Banana Mascarpone Mousse Trifles

I’ve been on quite the popsicle kick lately. This unbearable heat wave means our oven hasn’t been turned on in weeks, so I haven’t baked any desserts. My sweet tooth still needs to be satisfied though, and popsicles are just the perfect low calorie refreshing treat! I actually can’t remember the last time I had a popsicle before this summer, but when our friend and amazing photographer Theresa offered me one after our maternity photo shoot (I’m hoping to share some pics soon!), I immediately became addicted, and now I enjoy one almost daily. My favorites are the Fruit Frenzy Bars from Trader Joe’s, which have layers of raspberry, lemon, and strawberry, mmmm.

Sometimes I like to mix it up though and have something a bit more indulgent, so I recently made these no bake refreshing trifles. I whipped up a banana mascarpone mousse and layered it with crumbled gingersnap cookies and banana slices in mini trifle dishes. These treats were the perfect size to split and just delicious! And now I’m off to…get another popsicle!

Banana Mascarpone Mousse Trifles
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Banana Mascarpone Mousse:
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces mascarpone
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mashed ripe brown-black bananas (I used 2 bananas)

For assembly:
4 ounces coarsely crushed gingersnap cookies (I used 3/4 package of Anna’s)
2 bananas, sliced

Directions:
To make the banana mascarpone mousse, place heavy cream, mascarpone, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a well-chilled large bowl and beat with a mixer with whisk attachment until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Fold in mashed bananas with a spatula.

To make the trifles, evenly distribute a layer of crumbled gingersnap cookies, followed by some banana mascarpone mousse, a layer of sliced bananas, more crumbled gingersnap cookies, and a final layer of banana mascarpone mousse into 4 individual trifle dishes. Garnish with extra crumbled gingersnap cookies and banana slices. Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition: 348 calories, 25.7g fat, 1.7g fiber, 4.0g protein per serving
Cost: $0.90 per serving

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