Italian panna cotta recipe

Learn how to make authentic Italian panna cotta, one of Italy’s most beloved spoon desserts.

THE PERFECT END TO AN ITALIAN SUMMER DINNER

There are desserts that steal the show.

And then there are desserts that quietly conclude a beautiful evening.

Panna cotta belongs to the second category.

Served cold, creamy, and wonderfully delicate, it’s one of Italy’s classic dolci al cucchiaio—literally, “desserts eaten with a spoon.”

The kind of dessert that leaves room for one last conversation around the table, an evening stroll, or a little stargazing with a glass of limoncello.

Italian panna cotta recipe
authentic Italian panna cotta in glass cups

WHAT IS PANNA COTTA?

Despite its elegant appearance, panna cotta is wonderfully simple.

Its name literally means “cooked cream,” and the traditional recipe is made with just a handful of ingredients: heavy cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, and gelatin.

It’s one of those desserts almost every Italian grandmother knows how to make.

And one that many children secretly hope to find waiting in the refrigerator whenever they visit nonna.

HOW TO MAKE PANNA COTTA

Making panna cotta is surprisingly easy.

Warm the cream, milk, and sugar together, dissolve the softened gelatin, pour everything into serving glasses, and let time do the rest.

The only difficult part is waiting a few hours before tasting it.

Serve it plain, with fresh berries, a fruit coulis, caramel sauce—or simply with a light dusting of cocoa powder, as I often do.

Italian panna cotta in glasses
Panna cotta in vintage glasses
Print

Italian panna cotta

Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 40 minutes
Resting Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings 4
Author Claudia Rinaldi | Gourmet Project

Ingredients

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup cow milk
  • 3 tablespoon white sugar
  • 2 gelatin sheets 5 gr
  • 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Soak gelatin sheets in a bowl of water 10-15 minutes.

  2. Place milk, heavy cream and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Immediately turn off the heat.

  3. Squeeze the gelatin sheets and add them to the saucepan. Add the vanilla extract as well, and stir until completely amalgamated.

  4. Let temperature decrease a bit.

  5. Pour the mixture into cups or molds.

  6. Refrigerate at least a couple of hours.

  7. Serve cold plain or sprinkled with cocoa powder.

FROM SOUTHERN SUMMER SIMPOSIO

Panna cotta is one of the many recipes featured in Southern Summer Simposio, where recipes, traditions, seaside evenings, and everyday Italian summer life come together.

FROM THE ITALIAN COLORS NEWSLETTER

Here’s an Italian word worth knowing on a stargazing night.

Gibigianna: the glittering reflection of light dancing on water or a mirror.

If you’d like a little more Italy in your inbox every week, Italian Colors is where I share words, rituals, recipes, flowers, and stories from everyday Italian life.

Enjoy your creamy panna cotta!

Claudia