Vanilla Panna Cotta with Strawberry Sauce

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Easy to make, silky smooth, creamy Vanilla Panna Cotta with Strawberry Sauce is the ultimate decadent dessert. A classic Italian dish, this recipe is made with fresh strawberries, sweetened heavy cream, a bit of sour cream, and thickened with unflavored gelatin.

Not only is panna cotta an amazing dessert, but it can also be made in advance, served molded or unmolded, is practically foolproof, has endless flavor variations, and has many topping possibilities.

A clear glass dish full of panna cotta and sliced strawberries.

This is a sweetly romantic dessert of pure deliciousness that is the perfect ending for Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Mother’s Day meals, as well as any other special occasion or dinner party.

But the best part is because it’s so simple to make, like, my Easy Key Lime Mousse, this family-friendly favorite is also the ideal anytime dessert!

Melt in your mouth Panna Cotta is similar in texture to creme brulee or flan. Topped with fresh strawberry sauce, it’s an impressive and elegant dessert and is as pretty as it is delicious. Check out the easy step-by-step instructions below.

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Ingredient notes:
How to make panna cotta:
How to make the strawberry sauce:
Recipe variations:
How to serve it:
How to make this recipe ahead:
Frequently asked questions:
Sharon’s tips:
More strawberry dessert recipes:
📋 Recipe:

Ingredient notes:

Heavy cream, strawberries, sugar and other ingredients for panna cotta.

Heavy whipping cream – makes this super simple dessert extra rich and creamy.
Granulated sugar – sweetens the cream and strawberries.
Kosher salt – enhances all of the flavors and brings them together.
Unflavored powdered gelatin – serves as a thickener and gives this dessert its velvety smoothness. Knox is a common brand, and you can usually find it in the baking section of your grocery store next to the Jello and cake mixes.
Sour cream – adds richness and depth with a hint of tanginess.
Vanilla extract – enhances the flavor of the other ingredients and adds the vanilla flavor. Vanilla paste or a vanilla bean can be substituted.
Fresh strawberries – and cream make a perfect marriage. They also add a pop of color and their own deliciousness to the mix.
Lemon juice – adds a lovely hint of lemon essence to the macerated strawberries. (Not pictured)

For specific measurements, see the complete recipe below.

How to make panna cotta:

Heat the cream, sugar, and salt In a large saucepan over medium heat and constantly stir until the sugar dissolves. This should take about four minutes. Don’t let the mixture come to a boil. When the sugar has dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.

Sugar and cream in a saucepan to make panna cotta.

Place a cup of water in the microwave and heat it for two minutes or until it comes to a boil. Add the powdered gelatin and stir with a fork or small whisk for four minutes or until completely dissolved.

Unflavored powdered gelatin mixed with water in a measuring cup.

When the gelatin is dissolved, add it to the warm cream mixture and mix well. Set aside and let cool.
When the cream mixture has cooled, add the sour cream and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth and creamy with no lumps.

Sour cream and vanilla mixed with cream in a saucepan.

Divide the mixture evenly into eight dishes or ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of four hours.

Using a ladle to spoon panna cotta into glass dishes.

How to make the strawberry sauce:

To make the strawberry sauce, hull and slice the strawberries. Add to a small bowl along with the sugar and lemon juice and stir well. Allow the berries to macerate for at least 30 minutes.

A cutting board with sliced strawberries and a ceramic knife.

Before serving, top the panna cotta with a heaping tablespoon of the strawberries and sauce and serve cold.

Panna Cotta in clear glass dessert dishes.

Recipe variations:

Instead of Vanilla Panna Cotta, you can kick things up a notch and experiment with different flavors, including mango, coconut, chocolate, strawberry, coffee, white chocolate, raspberry, passion fruit, caramel, lemon, and even egg nog.

While the strawberry sauce is my favorite, other berry sauces are delicious too. Additional topping ideas include but are not limited to caramel or chocolate sauce, melted raspberry, apricot, or strawberry jam, crushed Oreos, fruit coulis, chopped mango, and lemon curd. The possibilities are endless.

How to serve it:

Panna cotta is generally served with a topping and can be served molded or unmolded. I like to serve mine unmolded and use a clear glass dessert dish, but wine glasses or other stemware and small bowls can also be used. The glasses pictured are shrimp cocktail dishes.

If served molded, ramekins or small bowls are often used, and then the dessert is unmolded on a saucer, and a topping is added.

How to make this recipe ahead:

While you can make panna cotta days ahead of when you want to serve it, the macerated strawberries and sauce are best used within several hours of when it’s made. It’s best to make the strawberry sauce an hour or so before you plan to serve it and then top the panna cotta with the sauce right before serving.

Frequently asked questions:

What is it?

Panna Cotta is a simple, smooth, and creamy Italian dessert that is similar in texture to creme brulee or flan. Made with sweetened heavy cream, it is thickened with unflavored powdered gelatin.

Can you freeze it?

Yes, prepared panna cotta can be frozen tightly covered for up to three months with no loss in taste but with a slight change to the texture. Allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.

What does macerate mean?

Macerating is most often used for berries, and it simply means adding sugar which causes the fruit to release its juice.

What’s the difference between panna cotta and creme brulee or flan?

The main difference between the three is how they are thickened and prepared. Panna Cotta is thickened with gelatin, while the main thickening ingredient in creme brulee and flan are eggs, and they are both baked in the oven.

How long will it last?

The good news here is that panna cotta will last covered in your refrigerator for up to a week because of the heavy cream. This means you can make it well before you plan to serve it.

Sharon’s tips:

This dessert is a calorie splurge. Please don’t try to save calories by using regular milk or low-fat sour cream. It will not be nearly as flavorful and may not set up correctly. If you want to save calories, the best way is to cut down on portion size.
If you want to keep the mixture from running down the sides of your clear glass dishes, it works better to use a measuring cup or a small pitcher with a spout to pour it instead of using a ladle or spoon.
If you decide to put your panna cotta in a mold, plan to leave it in the refrigerator to completely firm up for 24 hours before trying to unmold it. Also, lightly spray your ramekins or molds with cooking spray, and then wipe out any excess before adding the cream mixture. To unmold, run a sharp thin knife blade around the top sides of the ramekin to loosen it a bit, and then place it in a bowl of warm water up to the rim for three to four seconds. Top it with a plate and flip it over to unmold it.

More strawberry dessert recipes:

If you love chocolate like me, you might also like these decadent desserts:

If you need more menu ideas or recipes, check out all of my dessert recipes or my collection of Decadent Valentine’s Desserts and Treats.

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