GRANDMA’S PANNA COTTA RECIPE WITHOUT GELATIN
Panna cotta is a classic and timeless Italian dessert, particularly from Piedmont, made with cream and sugar that thicken thanks to fish gelatin, creating a fresh, velvety, and creamy dessert with the taste of cream and vanilla.
Uniquely delicious on its own but even more so when accompanied by various toppings ranging from fresh fruit to caramel, or melted chocolate and much more.
Traditionally, panna cotta is set cold thanks to the addition of fish gelatin in the hot cream and sugar mixture. But this isn’t the only way to make this delicious dessert. You can also prepare panna cotta without gelatin by using egg whites to achieve the same result.
For this version of the panna cotta recipe, I relied on my grandma’s recipe, my grandma of course, who, given that in her time it wasn’t so easy to find gelatin sheets, had adapted the original recipe. This yielded an excellent result that rivals the classic panna cotta, suitable for everyone and even vegans!
Making panna cotta without gelatin is really simple and accessible to everyone. Furthermore, as mentioned, it takes just a few simple ingredients: fresh liquid cream, whole milk (or just cream), sugar, vanilla (or vanillin), and egg whites instead of gelatin sheets to set the dessert.
Once all the ingredients are mixed, you can choose to make single servings by pouring the Panna cotta into typical pudding molds or into a single mold to be unmolded and sliced. At that point, the panna cotta should be cooked in a bain-marie in the oven so it can set without drying out.
The result is an enveloping and compact panna cotta but soft and incredibly creamy that literally melts in your mouth.
After cooling in the fridge, the dessert will be ready to be unmolded and served, creating a thousand tasty variations: from simple Panna cotta with berry sauce to Panna cotta with chocolate glaze or salted caramel and much more.
Everyone ready because today we’ll prepare grandma’s panna cotta recipe without gelatin at home, good like the store-bought, if not better: guaranteed result!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven, Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 370.78 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 21.86 (g) of which sugars 21.55 (g)
- Proteins 4.42 (g)
- Fat 29.77 (g) of which saturated 0.76 (g)of which unsaturated 0.44 (g)
- Fibers 0.04 (g)
- Sodium 226.31 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 125 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
INGREDIENTS FOR PANNA COTTA RECIPE without gelatin
- 1 1/4 cups fresh liquid cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk (or cream if you want to use only cream)
- 2.5 oz egg whites (from about 2 eggs)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 pod vanilla (or vanillin)
- 1 pinch salt
- fresh fruit
- chocolate (melted)
- caramel
- jam
Tools
- Saucepan
- Hand Whisk
- 4 Small Bowls
- Baking Pan
HOW TO PREPARE GRANDMA’S PANNA COTTA RECIPE
Pour the cream, whole milk (or just cream), and the seeds from the vanilla pod into a saucepan. Add the sugar and a pinch of salt and bring the mixture to just below boiling. Stir occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
Once cooled, remove the pod. Separately, break the eggs and obtain 2.5 oz of egg whites, mix them with a whisk to eliminate the albumen filaments. Then add them directly to the saucepan and mix until everything is combined.
Transfer the mixture into 4 molds (175 ml each) then place them in a baking pan with high edges. Pour boiling water inside the pan until it reaches 3/4 of the height of the molds (be careful not to get water inside the Panna cotta). Bake in a static oven at 320°F (160°C) for 65 minutes or in a convection oven at 285°F (140°C) for 60 minutes. The panna cotta should be firm with a slight crust on the surface.
Once cooked, take the panna cotta without gelatin out of the oven and let it cool completely in the water bath. Then remove it and place it in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
When ready to unmold, immerse each mold in boiling water for a second, being careful not to get any liquid inside. Then invert the mold onto a serving plate and use a knife to release the vacuum by sliding it between the mold and the panna cotta. The same applies if you used a single mold.
For my panna cotta, I chose a simple garnish made of caramel and some toasted peanuts, but you can enrich it with strawberry jam and fresh strawberries, or a berry compote or melted dark chocolate.
In any case, this dessert is suitable to be garnished in a thousand ways depending on our tastes and the season. Some examples? In summer, decorate it with fresh apricots or peaches: you can use either fresh fruit pieces, gels, or compotes.
If it’s fall or winter, use oranges (jam or compote) or pomegranate jelly. And for chocolate enthusiasts, feel free to use melted chocolate topping or even liqueurs like Whiskey Cream.
NOTES AND TIPS
WHOLE MILK: This panna cotta recipe also includes whole milk, but if you prefer the classic version of panna cotta, you can also use only fresh liquid cream instead of milk. In this case, the total amount of cream to use will be 1 3/4 cups.
VANILLA POD: Instead of the vanilla pod, you can use a teaspoon of vanilla extract or a sachet of vanillin.
MISTAKES TO AVOID FOR A PERFECT PANNA COTTA
INGREDIENTS: Whether you decide to use only cream or both milk and cream, always purchase high-quality ingredients. The cream must be fresh and of excellent quality, as well as the milk. Always choose whole milk when preparing spoon desserts.
UNBOILED PANNA COTTA: the cream should not be overcooked. It should not boil, just warm up enough to dissolve the sugar and the gelatin (if you use it).
WATCH OUT FOR LUMPS: when preparing panna cotta, you need to mix the ingredients well to combine them. The sugar and the gelatin sheets (if following the classic recipe) should completely dissolve in the liquid. If unsure, strain everything before pouring the mixture into the mold.
STORAGE
You can store panna cotta in the fridge for up to 3 days
ORIGINS AND HISTORY OF THE PANNA COTTA RECIPE
The origin of panna cotta is controversial. According to some, it would be a lighter version of the French bavarois, while others believe the ancestor of panna cotta is a Sicilian dessert: biancomangiare. Legends, however, say that it was created in the Langhe by a lady of Hungarian origin.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
How long does it take for panna cotta to solidify?
Place the panna cotta molds in the fridge and let them set for at least 2 hours. In this case, the time needed is less because it is first cooked in a water bath. Before serving, immerse each mold briefly in boiling water, then immediately unmold and serve it plain, with caramel, melted chocolate, or a fruit coulis.
How can panna cotta be flavored?
To flavor panna cotta, you can also use the seeds from the vanilla pod or, if you prefer citrus notes, you can also use lemon zest.
How to remove panna cotta from aluminum mold?
To facilitate the mold removal, immerse it in boiling water for a few seconds (without soaking the panna cotta), flip it onto a plate, give a little tap, and you’ll see the dessert come out.
What mold to use for panna cotta?
To serve panna cotta without issues, use high-quality silicone molds
