KO EN Italian Dessert⏱ 20 minEdit history

Panna Cotta

Name: Panna Cotta
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 cups Heavy cream; 1 cup Milk; 0.5 cup Sugar; 1 Vanilla bean; 3 Gelatin sheets; Berries; Caramel or fruit sauce; Mint

Cream and vanilla warmed and lightly set with gelatin — Italy's no-bake dessert. Melt-in-the-mouth soft, it becomes an elegant finish topped with berries or caramel sauce, and needs nothing more than mixing and chilling.

Ingredients

4servings

Heavy cream · about 500ml2 cups
Milk · optional, lighter1 cup
Sugar0.5 cup
Vanilla bean · or 1 tsp vanilla extract1
Gelatin sheets · or 2 tsp powdered gelatin3
To serve (optional)
Berries · strawberry, blueberry
Caramel or fruit sauce
Mint · to garnish

Steps

Soften the gelatin sheets in cold water for 5 minutes (bloom powdered gelatin in 2 tbsp water).
⏲ 5 min
Warm the cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla (scraped seeds and pod) over low heat until steaming — do not boil.
⏲ 5 min
Off the heat, stir in the squeezed gelatin until fully dissolved, then remove the vanilla pod.
⏲ 1 min
Strain the mixture for smoothness and pour into cups or molds.
⏲ 2 min
Cool slightly, then chill at least 4 hours (overnight is best) until set.
⏲ 240 min
Serve as is, or dip the mold briefly in warm water and turn out onto a plate. Top with berries or caramel sauce.

Tips & Variations

Variations

Coffee panna cotta: Add espresso while warming the cream.
Chocolate panna cotta: Melt in dark chocolate.
Yogurt panna cotta: Replace some cream with yogurt for tang.
Berry sauce: Simmer frozen berries with sugar to spoon over.

Tips

Don't boil the cream — just heat until steaming for a silky set.
The gelatin amount controls the texture — too much is rubbery, too little won't set. Measure carefully.
To unmold, dip the mold in warm water for a few seconds and invert.
Strain once so there are no gelatin lumps.