Abstract:To enrich the product forms of mousse and black tea and to align with the growing consumer demand for healthier and more diverse foods，this study used xylitol as a sweetener in place of white sugar，using sensory scores and texture characteristics as evaluation indices，the effects of the ratio of black tea powder to milk volume，the amount of xylitol added，and the amount of gelatin added on the quality of the mousse were investigated through single-factor experiments. On this basis，with sensory score as the response variable，the formulation of unsweetened black tea mousse was optimized using response surface methodology. The results showed that the optimal formulation of unsweetened black tea mousse consisted of a black tea powder to milk volume ratio of 1∶20 （g/mL），2.6 g of gelatin，and 16 g of xylitol. Under these conditions，the mousse was light brown in color，evenly colored with a glossy appearance，soft and smooth in texture，pleasantly sweet without being cloying，and featured a distinctive black tea aroma combined with a rich milky flavor. It achieved a sensory score of 91±1，closely matching the value predicted by the response surface model.