The best panna cotta recipe out there! Indulgent, ultra rich and creamy panna cotta topped with a bright homemade cranberry sauce. Try this quick and easy recipe! Make ahead for the perfect weeknight dessert.
This panna cotta with cranberry sauce is creamy, silky, and rich with a luxurious texture that makes this the best panna cotta recipe out there! Top with whatever your heart desires. I went with a bright homemade cranberry sauce I made from my leftover homemade cranberry sauce recipe but you can go with a caramel sauce, vanilla sauce, or even just straight up honey. Fresh fruit is also fantastic. Ripe peaches, assorted berries, citrus, or even a berry compote would all make wonderful toppings.
What is Panna Cotta?
Panna cotta is an Italian dessert that literally translates to 'cooked cream.' The cream mixture is first heated with sugar until the sugar melts. Then while still warm, gelatin and flavorings are added, and it's then placed in the fridge to set into a rich custardy dessert. The cream can be flavored with a variety of flavors - vanilla, chocolate, berries, caramel, flavored extracts, citrus zest, etc. Once the panna cotta sets, you can top it with a variety of fruits and sauces.
Top your panna cotta with this Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe!
Check out this Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe!
Tips for Making this Creamy Panna Cotta
When heating the cream mixture over the stove, make sure to stir occasionally so that a skin doesn't form on top of your cream. If a skin does form, carefully remove it from the surface.
Use a small funnel when filling up your panna cotta mixture so that sides of your glasses remain clean.
Tightly wrap your panna cotta containers in plastic wrap and place it the fridge to set. Make sure your plastic wrap is air tight as dairy can absorb flavors from your fridge.
Add your topping to the chilled panna cotta. If you're using a chocolate or caramel sauce or fruit compote, make sure it's chilled so it doesn't melt the panna cotta. In my case, I went with a chilled bright, refreshing cranberry sauce which perfectly compliments the richness of this panna cotta.
If you love custardy desserts, try this Custard Bread Pudding Recipe!
Check out this Custard Bread Pudding Recipe!
I hope you enjoy this recipe! Please share, rate, and comment below. I’d love to hear from you!
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Recipe
Creamy Panna Cotta Recipe with Cranberry Sauce
☑ Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste - or vanilla extract
- 1 packet unflavored gelatin - about 1 Tablespoon, bloomed with 3 Tablespoons of water
- ½ cup homemade cranberry sauce - or any topping of your choice
Instructions
- Add the milk, heavy cream, and sugar into a pot and bring to a simmer while stirring occasionally so a skin doesn't form. Turn off the heat.
- Add in the vanilla and the bloomed gelatin. Keep stirring until the gelatin has completely dissolved.
- Funnel into small glasses and set in the fridge for at least 4 hours to set.
- Top with cranberry sauce or other any toppings of your choice.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools.
Jules
A favourite dessert in our household 🙂 And we are making it again for Valentine's Day - it is just delicious and looks so beautiful and romantic with the colours!
Gemma
I made a blueberry sauce the other day (so much fruit!!) and didn’t know what to do with it. I came across your recipe and decided this was a great wag to enjoy it. It worked so well! So creamy!
Jamie
Thanks Gemma! That's a great idea pairing this panna cotta with blueberry sauce!
Cathy
This dessert is one of my favourites, but it was my first time attempting to make it myself! Thanks to all of your tips, I was able to recreate this perfectly. I topped mine with fresh raspberries and mint!
Jamie
Thanks Cathy! That's a great idea to top the panna cotta with raspberries!
Magaret
This was creamy, silky, and not too sweet. Just how I like my desserts! I used a strawberry puree instead of cranberries and it was delicious!