Looking for an effortless but impressive dessert? Look no further than this honey panna cotta. With the sweet, floral flavour of honey and a touch of almond for a nutty twist, all combined into one easy, creamy dessert, it’s a crowd pleaser.

Panna cotta is mind-blowingly simple to make; think 5-6 ingredients and less than 10 minutes, kind of easy. The result is a creamy, smooth, rich dessert that can be made 2-3 days ahead of time. It’s simplicity and indulgence all at once make it a great dinner party dessert.

Panna cotta is so versatile and the flavour combinations really come down to your imagination. My love for it began with this vanilla panna cotta but this mango panna cotta coconut cheesecake shows off it’s versatility. From serving share style to serving in tarts, in cute little glasses or turned out to show of it’s gorgeous wobble, there are countless ways to serve this no bake dessert.

Panna cotta with honey on a plate.

Table of contents

Ingredients

Ingredients for honey panna cotta.

Jump to the recipe card for full ingredients and instructions.

This panna cotta with honey is a combination of;

  • milk (1) – Use whole milk for best results. Panna cotta can split into layers if using light ingredients.
  • cream (2) – Use full fat cream for best results.
  • honey (4) – there are so many different varieties of honey. Use your favourite.
  • powdered gelatine (5) – not sheets. I don’t use gelatin leaves/sheets in my recipes, only gelatine powder so I can’t tell you the correct amount in sheets to use.
  • salt (6)
  • almond extract (7) – if you don’t want to add the almond extract, you can just leave it out or use some vanilla extract or vanilla bean seeds.
Honey being drizzled onto a panna cotta on a white plate.

Panna cotta has a light sweetness, often from a little sugar, but this one uses honey. It’s not overwhelmingly sweet, making it the perfect way to finish dinner.

For this one, I made a simple almond toffee crumb to sprinkle over the top. This is a great way to add more sweetness if you want it or just to add a little crunch.

How to make the perfect pannacotta

Jump to the recipe card for full ingredients and instructions.

4 images showing how to make panna cotta.
  1. The setting agent in my panna cotta is powdered gelatine and the simple dessert begins with allowing the gelatine to ‘bloom’ on top of cold milk. ‘Blooming’ gelatine is the process of allowing the gelatine to soften for 5 minutes in cold liquid so that it dissolves more easily when heated.
  2. Now you turn the heat on low and stir gently until the gelatine dissolves (about 1-2 minutes max)
  3. Add a good quality honey and stir it through over the low heat until it is all thoroughly combined. The honey is the star of the show here so it needs to be a good one.
  4. Now remove the saucepan from the heat and add the cream, almond extract and a pinch of salt.
  5. That’s the cooking done – it doesn’t even get to a simmer. You pour this panna cotta mixture into serving glasses or lightly greased ramekins/ dariole mold and chill to set for 3-4 hours (or overnight).

Add any toppings right at the end and serve straight from the fridge, then watch everyones eyes light up at that amazing creamy honey almond flavour and smooth, light texture.

Panna cotta with honey on a plate with a spoonful taken out.

How to serve panna cotta

There are so many creative ways to serve this honey almond panna cotta

What to serve with panna cotta

Here I serve the honey pannacotta with some more honey and some almond nuts turned into a praline or toffee. You can just use some seasonal fruit or fresh berry sauce.

Birdseye view of panna cotta with honey on a plate.

If you’ve never tried making panna cotta, or never tried making panna cotta with honey instead of sugar, then you definitely need to try this honey pannacotta. Rich, luxurious and perfect for honey lovers it’s also so easy.

More panna cotta recipes

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panna cotta with honey on a plate

Honey Pannacotta

Yield: 6 serves
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Setting time: 3 hours
Total Time: 8 minutes
4.8 from 9 ratings
This Honey Panna Cotta is flavoured and naturally sweetened with honey. It's creamy, light and so easy to make. A perfect make-ahead dessert.
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Ingredients

For the Panna Cotta

  • 1 ½ cups whole milk (full cream milk) (375ml)
  • 3 teaspoons powdered gelatine
  • ½ cup good quality honey
  • 1 ½ cups thickened cream (heavy cream) (375ml)
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • pinch salt

For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided

Instructions
 

  • See notes for turning out panna cotta.
  • Pour the cold milk into a saucepan and sprinkle the gelatine over the top. Allow it to "bloom" for 5 minutes (it should look a bit wrinkly by the end).
  • Turn the heat on low under the milk and stir for a minute or two until the gelatine has dissolved.
  • Add the honey and stir again until completely incorporated. This should only take another 30 seconds. Don't let the milk get too hot or to come to a simmer. It should only be just warm.
  • Take the saucepan off the heat. Pour in the cream, almond extract and salt and mix until thoroughly combined.
  • Divide evenly among 6 ramekins or glasses. Place immediately in the fridge and allow to set for at least 4 hours (or they can be made up to 2 days ahead).
  • Remove from the fridge and top with extra honey, almonds and toffee.
  • Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.

Notes

  1. If you want to turn the panna cotta out onto a plate when set, first start by spraying 6 dariole moulds or ramekins with oil spray. Wipe them with paper towel so there is only a light covering.
  2. To unmould;
    • fill a dish with  an inch or so of warm water (for tin moulds) or hot water (for ceramic ramekins)
    • sit the moulds in the warm water for 10-20 seconds. Place your serving dish on top of the panna cotta mould and flip it over. Give the panna cotta a gentle shake. They may take a little bit of encouragement but should slide out perfectly.
    • If it’s not releasing, press very lightly around the edge of the panna cotta with your finger to release it from the sides and test again.
    • If it’s still not releasing, it just needs a touch longer in the warm water.
  3. These will melt if left for too long out of the fridge. You can turn them out prior to serving but make sure you have room for all the plates to sit in the fridge.
  4. Please use a good quality honey that you love the flavour of. It is the star of the show in this recipe so the better the honey, the better the panna cotta.
  5. To make the almond toffee crumb, use this pistachio brittle recipe, but swap the pistachios for flaked almonds and then blitz in a food processor once it hardens to turn it into a fine crumb.
More panna cotta recipes here
Calories: 333kcal
Author: Marie Roffey
Course: Dessert, Sweets
Cuisine: Italian
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Nutrition information is approximate only and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use and any changes you make may cause variations.

Nutrition Facts
Honey Pannacotta
Amount Per Serving
Calories 333 Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Fat 23g35%
Saturated Fat 15g94%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 75mg25%
Sodium 44mg2%
Potassium 164mg5%
Carbohydrates 28g9%
Fiber 0.1g0%
Sugar 28g31%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 973IU19%
Vitamin C 0.5mg1%
Calcium 117mg12%
Iron 0.2mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.