This light Lemon Panna Cotta is the perfect early spring dessert, it’s no-bake, super simple, and easy to adjust for dairy free and vegan!
I knew one of the first things I was going to make once the weather turned warm was a lemon panna cotta. I discovered it last year and fell in love with the smooth, silky texture. Panna cotta, or cooked cream, is an old treat from the mountains of northern Italy, where the cream is so spectacular it’s been eaten as a dessert all by itself for generations. This lemon version is super tangy with the zest and juice of 2 lemons. It’s the perfect backdrop for a cluster of fresh fruit and an edible blossom or two, and therefore the perfect dessert for an occasion like Mother’s Day, a spring shower, or a just because romantic dinner.
I dug out my mini cookie and fondant cutters for this, and the thinly sliced pieces of papaya, below, made beautiful little flowers and butterflies to scatter among the berries. Use slices of melon, mango, kiwi, banana, whatever you like. You can find these cute little sets in cooking stores, discount department stores, or here online. These little touches turn a plain lemon panna cotta into a celebration-worthy dessert.
But even though I lavished attention on the fruit garnish, the flavor of this lemon panna cotta stands on its own. I would be totally happy with a little pot of it all by itself. You know me, I’m not happy unless I’m going all the way with whatever flavor I’m playing with, so there’s nothing wishy-washy about the lemon presence here. The zest of 2 lemons begins the process as it infuses the essence of lemon into the cream and milk. Then the juice of both lemons goes in, followed by a dose of lemon extract.
The panna cotta can be made ahead of time so all you have to do is assemble the fruit at the last minute. This could be made into a beautiful tart with a graham cracker crust, and I also like it poured into small jam jars and garnished with a simple wedge of lemon and a sprig of mint. It can be rustic, or elegant, depending on how you present it.
Panna Cotta is a no bake dessert, and it’s one of the easiest of them all. It basically consists of heating cream and milk, and adding gelatin. That’s about the extent of it. Once it sets up in the refrigerator, it’s done.
For vegan lemon panna cotta, substitute full fat coconut milk for the dairy cream and milk. You can use agar-agar, a seaweed derived gelatin substitute, in place of the gelatin.
Use 1 tsp powdered agar (for 1 envelope gelatin)
- Whisk into milk/cream
- Bring to a full boil*, simmer 1–2 min
- Remove from heat, add lemon
- Pour + chill
*Note: agar must boil to set.
If you cover your lemon panna cotta well, this can sit in the fridge for a couple of days before you serve it. Don’t add the fruit until you are ready to serve, and be sure to serve it cold, because gelatin will soften as it comes to room temperature. If you haven’t had panna cotta, I highly recommend it, not only for the ease of preparation, but because it has a unique cool silky texture and can be flavored in a million ways. It makes a very elegant presentation with hardly any effort!
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Lemon Panna Cotta
Ingredients
- the zest and juice of 2 lemons, about 1/4 cup juice
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 envelope powdered gelatin, 7 grams or 2 1/4 teaspoons
- 1/4 tsp lemon extract, optional
Instructions
- Wash the lemons well. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the rinds from the lemons. You only want the yellow part, not the bitter white.
- Pour the cream and milk into a saucepan and stir in the sugar until dissolved. Add the lemon rinds and heat just until it almost comes to a boil. Turn off the heat and let sit for 30 minutes.
- Strain the cream mixture and return it to the pan.
- Pour 1/4 cup cold water into a small cup and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Let sit for 5 minutes to soften.
- Reheat the cream mixture to just below a simmer. Remove from the heat and stir in the gelatin until completely dissolved.
- Let the mixture cool for about 5 minutes, then stir in the lemon juice and extract.
- Pour into jars or cups and refrigerate until set, 2–3 hours. Serve cold with berries, fruit, or edible flowers.
- Serve cold.
Nutrition
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This is absolutely beautiful! I tried panna cotta for the first time when I was in Rome and it was the most amazing thing I’ve ever tased!!! I love the presentation of these.
Thanks Julia, I loved making these, I am definitely going to do another flavor this spring!
I Had never heard of Panna Cotta prior to coming across your recipe (on foodgawker?). I am a fan of creamy, smooth flan and crime brûlée..but not cheesecake. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I bookmarked your recipe (was already a fan of your blog) made the Panna Cotta last night and took it (in half size mason jars just like yours) to work today to share with my co-workers. I served the Panna Cotta topped with fresh blueberries, fresh raspberries, and a few baby mint leaves from my garden… WOW WOW WOW luscious, elegant, and yet so surprisingly easy to make. It was a HUGE hit with my co-workers/friends. They all wanted the recipe!! (Compliments to you!), The bright lemon paired perfectly with the sweet berries. Lemon Panna Cotta is now on my short list of recipes to make when I am invited to dinner. Thank You!
I’m really glad to hear this, Mary, thanks. I loved making it, and you’re right, it’s surprisingly easy. I really liked how strong the lemon flavor was. I’m so glad it was a hit!
Fabulous, Elegant and SO easy. Made your recipe today and poured it into the mini mason jars, just like the ones shown in your photos. Served topped with fresh blueberries and raspberries! Divine. Sharing the remainder with coworkers tomorrow as a surprise. Sharing this reviled with several friends !
Thanks so much for mentioning this dessert in your comment, Sue! This would be a lovely addition to the menu when we host our gourmet group this summer.
I think this is the prettiest presentation of panna cotta I have ever seen. I love all things lemon and I’m sure your panna cotta is delicious.
Karen I really appreciate your comment, glad to have you visit!
I don’t make panna cotta often enough, and I should. It’s one of my favorite desserts, and it’s a blank canvas to play with different flavors. As always, your presentation is so beautiful.
It really is a blank canvas, that’s another reason I like it so much!
I don’t really like cream by itself, but I think that panna cotta is absolutely delicious. It’s interesting to see a recipe. So beautifully simple, especially with those cute little papaya shapes on top!
This is so beautiful! This reminds me of the way my mother always decorated food. People hesitated to start eating because they didn’t want to mess it up. I’m sure you’ve experienced the same thing. Just added TVFGI to my “Sites I Visit” page!
Such an elegant dessert…and thank you for the fondant cutter inspiration!!
the panna cotta sounds delicious and i love the way you decorated it. the fruit cutters are a great idea!