All great meals end with a hit of strong coffee and something sweet, and this recipe for Espresso Panna Cotta does both!
Learning how to make the perfect panna cotta has to be on your to-do list this holiday season. Not only are they super simple to make, but they are the kind of recipe that really wows a dinner crowd!
If you’re a coffee lover who loves desserts that have a great coffee flavor, then you need to have a look at this recipe for Coffee Biscuits, this recipe for Mocha Cupcakes or this recipe for Coffee and Walnut Cupcakes.
Ingredients
To make this easy coffee panna cotta recipe, you will need the simple ingredients listed below. Remember to always use fresh room temperature ingredients when baking.
- Heavy cream
- Espresso powder
- Espresso
- Castor sugar
- Vanilla bean paste
- Powdered gelatine
- Cold water
Heavy cream - Heavy cream refers to creams that have a fat content higher than 36%, in South Africa, these creams are often called whipping cream. Please don’t make the mistake of confusing this with double thick cream, it isn’t the same!
Instant Espresso powder – this is added while making the panna cotta for an intense coffee flavour, choose a great quality espresso powder that dissolves.
Espresso – the taste of this dessert relies heavily on the coffee that you use, choose to brew a batch of fresh espresso for the best results.
Gelatine powder – this recipe uses powdered unflavored gelatin but you can use gelatine sheets instead. Check the packaging of your gelatine to see how to substitute one for the other.
Vanilla bean paste – For this recipe use a quality vanilla bean paste, if you can’t find any, vanilla extract or essence will also work. You can also choose to add the seeds of a vanilla pod to the cream mixture.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Follow the simple instructions below to make this delicious coffee-flavoured dessert. First, you will make the espresso panna cotta and allow it to set, and then you will make the coffee syrup.
STEP 1: Bloom gelatine. Add the gelatine and water to a small bowl and stir to combine. Allow the gelatine to soak up the water for a few minutes.
STEP 2: Heat cream. Add the cream, vanilla, caster sugar, espresso powder, and espresso to a medium saucepan set over low heat. Allow the sugar to dissolve while stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula, once the sugar has dissolved remove the panna cotta mixture from the heat. Do not boil.
STEP 3: Add gelatine. Add the gelatine to the cream mixture and stir to combine, making sure all of the gelatine has dissolved.
STEP 4: Pour cream mixture into moulds. Divide the panna cotta mixture between 4 panna cotta moulds or glasses. Cover the tops of each mould with plastic wrap, and refrigerate to set overnight.
STEP 5: Make coffee syrup. Add the caster sugar and espresso to a small saucepan set over medium heat, and allow the sugar to melt while stirring occasionally. Once melted, allow the mixture to thicken up as the liquid evaporates. Pour into a glass jar to cool slightly.
STEP 6: Serve. Remove the panna cotta glasses from the fridge, and pour a thin layer of the coffee syrup over the top of each panna cotta. Decorate with milk chocolate or dark chocolate shavings or an espresso bean, and serve with your favourite Italian biscuits.
Hint: If you choose to make this dessert in moulds, then to de-mould the panna cotta, dip the bottom of the moulds into warm water for a few seconds. This will loosen the dessert and allow you to tip it onto a serving plate. Be careful not to melt the dessert while dipping it into the warm water. A few seconds is enough.
Variations
If you’d love a chocolate hit to this panna cotta recipe, you can choose to serve this dessert with a chocolate sauce instead of coffee syrup. Have a look at this Baileys Panna Cotta recipe for some ideas on how to make chocolate sauce.
Equipment
You don’t need any fancy equipment to make this creamy dessert recipe, just a stovetop and 4 panna cotta moulds or dessert glasses. You can use martini glasses, mini dessert glasses, or even whiskey tumblers.
If you prefer to skip the daunting task of de-moulding this dessert, then choose to set it in dessert glasses instead. This way you can serve the dessert straight from the fridge and not worry about de-moulding and plating it.
Storage
Store any leftover panna cotta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. If you have set the desserts in glasses where de-moulding was unnecessary then cover the rim of the glass with plastic wrap and store the desserts in the fridge for about 2 days.
I do not recommend freezing this dessert.
Top tips
Follow these top tips to make sure this espresso panna cotta recipe comes out perfectly
- Do not boil the cream mixture, otherwise, the gelatine won’t be able to set the dessert.
- Allow the panna cottas sufficient time to set in the fridge, overnight is best.
- When demoulding, be careful not to overheat the bottom of the dessert moulds as the panna cotta will begin to melt.
FAQ
Yes, you can, for this recipe about three sheets should be enough. Check the instructions on the gelatine packaging to be sure. Cut the sheets into small squares and soak them in water until they soften, discard the water and continue with the recipe as if using powdered gelatine.
Of course! Choose to set the dessert in the glasses you’d like to serve the panna cotta in. This way you can avoid demoulding altogether.
This classic Italian dessert is perfect for dinner parties, I love that this easy recipe is made with basic ingredients and can be made ahead of time. If you give this recipe a go and love it as much as I do, please leave a star review and comment below – I love hearing from all of you!
Don’t forget to follow along @with_love_kitty and sign up for the weekly newsletter to make sure that you never miss my new recipes!
Happy Baking
With Love,
Kitty
📖 Recipe
Espresso Panna Cotta
Equipment
- 4 dessert glasses
Ingredients
Espresso Panna Cotta
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 100 ml brewed espresso
- 350 ml heavy cream
- 60 g caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1¼ teaspoon gelatine powder
- 2 tablespoon cold water
Coffee Syrup
- 200 ml brewed espresso
- 150 g caster sugar
Instructions
Espresso Panna Cotta
- Add the gelatine and water to a small bowl and stir to combine. Allow the gelatine to soak up the water for a few minutes.
- Add the cream, vanilla, caster sugar, espresso powder, and espresso to a medium saucepan set over low heat. Allow the sugar to dissolve while stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula, once the sugar has dissolved remove the panna cotta mixture from the heat. Do not boil.
- Add the gelatine to the cream mixture and stir to combine, making sure all of the gelatine has dissolved.
- Divide the panna cotta mixture between 4 panna cotta molds or glasses. Cover the tops of each mold with plastic wrap, and refrigerate to set overnight.
- Add the caster sugar and espresso to a small saucepan set over medium heat, and allow the sugar to melt while stirring occasionally. Once melted, allow the mixture to thicken up as the liquid evaporates. Pour into a glass jar to cool slightly.
- Remove the panna cotta glasses from the fridge, and pour a thin layer of the coffee syrup over the top of each panna cotta. Decorate with milk chocolate or dark chocolate shavings or an espresso bean, and serve with your favourite Italian biscuits.
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