This Vanilla Panna Cotta with Blackberry Sauce is an impressive classic dessert that’s perfect for entertaining dinner guests or for a date night in. An Italian no-bake dessert that’s ready in just 20 minutes!
Have you ever made Vanilla Panna Cotta?
Without hesitation, I can totally say that Panna Cotta is my favorite no-bake dessert of all time. It’s ridiculously easy to make, and although it requires a little bit of “proofing” time in the fridge, you can use this to your advantage.
If you’re entertaining guests, make Panna Cotta the night before. When your friends have been fed and crave something sweet, take the Panna Cotta out of the fridge and serve. It’s the perfect way to impress dinner guests without a lot of fuss.
I first tried Panna Cotta many years ago during my summer vacation in Slovenia. We were having dessert in a small beach side cafe and ordered Panna Cotta. It was definitely love at first bite.
Just imagine a silky, smooth dessert that literally melts in your mouth. I just couldn’t get enough of it. It felt light and was so delicious.
Since that time, I’ve made Panna Cotta at home many times. I love that it’s so versatile and you can experiment with adding different ingredients. You can make it with regular milk, vegan milk, or even goat milk. You can add yogurt. You can top Panna Cotta with berry compote, sauce, or caramel. The sky is the limit. I have yet to try Panna Cotta that I haven’t liked.
Since summer is in full swing, there’s no a better no-bake dessert to refresh you on a hot day than Vanilla Panna Cotta with Blackberry Sauce. Simple, quick, and absolutely mouthwatering! You’ll love the vanilla flavor of this Italian dessert and the quick blackberry sauce that so well compliments the silky Panna Cotta.
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup half and half
- 3 tsp powdered gelatin
- 1 1/2 tbsp water
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups fresh blackberries
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp water
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp corn starch
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine gelatin and water.
- Heat heavy cream, half and half, and sugar in a medium pot and on medium heat. Bring the mixture to a low simmer, but do not boil.
- Off the heat, add vanilla extract and gelatin. Whisk until gelatin is fully dissolved.
- Lightly grease 6 ramekins with neutral oil and fill them with Panna Cotta.
- Cool Panna Cotta on the counter and then refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
- In a medium sauce pan, combine blackberries, water, and sugar. Cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and cornstarch and add mixture to blackberries. Continue cooking for another minute or until the sauce thickens.
- When ready to serve Panna Cotta, fill a medium bowl with boiling water and dip the bottom of a ramekin for 3 seconds. Quickly invert onto a clean plate and serve with homemade blackberry sauce.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: Instead of sugar, you can use honey or maple syrup.

Love this Panna Cotta? Pin it for later!
We hope you love this Vanilla Panna Cotta recipe from SoFabFood Home Chef, Iryna from Lavender and Macarons, as much as we do. If you love this indulgent recipe, stop by our Dessert Section to find more like it. For daily recipe inspiration, subscribe to our newsletter, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Pinterest. Enjoy!
Comments