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A close up of a vanilla panna cotta on a white plate with raspberries at the side.
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5 from 1 vote

Vanilla Panna Cotta

How to make a beautiful, smooth and creamy Vanilla Panna Cotta. This classic Italian dessert is unbelievably easy to make with just 10 minutes of prep time then it's left to set in the fridge. A stunning make-ahead dessert that will deliver that wow factor!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
chilling time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 10 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 323kcal
Author: Emily Wyper

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream (double cream) (375ml)
  • 1 cup + 1 tablespoon whole milk (250ml)
  • ½ cup caster sugar (can also use granulated sugar) (95g)
  • 4 teaspoons gelatin powder (12g sachet)
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla paste or 1 vanilla bean *see note 1

Instructions

  • Put the milk, cream and vanilla in a saucepan and bring to a boil (watch it carefully so it doesn’t over boil). Once boiling turn off the heat.
  • Add the sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
  • Sprinkle the gelatin powder into the mixture whilst whisking to avoid any lumps forming.
  • Pour the mixture into individual moulds or ramekins and leave to cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
  • Note: A skin can form on the top of the panna cotta from the milk. If this happens you can easily remove it with a spoon while the panna cotta is still liquid (before refridgerating) although it’s entirely optional and doesn’t have to be removed.
  • After 30 minutes, refrigerate the panna cottas for at least 4-6 hours or overnight before serving.

How to remove panna cotta from moulds

  • Fill a bowl with hot water. Remove the panna cotta from the fridge and place them one at a time into the water for a few seconds.
  • Overturn the panna cotta onto a serving plate and gently remove the mould, serve.

Video

Notes

  1. Note on vanilla - if using vanilla bean paste use the amount stated on the bottle that equals one vanilla bean. We used 15ml which is 3 teaspoons to equal 1 vanilla bean. Alternatively, scrape out the seeds from 1 whole vanilla bean and add that to the milk. Keep the bean for another use or add it to a jar of sugar to create vanilla sugar.
  2. Storage - the panna cotta will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 323kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 39mg | Potassium: 125mg | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 994IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 0.1mg