Vietnamese Passion Fruit Yogurt Mousse with Crispy Lemongrass Granola

Name: Vietnamese Passion Fruit Yogurt Mousse with Crispy Lemongrass Granola
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 38 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 16 oz (450 g) Greek yogurt, plain, full-fat, cold from the refrigerator; ¾ cup (180 ml) heavy whipping cream, cold, cold from the refrigerator; 3 whole passion fruit, fresh, halved and pulp scooped out (about 0.5 cup / 120 ml pulp and seeds); 3 tablespoons (24 g) powdered sugar; ½ teaspoon (2½ ml) vanilla extract; 1½ cups (150 g) rolled oats, old-fashioned; ¾ cup (75 g) unsweetened shredded coconut; ¼ cup (60 ml) coconut oil, melted, melted; 3 tablespoons (45 ml) honey; 2 whole fresh lemongrass stalks, white and pale green parts only, finely minced (about 3 tablespoons / 15 g); 2 tablespoons (18 g) light brown sugar, packed; ¼ teaspoon (1½ g) fine sea salt; to taste ground white pepper; 2 tablespoons (14 g) unsweetened coconut flakes, lightly toasted, toasted until light golden (optional); handful fresh mint leaves, whole or roughly torn (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A bright, tangy mousse infused with tart passion fruit and topped with fragrant, toasted granola made with lemongrass and coconut. This Vietnamese-inspired dessert combines creamy yogurt whipped into an airy mousse with the crunch of a spiced oat granola, finished with fresh passion fruit pulp and toasted coconut.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 18 min
Wait: 35 min
Total: 1 hr 13 min
Makes: 4 individual mousses (about 1 cup each)

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the mousse
16 oz (450 g) Greek yogurt, plain, full-fat, cold from the refrigerator
¾ cup (180 ml) heavy whipping cream, cold, cold from the refrigerator
3 whole passion fruit, fresh, halved and pulp scooped out (about 0.5 cup / 120 ml pulp and seeds)
3 tablespoons (24 g) powdered sugar
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) vanilla extract
For the lemongrass granola
1½ cups (150 g) rolled oats, old-fashioned
¾ cup (75 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
¼ cup (60 ml) coconut oil, melted, melted
3 tablespoons (45 ml) honey
2 whole fresh lemongrass stalks, white and pale green parts only, finely minced (about 3 tablespoons / 15 g)
2 tablespoons (18 g) light brown sugar, packed
¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) fine sea salt
to taste ground white pepper
For serving
2 tablespoons (14 g) unsweetened coconut flakes, lightly toasted, toasted until light golden (optional)
handful fresh mint leaves, whole or roughly torn (optional)

Equipment (7)

Sheet pan (13×9 inch / 33×23 cm)
Large mixing bowl
Whisk or electric mixer
Fine mesh strainer
Small saucepan
Microplane or fine grater
4 serving glasses or bowls (8–10 oz / 240–300 ml each)

Steps

Before you start

Greek yogurt must be cold from the fridge
Lemongrass should be fresh and fragrant
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) before you begin
Have passion fruits at room temperature for easier pulp extraction

1
Prepare the lemongrass
- Take fresh lemongrass stalks and trim off the dark green tops, leaving only the white and pale green parts.
- Slice the stalks thinly crosswise, then finely mince with a sharp knife or food processor until you have roughly 3 tablespoons (15 g) of very fine pieces.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: Lemongrass is finely minced and aromatic
Tip: Lemongrass fibers can be tough; mince finely so pieces dissolve into the granola during baking rather than remaining stringy
2
Make the granola base
- On a sheet pan (13×9 inch / 33×23 cm), combine rolled oats (1.5 cups / 150 g), shredded coconut (0.75 cup / 75 g), minced lemongrass (3 tablespoons / 15 g), light brown sugar (2 tablespoons / 18 g), fine sea salt (0.25 teaspoon / 1.5 g), and white pepper to taste.
- Drizzle melted coconut oil (0.25 cup / 60 ml) and honey (3 tablespoons / 45 ml) over the mixture.
- Toss thoroughly with a spatula or wooden spoon until every oat and coconut strand is coated evenly with the oil and honey.
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Ready when: All oats and coconut are evenly coated and no dry bits remain
Tip: Mix thoroughly so the lemongrass distributes evenly; any clumps will taste too concentrated in certain bites
3
Toast the granolaOven 350°F / 175°C
- Spread the mixture in a thin, even layer on the sheet pan.
- Place in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven.
- Bake for 15–18 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes with a spatula, until the oats are golden brown and the coconut is toasted to a light amber color.
- Watch carefully in the final 2–3 minutes to prevent burning.
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Ready when: Oats are golden brown, coconut is light amber, and the granola smells fragrant and toasty
Tip: Stir every 5 minutes to ensure even toasting and prevent burning on the edges. The granola continues to crisp as it cools
4
Cool and finish granola
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven and let the granola cool to room temperature on the pan, about 10–15 minutes.
- Once completely cool, break any large clumps into bite-sized pieces with your fingers.
- The granola should be crispy and fragrant.
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Ready when: Granola is completely cooled and shatters easily when broken
Tip: Cool it fully before breaking; warm granola will crumble to dust instead of breaking into crunchy pieces
5
Extract passion fruit pulp
- Cut 3 fresh passion fruits in half and use a spoon to scoop out all the pulp, seeds, and juice into a small bowl.
- You should have about 0.5 cup (120 ml) of pulp and seeds.
- Set aside about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the pulp to fold into the mousse, and keep the rest to drizzle on top.
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Ready when: Passion fruit is fully scooped and separated into portions
Tip: Ripe passion fruits have dark, wrinkled skin and feel heavy; this ensures maximum juice and flavor
6
Whip the cream
- Pour cold heavy whipping cream (0.75 cup / 180 ml) into a large mixing bowl.
- Using a whisk or electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip the cream until stiff peaks form—when you lift the whisk, the cream should stand up on its own.
- This takes 2–3 minutes with an electric mixer or 4–5 minutes by hand.
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Ready when: Cream forms stiff peaks that don't collapse
Tip: Use cold bowls and beaters; if cream warms, it will take longer to whip and may turn to butter. Do not overbeat once stiff peaks form
7
Combine yogurt and sugar
- In a separate large bowl, gently whisk together cold Greek yogurt (16 oz / 450 g) and powdered sugar (3 tablespoons / 24 g) until smooth and the sugar is fully dissolved.
- The mixture should be creamy but still thick.
- Do not overmix.
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Ready when: Powdered sugar is fully dissolved and no grits remain
Tip: Whisk gently; vigorous stirring can break down the yogurt's structure and make it watery
8
Fold in passion fruit and vanilla
- Add vanilla extract (0.5 teaspoon / 2.5 ml) and the reserved 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of passion fruit pulp to the yogurt mixture.
- Fold together using a rubber spatula with gentle, sweeping motions until the passion fruit is distributed evenly and the mixture is a pale peachy color.
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Ready when: Passion fruit is evenly distributed and no streaks remain
Tip: Use a gentle folding motion rather than stirring to maintain the yogurt's creamy texture
9
Fold in whipped cream
- Add the whipped cream to the yogurt mixture in two additions.
- For the first addition, fold in about one-third of the whipped cream to lighten the yogurt base, using gentle, sweeping motions.
- Then fold in the remaining whipped cream until no white streaks remain and the mixture is airy and mousse-like.
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Ready when: Mousse is light, airy, and uniform in color with no white streaks
Tip: Fold gently to preserve the air whipped into the cream; this is what makes the mousse light rather than dense
10
Assemble the mousses
- Divide the passion fruit mousse evenly among 4 serving glasses or bowls (8–10 oz / 240–300 ml each), filling them about three-quarters full.
- Top each mousse with 2–3 tablespoons of the cooled lemongrass granola, pressing it gently so it stays on top.
- Drizzle the remaining passion fruit pulp (about 2 tablespoons / 30 ml per serving) over the granola.
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Ready when: Mousse is evenly distributed with granola and passion fruit toppings in place
Tip: Add the granola just before serving to keep it crispy; if it sits on the mousse, it will soften and lose its crunch
11
Garnish and serve
- If desired, top each mousse with a light sprinkle of lightly toasted coconut flakes (about 0.5 tablespoon / 3.5 g per serving) and a few torn mint leaves.
- Serve immediately at cool room temperature or chilled.
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Tip: Mint and toasted coconut add brightness and crunch; they're optional but recommended for a restaurant-quality finish

Good to know

Tips

Toast the lemongrass granola just until golden, not dark brown; the flavor is brighter and more aromatic when lightly caramelized rather than deeply roasted
Keep all mousse components cold until assembly—this ensures the final mousse remains creamy and doesn't deflate
If passion fruits are very sour, add an extra 0.5 tablespoon (7.5 ml) of honey to the mousse base; if they're very sweet, you can reduce the powdered sugar to 2.5 tablespoons (20 g)
For a vegan version, substitute coconut cream (chilled) for heavy cream and Greek yogurt, following the same whipping and folding method

Make ahead

The lemongrass granola can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. The mousse itself is best assembled within 2 hours of serving, but the yogurt-passion fruit base (before folding in cream) can be made up to 4 hours ahead and chilled. Whip the cream and assemble just before serving to maintain the mousse's airy texture.

Storage & reheating

Store leftover granola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The assembled mousse is best eaten immediately but can be covered loosely and refrigerated for up to 2 hours before the granola softens. Do not freeze the assembled mousse; the texture will break down. The yogurt-passion fruit base without cream can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks; thaw in the fridge, then re-whip fresh cream and fold in before serving.

Substitutions

Greek yogurt, plain, full-fat → Labneh or thick whole-milk yogurt (about 1.25 times the amount to account for more liquid). Labneh provides a tangier, thicker base similar to Greek yogurt. Regular yogurt will make a lighter mousse and may need to drain in cheesecloth for 30 minutes first
passion fruit, fresh → Fresh passion fruit juice (about 0.5 cup / 120 ml) combined with 2 tablespoons (20 g) of honey to add back tartness and sweetness. Fresh juice works if you can't source whole passion fruits, though you'll miss the distinctive seeds; adjust honey to taste
fresh lemongrass stalks → Lemon zest (finely grated from 2 lemons) mixed with 1 tablespoon (5 g) of dried lemongrass if fresh is unavailable. This creates a more lemony, less grassy flavor but maintains the citrus and floral notes of the original
coconut oil, melted → Unsalted butter, melted. Butter will add a rich, slightly different flavor to the granola; use the same amount, though the granola may brown slightly faster