Easy Panna Cotta Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the main ingredients in panna cotta? ›

Panna cotta means “cooked cream” in Italy, and that's essentially what the base is: heated heavy cream (often with a little half-and-half or whole milk) set with powdered gelatin and flavored with vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.

Cover each panna cotta with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until it's set; the time will vary depending on the size and shape of your containers, but expect four to six hours.

What is the difference between panna cotta and creme brulee? While they are both similar, dairy-based desserts, creme brulee uses eggs while panna cotta uses gelatin.

Panna cotta can always be the right dessert — whether you're throwing a fancy party or a small one, have lots of time or no time, are gluten-free, dairy-free, allergy-prone, vegan, or simply craving a delicious and creamy sweet. It's perfect.

The gelatin gets stronger as it sits, so this will be a bit rubbery by days 4 or 5, but you can mitigate this by letting the panna cotta sit at room temperature for about half an hour before serving.

Yes, heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are the exact same thing. The confusion lies in the fact that they're sold by different brands under two different names. According to the US Food and Drug Administration's labelling standards, heavy cream must contain at least 36 percent milk fat.

Too much gelatin could result in a texture that is too firm and Jello-like (you want the panna cotta to be just barely firm enough to unmold).

Dip the ramekin briefly in a bowl of hot tap water, and then carefully invert onto a serving plate. If the panna cotta doesn't unmold right away, tap the ramekin lightly on the countertop to loosen it. If it still doesn't unmold, return it to the hot water bath for another five seconds and repeat.

The ultimate panna cotta should have the perfect wobble — this is an indication of the texture, which should be silky, creamy, melt in the mouth but not too bouncy or rubbery. I'd rather a panna cotta that is more wobbly than too set, personally.

What is the difference between panna cotta and Bavarian cream? While both desserts are thickened with gelatin, panna cotta is made without egg. Bavarian cream on the other hand includes eggs as well as whipped cream which has been folded into the mixture before setting.

What is another name for panna cotta? ›

Panna cotta is sometimes called a custard, but true custard is thickened with egg yolks, not gelatin. A lighter version substitutes cream with Greek yogurt.

Flan and crème brûlée use eggs, panna cotta uses gelatin and vanilla pudding and similar custards use eggs, cornstarch or flour. Rice pudding is both the most rustic and most elegant of those desserts, using only rice, milk and sugar.

The ratio of fat content to gelatin is key to a perfect panna cotta, but don't let that scare you away from playing around with the creamy ingredients you choose for your dish. While cream is preferred, panna cotta can also be made with milk, half-and-half, buttermilk and even low-fat options.

For the panna cotta

Heat the cream, milk, vanilla pod and sugar in a large heavy saucepan over a medium heat, gently bring to a boil and then set to a simmer. Whisk the cream mixture regularly and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Take off the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Panna cotta ( lit. 'cooked cream') is an Italian dessert of sweetened cream thickened with gelatin and molded.