Silky, delicate, and slightly sweet, Italian Panna Cotta is an easy eggless custard-like dessert recipe great for special occasions.
Panna Cotta is a perfect make-ahead dessert for dinner parties. Like my Creme Brûlée, it’s a fancy restaurant-worthy Dessert Recipe made with simple ingredients on the stove top.
Sabrina’s Panna Cotta Recipe
The name Panna Cotta means “cooked cream” in Italian. To make this classic dessert, you’ll gently simmer a sweet cream mixture in a saucepan, pour into individual dishes, and chill until the dessert sets into a firm custard. Because of its light vanilla flavor, it pairs beautifully with a variety of sauces like Raspberry or Rhubarb. Even though it looks elegant and restaurant worthy, it’s very easy to make at home. For even more serving ideas, take a look at the variation section below.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Panna Cotta:
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1 envelope unflavored gelatin , 0.25 ounce
- 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Berry Sauce:
- 2 cups mixed berries
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons brandy
To Finish:
- 1 cup mixed berries
Instructions
Panna Cotta:
- In a small bowl add the milk and gelatin and stir.
- Let sit while you heat the heavy cream mixture.
- In a medium saucepan add the heavy cream, sugar, and salt and stir to combine.
- Heat on medium until it begins to come to a simmer and then a gentle boil.
- Add in the milk/gelatin mixture and stir well until dissolved, about 1 minute.
- Turn off the heat and remove from the hot burner.
- Add in the vanilla extract and almond extract and stir to combine.
- Add the mixture to six silicone molds or small ramekins.
- Leave to cool to room temperature then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours but even better overnight.
Berry Sauce:
- Add the berries and sugar to a food processor and blend.
- Stir in the brandy and let sit until ready to serve.
To Finish:
- Run a small knife around the edge of the ramekin to loosen the panna cotta.
- Add a plate upside down on top of the ramekin.
- Flip carefully to allow the panna cotta to unmold onto the plate.
- Garnish with the berry sauce and fresh berries.
Nutrition
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Chef’s Note
Two important tips I use when making Panna Cotta are to use powdered gelatin, and to make sure it is dissolved fully. My worst nightmare for making this is turning it over, and it’s runny and not set properly. To prevent this, I make sure to use enough gelatin powder, and that it gets fully dissolved in the hot cream mixture before cooling.
Table of contents
Can this be made ahead of time?
Absolutely! Since this needs time to chill and set in the refrigerator before serving, you can make this the night before up to 2 days before serving.
How to Store Panna Cotta
- Store: It’s best to store any leftovers and sauce separately. Cover with plastic wrap and store for up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Freeze: Freeze custard for an hour on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Then wrap each one tightly with plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe container for 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before serving.
Variations
- Mint Chocolate: Add mint flavor to your cream mixture by either steeping mint leaves in the hot cream, or swap the almond extract with mint extract. Serve with Chocolate Ganache on top.
- Caramel Coffee: Dissolve 1-2 teaspoons instant coffee into the cream mixture before adding the milk and gelatin mixture. Serve with Salted Caramel Sauce over top.
- White Chocolate Raspberry: Slowly melt ½ cup white chocolate chips into the hot cream mixture after the gelatin has fully dissolved. Once fully melted, chill as usual. Serve with raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries.
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