Italian recipe

Vanilla Panna Cotta

Name: Vanilla Panna Cotta
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Italian cuisine
Ingredients: 500 ml heavy cream; 150 ml whole milk, divided; 75 g granulated sugar; 6 g powdered gelatin; 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped; 1 g fine salt

A softly set vanilla cream dessert with just enough gelatin to hold a clean wobble. Gentle heating keeps the dairy fresh-tasting and prevents a rubbery texture.

Italy

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 10 min
Total: 25 min
Servings: 6

Smooth vanilla panna cotta dome with fine vanilla specks — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by Arnaud 25Source page · Original file · CC BY-SA 4.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

500 ml
heavy cream
150 ml
whole milk, divided
75 g
granulated sugar
6 g
powdered gelatin
1
vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 g
fine salt

Method

01
Bloom the gelatin
Pour 60 ml of the cold milk into a small bowl, sprinkle 6 g gelatin evenly over the surface and leave 5 minutes until fully hydrated.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Infuse the cream
Combine cream, remaining 90 ml milk, sugar, salt, vanilla seeds and pod in a saucepan. Heat over medium-low to 75–80°C, stirring until the sugar dissolves; do not boil. Rest off heat 5 minutes.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Dissolve the gelatin
Remove the vanilla pod. Add the bloomed gelatin and whisk gently for 30–45 seconds until completely dissolved, without incorporating foam.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Pour and chill
Divide among 6 lightly oiled 120 ml moulds or serving glasses. Cool 20 minutes, cover, then refrigerate at 0–4°C for at least 5 hours until softly set.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Unmould and serve
For moulded panna cotta, dip each mould in warm water for 5–8 seconds, loosen the edge and invert onto a cold plate. It should hold a smooth dome and wobble gently.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Weigh the key ingredients rather than relying on volume measures; pastry ratios are sensitive.
Allow the stated chilling or resting time; many desserts finish setting after cooking stops.

Common mistakes

Do not overheat eggs or dairy; excessive heat can curdle custards and make creams grainy.
Measure the setting ingredient exactly; extra gelatin, flour or chocolate can make the texture rubbery or dense.

Substitutions

Use an equivalent full-fat dairy product when substituting; low-fat versions may not set or whip the same way.
A mild citrus zest can replace part of the vanilla or aromatic garnish while keeping the same liquid ratio.

Storage

Keep covered at 0–4°C and serve within 3 days unless the recipe specifies otherwise. Do not leave dairy- or egg-based desserts at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Cultural context

Panna cotta means “cooked cream” and is strongly associated with Piedmont. Its ideal texture is tender and trembling rather than firm like jelly.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Panna cotta 02 — Photograph by Arnaud 25; CC BY-SA 4.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to Italian recipes

Vanilla Panna Cotta

Ingredients

Method

Bloom the gelatin

Infuse the cream

Dissolve the gelatin

Pour and chill

Unmould and serve

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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