Dessert

Creamy Pumpkin Caramel Panna Cotta

This creamy and rich Italian dessert is full of pumpkin caramel flavor with a rich caramel sauce waiting for you at the bottom of the glass.

To recipe
Creamy pumpkin caramel panna cotta
Recipe insights & TIPS

I was searching through some of my older pumpkin posts recently and came upon a few which I had been really happy with. The problem was looking back at them and cringing at the photographs I had taken.

Back then it was a point and shoot under the range hood, and the family looking at me and wondering when they'd actually get the go ahead to start eating the food.

Creamy pumpkin panna cotta

I'm not a picture snob but I've learned so much in these past years of blogging. The photography aspect is probably my favorite part of building a post now whereas once I didn't even give it a second thought.

I can look back at older posts and actually have some clue as to what went wrong or what should have been done differently. I hope I can keep learning and improving.

Panna cotta filled with rich caramel

So I thought- Ali, what a great idea! No better place to start than with this Pumpkin caramel Panna Cotta.

The didn't have caramel in it, but I don't think by adding it will lose me any friends, right? This is a really simple dessert to make but one which could easily sit proudly on any fancy restaurant menu. it's also a recipe that has to be made ahead of time and requires no baking!

Am I selling it to you yet? It has a good pumpkin flavor but isn't too sweet, although once you hit the caramel at the bottom, then all bets are off in the "not sweet" department!

Panna Cotta usually is left to set in molds and then turned out onto a plate for serving. Every time I've tried this, it's been fraught with problems and silent fairly quiet cuss words.

So I decided to just keep them as they were and scoop all of that creamy, silky goodness out with a spoon. You could even replace the caramel with chocolate ganache or a spiced apple puree.

Rich caramel pumpkin panna cotta
Creamy panna cotta
The perfect thanksgiving dessert

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Recipe

Creamy pumpkin caramel panna cotta

Course:
Dessert
COOKing TIME:
20 minutes
Total TIME:
35 minutes
CUISINE:
American
PREP TIME:
15 minutes
SERVINGS:
6

Ingredients

For The Panna Cotta:

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 packet of powdered gelatin
  • 3 tbsp cold water
  • 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves

For The Caramel Sauce:

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp cold water
  • 1 1/2 tbsp light corn syrup
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredient Swaps

Instructions

  1. Make the sauce by combining the sugar, water and corn syrup in a heavy bottomed pan until it has boiled to a deep amber color. Do not stir.
  2. Add the butter and whisk until it's all mixed through. Add the cream and vanilla and whisk again. Boil gently for a further 3-4 minutes.
  3. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. After 5-10 minutes, pour about an inch od sauce into the base of each mold you're going to use. Place them in the fridge while you make the panna cotta.
  4. In a medium bowl, Add the cold water and sprinkle the gelatin on top of the water.
  5. Take a large pot and place the cream and sugar into it. Stir over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.
  6. Remove from the heat and add the spices, vanilla and pumpkin. Whisk gently until everything is incorporated.
  7. Gradually pour the cream mixture into the gelatin/water and whisk to combine.
  8. Take the molds from the fridge and make sure the caramel sauce has begun to set. Gently pour some of the cream mixture on top of each caramel sauce.
  9. Pace the filled molds back into the fridge and let them set for at least 6 hours or overnight.
  10. Bring them out of the fridge 10 minutes before serving.
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