Caroline's Cooking

Internationally inspired recipes for everyone to enjoy - mostly healthy, always tasty

Apple panna cotta

by 28 Comments

This apple panna cotta is a seasonal take on the traditional creamy Italian dessert, the subtle apple and cinnamon adding to an already delicious easy treat.

This apple panna cotta is a seasonal take on the traditional creamy Italian dessert, the subtle apple and cinnamon adding to an already delicious easy treat.

Somehow or another, it is November already and it now feels like I can genuinely start thinking towards the holiday season a bit. I’m afraid any shop that has decorations etc before now (which is an increasing number) starts to be avoided by me as I can’t and don’t want to think that far ahead.

November, though, seems just about acceptable, especially if you are thinking about food since Thanksgiving comes into the extended holiday season at the end of the month. That’s why this Sunday all involved in Sunday Supper have been putting on their thinking caps to create some easy holiday entertaining ideas (see links below), and I am bringing this delicious apple panna cotta recipe to the party.

apple panna cotta - a delicious bite!

A seasonal take on panna cotta

Panna cotta is an incredibly easy dessert to make. It’s also made ahead and chilled so is great for entertaining as there is no work at the time (unless you want to take them out of the dishes, but that’s still not much effort).

Here I have made a seasonal version using apple and a little cinnamon, sweetened with maple syrup rather than sugar, that creates a deliciously impressive dessert, that no one needs to know took you less than 10 minutes to make. Yes I did say less than 10 minutes, it’s that quick and easy.

apple panna cotta

To be honest, this is the first time I have made panna cotta. I’m not quite sure how I had never got round to it before, as it is always a dessert I am drawn to if I see it on the menu when we are out. I guess as with a few things, I somehow thought it was a bit more complicated to make than it really is.

Now I have made it though, panna cotta will definitely be happening more often (and it has! try my peach panna cotta too), and this apple version was so tasty, I am already craving it again. The apple and cinnamon flavors are subtle but delicious, adding to the beautifully smooth creaminess of the base panna cotta.

apple panna cotta

How to make apple panna cotta

As I say, panna cotta is really quick and easy to make, and the apple, cinnamon and maple added in here while subtle, give a deliciously tasty twist to the lovely creaminess that’s also fairly healthy (OK aside from the cream in there).

  • Put milk in a small pan, add the gelatin and leave to “bloom”.
  • Warm the milk to dissolve the gelatin.
  • Remove from heat and add maple syrup, cream, applesauce, vanilla and cinnamon.
  • Pour into greased ramekins and chill until set.

I have topped it with a little caramel which goes really well with it and I would certainly recommend the tiny bit extra effort in putting it on. As after all, the rest is so easy, you may as well make it look properly impressive for another couple of minutes effort, right? The only thing is it’s still quicker to eat than it is to make, but you can’t win them all. Just make lots and enjoy it again soon – it will keep a couple days in the fridge, if you let it.

Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes

Apple panna cotta

A deliciously creamy, easy dessert is given a fall twist with apple and cinnamon.
Prep Time3 mins
Cook Time4 mins
Total Time7 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: fall recipe, panna cotta
Servings: 2
Calories: 227kcal
Author: Caroline's Cooking

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup milk 80ml
  • 1 tsp gelatin
  • 4 tsp maple syrup 20ml (1tbsp + 1tsp)
  • 1/3 cup cream 80ml, I used heavy/double but can use lighter
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce 80ml
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Instructions

  • Put milk in a small pan and add gelatin. Leave approx 5min to 'bloom' - you will see it form a layer on top then this thins out as it dissolves.
  • Meanwhile lightly oil 2 ramekins/custard dishes (4-6oz size).
  • Gently warm the milk and ensure the gelatin dissolves, around 3-4min - test by putting a spoon in and seeing if you can see any lumps, there should be none.
  • Remove from the heat and add the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. The cinnamon may seem to float on the top - don't worry just try to combine as best you can.
  • Pour into the ramekins/custard dishes and chill for at least 2hrs, 4+ or overnight if you want to remove from dishes.
  • To remove from the dish, if you want to, sit the dish in a bowl of hot water for a minute then ease the top edge away with a knife before inverting on a plate (if the plate is damp, you can slide it to reposition if you need to).

Nutrition

Calories: 227kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 38mg | Potassium: 145mg | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 13% | Calcium: 8.7% | Iron: 0.5%

See all the easy holiday entertaining ideas being shared:

Beverages

Appetizers

Main and Side Dishes

Desserts and Baked Goods

Remember to pin for later!

This apple panna cotta is a seasonal take on the traditional creamy Italian dessert, the subtle apple and cinnamon adding to an already delicious easy treat.

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Comments

  7. Jhuls says

    It’s crazy how come I haven’t made wanna cotta until this date. It’s so easy and yours sound really amazing. Thank you for sharing, Caroline. Have a lovely weekend. 🙂 xx

    Reply

    • Caroline's Cooking says

      Thanks, Jhuls, I definitely want to experiment with panna cotta more now I have made it, it’s so easy and tasty.

      Reply

  8. Kaila (GF Life 24/7) says

    Yum! Your panna cotta is gorgeous and a beautiful dessert to finish off Fiesta Friday. The apple and cinnamon sound perfect for this fall weather. And, I in fact just brought some homemade applesauce to the fiesta this week, so we’ll make a great pair. Thank you for bringing so many dishes to the fiesta this week!

    Reply

  9. Morgan Eisenberg says

    I just got a ton of apples in my weekly farm share delivery and I couldn’t decide what to use them in. This recipe will be perfect!

    Reply

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