Looking for an effortless but impressive dessert? Look no further than this Almond Honey Panna Cotta.

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 with Orange Syrup but this Mango Panna Cotta Coconut Cheesecake shows off it’s versatility.

Panna cotta with honey on a plate.

Table of contents

An easy make ahead dessert

Panna cotta is mind-blowingly simple to make, at least it was mind-blowing to me. 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.

Ingredients

Ingredients for honey panna cotta.

This panna cotta with honey is a combination of;

  • milk (1)
  • cream (2)
  • honey (4)
  • powdered gelatine (5)
  • salt (6)
  • almond extract (7)

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

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 and let it 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

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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. Rich, luxurious and perfect for honey lovers it’s also so easy.

More panna cotta recipes

panna cotta with honey on a plate

Almond Honey Pannacotta

Yield: 6 serves
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Setting time: 3 hours
Total Time: 8 minutes
4.9 from 8 ratings
This Almond 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 (full cream) milk (375ml)
  • 3 teaspoons powdered gelatine
  • ½ cup good quality honey
  • 1 ½ cups thickened (heavy) cream (375ml)
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • pinch of 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.

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: 250kcal
Author: Marie Roffey
Course: Dessert, Sweets
Cuisine: Italian
Have you tried this recipe?Don’t forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.