Easy Orange Panna Cotta

Creamy and rich, yet so light and flavorful- this orange panna cotta recipe is super easy and definitely worth a try.

Orange Panna Cotta served on a plate with golden spoon

On the hunt for a fruity and summery dessert that takes minimal kitchen time and effort to make? This orange panna cotta is recipe is just that and more. It has just the right balance of flavors that will tickle your taste buds, and leave you with a smooth and creamy aftertaste that you’ll absolutely love.

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Ingredients For the Recipe
How to Make the Orange Panna Cotta
Frequently Asked Questions
Tips to Make the Orange Panna Cotta
Recipe
Discussion

Ready to try out the recipe? Scroll down and keep reading to know more about it.

Ingredients For the Recipe

You’ll need just a few simple ingredients to put the orange panna cotta together.

1 tablespoon powdered gelatin
3 tablespoon water
4 cups heavy cream
¾ cup sugar
6 strips fresh orange peels
½ vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
Semi-sweet chocolate curls (for garnish, optional)
Orange supremes (for garnish)

Orange Panna Cotta served on a plate decorated with chocolate

Kitchen Tools Needed

How to Make the Orange Panna Cotta

Once you have all your ingredients ready, here’s what you need to do next to put the panna cotta together from scratch.

In a bowl pour the water in the gelatin and leave it for about 10 minutes without mixing.

Meanwhile, heat the heavy cream, sugar, orange peel, and vanilla over medium heat.

Take it off the heat and add the gelatin and mix until the gelatin is melted.

If the gelatin doesn’t melt, put it back on the heat.

Pour the mixture in serving glasses for desserts or in a mold for panna cotta.

if you dont want to eat orange peels then strain it

If you don’t want to eat the orange peels, strain the mixture before you pour it into the glasses.

Leave it in a fridge for at least 3 hours before you serve.

If you have a mold for panna cotta to help yourself take it out, place it in hot water for about 10 seconds.

Orange Panna Cotta garnished with orange wedges in a glass

You can decorate it with chocolate curls.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Can I Use Instead of Gelatin?

Agar-agar is the simplest, no-fuss alternative for gelatin that you can use for this recipe. Remember that the agar to gelatin ratio is not the same-infact, agar is much stronger than gelatin is, so you’ll need to be careful about the conversion.
Also remember that when you’re working with acidic fruits like orange, you’ll need to add just a little bit extra of agar to make sure the panna cotta sets well.

What Other Variations Can I Try?

This orange panna cotta recipe has the classic blend of orange and vanilla flavors- but you can still go ahead and experiment a bit if you want to.
Lemon is another flavor that works well with orange- you could add some lemon zest into the heavy cream mixture as well. You could also add a cinnamon stick into the mixture to bring in a bit of earthiness to the panna cotta- this will make it an excellent fall and holiday-friendly dessert.

How Do I Store the Orange Panna Cotta?

Your orange panna cotta can be easily stored in a refrigerator. If you’ve set the panna cotta in serving glasses, you can cover them with some cling wrap to help keep them fresh. You can store the panna cotta for up to 3 days. And of course, freezing this dessert isn’t recommended as it can ruin the texture.

What Toppings Can I Use?

This panna cotta is bursting with orange and vanilla flavors, and you don’t really have to put a whole lot of effort into its toppings. However, if you really want to go the extra mile, you can top it with candied orange or lemon slices, fresh orange zest, a sprig or two of mint leaves, or just the good old-fashioned sweetened whipped cream.
You could also opt for chocolate shavings as a topping if you want to enjoy a bit of a different flavor and texture, but remember to choose good quality bittersweet chocolate- it’ll complement the taste of the panna cotta really well as opposed to just milk chocolate.
You could also use fresh fruits (berries and citrus fruits are good choices), pralines, crushed cookies, chopped or candied nuts, and meringues are also worth trying out if you enjoy a bit of texture to your panna cotta.

Tips to Make the Orange Panna Cotta

Think you’re ready to try the recipe? Keep these additional tips and hacks in mind before you get started.

While dessert glasses are the the classic, no-fail choice to pour and set the panna cotta, you can also opt for tiny, individual sized serving bowls if you want to.
Silicone moulds are another good choice- you can set the panna cotta and then unmould it on a serving plate before you top it with your choice of toppings.
Want to make this dessert extra fancy? Mix a bit of agar with fresh orange juice and pour the mixture into your serving glass until it is ¼ full. Allow it to set for a few minutes before you pour in the panna cotta mixture. This extra step will not just make the panna cotta look really fancy, but will also lend it a nice burst of orangey flavor.
Ideally, it is best to allow the panna cotta to set overnight in the refrigerator. This will not just get it to firm up but will also enhance the orange flavor. However, if you’re on a time crunch, you can make do with just an hour of refrigeration.
If you’re making the panna cotta in a mold, you can grease it with a bit of oil before you pour the mixture in. This will make it easier for you to get it out of the mold.
Another cool trick to demould the panna cotta without the oil is to dip the bottom half of the container in hot or warm water for a few seconds. This will help soften the panna cotta and release it from the edges.

Orange Panna Cotta served in a glass and decorated with orange slice

Loved how easy it was to put this flavorful dessert together? Can’t wait to try some more such fun recipes? Here are a few you might want to check out.

Recipe

Yield: 8 Servings