Sugar-Free Panna Cotta Recipe (2024)

Panna cotta is a very simple Italian dessert to make and can be flavored in many ways. It is a mixture of sweetened cream and powdered gelatin and results in a sort of custard. Panna cotta in Italian means "cooked cream," and, although the ingredients are often cooked on the stovetop, they are just warmed enough for the gelatin to dissolve.

This recipe makes the dissolving even easier by using boiling water, eliminating the stovetop. Instead of the cream being sweetened with refined sugar, this recipe uses a sugar substitute (such as stevia) to allow those of us who are watching our sugar intake to enjoy such a luscious dessert.

Gelatin, when part of a healthy diet rich in vitamin C, may help with tissue repair and recovery. It may also help improve the appearance of your skin by supporting natural structures that maintain elasticity.

This is a basic vanilla panna cotta, which is great topped with fresh berries or a berry sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tsp. gelatin powder (unsweetened)
• 1/4cup water (cold)
• 1/4 cup water (boiling)
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• Sugar substitute, such asstevia, equal to 1/4 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt

1. Sprinkle the gelatin powder over the cold water in a bowl and let soften for several minutes. Then add the boiling water and stir until gelatin is dissolved (a fork works well).

2. Combine dissolved gelatin with the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Stir to mix completely, and taste. Adjust flavors to your liking.

3. Pour mixture into custard cups, ramekins, or glasses. Chill completely—it will take 3 to 4 hours until completely set. The resulting dessert is "delicately gelled"—not as firm as a "Jell-O" type dessert but nicely congealed.

Variations and Substitutions

Feel free to try other flavorings such as coffee or rum in place of the vanilla.

Try replacing the heavy cream with coconut milk (full-fat) or coconut cream.

Cooking and Serving Tips

• You can make it in ramekins or custard cups and unmold it directly onto a plate or bowl, or pour it into wine glasses or other smallish glasses and serve it that way.
• Serve this sugar-free panna cotta with fresh or frozen berries.
• Serve with a simple berry sauce. To makearaspberry sauce, simply thaw frozenraspberriesand add sweetener to taste. Mix well until it is a sauce consistency. If you'd like, strain the seeds out by forcing the berries through a strainer into a bowl.
• Another berry sauce to try is thiseasythree-berry sauce.
• Stevia is a noncaloric herb that is made into both a powder and a liquid and is very, very sweet. Only a small amount is needed to achieve the same amount of sweetness you would get from refined sugar. The general rule of thumb is for every 1 cup of sugar you need 1 teaspoon of stevia. However, the level of sweetness can differ depending on the manufacturer, so you will need to taste the stevia before determining how much you will need in a recipe.
  

By Team Verywell Fit
At Verywell Fit, we are dedicated to empowering you with the best answers to your most pressing questions, from healthy eating to exercise and everything in between.