Lemon Panna Cotta with Blueberries recipe

Have you ever made panna cotta? It’s a lot easier than you might think, yet it feels so fancy! Today I’m sharing a recipe for easy Lemon Panna Cotta that is great with fresh blueberries. This creamy, tart, and lightly sweet dessert is balanced by the sweetness of the fresh fruit. Make this for a holiday dessert, a dinner party, or even an at-home date night. It’s as easy as making pudding or Jell-O to have this decadent, restaurant-worthy Italian dessert at home. Challenge yourself to try this one soon and you’ll see that it’s not that much of a challenge after all! I developed this recipe as part of the Allrecipes Allstars Tastemakers program. Rate, review, and photograph my recipe for Lemon Panna Cotta with Blueberries on Allrecipes here, see the full recipe along with some of my cooking tips below, or you can Jump to Recipe directly.

Here’s what you need to make this:

Shortcut to make this recipe event easier: While the recipe describes how to remove the panna cotta from the molds for serving, they can also be served directly in the ramekins with the fruit on top for ease (though note I would use slightly larger ramekins in this case so you can leave room for the fruit on top). This is especially convenient if you are making a large batch for a party. If you are planning to remove them from the molds, you start by lightly oiling or spraying six 6-ounce ramekins with nonstick cooking spray.

Pour fresh lemon juice in a small bowl and sprinkle with unflavored gelatin. You can find this in the baking aisle right next to the regular Jell-O flavored gelatin mixes.

Let the lemon and gelatin sit for 5 minutes (to soften the gelatin), then mix it well and set it aside.

Stir together heavy cream, half and half (these two glorious liquids are what make this so decadent and creamy), and lemon zest in a saucepan over low heat. I use a silicone whisk.

Add sugar, stirring frequently, until the sugar has dissolved completely. Heat the mixture slowly until it is just about to boil (about 15 minutes), then remove it from heat.

Whisk the gelatin mixture into the cream mixture…

… along with the vanilla extract until well blended and the gelatin is completely dissolved. Keep lightly whisking until the mixture comes close to room temperature (about 10 minutes). Getting it close to room temperature will prevent the gelatin and cream from separating while the panna cotta is setting in the fridge.

Divide the mixture into six ramekins, about 1/2 cup per portion.

Cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours. It is important to let it set for at least 4 hours!

When you’re ready to serve, run a knife around the inside edges of the ramekin to remove panna cotta from the ramekins.

If the panna cotta isn’t coming out easily, it may not be fully set yet (when it’s fully set it should slide out pretty easily). If you’re sure it’s set and it’s still being stubborn, carefully dip each ramekin into a bowl of hot water for a few seconds.

Carefully invert the ramekins onto serving plates…

… tap and jiggle the ramekin a bit if needed for the panna cotta to come loose.

Garnish with additional lemon zest and mint leaves, and serve with fresh blueberries.

Here’s the recipe! Don’t forget to rate and review if you try it!