Italian · Desserts

Silky vanilla cream (Panna cotta)

Name: Silky vanilla cream (Panna cotta)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 5 h 23 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1/2 cup (120 grams) cold whole milk; 2 teaspoons (6 grams) powdered unflavored gelatin; 2 1/2 cups (600 grams) heavy cream; 1/3 cup (67 grams) granulated sugar; 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped; 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup fresh berries, for serving

A softly set vanilla cream that trembles on the spoon and melts cleanly with fresh berries.

About 5 hr 25 minTotal

About 25 minActive

$$Cost

ModerateDifficulty

Makes 6 servings

Equipment

Any medium bowl with room to whisk without splashing works here.
Best steady grip
OXO Good Grips Stainless Mixing Bowl Set
View at Amazon
Best value with lids
Cuisinart Stainless Mixing Bowls with Lids
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Any medium bowl with room to whisk without splashing works here.
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How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We compared stainless mixing-bowl sets for stability while whisking, useful size range, nesting, lids, durability, and cleaning. Hands-on comparisons informed the fit labels; manufacturer specifications established the exact sets. Kwilt has not used these bowls.
OXO Good Grips Stainless Mixing Bowl Set: The grippy bases help a bowl stay planted while one hand whisks and the other adds dashi or seasoning. Trade-off: The thicker insulated construction costs more and nests less compactly than plain stainless restaurant-style bowls.
Cuisinart Stainless Mixing Bowls with Lids: Three durable sizes and fitted lids make the set useful for prep and storage without paying for a specialized base. Trade-off: The plain stainless bottoms do not grip the counter, so a damp towel may help when whisking vigorously.
Another workable path: Any clean medium bowl with enough room to beat the eggs without splashing will work. A pouring lip or nonslip base is helpful, not required.
Sources
Reviewed hands-on comparison
America's Test Kitchen bowl review
Professional baker recommendations

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 6 servings

1/2 cup (120 grams) cold whole milk
2 teaspoons (6 grams) powdered unflavored gelatin
2 1/2 cups (600 grams) heavy cream
1/3 cup (67 grams) granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh berries, for serving

Instructions

Pour cold milk into a , sprinkle gelatin evenly over the surface, and let bloom 5 to 10 minutes without stirring. Lightly oil six 6-ounce ramekins only if you plan to unmold them.
Heat cream, sugar, vanilla seeds and pod, and salt over medium-low until steaming and sugar dissolves; do not boil. Remove the pod and whisk hot cream into bloomed gelatin until completely dissolved, then stir in vanilla extract.
Strain into a pitcher and divide among ramekins. Cool 20 minutes, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours until set but visibly trembling. Do not freeze to speed the set.
Serve in the ramekins with berries, or dip each outside in warm water for 5 seconds, loosen the edge, and invert onto a cold plate. If it resists, repeat briefly rather than heating until the cream melts.

Piedmont, ItalyPiedmontese cream-dessert traditions

From the table

About this recipe

Panna cotta, literally cooked cream, is associated with Piedmont in northern Italy; its defining success is a softly set vanilla cream that visibly trembles rather than bouncing like firm gelatin.

Panna cotta means cooked cream, though the cream is only gently heated. The Piedmont-associated Italian dessert succeeds when gelatin acts quietly: enough to hold a delicate shape, never enough to bounce like firm gelatin. The catalog title leads with what someone will eat—a silky vanilla cream—while the detail page retains the traditional name and its defining tremble. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Lead with a familiar vanilla-cream description, synthesize the easiest successful mold method, and set a restrained six-gram gelatin ratio so the traditional tremble survives home handling.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe