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A delicious and creamy dessert for fall! ThisPumpkin Panna Cotta recipe has all the flavors of pumpkin spice along with chunks of crushed chocolate chip cookies.

Panna Cotta with creamy pumpkin and crushed cookie crumbs on top

If you just can’t handle any more pumpkin pie for the holidays, you always have the option to switch things up and catch your family or your party guests off guard. Making this Pumpkin Panna Cotta recipes is a great way to do that. Think pumpkin pie and pumpkin spice flavors, they’re creamy, indulgent and must be made ahead of time so all the pressure is taken away! And with only a few ingredients and about 10 minutes prep time, making panna cotta is so easy.

What Is Panna Cotta?

Panna Cotta roughly translated from Italian means cooked cream. Heavy cream is the bulk of the ingredients used and also added to that are vanilla, sugar and gelatin. Once everything is mixed together, panna cotta is usually left to set in special molds, eventually being un-molded when ready for presentation. It’s usually served with fresh berries and a sauce.

Panna Cotta is quite adaptable though and that’s why I made this version with pumpkin and fall flavors. I also used single serve plastic cups instead molds. This makes my panna cotta perfect for parties or get togethers where people might not be sitting in a regular dinner party environment. They’re also the perfect size for one person!

WHAT MAKES PANNA COTTA SET AND BECOME FIRM?

Powdered gelatin is used to make this happen. You’ll need to “bloom” the gelatin in some cold water. The mixture will become firm like jello. Once the cream mixture is ready, add a small amount to the gelatin to dissolve it again and then you’ll add that mixture back into the rest of the cream. This is called tempering when you add a small amount of a warm ingredient to a cold ingredient so as not to shock it.

pumpkin panna cotta colse up shot with hand holding the Panna Cotta
Pumpkin Panna Cotta

WHEN TO ADD YOUR PANNA COTTA MIXTURE TO YOUR CUPS.

Once all of the ingredients are combined and there are no visible lumps, you can add the liquid to the cups. I prefer to use a soup ladle to do this and the cup size I used were 8oz (1 cup) size and the mixture yields 5 servings. I prefer to fill them three quarters full. You could easily use smaller cups if you prefer.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR MY PANNA COTTA RECIPE TO SET?

I would say at least 4-6 hours. I always leave them overnight to make sure. Keep them covered with plastic wrap as they sit in the fridge. This way they won’t absorb any other strong smells that might be in the fridge also

HOW MUCH GELATIN DO I NEED FOR THIS Panna Cotta RECIPE?

1 envelope of powdered gelatin is needed. Each envelope is 0.25oz or almost 3 tsp.

recipe faq’s

What does Panna Cotta taste like?

It tastes and feels like a custard r flan. How good it is really depends on the flavors you add to it.

What does Panna Cotta mean?

In Italian it means cooked cream.

Can I freeze my Panna Cotta?

Definitely! Just be sure to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and let it thaw in the fridge if you can.

Can Panna Cotta be like a creme brûlée?

Panna Cotta is made firm by gelatin, whereas creme brûlée uses egg protein to set. Direct heat to caramelize the sugar on the surface of Panna Cotta would likely melt the gelatin and therefore destroy the dessert unfortunately.

creamy Panna Cotta with pumpkin

more fantastic pumpkin desserts

Pumpkin Spice Panna Cotta

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
setting time: 6 hours
Servings: 5
Calories: 389kcal
Author: foodnessgracious
A delicious and creamy dessert for fall! These Pumpkin Panna Cotta have all the flavors of pumpkin spice along with chunks of crushed chocolate chip cookies.
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Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp cold water
  • 1 envelope gelatin powder
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves
  • chocolate chip cookies, roughly crushed

Instructions

  • In a small bowl add the cold water and sprinkle the gelatin on top of the water. Let sit.
  • In a pot warm the cream over a medium heat and add the sugar and vanilla.
  • Whisk until the sugar has dissolved, about 1-2 minutes without bringing the cream to a boil.
  • Take the cream from the heat and pour about half of a cup over the gelatin.
  • Whisk the gelatin mixture until it's no longer firm and you see no lumps.
  • Pour the gelatin mixture back into the pot with the rest of the cream.
  • Add the pumpkin and spices to the pot and whisk unti everything has been well mixed.
  • Add about 1 heaped tbsp of cookie crumbs to each cup and then slowly add the cream mixture.
  • Do this until you have no mixture left.
  • Transfer the panna cotta to the fridge and let sit overnight until firm.
  • Garnish with some more cookie crumbs or dust with cocoa powder.
  • Serve at room temperature.

Notes

Recipe adapted from David Lebovitz

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 39mg | Potassium: 172mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 9025IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 1mg