French Kitchen Lessons - Summer Panna Cotta
One of my favorite desserts featured in my book, French Kitchen Lessons, is for panna cotta in the summer chapter. It’s one of those recipes that proves you don’t need much to make something special. Just a few ingredients, a little time to chill, and you have a dessert that feels cool, creamy, and elegant—without any fuss. It can be made a day ahead and served straight from the fridge, which makes it especially welcome in warm weather or when guests are arriving. It carries whatever seasonal flavors you like: vanilla bean, citrus zest, or—as I make it in the book—with a spoonful of summer berries on top!
Mise-en-place
Basic panna cotta is made with a vanilla-flavored base. It takes less than twenty minutes to prepare and then about three hours to fully set.
Gather the basic ingredients:
1/4 cup / 60 ml whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
2 cups / 480 ml heavy cream
1/4 cup / 40 grams sugar
1 vanilla bean, split with seeds scraped with a flat knife or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.
For the topping:
Fresh berries or any summer fruit
Fresh mint or lemon verbena for garnish
Method …
In a medium glass bowl, whisk together the cold milk and gelatin. Let it sit for 5 minutes to bloom—the gelatin will swell and absorb the milk.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla bean pod, and the scraped seeds. Stir over medium heat until the sugar has fully dissolved.
Allow the cream mixture to come to a low boil, stirring constantly. As soon as it begins to bubble, remove the pan from heat.
Remove the vanilla pod and pour the hot cream over the bloomed gelatin mixture. Whisk until fully combined and smooth.
Pour into small bowls, glasses, or jars (I often use yogurt jars).
Chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or overnight, until softly set.
Bringing it together …
This panna cotta is a blank canvas—cool, creamy, and lightly scented with vanilla. You can keep it simple or dress it up with a few seasonal touches.
Summer berries are always a favorite—fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or a quick compote or coulis.
Melon slices—especially cantaloupe or Charentais—pair beautifully with a drizzle of honey or a squeeze of lime.
A few fresh garden herbs—mint, lemon verbena, or even a torn basil leaf—add a surprising and elegant twist.
For the 4th of July, (or on Bastille Day gatherings for us!) I love dressing it up with fresh strawberries and blueberries or blackberries —an easy nod to red, white, and blue (or bleu, blanc, rouge) … You can pour it into vintage teacups, ramekins, or even small yogurt jars. However you serve it, it always feels like the right note to end a summer meal.
DID YOU KNOW?
Panna cotta originated in Northern Italy, most likely in the Piedmont region. The name simply means “cooked cream,” and early versions were made by simmering cream with sugar and setting it with fish-derived gelatin—long before powdered versions became common.
It’s a dessert born from frugality and farmhouse practicality—using what was on hand and making something comforting, cool, and quietly elegant.
My new book …
French Kitchen Lessons - Recipes & Stories from Normandy’s Rabbit Hill Farm is available online and from your favorite bookshop!
About the Author
Cat Bude is a cookbook author, writer, photographer & foodie living on a farm in Normandy called Rabbit Hill. She loves to frequent local French markets and hosts and teaches both online and in-person cooking classes. She is also an entrepreneur and business owner with an online shop that features French culinary and vintage items.