3-Ingredient Salted Caramel Panna Cotta Recipe
This 3-ingredient salted caramel panna cotta recipe is a dish that feels fancy and very elegant while being surprisingly easy and fuss-free to make. Discover the secret to making perfectly creamy and jiggly individually portioned Italian desserts that taste like delicate salted caramel.
According to Ksenia Prints from At the Immigrant's Table, panna cotta is an Italian recipe that hails specifically from the Piedmont region in the north. Since its first appearance in cookbooks from the 19th century, this classic recipe called for only three ingredients: cream, sugar, and gelatin. In our variation, we take the same sugar that sweetens the dish and cook it until it turns into caramel. With the addition of flaky sea salt on top to bring out the deep sweetness of the caramelized sugar, this easy dessert is an amalgamation of centuries-old European cooking traditions.
To avoid mishaps and make sure your panna cotta sets perfectly, stick to our recommended gelatin ratio, give it time to bloom, and chill the dessert fully before serving. Not sure what blooming gelatin actually means? Head straight down to our FAQ section to learn more about this essential step in the procedure.
Gather the ingredients for salted caramel panna cotta
To make this salty-sweet caramel panna cotta, you'll need unflavored sheets of gelatin, though you can use powdered instead, water, sugar, heavy cream, and flaky sea salt such as Maldon sea salt.
Step 1: Soak the gelatin
Soak the sheets of gelatin in cold water. Let them bloom for 5 minutes.
Step 2: Cook the sugar into caramel
Cook the sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until it's deep amber, 8-10 minutes.
Step 3: Add the cream
Remove from the heat. Slowly whisk in the cream (the mixture will bubble vigorously).
Step 4: Whisk till smooth
Return to low heat. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and the sugar dissolves completely.
Step 5: Add the gelatin
Remove from the heat. Whisk in the bloomed gelatin until dissolved.
Step 6: Strain into ramekins
Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into 6 ramekins, and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours.
Step 7: Sprinkle with sea salt
Sprinkle with sea salt before serving.
Step 8: Serve the panna cotta
Serve chilled.
What pairs well with panna cotta?
3-Ingredient Salted Caramel Panna Cotta Recipe
This 3-ingredient creamy panna cotta tastes like delicate salted caramel, and is a dessert that's very elegant while being surprisingly easy to make.
Ingredients
- 3 sheets unflavored gelatin (or 2 teaspoons powdered)
- 4 tablespoons water
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
Directions
- Soak the sheets of gelatin in cold water. Let them bloom for 5 minutes.
- Cook the sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until it's deep amber, 8-10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat. Slowly whisk in the cream (the mixture will bubble vigorously).
- Return to low heat. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and the sugar dissolves completely.
- Remove from the heat. Whisk in the bloomed gelatin until dissolved.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into 6 ramekins, and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours.
- Sprinkle with sea salt before serving.
- Serve chilled.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 376 |
| Total Fat | 28.6 g |
| Saturated Fat | 18.2 g |
| Trans Fat | 1.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 89.6 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 27.3 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0.0 g |
| Total Sugars | 27.3 g |
| Sodium | 272.1 mg |
| Protein | 4.6 g |
What is gelatin, what kinds can you use, and what is its role in this panna cotta recipe?
If you're someone who isn't content just making desserts, but actually wants to understand how they work, then you've come to the right place. The cornerstone for this recipe is gelatin, a mysterious ingredient that has a very long provenance in culinary arts.
In essence, gelatin is a protein produced when bones, hooves, and feet of animals are cooked down. It became popular in the United States in the 1950s, when countless recipes began calling for it in copious quantities. It can be used in preserving and setting pretty much anything in a golden, quivering cage, but it's most often used in desserts and of course, Jell-O. You can buy gelatin in dehydrated sheets, but also in powder form.
In this panna cotta recipe, gelatin is what helps set it and gives it a signature wobbling texture. Because gelatin helps the dessert to set so firmly, you could even make this panna cotta in molds rather than ramekins, if you're so inclined, and set it on the table to the oohs and ahhs of everyone present.
How else can you dress up panna cotta?
While we love the simple, gentle flavor of salted caramel in this panna cotta, we also love dressing it up for special occasions. There are many ways to add elegance to the presentation, add a depth of flavor, or even add a touch of color to this simple dessert.
One easy and instantaneous way to glam up panna cotta is to take it out of the ramekins and present it naked on a plate. To do so, line your ramekins with plastic wrap before pouring in the caramel to chill. After cooling it, cover the ramekin with the plate you want to serve it on, turn it over, and gingerly remove the wrap. You'll end up with a little mound of panna cotta, without needing to buy any special molds. This plating is ideal if you want to add interest to the dessert with a sauce or topping.
To make this dessert even more impressive, serve it over a berry coulis or some chocolate or caramel sauce. You could also top it with some fresh berries, or crumble amaretto biscuits, or even graham cracker crumbs on top. Topping it with dulce de leche is customary in Argentina, but we also love adding a teaspoon of pistachio cream or Nutella on top.