, organic grass-fed
▢few strands of saffron
▢1 tbsp cashews, chopped
▢1 tbsp almonds, chopped
▢3 tbsp sugar
▢1/4 tsp ground cardamom
Hope that helps!
Hi Nisha, thank you for this recipe
I have tried half a batch of this recipe before and it always worked out well, however on trying the full batch the mousse became quite liquidy and soupy. I noticed this just as i added the rasmalai mixture in the whipped cream, and it lost the mousse texture even after refrigerating
Would you know what i can do differently next time to avoid this?
HI Nikunja. I’m sorry this recipe didn’t work out for you when making a full batch.
A few questions…
1. Was there anything that you did differently when making a half batch vs. full batch?
2. Did you beat the heavy cream enough to form stiff peaks? as you start adding the ras malai portion, the heavy cream will start to lose it’s volume, so that’s why I add a little at a time only once the whipped cream reaches stiff peaks. This way it still retains that mousse texture.
3. Did you add the ras malai portion little by little?
4. How many times did you make a half batch? It worked out for you when making a half batch.
5. How long did you refrigerate before eating?
Let me know. Thank you!
Hi Nisha
Thank you for your detailed reply
1. I don’t think i did anything different this time
2. The cream did attain stiff peaks, but started to lose texture very fast as i added rasmalai liquid.
3. I added 1/2 cup at a time as the recipe states.
4. I have made it a couple times in the past before i tried the full batch
5. I refrigerated it overnight
I think the rasmalai was very liquidy even though it had cooked for as long as the recipe stated- do we have to cook it longer for it to thicken more? Also maybe i should try adding the mixture in even smaller amounts next time
Also would folding instead of whipping the mixture help in retaining the mousse texture
I followed the recipe and used the same ingredients mentioned, it tasted delicious and everyone loved it, however after setting the mouse mixture in glasses, the next day I could see the prepared ras and the cream separate, as a result the ras was in the bottom and cream floated on the top. Just curious as though why would this happen? is this expected?
HI Mayuri, I’m glad everyone loved the ras malai mousse. To answer your question – no that shouldn’t happen. I did have leftovers and I left the mousse in the serving martini class and covered it with plastic wrap – refrigerated it. The next day, it was fine. Did you stir the mousse before placing it in the fridge, did you transfer the mousse from a container – my only guess it the mousse may deflate. Once it’s set, gently place it in serving dishes and transfer those dishes to the fridge. So sorry about this!