Yogurt Panna Cotta

Vanilla yogurt panna cotta feels like a sophisticated dessert, but it is really a simple make ahead recipe. Top it with fruit for an extra special treat.

Creamy yogurt panna cotta is the perfect mix of slightly sweet and slightly tangy.  It is super smooth and fun to eat.  Serve it in a dark chocolate bowl or fancy glass and top it with fruit for a super special dessert.

Do you have a list of recipes you want to try but just haven’t had the chance yet? My list seems to always be growing and changing.

Panna cotta had been on my must try list for quite some time.  Something about the creamy but almost firm texture seemed so interesting.

When I finally decided to give it a go, I was so excited.  I read recipe after recipe, review after review and finally settled on a path to take.

To avoid the too sweet complaints of some reviewers, I kept the sugar on the lower side. Plus a little tang from the yogurt helped to balance it out.

After a little tweaking, the perfect panna cotta was born. It is simple to make, no bake and make ahead. So it is perfect for a party!

We tried our panna cotta trials a couple of different ways and both were fabulous.   There are so many fun ways you could serve it, the possibilities are endless!

Making the panna cotta

The first step to making the panna cotta is blooming the gelatin in milk. You want to use one packet of unflavored gelatin for this.

Once the gelatin is bloomed, add the cream and sugar. Cook slowly until everything is dissolved.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in some vanilla and yogurt. I used whole milk vanilla yogurt, but plain or Greek yogurt should work as well.

Great options for serving yogurt panna cotta

The easiest way to make a visual impact while serving your panna cotta is to use nice glassware. I used stemless martini glasses, but an old fashioned champagne glass or wine glass would also be fabulous.

Just ladle the slightly cooled panna cotta mixture into the glasses and chill until firm. We topped ours with passion fruit to continue the sweet and tart theme.

However you could top it with any fresh fruit. Lemon curd or blood orange curd would also be delicious toppings.

We also tried panna cotta in dark chocolate shells and those were amazing. Topped with pomegranate arils, they made for a stunning visual and even better flavor.

I just brushed the inside of a silicone mold with melted dark chocolate and let it sit to harden.  Once the panna cotta mixture was cooled to room temperature, I scooped it into the molds and immediately put it in the refrigerator.

After a couple of hours they were set. So I popped them out of the molds.

A sprinkling of pomegranate arils added both flavor and visual appeal. I’d happily order one of these beauties at a restaurant.

My guys went crazy over them. To be honest, it was love at first bite for me as well.

If you like Italian inspired no bake desserts, you may also like cornmeal budino with blueberry marmellata. It is another not overly sweet way to end the meal.