This elegant strawberry panna cotta is surprisingly easy to make. In fact, it has just 5 ingredients and takes 10 minutes to prepare. Hence, it's a perfect make-ahead dessert for entertaining guests.
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The two Italian desserts that are perfect to entertain are a panna cotta and Tiramisu. Am I wrong? Both can be made ahead and both are elegant as they are delicious. And, the best part is, they are both so easy to make.
We are a huge dessert-loving family. So, making dessert at home is very common. And yet, you must see the big smile in the house when we have panna cotta in the fridge. It doesn't matter what flavor. However, the most popular ones with my kids are vanilla, strawberry, blueberry, or mango. I recently made this as a strawberry panna cotta tart and it was a huge hit with friends
About this Panna Cotta
As I said, it takes only 10 minutes to make this dessert and it needs only 5 ingredients. In fact, I bet all of these are probably already in your kitchen. And, there are two components to this dessert.
- The cream mixture – A basic panna cotta is made with cream, milk, gelatin, and sugar.
- The fruit variation – Today, we add the strawberry puree to give this a strawberry flavor.
The process is also fairly simple:
- Pulse the fruit - 2 mins
- Cook the panna cotta mixture - 5 mins
- Combine the above two - 2 mins
- Pour into cups - 2 mins
- Chill - 4 hours or overnight
- Garnish - 2 mins
Ingredients and substitutes
- Whipping Cream - I have used 38% fat content for my whipping cream. You want to use a minimum of 32% if not more. Since, low-fat creams will set into a very soft Panna Cotta.
- Whole milk - You also need to use whole milk, not low-fat. And yet, you can substitute with almond milk if you prefer.
- Sugar - It is best to use castor or fine grain white sugar. You want the sugar to dissolve easily without affecting the color of the mixture.
- Gelatin - It's best to use unflavored gelatin so that the strawberry flavor shines beautifully.
- Strawberries - I have used fresh strawberries because they are in season. And yet, you can also use frozen strawberries for the puree. Just pulse and sieve them just the same way.
Step by step instructions
Pulse the strawberries
- Pulse the strawberries and sugar in a food processor or blender until smooth.
- Sieve through a fine mesh to remove seeds.
- Use one cup for the panna cotta mixture and save the rest for the topping.
Prepare panna cotta
- Sprinkle gelatin over the cold milk. Stir and set aside for 3 to 5 minutes.
- In a heavy-bottom saucepan, heat the cream & sugar until sugar dissolves and cream comes to an almost boil.
- Next, add the vanilla and the soaked gelatin milk.
- Continue to cook until the gelatin is all dissolved and the mixture is well heated through.
- Then, take the mixture off the heat and add one cup of strawberry puree.
- Sieve the mixture through a mesh to get any undissolved gelatin or remaining strawberry seeds.
- Gently pour the mixture into individual serving glasses.
- Let chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
Topping & garnish
- Divide the remaining strawberry puree between the chilled individual panna cotta.
- Garnish with fresh strawberries.
- Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
A panna cotta will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Yes, because the milk mixture sets with the gelatin, there is no fear of the pastry getting soaked with the milk mixture. A perfect make-ahead dessert for any occasion. You can make this tart 2 days ahead as well.
No, it's best to use gelatin. You can use strawberry gelatin if you get but not a jello mix. Those are with sugar added and not enough gelatin. As a result, the consistency of your Panna Cotta will be very soft.
Yes, you can. Just as we have done in these tarts- strawberry panna cotta tart, Blueberry Panna Cotta Tart, Blackberry Panna Cotta Tart or even mixed berries Panna Cotta Tart
Absolutely, you can try blackberry, blueberry, mango, mixed berries. If you want you can omit the fruit to keep it classic vanilla too.
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Printable Recipe
Strawberry Panna Cotta
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Ingredients
Strawberry puree
- 1 lb (450 g) Strawberries
- 2 tablespoon Sugar
Panna cotta
- 1 cup (250 ml) Milk
- 1 cup (250 ml) Whipping cream
- ¼ cup (50 g) Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Gelatin
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) Strawberry puree below
Plus
- 4 Strawberries for garnish
Instructions
Strawberry puree
- Pulse the strawberries and sugar in a food processor or blender until smooth.
- Sieve through a fine mesh to remove seeds.
- Use one cup for the panna cotta mixture and save the rest for the topping.
Panna cotta
- Sprinkle gelatin over the cold milk. Stir and set aside for 3 to 5 minutes.
- In a heavy-bottom saucepan, heat the cream & sugar until sugar dissolves and cream comes to an almost boil.
- Add the vanilla and the soaked gelatin milk.
- Continue to cook until the gelatin is all dissolved and the mixture is well heated through.
- Take the mixture off the heat and add one cup of strawberry puree.
- Sieve the mixture through a mesh to get any undissolved gelatin or remaining strawberry seeds.
- Gently pour the mixture into individual serving glasses
- Let chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours
Top and garnish
- Divide the remaining strawberry puree between the chilled individual panna cotta.
- Garnish with fresh strawberries
- Enjoy
Recipe Notes
- Serving - Panna Cotta is best served cold. So, you must chill the tart for a minimum of 3 to 4 hours for the gelatin to set. After that, you can keep it at room temperature for an hour or so depending on the weather. Gelatin will start to soften at warm, room temperature. Hence, it's best to bring the tart out close to serving time.
- Re-heating - The cream mixture must be poured into the individual cups while it is still in liquid form. If you wait too long, the gelatin will start to set in the saucepan. If that happens gently reheat the mixture until it's warm and liquidy again.
- Eggless panna cotta - Yes, you can if you use agar-agar instead of gelatin. Agar-agar is a vegetarian substitute made from seaweed and more potent than gelatin. You will need 2 teaspoon agar flakes for every cup of liquid so in this cake 3 teaspoon of agar flakes can be used. Also, unlike gelatin, agar must be boiled until thickened. So add it to the cream and milk mixture and bring to a boil over medium-low heat until thickened (about 5 minutes).
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Debbie
You combined to of my favorite things..Panna Cotta and Strawberries. This is a must try for me ,and you make it look so easy. I just might make this for Valentine's Day this year. I can't wait.
Veena Azmanov
It is so easy, Debbie. I hope you try it.
Jess
Oh heck yes! This looks and sounds amazing! How would you be able to stop at just one serving! Yuuuum!
Veena Azmanov
Yes, that's the hardest part, Jess.
kita
I haven't had panna cotta in so long! The strawberries would be amazing - so fresh and light! I absolutely can't wait to make this.
Veena Azmanov
It's so easy Kita. You must try.
Claire
What a delicious and easy dessert. I'm sure it would be perfect for Valentine's Day. I'm definitely going to have to pin it and give it a try later!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Claire.
Kelly Anthony
This strawberry panna cotta will be perfect for serving at our next supper club. I love that I can make them the day before so I can focus on the main course.
Veena Azmanov
Absolutely, Kelly. You must try and let me know how it was.
Kauser
Hi Veena
Can I substitute the gelstine with agar agar for the strawberry Pana cotta? If I can, what quantity of agar agar can I use?
Many Thanks
Kauser
Veena Azmanov
Yes, Kauser. You can use agar-agar instead of gelatin. Usually the substitute is one for one but I'd recommend 3/4 teaspoon instead of 1 so it's not too firm. You will need to boil the milk with the agar-agar to activate it.
Kauser
Thank you Veena. I shall def try this recipe.