What Are The Differences Between Pudding, Souffle, And Mousse?

You may not be a dessert expert; hence, you call all the sweet creamy dishes pudding. But the delightful dishes you enjoy after having your meals have different names like mousse, soufflé and of course, pudding. Now, you may wonder what are the differences between pudding, soufflé, and mousse?

Pudding, soufflé, and mousse all have almost the same ingredients, such as milk or cream, sugar, and egg. However, they are prepared differently, which gives them different textures and tastes. Soufflé is egg-based, mousse has a foamy texture while pudding is more solid.

In this article, I will tell you how pudding, soufflé, and mousse are different from each other. You will also learn about the ingredients and have some ideas for preparing these delicious dishes at home. So, let’s not waste any more time and jump right into it. 

Difference Between Pudding, Soufflé, and Mousse

There are some obvious differences between pudding, soufflé, and mousse. If you are not familiar with cooking, you may wonder what makes their appearance and texture different from each other. So, let us understand some common differences between these dishes.

Origin 

Pudding is a semisolid dish. It can be sweet and eaten as a dessert or a savory dish. The origin of pudding can be traced back to the 14th century. It was called “poding” which means “a meat-filled animal stomach” in England. The sweet pudding that you know became popular in countries like The UK, The US, and Canada in later years. 

Soufflé is an egg-based baked dish. Soufflé originated in France in the 18th century. Similar to pudding, it is either served as a savory dish or a sweet dish. 

Mousse is a soft foamy sweet dish for dessert. It also originated in France and became quite popular in the 18th century. It is known as crème en mousse, crème mousseuse and many other names in France. 

Ingredients

Pudding, soufflé, and mousse have some common ingredients. Also, the ingredients can change depending on the type of dish you are making. Today, we are going to talk about the most popular type of pudding, soufflé, and mousse ingredients.

Pudding is prepared in many ways, and you will see many kinds of it. But it is most popular as a sweet dessert. Pudding as a dessert is mainly made with milk, sugar, and cornstarch. Many people also add egg yolks to the recipe and cocoa powder to make it sweeter 

Chocolate pudding is the most popular in the United States and Canada. You can add rice, chia seeds, tapioca, and gelatin to make the pudding thicker. 

Sweet soufflés are mostly made with egg white and sugar. There is a flavored cream or puree as a base, and the egg white helps to raise the dish. Some recipes also mention flour and milk. Then again, we should not forget chocolate for the tasty chocolate soufflé. Other ingredients like bananas, berries, and lemon are also used to bake a soufflé. 

Mousses are typically prepared with whipped egg whites or whipped cream. You can add other ingredients like chocolate, caramel, and coffee to add flavor.  

Texture And Taste

You will find all the dishes light and creamy, but there is a noticeable difference in their texture. 

A pudding has a silky custard-like texture but is more solid. It is smooth and creamy. The cornstarch in the mix gives it a dense texture. The pudding mix has to be stirred well to avoid getting lumps. 

Soufflés have a firmer texture compared to pudding. They are baked or cooked in the oven or on a stove. Thus, they look like cakes. The surface is slightly crusty. But on the inside, it has to be smooth, soft, and creamy.    

Mousses, on the other hand, are foamy and smooth. You have to make mousses with raw eggs. So, it is fluffy and lighter than the other two desserts. The dessert should have air pockets or bubbles to retain a foamy appearance. 

How to Make Pudding?

To make a homemade chocolate pudding, you must have the following ingredients and tools: 

Chocolate Pudding Ingredients 

• 2 cups of milk
• 3 egg yolks
• ¼ cup sugar
• Chocolate bar or cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or other flavored extracts of your choice
• Salt

Directions: 

Take the large saucepan and mix cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Next, pour the milk slowly into the mix. At the same time, keep whisking the mixture. Turn up the heat of the stove to medium heat. Keep on stirring until the mixture in the pan gets thicker and forms bubbles. In the meantime, do not stop whisking!

After the pudding starts to form bubbles, decrease the heat to low temperature. Continue to stir for two more minutes. Then turn off the stove. Now, put the egg yolks in the bowl and add some hot mixture to it and whisk to mix it. It will help you to mix the egg yolk well with the pudding. Combine the egg yolk mix with the mixture in the pan.    

After that, put the pan back on the stove and gently boil the mixture again. A few minutes later, add cocoa powder or chocolate into the mixture. When the chocolate melts completely, add some vanilla extract. Wait for 15 minutes to cool down the mixture. Finally, wrap it with a plastic wrapper and put it in the refrigerator. 

When the pudding is completely cooled, take it out from the fridge, grab a spoon, and enjoy your first homemade chocolate pudding! 

How to Make Soufflé?

Here is a simple and easy recipe to make homemade soufflé. 

Ingredients

• 2 egg whites
• 4 egg yolks 
• ¾ cup milk
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoon flour
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar 
• Pepper

Direction

First, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Put the butter in a pan over low heat. Then put in flour, salt, and pepper. Keep stirring while cooking. The mixture has to be smooth and form bubbles. Then, add the milk and stir until the mixture is thickened. 

Get the egg yolks and them well with some mixture. After that, add the yolk mix into the remaining mixture in the pan. Take away the mixture from the stove and let it cool down for a while.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar in a bowl. Mix them well to make the cream stiff. Now, gently add one-third of the creamy mixture into the main mixture. When the mixture gets lighter, you have to fold the remaining egg whites into the mix. 

Get some cups and fill them with a soufflé mix. Bake them in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. 

How to Make Mousse? 

Do you want to enjoy some soft and creamy chocolate mousse? Here is what you need to prepare the dessert:

Ingredients

• 4 egg yolks
• ¼ cup sugar
• 3 cup whipped cream
• Chopped chocolates

Direction

First, separate the egg yolks in a bowl and beat the eggs until they get thick. After that, pour in sugar and mix again. Heat the heavy whipped cream in medium heat for a while. Next, mix half of it with the yolk mix. Put this mixture into the pan with the hot mixture and stir well for 5 minutes.  

When the mixture thickens, stir in the chopped chocolates and mix nicely. Wrap the entire combination and put it in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Finally, fold in some whipped cream with the chocolate mixture and put it in the fridge again. Grab a cup from the fridge whenever you want and enjoy the sweet fluffy dessert.