White chocolate panna cotta with berry sauce is one of my family’s favorite desserts. It’s uncomplicated but very delicious and you can make it ahead of time. Every time I make it, it’s always a hit.
Panna cotta is an Italian dessert made from cooked cream thickened with gelatin or starch. It’s very creamy, lush, so much easier than you think and versatile.
This panna cotta with berry sauce recipe is so good, not too thick and not too sweet. Made with white chocolate, whipping cream, milk, gelatine and sugar and flavored with vanilla. Makes such a perfect any time treat.
Normally I use vanilla paste from one vanilla bean to make my panna cotta, but this time I didn’t have any at home. Thus why I’ve used vanilla extract for this recipe.
Tips and tricks to achieve a perfect panna cotta:
- You should use a good quality white chocolate and not a couverture one. Because panna cotta, tend to be too fatty, when using couverture.
- You should cool panna cotta cream to room temperature before dividing it among glasses. Otherwise your panna cotta will have a fat/oil layer formed at the top.
- You should cover the panna cotta with cling firm before chilling to prevent the cream from forming a skin.
- Pour the mixed berry sauce over the panna cotta, when it’s completely firm.
What you’ll need to make panna cotta with berry sauce
Ingredients for panna cotta:
- 600 ml (21.1 fl oz/ 2 1/2 cups) heavy cream
- 150 ml (5.3 fl oz/ 1/2 cup) milk
- 150 g (5.3 oz) white chocolate
- 25 g (2 tablespoons) sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 gelatin leaves
Note: I used 3 teaspoons powdered gelatin which is equal to 6 gelatin leaves
Ingredients for the berry sauce:
- 200 g (7.1 oz/ 1 1/4 cups) frozen mixed berries (or any berries of your choice)
- Note: I used frozen berries, but you can also use the fresh ones
- ca. 50 ml/ 1.7 fl.oz/ about ¼ cup water (OPTIONAL)
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla sugar
Note: I used vanilla sugar, but you can also use 1 tablespoon of regular sugar and ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract.
You’ll also need:
– 6 individual glasses or a casserole dish
– a saucepan and a bowl
How to make panna cotta with berry sauce
Make panna cotta
Hydrate the gelatin: I’ve used powdered gelatin but you can also use gelatin leaves. If you’re using powdered gelatin, simply put it in a bowl and add 4 tablespoons water. Mix well and let sit for 10 minutes.
If you’re using gelatin leaves, put them in a bowl, add water such that the gelatin leaves are under water and let hydrate for 10 minutes as well.
Make the cream: In the meantime, combine heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract and white chocolate in a saucepan and heat at medium low. Stir and let cook until the chocolate has melted. Then remove from the heat.
Add gelatin to the cream mixture: Add gelatin to the still warm cream and stir well until it has dissolved. If you’re using gelatin leaves, just squeeze out all the water, add to the pot and mix well, until it has dissolved.
Divide and cool the cream: Let the cream cool to room temperature. Then take 5 glasses of your choice (150 ml/ 5.1 fl oz each.) and divide it among them.
- Cooling the panna cotta cream to room temperature before dividing it among glasses is very important. Otherwise your panna cotta will have a layer of oil/fat formed at the top.
Cover and chill: Cover the glasses with cling firm and chill for at least 3 hours. You can also make this dessert overnight.
- If you’re in hurry, just put your panna cotta in the freezer for 45 minutes. At least that’s what I do sometimes.
Make mixed berry sauce for panna cotta
Make the mixed berry sauce 30 minutes before serving. Simply add the frozen berries, sugar and water to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Add a small amount of water at a time, to make sure that you don’t dilute the berries. Because frozen berries release lots of juices while cooking. Reduce the heat and let simmer until the berries are soft.
Let the berry sauce cool down, before pouring it over panna cotta. Otherwise your panna cotta will turn into a soup!
Serve: Spoon over the sauce and serve. You can keep this panna cotta up to three days in the fridge.
Love this panna cotta recipe? Try my orange cream with orange sauce, mango dessert recipe no bake and no bake raspberry cheesecake cups recipes, too.
Panna cotta with berry sauce
Equipment
- 6 individual glasses (150 ml/ 5.1 fl oz each.)
Ingredients
For panna cotta
- 600 ml (21.1 fl oz/ 2 1/2 cups) heavy cream
- 150 ml (5.3 fl oz/ ½ cup) milk
- 150 g (5.3 oz) white chocolate
- 25 g (2 tablespoons) sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 gelatin leaves (3 teaspoons powdered gelatin)
For the mixed berry sauce
- 200 g (7.1 oz ( 1 ¼ cups) frozen mixed berries
- ca. 50 50 ml/ 1.7 fl.oz/ about ¼ cup water OPTIONAL
- 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar OR (¼ teaspoon vanilla extract + 1 tbs sugar)
Instructions
- Hydrate the gelatin: I’ve used powdered gelatin but you can also use gelatin leaves. If you’re using powdered gelatin, simply put it in a bowl and add 4 tablespoons water. Mix well and let sit for 10 minutes.If you’re using gelatin leaves, put them in a bowl, add water such that the gelatin leaves are under water and let hydrate for 10 minutes as well.
- Make the cream: In the meantime, combine heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract and white chocolate in a saucepan and heat at medium low. Stir and let cook until the chocolate has melted. Then remove from the heat.
- Add gelatin to the cream mixture: Add gelatin to still warm cream and stir well until it has dissolved. If you’re using gelatin leaves, just squeeze out all the water, add to the pot and mix well, until it has dissolved.
- Let the cream cool to room temperature. Then take 5 glasses of your choice (150 ml/ 5.1 fl oz each.) and divide it among them. Cooling the panna cotta cream to room temperature before dividing it among glasses is very important. Otherwise your panna cotta will have an oil/ fat layer at the top.
- Cover the glasses with cling firm and chill for at least 3 hours. You can also make this dessert overnight.
- Make the mixed berry sauce 30 minutes before serving. Simply add the frozen berries, sugar and water to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.Add a small amount of water at a time, to make sure that you don’t dilute the berries. Because frozen berries release lots of juices while cooking. Reduce the heat and let simmer until the berries are soft.
- Let the sauce cool down, before pouring it over panna cotta. Otherwise your panna cotta will turn into a soup! Pour the mixed berry sauce over panna cotta. You can keep this panna cotta up to three days, chilled.
Notes
- I used vanilla sugar to make my panna cotta, but you can also use 1 tablespoon of sugar and ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- If you're in hurry and don't have time to chill your panna cotta for at least 3 hours, just put it in the freezer for 45 minutes. At least that's what I do sometimes.
- For the mixed berry sauce, add a small amount of water at a time, to make sure that you don't dilute the berries. Because frozen berries release lots of juices while cooking.
Did you make this mixed berry panna cotta with white chocolate? I’d love to hear from you! Simply write a comment and add rating to it.