Panna Cotta

⏱ ~55 min (est.)EasyDessert ItalianVegetarian

Heavy cream, powdered gelatin and berries come together in this Italian dessert — 55 minutes, 6 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 6 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.

You'll mainly reach for saucepan and pan. At easy difficulty across 6 steps, it's a good one for a busy evening. As written, it's meat-free.

What you'll need

Servings4

Shopping list (3)

500 ml heavy cream
1 tbsp powdered gelatin
150 g berries

Pantry staples (you likely have these)

150 ml whole milk
80 g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod
3 tbsp cold water

🔁 Unit converter

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How to make it

Sprinkle the powdered gelatin over the cold water in a small bowl and let it stand for 5 minutes until it swells and turns spongy.
Pour the cream, milk and sugar into a saucepan, split the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds into the pan, then add the empty pod and warm gently over medium heat until steaming but not boiling.
Remove from the heat, fish out the vanilla pod, then whisk in the bloomed gelatin until it dissolves completely and no lumps remain.
Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a jug, then divide it among four ramekins or glasses and let cool to room temperature.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, until set with a delicate wobble in the centre.
To serve, briefly dip each ramekin in warm water and invert onto a plate, or leave in the glass, then top with fresh berries or a spoonful of fruit coulis.

You'll use: Saucepan · Pan · Whisk · Steamer

Ingredient substitutions

Heavy Cream: evaporated milk · ½ cup milk + ¼ cup melted butter · full-fat coconut milk
Milk: any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water

What to serve with Panna Cotta

Tips & common questions

How long does Panna Cotta take to make?

About 55 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 7 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.

What can I use instead of heavy cream?

Try evaporated milk. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.

Can I scale this recipe up or down?

Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.

Is Panna Cotta vegetarian?

Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.

Panna Cotta is an original Italian recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Panna cotta with pineapple and mint (9883156055).jpg by Luca Nebuloni from Milan, Italy, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.