Traditional Italian panna cotta is a gem of Italian cuisine and one of my favorite desserts. It combines simplicity, elegance, and versatility in a single recipe. The name “panna cotta” literally translates to “cooked cream,” and its origins are rooted in Northern Italy, particularly in the Piedmont region. While its exact history is a bit unclear, it is known to have centuries of tradition behind it.

Flavors of Panna Cotta

Panna cotta on its own is simply white cream. However, few people consume it that way. Most prefer to enhance it with a variety of toppings, ranging from exotic fruit jams to different types of pralines.

Common flavors of traditional Italian panna cotta include:

🍒 Fruity: Strawberry, mixed berries, mango, lemon, raspberry
🍫 Classics: Vanilla, chocolate, caramel, and coffee
🍍 Tropical fruits: Coconut, pineapple, passion fruit, kiwi, and guava
🌹 Exotic: Lavender, rose, green tea, matcha, and ginger
🥜 Nuts and spices: Almond, hazelnut, pistachio, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg.

Panna cotta serves as a blank canvas that can be paired with almost any imaginable flavor. Toppings range from fresh fruits, syrups, and jams to chopped nuts and confections.

I always recommend preparing several flavors and serving them to cater to individual preferences. For example, you can have a fruit jam, chocolate syrup, and caramel syrup on hand. If you’re a fan of sweet treats, you might even pair them with red wine-poached pears.

For this recipe, I used my favorite combination: red fruit jam (strawberry, raspberry, or mixed berries) with fresh fruit pieces. I can’t decide if I love the taste or the appearance more, as the contrast of the creamy white panna cotta topped with red fruit is simply stunning.

Key Ingredients for Traditional Italian Panna Cotta

Panna cotta is celebrated for its simplicity and harmony of ingredients. A good panna cotta depends largely on the quality of the cream you choose; it should be creamy enough. I prefer using well-known brands like Nestlé, which always deliver good results. To prepare this Italian dessert, you’ll need:

• Heavy cream: Choose the best quality, don’t skimp.
• Sugar: The finer, the better. The recipe includes exact measurements that I use to avoid making it too sweet. I tend to add a little less sugar, so it doesn’t become overly sweet when paired with any jam.
• Gelatin: This is the key ingredient, either in powder or sheet form, and it should be unflavored. Some brands offer milk-flavored gelatin, which could work but may alter the final taste.
• Milk: Full-fat and liquid.
• Vanilla: Vanilla is essential for this dessert. I prefer using clear vanilla to keep the panna cotta very white .

Let’s Get Cooking!

Start by sprinkling the gelatin over some cold water in a small bowl and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes to soften.

While waiting, heat the cream and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Don’t let it boil; it just needs to be warm enough for the sugar to melt. Once that’s done, add the vanilla and mix it in.

Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the softened gelatin until it’s fully dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Then, pour in the milk and stir everything together.

Now, pour the mixture into individual molds or one big mold, depending on your preference. Let it cool for a few minutes before putting it in the fridge to set for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight.

Once it’s firm, you can serve it directly from the molds or unmold it by dipping the mold briefly in warm water and flipping it onto a plate. Serve with fresh fruit, a fruit sauce, or caramel syrup on top, if you like.