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My sweet and creamy keto panna cotta recipe needs only 5 ingredients and is SO easy to make. There’s no baking required and it’s only 2 grams of net carbs!
Need more creative keto desserts? Try my keto pavlova, keto trifle, and keto lava cake next.
Panna cotta is a vastly underrated dessert, in my opinion.
I hardly ever see it on menus, but when I do, I order it. It’s light and creamy yet rich, with a silky texture and vanilla flavor. While the classic dessert is full of sugar, I had no trouble turning it into a low-carb recipe.
What is panna cotta?
Panna cotta is a traditional Italian dessert made with a combination of sweetened cream and milk and thickened with gelatin. It has a custard-like texture and is typically vanilla flavored but can easily be adapted with other flavors, like chocolate and coffee.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- No one will see it coming. People don’t think of panna cotta as an ‘everyday’ dessert, but once you make it, your family will always request it.
- Simple ingredients. Aside from the gelatin, you probably have everything on hand already.
- Customizable. I love the traditional vanilla recipe, but I also tested a few flavor variations, so you never have to make it the same way twice.
- Easy to make ahead. The panna cotta must be refrigerated for at least 4 hours, but I usually make it the night before to make it even more convenient.
Ingredients needed
- Heavy cream. Also known as double cream or thickened cream. Avoid using light or reduced-fat varieties, or the panna cotta won’t set.
- Milk. I used unsweetened almond milk because that’s what I had on hand, but any dairy or dairy-free milk would work.
- Sugar substitute. I prefer either monk fruit or allulose, but if you have a preferred sweetener, use that.
- Vanilla extract. A must for traditional panna cotta!
- Gelatin and cold water. To bind the dessert.
How to make keto panna cotta
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep. Lightly grease eight ½ cup or four 1 cup ramekins. In a small bowl, whisk together gelatin and cold water. Let it sit to thicken.
Step 2- Simmer. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the cream, milk, sweetener, and vanilla. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for several minutes, then remove it from the heat.
Step 3- Add gelatin. Whisk the gelatin into the cream mixture until smooth. Pour the mixture into the ramekins and allow them to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Step 4- Serve. Once firm, run a slightly wet knife around the sides of the ramekin. Turn the ramekins upside down onto a plate and serve.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Make it dairy-free. Swap the cream for a plant-based alternative and use dairy-free milk. If it needs to be vegan, use agar agar.
- Single serving. If you don’t want individual ramekins, pour the mixture into one large glass serving bowl. It’s a great way to serve it, especially if you layer it with fresh berries and keto cookie crumbs!
- Serve it with sugar-free caramel sauce and keto whipped cream for a decadent sweet treat.
Variations
- Chocolate. Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder.
- Coconut. Swap out the vanilla extract for coconut extract, use coconut milk, and serve with shredded coconut flakes.
- Vanilla bean. Add the seeds of 1 vanilla bean pod.
- Espresso. Mix the gelatin with cold coffee instead of water. Dust the finished dessert with a mixture of cocoa powder and sugar free powdered sugar.
- White chocolate. Melt sugar free white chocolate and drizzle over the finished panna cotta. Alternatively, melt a layer of white chocolate into the bottom of the ramekin before pouring the mixture into it.
- Strawberry. Puree 1 cup of fresh or thawed frozen strawberries, then fold them into the mixture.
Storage instructions
To store: Store leftover panna cotta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
More low carb desserts you’ll enjoy
Keto Panna Cotta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon gelatin 1 envelop
- 2 tablespoon cold water
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup milk of choice I used unsweetened coconut milk
- 1/3 cup allulose
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Lightly grease eight 1/2 cup or four 1 cup ramekins and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together your gelatin with cold water. Let it sit to thicken.
- In a saucepan, add the heavy cream, milk, allulose, and vanilla extract. On medium heat, while stirring regularly, bring to a boil. Once it begins to boil, reduce it to very low and let it simmer for several minutes, before removing from the heat.
- Add the gelatine mixture into the saucepan and whisk very well, until combined and smooth. Distribute the panna cotta mixture amongst the ramekins and allow to cool to room temperature. Once cool, place them in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- After the panna cotta has firmed up, remove the panna cotta from the refrigerator. Using a slightly wet knife, run it around the sides of the ramekin for easy removal. Turn the ramekins upside down onto a plate and serve.
So good!!!!
Super easy to make; even with kiddo chefs! We made regular and chocolate using Cacao. Very delicious.
I’ve been looking for a good keto panna cotta recipe. I’ve never made it – keto or otherwise. This is clearly written with good tips. I pronounce it Easy and Delicious. Thank you!