Panna Cotta Recipe with Strawberries

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Panna cotta recipe is an easy make-ahead Valentine's Day dessert for two. Since it serves two people, it is great to make the day before. Panna cotta is similar to pudding, but slightly more firm. It is technically cooked cream set with gelatin, and it couldn't be easier to make.

Close up shot of panna cotta recipe for two with strawberries on top.

If you've never made a panna cotta recipe before, I'm here to tell you just how easy it is! If you've really never had panna cotta before, I'm here to tell you that it's like an elevated form of pudding.

This dessert tastes like strawberries and cream, and is one of my favorite summer desserts. This is a lighter version of my Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes, which I think you might like!

Panna cotta is something that I only ordered at restaurants for the longest time. I first enjoyed it at a restaurant in Sacramento, where it was always served with an ever-changing seasonal fruit compote on top. The silky, creamy base is a perfect foil for any type of fruit. Today, we're using strawberries but a mango panna cotta would be delicious.

What is panna cotta?

Panna cotta is essentially a sweet milk and cream mixture thickened and set with gelatin. If you're wondering how panna cotta and pudding are different, it's that panna cotta is ever so slightly thicker. Pudding doesn't hold its shape, though it is firm. Panna cotta can technically be molded into a shape and then dumped out to serve. See the photos in the post for reference.

Tips for cooking with gelatin:

Are you afraid of cooking with gelatin? I hear you, because it can be intimidating. There's good news, though--the first step in my recipe below eliminates any risk of working with gelatin. We're going to bloom the gelatin, or soak it in a small amount of liquid before combining it with the rest of the liquid. When we bloom or prove the gelatin, we're guaranteed to have perfect results in the end. Blooming gelatin prevents any chance for lumps, and also ensures the mixture will set properly. I talk a little later about things that could prevent a panna cotta from setting. But, if you follow my recipe exactly, you will have a smooth, silky creamy dessert that is one step up from pudding.

There's a coconut panna cotta recipe in my third cookbook Sweet & Simple: Dessert for Two that is completely dairy-free, if you're looking for that option. My friend Sherrie featured it on her site when my book was first released!

How to Make Panna Cotta:

I happen to think this panna cotta recipe perfectly portioned for two would be a great Valentine's Day dessert for two! If you like to stay in for Valentine's Day, check out my Romantic Meals for Two at home or my Chicken Dinners for Two, and follow it up with one of my desserts.

However, if this panna cotta for two doesn't speak to you, I have a whole Valentine's Day Easy Romantic Desserts for Two recipe roundup; I know you can find something you love on there!

If you make any of my recipes for your special someone on the big day, please let me know! I would love to hear about it. If a marriage proposal results from any of my recipes, then I definitely need to know about that! To be honest, the easiest way to contact me is instagram.

Ingredients

Grey background with milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, gelatin and strawberries in small bowls.

Milk. Any type of milk works great here, from 1% to whole milk. I typically use a ½ cup of 2% milk.
Heavy Cream. This recipe needs double whipping cream, also called heavy cream; ¾ cup.
Powdered Gelatin. This recipe works with powdered gelatin, and please know that I have not tested it with sheet gelatin.
Granulated Sugar. This dessert serves two, so it only requires 3 tablespoons of sugar.
Vanilla Extract. Since this panna cotta recipe has such few ingredients, try to use high-quality vanilla extract. The flavor really shines here.
Fresh Strawberries. For a strawberry topping, combine ½ cup of sliced fresh strawberries with one tablespoon of sugar. Let marinate for about 30-60 minutes, until they soften. Just before serving, stir in a small splash of vanilla extract. Spoon on top of the panna cotta and serve immediately.

Directions

White saucepan with milk and gelatin sprinkled on top.

Whisking panna cotta mixture in a white sauce pan.

First, add the milk to a small sauce pan, but do not turn on the heat yet. Sprinkle the gelatin over the milk and let it sit. This is called 'blooming the gelatin' and makes sure each grain of gelatin soaks up some liquid; it also prevents clumps!

After 5 minutes, now it's time to turn on the heat. Cook the milk and gelatin over a medium-low heat, just until the gelatin dissolves. It's very important not to let the milk mixture boil at all. Stir constantly and never walk away.

Pouring heavy cream in a small white saucepan.

Adding vanilla to panna cotta recipe on stove.

Finally, add the heavy cream and sugar, and continue to heat for about 5 minutes on the heat. This just warms the cream and makes sure the sugar dissolves completely.

Now it's time to turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla. I never add vanilla over the heat because I don't want to cook out its delicate flavor.

Dividing panna cotta between two serving jars.

Horizontal image of two jars of panna cotta with strawberries on top.

Pour the mixture into two serving cups, and chill for at least 4 hours, or up to 48 hours, in the fridge. Wrap the top tightly with plastic wrap to prevent any odors seeping into the very permeable cream and milk.

An hour before serving, marinate your fruit of choice and then serve the panna cotta ice cold with the fruit spooned on top.

Scooping out panna cotta with a spoon to show how firm it is.

Panna cotta fruit toppings to consider:

Peaches with a very small amount of amaretto (an almond liquor).
You can poach apricots in in a bit of lavender honey tea for a delicious topping.
Strawberries with Grand Marnier is a classic fruit topping.
Blackberries with a fresh lime juice and sugar.
Raspberries mixed with a small splash of Framboise (raspberry liquor).
Mango pieces with a splash of coconut rum is delicious here!

The only fruit I wouldn't suggest is pineapple, because the enzymes in pineapple prevent gelatin from setting, and if you top this panna cotta recipe with pineapple, it will start to break down the perfectly set custard. There's a reason pineapple jello doesn't exist, my friends! Here's a very scientific article explaining that you could use canned pineapple, just not fresh pineapple, ok?

Yield: 2