Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Cranberry Topping

Cranberry panna cotta, a quick, easy Italian dessert that is sweet and tart and perfect for the holidays. Make some for your dessert table. 

The holiday season is upon us and there are parties, gatherings and of course Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. Pumpkin pie, harvest apple pie, and pecan pie all make an appearance at the holiday dessert table but what about adding something different this year? How about cranberry panna cotta? This easy no bake dessert has a creamy texture and a tart cranberry compote topping and your guests will love it!

Need another holiday menu idea? Try Cranberry Cheesecake Bars, Cranberry Bundt Cake. or Cranberry Walnut Bread.

Today I am joining 6 friends to share everything you need to have the perfect Thanksgiving Dinner, scrumptious side dishes, yeast rolls, harvest salad and of course dessert!

What You Need to Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Cranberry Topping

Ingredients for Panna Cotta

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 3 teaspoons powdered gelatin
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream or  heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste
• Pinch salt

Homemade Cranberry Sauce Ingredients

• 1 cup whole fresh cranberries, cleaned and rinsed
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• zest of 1 small orange
• a pinch of pumpkin pie spice, (or a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice)
• mint leaves for garnish

How to Make Cranberry Panna Cotta

Panna cotta is an Italian dessert made with just a few ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.

• If using ramekins, spray the ramekins lightly with cooking spray. If using wine glasses or Weck jars, skip this step.
• Pour the milk into the saucepan and sprinkle gelatin evenly over top. Let the gelatin soften for 5 minutes or until the the gelatin grains look wet and slightly dissolved.
• Set the saucepan over low heat and warm the milk gently, stirring or whisking frequently until the gelatin is dissolved. The milk should never boil or simmer; if you see steam rising from the pan, remove the pot from the stove and let it cool down a bit.
• After about 2 minutes, stir the sugar into the milk and continue warming the milk until it dissolves as well. It shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes total to dissolve both the gelatin and sugar.Again, DO NOT LET THE GELATIN MIXTURE BOIL.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat. Whisk in the heavy cream, vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt into the bloomed gelatin milk.
• Place ramekins, clear glasses or jars onto a  baking sheet. Pour mixture evenly between the prepared ramekins or cocktail glasses and put in the refrigerator to chill.
• If serving the panna cotta straight from the cups, without un-molding, chill for 1-2 hours. If you want to unmold the panna cotta, chill for at least 4 hours or overnight until the panna cotta sets.
• To unmold the ramekins dip ramekins in a bowl of hot water for a few seconds and then tip over onto a serving plate.

Cranberry Sauce

• In a small saucepan combine the sugar and water over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved add the washed and drained cranberries and cook for 10 minutes. The berries will start to pop and burst. Then add the orange zest and spices(if using) to the cranberry mixture and mix well. Start with a pinch of spices and season to your taste. Remove from heat and let cool. The mixture thickens as it cools. You can uses the mixture as is or add it to a food processor to blend to a smooth consistency. Alternately you can use a hand blender.
• If you like you can strain the cranberry mixture through a fine mesh sieve to make it smooth.

To serve, top the chilled panna cotta with cranberry sauce and add a sprig of mint for garnish.

Variations for panna cotta

• If you want to change up the flavors try scraping a vanilla bean into the warmed milk, instead of using extract. Or add lemon, orange  or almond extracts.
• You can use any combination of milk, cream, coconut milk, soy milk, almond milk  to make panna cotta. However if you are using plant based milk I do not suggest trying to un-mold the ramekins, they will be too soft to hold their form. Try my Almond Milk panna cotta with fresh berries..
• The cranberry sauce can be left chunky or pureed to make more of a cranberry coulis sauce.

How to store panna cotta

• Store panna cotta wrapped with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
• You can also freeze panna cotta, just be sure to place in an airtight container or wrap well with plastic.

UNTIL TOMORROW

I hope you enjoyed the Cranberry panna cotta! Please visit my friends to see the rest of the Thanksgiving menu.

Most Lovely Things– Apple Cake with Brown Buttter Caramel Frosting

Cindy Hattersely Design – Autumn Harvest Salad

Classic Casual Home– Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

Northern California Style – Green Beans with Walnuts

Make Mine a Spritzer – Sweet and Savory Cornbread Stuffing

Pinecones & Acorns – Cranberry Panna Cotta

Sheri Silver – Parker House Rolls

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Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Cranberry Topping

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Cranberry panna cotta, a quick, easy Italian dessert that is sweet and tart and perfect for the holidays. Make some for your dessert table. 

• Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients for Panna Cotta

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 3 teaspoons powdered gelatin
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream or  heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste
• Pinch salt

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

• 1 cup whole fresh cranberries, cleaned and rinsed
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• zest of 1 small orange
• a pinch of pumpkin pie spice, (or a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice)
• mint leaves for garnish

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Instructions

If using ramekins, spray the ramekins lightly with cooking spray. If using wine glasses or Weck jars, skip this step.

Pour the milk into the saucepan and sprinkle gelatin evenly over top. Let the gelatin soften for 5 minutes or until the the gelatin grains look wet and slightly dissolved.

Set the saucepan over low heat and warm the milk gently, stirring or whisking frequently until the gelatin is dissolved. The milk should never boil or simmer; if you see steam rising from the pan, remove the pot from the stove and let it cool down a bit.

After about 2 minutes, stir the sugar into the milk and continue warming the milk until it dissolves as well. It shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes total to dissolve both the gelatin and sugar.Again, DO NOT LET THE GELATIN MIXTURE BOIL.

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Whisk in the heavy cream, vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt into the bloomed gelatin milk.

Place ramekins, clear glasses or jars onto a  baking sheet. Pour mixture evenly between the prepared ramekins or cocktail glasses and put in the refrigerator to chill.

If serving the panna cotta straight from the cups, without un-molding, chill for 1-2 hours. If you want to unmold the panna cotta, chill for at least 4 hours or overnight until the panna cotta sets.

To unmold the ramekins dip ramekins in a bowl of hot water for a few seconds and then tip over onto a serving plate.

Cranberry Sauce

• In a small saucepan combine the sugar and water over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved add the washed and drained cranberries and cook for 10 minutes. The berries will start to pop and burst. Then add the orange zest and spices(if using) to the cranberry mixture and mix well. Start with a pinch of spices and season to your taste. Remove from heat and let cool. The mixture thickens as it cools. You can uses the mixture as is or add it to a food processor to blend to a smooth consistency. Alternately you can use a hand blender.
• If you like you can strain the cranberry mixture through a fine mesh sieve to make it smooth.

To serve, top the chilled panna cotta with cranberry sauce and add a sprig of mint for garnish.

Notes

Taste the cranberry sauce and adjust the amount of sugar and spices to suit your palette.

The cranberry sauce can be chunky or smooth, it is up to your preference.

• Author: Elizabeth
• Prep Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Stovetop