Description
If you love creamy, no-fuss desserts, this Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Cranberry Compote is your new go-to. It’s silky, lightly sweet, and speckled with real vanilla bean. A tart cranberry sauce cuts through the richness, making it perfect for holidays and dinner parties.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ½ tsp (1 envelope, ~7 g) unflavored powdered gelatin
- 3 Tbsp (45 ml) cold water
- 2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk (or 2% for lighter)
- ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar
- 1 whole vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 2 tsp vanilla bean paste)
- Pinch fine sea salt
- 12 oz (340 g) fresh or frozen cranberries
- ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar (adjust to taste)
- ½ cup (120 ml) orange juice (or water)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water
- 1 tsp orange zest (optional)
- Pinch fine sea salt
Instructions
- Cook the cranberry compote: Combine cranberries, sugar, orange juice, water, zest (optional), and salt in a saucepan. Simmer 8–10 minutes until berries burst and sauce thickens. Cool.
- Bloom the gelatin: Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in a bowl. Let stand 5–10 minutes until spongy.
- Heat the dairy: Add cream, milk, sugar, vanilla seeds and pod (or paste), and salt to a saucepan. Heat until steaming and sugar dissolves (do not boil). Remove vanilla pod.
- Dissolve gelatin & strain: Whisk bloomed gelatin into hot dairy until dissolved. Strain through fine-mesh sieve into a spouted bowl.
- Portion & chill: Divide into 6 ramekins (4–5 oz each). Cool 10 minutes, cover, and chill 4–6 hours (overnight best). Serve with cranberry compote.
Notes
Pro tips: For a soft wobble, don’t overdo gelatin. Strain mixture for ultra-smooth texture. Use coconut cream + oat milk for dairy-free. Avoid boiling dairy to preserve flavor and prevent rubbery texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Bake / Chilled
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion (~4–5 oz with 2 Tbsp compote)
- Calories: 404
- Sugar: 38g
- Sodium: 80mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 17g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 100mg
Keywords: Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Cranberry Compote, panna cotta recipe, creamy Italian dessert, gelatin dessert, holiday dessert, make-ahead dessert, dairy-free panna cotta, vegetarian agar option, gluten-free dessert