Yogurt Panna Cotta

Yogurt panna cotta is a delicious, healthy, breakfast or light dessert with a little tang, perfect for hot summer days! It’s a must-try for yogurt lovers.

Have you ever had the pleasure of eating panna cotta?

It’s an Italian dessert that’s made by thickening cream and flavorings with gelatin.

The texture is better experienced than described, but here goes. It’s similar to pudding, but smoother.

In fact, it’s kind of like a cross between jello and pudding. In a very good way. 

Today I’m going to share my recipe for a creamy Yogurt Panna Cotta. The yogurt adds just a hint of tang, plus the benefits of good-for-you probiotics!

Let me show you how to make it…

Ingredients:

First, here’s everything you’ll need:

• 2 1/2 Teaspoons Gelatin: I like to buy gelatin in a tub since it’s easier to measure out. I’ve used both Great Lakes Gelatin and Vital Proteins Gelatin – both work great!
• Salt: You only need a little bit to draw out the other flavors! I use unrefined sea salt, which contains less sodium than table salt. So if you opt for table salt, you may want to reduce the amount slightly.
• 1 Cup Cream: In my opinion, a good panna cotta is made with cream. You can either use whipping cream or heavy cream. 
• 1 1/2 Cups Yogurt: I used plain whole milk yogurt, but I’ve also use a Greek-style yogurt with success. Of course a Greek yogurt panna cotta will be higher in protein. 
• 6 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup: I love to use maple syrup to sweeten this, especially since it helps to dissolve the gelatin! My version contains less “sugar” than traditional panna cotta, so keep that in mind.
• 2 Tablespoons Water: You can use room temperature or cold water.
• 1 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract: Here’s where the flavor comes in! You can mix up the flavor combinations by substituting almond extract for the vanilla, or adding the zest of a lemon. See recipe notes for instructions.

 

Let’s pause a moment and chat about yogurt.

I love feeding my family Kalona SuperNatural whole milk yogurt because of all the benefits.

Not only does it contain 4 different strains of active probiotics, it’s also certified organic and grass-fed. And unlike a lot of other “natural” yogurts, Kalona SuperNatural is non-homogenized, so it has cream on top! Just stir it in before using!

 

How to Make Yogurt Panna Cotta:

This may look like a sophisticated dessert, but it’s SO easy to make!

Boiling the Gelatin

Place the maple syrup in a small saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Whisk it in.

Add the water and whisk again. Let it sit for 5 minutes.

Whisk a pinch of unrefined salt into the maple syrup water-gelatin mixture.

Heat the mixture to boiling over medium-low heat, whisking constantly. You may find the the mixture bubbles up as it boils.

Whisking in the Cream and Yogurt

Remove from heat and whisk in the cream.

Allow the mixture to cool, then whisk in the yogurt.

If you want to preserve the good probiotics in the yogurt, make sure to cool the mixture to at least 105 degrees F before whisking in the yogurt.

Finally, whisk in the vanilla extract.

Pouring and Chilling

Pour the yogurt mixture into individual serving jars or small cups. 6 to 8-ounce jars work best. 

The easiest way to do this is to just pour the yogurt mixture straight from the pan, but you could also ladle it into the jars instead. 

Cool to room temperature. 

Cover with lids or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to set. It should take about 3-4 hours.

 

Notes:

• You can adjust the sweetness level by adding or subtracting up to 2 tablespoons of maple syrup.
• These could totally be a breakfast option, especially if you go for the lower amount of maple syrup. But they may become your new favorite dessert as well!
• Serve this yogurt panna cotta plain or with fresh fruit. Berries are really easy, but peaches, nectarines, or another stone fruit would be lovely as well.
• You could also opt for a blueberry sauce (or another berry compote) or lemon curd!
• If you love the look of vanilla bean seeds in your panna cotta, you could substitute a vanilla bean pod for the extract. 

Many thanks to Kalona SuperNatural for sponsoring this post!

More No-Bake Dessert Recipes:

• Matcha Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
• Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
• Lemon Curd Ripple Ice Cream
• Egg Custard
• Homemade Chocolate Pudding
• Russian Cream (Sour Cream Panna Cotta)

Recipe Card:

Updated on May 7, 2024