Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta is a luscious, melt in your mouth Italian dessert that looks fancy but can be made in minutes with just a handful of real ingredients. This silky smooth custard is a delicious make-ahead dessert for any party or holiday!
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I understand why you might assume panna cotta is hard to make. After all, you often see this elegant dessert on fancy restaurant dessert menus. But our Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta recipe is actually ridiculously easy to make at home.
Real ingredients like fresh cream, granulated sugar, fragrant vanilla and a bit of gelatin effortlessly transform into a cool, creamy, custardy dessert that is rich but not too sweet - a perfectly refreshing end to any meal.
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Why you'll love this recipe
✔︎ It's delicious: This rich, creamy dessert is infused with pure vanilla flavor. It's perfect for people who love creamy desserts but don't want something too sweet.
✔︎ It's easy to make: Panna cotta is a very simple dessert to make. It only requires a few, real ingredients and can be made in 15 minutes.
✔︎ It's versatile: Panna cotta can be served in a variety of ways. It can be served plain, with fruit, or with a sauce.
✔︎ It can be made ahead of time: Plan ahead and make this vanilla panna cotta recipe up to three days in advance!
What is panna cotta
This humble Italian dessert originated in the Piedmont region. Though it roughly translates to "cooked cream", the cream is not actually cooked at all. It's merely warmed on the stovetop, sweetened with sugar, infused with vanilla and thickened with just enough gelatin to hold its shape. Think of it as an elevated form of pudding that is extra creamy and silky smooth.
Ingredients
High quality ingredients will give you the purest flavor. Choose the best you can!
A few ingredient notes:
Heavy cream: This is the key ingredient in panna cotta. It gives the dessert its rich, creamy texture. You can substitute half and half for a slightly lighter texture and flavor. I do not recommend using milk in place of the heavy cream.
Unflavored gelatin: Gelatin is what sets the panna cotta. It is important to use unflavored gelatin so that the flavor of the panna cotta is not overpowered. You'll find it in the baking aisle at the grocery store.
Milk: whole milk will give you the richest flavor, but you can also use skim or 2%.
Vanilla bean: Nothing beats the pure, intense vanilla flavor you get from a real vanilla bean, so it's definitely worth the splurge for this dessert. You can substitute 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract in a pinch, but if you shop for vanilla beans online or at Costco, they are much more affordable than at the grocery store.
Instructions
There are three easy steps to make panna cotta: cook the custard, divide it among ramekins and chill until set.
Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and use the dull edge of the knife to gently scrape out the seeds. Add cream, sugar and scraped vanilla bean seeds to a saucepan.
Cook over medium low heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is simmering, whisking occasionally.
While the cream mixture is cooking, pour milk into a bowl and evenly sprinkle gelatin over the top. Let stand for about five minutes. It will look wrinkly.
Add gelatin-milk mixture and Greek yogurt to warm cream.
Whisk mixture until smooth to be sure all of the gelatin is incorporated.
Evenly divide panna cotta mixture among ramekins. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least four hours.
FAQs
Panna cotta is Italian for "cooked cream", so expect a silky smooth texture and a sweet, creamy taste. You can further infuse panna cotta with a variety of flavorings, like the vanilla bean in this recipe, or even a splash of coffee or liqueur.
My preference is to eat them with a spoon straight out of the ramekin to avoid extra dishes. Some recipes call for inverting or unmolding the panna cotta when serving. If you do want to unmold them, remember to lightly oil the ramekins before adding the cream mixture to help them more easily release from their molds. When ready to serve, briefly dip bottoms of ramekins in hot water and invert onto serving plate.
Yes, these desserts need to be made ahead of time so they have time to chill and set up. You can make them up to three days in advance. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Leftovers can remain refrigerated for up to two more days.
Creme brûlée and panna cotta share a similar, custardy texture and contain many of the same ingredients like sugar, vanilla and cream, but they differ in how they are thickened. Panna cotta is thickened with gelatin where creme brûlée is thickened with eggs.
Expert Tips for making the best Panna Cotta
✘ Simmer, don't boil. Heat the cream and sugar mixture to steaming but not boiling. It you try to add gelatin to liquid that is too hot, it will not work as well.
✘ Never scraped the inside of a vanilla bean before? It's easier than you think! Cut the bean in half lengthwise and gently flatten it. Use the edge of a butter or other dull knife to scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean pod. Tightly wrap the remaining half of the vanilla bean in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container for another use.
✘ Chill for at least four hours before serving. You'll need at least that long for the gelatin to set up, but this recipe is easy to make up to three days ahead of time and kept covered in the fridge.
✘ Panna cotta has the best flavor when served cold.
✘ Some recipes call for inverting or unmolding the panna cotta for serving. I prefer serving in ramekins for simplicity, but if you do want to unmold them, remember to lightly oil the ramekins before adding the cream mixture. When ready to serve, briefly dip bottoms of ramekins in hot water and invert onto serving plate.
✘ Top with any berry or sauce of your choice. These balsamic roasted strawberries are a delicious and easy way to coax extra flavor out of past their prime berries and would be delicious on top of these silky smooth desserts!
Substitutions and Shortcuts
➤ Short on time? Make this recipe up to three days in advance.
➤ A vanilla bean gives panna cotta the most robust vanilla flavor, but you can substitute 1 tablespoon vanilla extract in place of the vanilla bean, if needed.
➤ Use all Greek yogurt instead of milk, if you prefer. It adds a bit of tang and modest amount of protein.
More Easy Desserts
No pastry chef skills required for these delicious, easy to make desserts!
You can find more delicious dessert ideas in our archives.
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Recipe
Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 vanilla bean
- ½ cup milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin
- ½ cup Greek yogurt (I prefer whole milk for best flavor)
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Instructions
- Add the cream and sugar to a medium saucepan. Using the sharp tip of a paring knife, cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Open up the bean and flatten out the halves. Scrape out the seeds with the back of the knife blade and add the seeds to the saucepan. Bring the cream mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat until the sugar is dissolved and the vanilla bean is well-distributed, whisking occasionally.2 cups heavy cream, ½ cup sugar, 1 vanilla bean
- While the cream mixture is cooking, pour the milk into a bowl and evenly sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Let stand about 5 minutes.½ cup milk, 1 ½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin
- Add the gelatin mixture and the Greek yogurt to the warm cream and whisk until smooth.½ cup Greek yogurt
- Evenly divide panna cotta among ramekins, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve well-chilled and top with fruit, if desired.
Notes
Substitutions:
- You can use half in half in place of the heavy cream for slightly lighter dessert.
- I prefer using whole milk Greek yogurt for best flavor but you can also use nonfat and 2%. The same goes for the milk.
- Swap in 1 tablespoon vanilla extract in place of the vanilla bean, if desired.
Storage:
- You can make this recipe up to three days in advance. Store covered in the refrigerator. Leftovers are best used after another two days.
Serving suggestions:
- Always serve panna cotta well-chilled for best flavor.
- Eat plain or top with almost anything - fresh fruit, puréed fruit/coulis, chocolate or caramel sauce or these easy balsamic roasted strawberries.
Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
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