This blood orange panna cotta is deliciously creamy and smooth. It’s an impressive dessert that is quite simple and quick to make!
What is panna cotta?
Panna cotta is an Italian dessert that means “cooked cream”. The texture of this dessert feels kind of like a Jell-O and custard. It is made out of cream, sugar and gelatin. Gelatin is added to ensure that the panna cotta sets. The final result – creamy and silky smooth melt in your mouth dessert!
For this blood orange panna cotta recipe you will be using whole milk in addition to the cream. Whole milk lightens up the panna cotta and still keeps that rich and creamy consistency panna cotta has.
Ingredients needed to make blood orange panna cotta
Very few ingredients are needed to make these easy blood orange panna cottas.
- Heavy whipping cream: To get that creamy texture.
- Whole milk: To lighten up the cream. Whole milk lightens the panna cotta and still keeps it rich and creamy.
- Sugar: To sweeten the panna cotta and the topping.
- Gelatin: So the panna cotta and the blood orange topping set.
- Blood orange: Blood orange juice is added to the cream and to the topping. Adding the blood orange juice to the cream gives it a delicious sweet flavor. Making the blood orange topping gives the dessert an irresistible flavor combo of sweet and slightly tart.
Making blood orange panna cotta
- Make the panna cotta: Pour milk into a medium saucepan. Sprinkle with gelatin. Let that sit for 5 minutes. Turn the heat on medium/low and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Approximately 3-5 minutes. Add the heavy whipping cream, sugar and blood orange juice. Stir on medium/low heat 3-5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Do not let the mixture boil! This can kill the gelatin.
- Let the panna cotta set. Cool the cream/milk in the saucepan until it’s warm to the touch and almost room temperature. (If you pour hot cream/milk into glass ramekins the panna cotta can split.) Once cooled evenly divide the mixture between ramekins of your choice. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours or until set.
- Make the blood orange topping: In a small sauce pan, dissolve sugar and gelatin with water on low heat. Do not boil! Add the blood orange juice. Stir for 2-3 minutes or until combined. Cool completely before pouring over chilled panna cotta.
Tips for success
- Do not boil the cream and milk! When cooking the milk and heavy whipping cream never bring the mixture to a boil. Always cook on medium – low heat. The cream/milk should be hot or very warm. If the cream/milk is too hot and boils, it can kill the gelatin causing the panna cotta to not set.
- Cool cream/milk before pouring into glass ramekins. The cream mixture should just be a little bit warm when you touch it. If you pour hot cream/milk into the ramekins it can split in the refrigerator. Cooling the panna cotta in the sauce pan allows the milk and the cream to become homogenized.
- Use whole milk. Whole milk still keeps the panna cotta rich and creamy. A lower percentage milk takes away that creamy and rich texture.
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PrintRecipe
Blood Orange Panna Cotta
This blood orange panna cotta is deliciously creamy and smooth. It’s an impressive dessert that is quite simple and quick to make!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 min + chilling time
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
Panna cotta
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 envelope gelatin powder
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup blood orange juice
Blood orange topping
- ½ cup blood orange juice
- ½ tsp gelatin powder
- ½ tbsp. – 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp. water
Instructions
Panna cotta
- Pour milk into a medium saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin over the milk. Let that sit for 5 minutes. Turn the heat on medium/low and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Approximately 3-5 minutes. Do not let the mixture boil.
- Add the heavy whipping cream, sugar and blood orange juice. Stir on medium/low heat 3-5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Do not let the mixture boil!
- Cool the cream/milk in the saucepan until it’s warm to the touch and almost room temperature. Once cooled evenly divide the panna cotta between 8 ramekins of your choice.
- Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours or until set.
- Make the blood orange topping: In a small sauce pan, dissolve sugar and gelatin with water on low heat. Do not boil! Add the blood orange juice. Stir for 2-3 minutes or until combined. Cool completely.
- Pour over chilled panna cotta.
Claire
My panna cottas have always split and I never knew why before this recipe! Easy to follow and execute and the end result is delicious (and didn’t split!)!
nataliyadudley
Claire,
So happy they turned out delicious and didn’t split.
Thank you!