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Panna Cotta

4.7

(204)

Panna cotta with blueberries lemon zest and jelly.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova

Panna cotta is the kind of dessert that looks complicated but is actually incredibly easy to make. Unlike its high-maintenance cousin, crème brûlée, this simple, elegant, easy dessert takes less than 30 minutes to assemble and can rest in the fridge for at least a week before unmolding. With its creamy, slightly jiggly texture, it’s the perfect make-ahead dessert for capping off a low-stress dinner party, whether you top it with fresh strawberries, a tangy blueberry compote, a spoonful of cocktail cherries and a grating of orange zest (as pictured), or a drizzle of chocolate syrup.

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. The mixture is poured into ramekins (you could also use small bowls or simple molds) and chilled. Be aware that gelatin is, technically, an animal product. If you want to make a vegan (or kosher) version of this treat, try this version made with kuzu starch and almond milk.

Change it up: Top your panna cotta with a ruby-hued mixed-berry sauce, a versatile strawberry compote, or a drizzle of homemade dulce de leche; or whisk the sugar with a couple tablespoons cocoa before adding the cream to transform it into chocolate panna cotta.

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What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    20 minutes plus chilling

  • Yield

    8 servings

Ingredients

2 ½ tsp. (one 7g packet) unflavored gelatin
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half-and-half
⅓ cup (67 g) sugar
1½ tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Sprinkle 2 ½ tsp. (one 7g packet) unflavored gelatin over 2 Tbsp. cold water in a very small saucepan; let stand to soften (about 1 minute). Heat gelatin mixture over low heat until gelatin powder is dissolved; remove pan from heat.

    Step 2

    Bring 2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup half-and-half, and ⅓ cup (67 g) sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, stirring. Remove pan from heat and stir in gelatin mixture and 1½ tsp. vanilla extract. Divide cream mixture among eight ½-cup ramekins and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate ramekins, covered, at least 4 hours or overnight.

    Step 3

    Dip ramekins, one at a time, into a bowl of hot water 3 seconds. Run a thin knife or small offset spatula around edge of each ramekin; invert ramekin onto center of a small plate.

    Do ahead: Panna cotta can be made 3 days ahead; keep chilled, wrapped well in plastic wrap to prevent puddings from absorbing fridge odors.

    Editor’s note: This panna cotta recipe was first printed in the August 1997 issue of ‘Gourmet.’ Head this way for more of our best Italian dessert recipes →

TagsDessertItalianEuropeanPanna CottaPuddingVanillaHerbs & SpicesNut FreeGluten FreeEasy5 Ingredients or FewerSimmerGourmet
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Reviews (204)

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  • We love this!

    • Anonymous

    • 6/5/2024

  • Very easy recipe. On another note, what the hell, Epicurious? You dumped all of my saved recipes, I can't save new ones (or the old ones I have found), and you have no way of restoring. Suggest you use the money you collect from us to improve the customer experience. Frustrating. Grrr.

    • Anonymous

    • Sebastopol, CA

    • 6/4/2024

  • Love this recipe, however there is no way this serves 8 people with a standard size ramekin. I used Emile Henri ramekins that hold just over 1/2 cup. I get 6 servings. I curious to learn what size this recipe uses.

    • Vanessa

    • Massachusetts

    • 1/28/2024

  • This recipe is anything but easy. The proportions for the gelatin resulted in an insoluble gumball. Once made, the panna cotta is impossible to remove from the ramekins. Also, trying to pour from a saucepan is very messy,

    • Anonymous

    • Toronto, ON

    • 4/20/2023

  • Very nice recipe and great for exploration. I've added different citus peels and another version with chocolate. I've topped it with berry and fruit sauces, compotes and coulis, liqueurs and brandies. Very versatile, everything seems to be delicious!

    • Dawn Woolsey

    • Canada

    • 9/14/2022

  • Can you use all heavy cream? Omit the half and half.

    • coolslaw

    • Washington

    • 9/1/2022

  • There are so many recipes for panna cotta, but this is absolutely the best. Tastes exactly like my first, in Rome. Fresh, clean, light, bursting with dairy flavor. Toppings and added flavorings optional (over the years I've used lavender, fennel, fruit infusion), but we prefer them plain, in ramekins or martini glasses rather than turned out.

    • Anonymous

    • Toronto, Canada

    • 7/28/2022

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