Eggless Cheesecake Thandai Mousse
Eggless Thandai Cheesecake Mousse is an easy, delightful fusion of traditional Indian Thandai drink and creamy cheesecake without gelatin or agar agar.
Thandai drink is a popular Holi recipe, and this turns those flavors into a yummy fusion dessert.
This thandai mousse has an airy texture. It uses a blend of fragrant cardamom, saffron, and nuts with the luscious creaminess of cheesecake in every spoonful.
I love making it for a quick dessert for parties and dinner guests. It’s also a favorite to serve at Holi and Diwali celebrations. Thandai baklava is another great make ahead party treat.
- Comes together in less than 30 minutes active time
- Indian fusion dessert that can be made ahead of time for parties or dinners
- Vegetarian
- Eggless mousse
- No butter or gelatin or agar agar
- No bake dessert
–TIPS–
- I like to keep the whisk and heavy cream in the fridge until I’m ready to get going.
- Whip the cream just until soft peaks form to get a perfectly smooth texture. Don’t overwhip it. You’re looking for a shaving cream like texture.
- Homemade thandai masala is best and it is what I used for this recipe. You can try a store bought version as well, but you may want to try it to adjust the amount needed as the quantity of each ingredient will be different. Here is my written recipe for it: https://someindiangirl.com/thandai-powder/
Ingredient Notes
Simple ingredients are needed for this Indian fusion treat. Note, the full recipe and ingredients for thandai mousse are in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Thandai masala powder: as I mentioned above in the tips, I use my recipe for thandai masala for this mousse. It’s quick to make. You can also try a store bought version, it should be fine. But you may need to slightly adjust the quantity dependent on the ingredients in it.
Heavy cream: this is used to make whipping cream which will give the mousse it’s airy texture.
Cream cheese: gives the mouse a rich, delicious taste. Make sure to use a brick of cream cheese, not a whipped cream cheese. Soften it to room temperature before getting going.
Sour cream: I like using sour cream for a bit of tang. You could try Greek yogurt as well. It’s ok to skip both if that is your preference or you don’t have them on hand.
Biscuits: I used Parle G because this is an Indian fusion dessert. Feel free to use graham crackers or really any cookie or sweet biscuit that you fancy. I think Biscoff would be yummy too!
Making The Thandai Cheesecake Mousse
Check out this video of me making thandai mousse if you are a visual learner!
First, I make thandai whipping cream. If time allows, mix the thandai masala powder and heavy whipping cream the night before making the dessert. It’ll allow the flavors to really soak in!
Next, I make the cream cheese mixture. Cream cheese should be softened, not straight out of the fridge. I leave it out for an hour or so before getting started.
Then, I combine the two. Gently folding in the cream cheese mixture into the thandai whipped cream in three parts.
Make The Biscuit Layer
This is the easiest part! Place Parle G or graham crackers in a sealed Ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin.
A mix of fine pieces and chunks makes for a yummy bite.
Assembling The Mousse Cups
I used a piping bag and Wilton tip 1M to pipe out the mousse. You can also just spoon out the mousse if piping isn’t your thing.
For garnish, I kept dried rose petals and chopped pistachios ready. You could also use saffron strands, biscuit crumbles, and even a little sprinkle of thandai masala or other nuts.
To assemble the mousse I used small 2.2 oz mousse cups I got from Amazon. Note, you can make many cheesecake mousse trifles with this size. About 24. You can definitely serve in larger sizes.
Layer with Parle G biscuits and mousse. Finishing with a sprinkle of pistachios and rose petals for garnish.
Storing and Serving Thandai Mousse
Once it’s made, chill the mousse until it’s set, 2-3 hours.
Store mousse in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.
Eggless Cheesecake Thandai Mousse
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 tbp thandai masala
- 8 oz cream cheese brick of cream cheese
- 3 tbsp sour cream can substitute Greek yogurt or skip, adds a tang
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 cup powdered sugar 205g
- 16 parle g or graham crackers can use more, dependent on the layers you want to create when serving
- 2 tsp thandai masala powder
- rose petals, pistachios optional, for garnish when serving
Instructions
Prep
- Add 4 tablespoons thandai masala powder to the heavy cream and refrigerate. I like to leave it overnight to soak in flavors, but 2-3 hours works too.
Make the thandai mousse
- Place saffron strands in one tablespoon of milk to let it bloom as you work on the next step.
- In a mixing bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In another bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, and saffron milk until smooth and creamy. Make sure cream cheese is softened.
- Gradually add powdered sugar salt to the cream cheese mixture. Mix until well combined.
- Gently fold in the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until fully incorporated.
Prepare the biscuit layer
- Place biscuits and 3 teaspoons thandai masala in a ziploc bag. Use a rolling pin to crush the biscuits. A mix of texture is good – meaning smalled and slightly bigger pieces.
Assemble mousse cups
- Place a layer of biscuit crumbs. On top pipe or spoon the mousse into serving glasses or bowls. Repeat the layers. I used small 2.2 oz mousse cups so I could make many servings. You can use bigger cups as well.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours or until set.
- Before serving, garnish with a sprinkle of thandai masala powder or crushed nuts if desired.
