Panna Cotta

This panna cotta recipe is one of my all-time favourite desserts, alongside my decadent chocolate mousse. Made with milk, cream and vanilla, it’s incredibly simple but feels properly luxurious, with a silky texture and the most satisfying wobble.

And that wobble is IMPORTANT. For me, perfect panna cotta should be set just enough to hold its shape without becoming firm or jelly-like. You should still be able to see how creamy it is when you dig your spoon in.

I love serving it with my cherry compote, which adds a sweet, slightly tart contrast to all that rich vanilla cream. You can make a classic cherry panna cotta in individual moulds, or set the whole thing in a container and scoop it dramatically onto a plate. Both are excellent options.

Looking for more make-ahead desserts? Try my classic tiramisu and panettone tiramisu next! 

What is Panna Cotta?

Panna cotta translates to “cooked cream”, which rather accurately describes how this Italian dessert comes together.

Milk and cream are gently heated with vanilla and left to steep briefly before sugar and gelatine are added. Then, it’s simply poured into your chosen moulds and refrigerated until set.

The ingredients and technique are incredibly simple, but getting the texture right makes ALL the difference. The trick is not adding too much gelatine. We’re not making jelly here! The goal is a panna cotta that is set enough to hold its shape but still wobbles when you give the plate a little shake and feels creamy rather than rubbery on the spoon.

Ingredients and Notes

• Whole milk – I use equal parts whole milk and cream, which keeps the panna cotta rich and creamy without making it too heavy.
• Cream – Combined with the milk, this creates a luxurious texture and adds rich flavour.
• Vanilla bean paste – I use one teaspoon, but you can use a whole vanilla bean if you want to be extra luxe.
• Caster sugar – A little goes a long way to enhance the sweetness without overpowering the vanilla. 
• Gelatine leaf – I use one 5g gelatine leaf for approximately 400ml of panna cotta. It’s enough to set the mixture while maintaining that all-important wobble.
• Neutral oil – If you’re using moulds and plan to turn the panna cotta out, lightly oil them first to help prevent sticking.

How to Make Panna Cotta

1. Prepare the moulds. Lightly oil your chosen moulds with a neutral oil. This will help prevent the panna cotta from sticking when it’s time to turn them out.
2. Heat the milk and cream. Heat the whole milk, cream, and vanilla in a saucepan until the mixture is just starting to boil, then remove it from the heat.
3. Let the vanilla steep. Cover and leave the cream mixture to steep for approximately 5 minutes.
4. Bloom the gelatine. While the cream is steeping, place the gelatine leaf in cold water and allow it to soften.
5. Add the sugar. Add the caster sugar to the milk mixture and return it to low heat. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
6. Add the gelatine. Squeeze the excess water from the softened gelatine leaf, then add it directly to the warm milk mixture. Stir over low heat until completely dissolved.
7. Cool slightly. This step is optional, but I like to strain the mixture into a bowl set over a larger bowl of iced water. Stir frequently until the mixture cools and thickens slightly. This can help prevent the vanilla from sinking to the bottom.
8. Fill the moulds. Divide the mixture between your chosen vessels.
9. Chill. Refrigerate until completely set. Allow approximately 6 hours or overnight for two larger 200ml panna cottas, or approximately 4 hours for smaller portions.

What Can I Use as a Panna Cotta Mould?

You have options! If you don’t want to mould your panna cotta, pour it into a small container, and allow it to set. When you’re ready to serve, warm a large spoon in hot water, then carefully scoop the panna cotta onto your plate with the spoon side facing upwards.

That said, I often make panna cotta in mini Bundt tins that hold approximately 200ml each. They look very pretty once turned out onto a plate.

A classic coupe is another genius option, particularly if you don’t want to worry about unmoulding anything.

This recipe makes approximately 400ml of panna cotta, so you can divide it between:

• Two 200ml moulds
• Four smaller 100ml moulds or serving glasses
• One small container for a family-style scooped presentation

If you’re going with the last option, make sure the container is small enough to give the panna cotta some depth. Otherwise, scale the recipe to suit your vessel.

How to Unmould Panna Cotta

Because this panna cotta is deliberately very wobbly, be gentle! Use a knife to carefully pull the panna cotta away from the edge of the mould and break the air seal. Place your serving plate over the mould, then invert it and allow the panna cotta to drop onto the plate.

How to Serve Panna Cotta

My favourite way to serve this is as cherry panna cotta with a couple of generous spoonfuls of homemade cherry compote. I normally serve the compote chilled, which is particularly lovely against the creamy vanilla panna cotta, but you could warm it slightly if you prefer.

You definitely aren’t limited to cherries, though. Fresh berries or another fruit compote would also work beautifully, or you can keep things incredibly simple and let the vanilla panna cotta speak for itself.

My Top Tips

• Don’t use too much gelatine. A soft, creamy wobble is the goal, not a firm jelly.
• Use the ice bath if presentation matters. Cooling and slightly thickening the mixture before pouring can help keep the vanilla evenly distributed instead of sinking.
• Don’t rush the chilling time. Larger panna cottas need longer to set than small individual portions.

How to Store Panna Cotta

If you’re prepping ahead, keep your panna cotta in your chosen moulds or vessels until shortly before serving. This protects that wonderfully soft-set texture and makes storage much easier. Panna cotta will keep fresh, covered, in the fridge for up to 7 days.

Panna Cotta Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Panna cotta – an icon of a dessert! A simple mix of milk, cream and vanilla resulting in the most luxuriously creamy pudding.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time:20 minutes mins

Cook Time:1 hour hr

Chilling time:4 hours hrs

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: easy recipe, Italian desserts

Servings: 400 ml (approx) panna cotta – which you can split between 2x 200ml moulds or 4x 100ml moulds. Makes enough cherry compote to enjoy with other things!

Ingredients

• 200 ml whole milk
• 200 ml cream
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste – or 1 vanilla bean pod if you want to be extra luxe
• 50 g caster sugar
• 1 x 5g gelatin leaf I use these ones

Instructions

• Lightly oil your moulds with a neutral oil – this will prevent the panna cotta from sticking to the mould later.
• Heat milk, cream and vanilla until just starting to boil – turn off the heat, cover and let it steep for 5 min.
• Add the sugar and return to low heat, stirring until dissolved (around 3 min). While you’re doing that, soak the gelatin leaf in cold water to allow it to bloom – this will prevent the panna cotta from being grainy!
• Squeeze out excess water from the gelatin leaf then add directly to the hot milk mixture – stir until dissolved over a low heat.
• An optional step is to strain the liquid into a bowl set over a larger bowl filled with iced water, stirring frequently over 15 minutes until it cools and thickens slightly. This should help prevent the vanilla from sinking to the bottom.
• Pour into your desired vessels and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight if making two large ones, or 4 hours if making smaller ones.
• To serve, use a knife to gently and carefully pull the panna cotta away from the mould and break any air seal, letting it drop directly onto a plate.
• If you are doing a scooped serve, warm a large spoon in hot water first and carefully scoop and plop the panna cotta down onto a plate, with the spoon side facing up. Please note that this panna cotta recipe is very jiggly and less on the firm jelly side, so it can be a bit tricky to keep it in one scooped piece.

Notes

Originally published 30th December 2023, updated on 18th March 2026.