If you love coffee desserts, you’re going to LOVE this creamy, dreamy Coffee Panna Cotta. A silky smooth coffee-flavored custard is topped with rich chocolate ganache and fluffy mascarpone whipped cream.
Despite its luxurious flavor, panna cotta still feels light and refreshing after a heavy meal. It’s the perfect no-bake dessert to make the day before a fancy meal since it needs several hours to set in the refrigerator!
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This Is the Perfect Make-Ahead Dessert for Entertaining
If you’re looking for a dessert that packs a ton of flavor, but is light and refreshing, you’re right where you need to be. This creamy coffee panna cotta feels delicate, but it’s bursting with espresso and chocolate flavors and topped with the best mascarpone whipped cream.
If you’re unfamiliar with panna cotta, it’s a lightly sweetened Italian milk custard set with gelatin. Imagine a mix between pudding and Jell-O. This particular recipe is closer to a budino (Italian pudding) thanks to the egg yolks in the custard, making it creamier and richer than your classic panna cotta.
Any dessert that I can prep ahead of time is a win in my book! Panna cotta needs time to chill and set up, making it perfect for a party dessert. It’s a low-stress dessert that you’ll turn to again and again, just like I do!
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The Main Ingredients
You can find the full list of ingredients, quantities, and method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Half and half + heavy cream. The combo of half and half and heavy cream makes this panna cotta so rich. You could use all half and half to make it a bit lighter, but I always use a combo for special occasions.
- Egg yolks. Egg yolks make this dessert rich and creamy. You can store the whites airtight in the fridge and use them tomorrow in your morning scramble.
- Sugar. I love the mix of white and brown sugar for a more nuanced sweetness, but you could use all white or all brown.
- Gelatin. Gelatin sets the texture of the panna cotta, and there isn’t really a substitution here. I opt for powdered gelatin because it’s easy to find.
- Espresso powder. You can swap in high-quality instant coffee, but use 2 tablespoons instead of 1. Make sure you’re using instant espresso powder and not ground espresso beans which will make the panna cotta grainy.
- Vanilla bean paste. Vanilla bean paste has real vanilla bean seeds and gives a ton of flavor, but you can swap vanilla extract if that’s what you have.
- Semi-sweet chocolate. You can also use bittersweet here, too. The chocolate helps balance out the rich flavor of the coffee panna cotta. Don’t go with chocolate chips, which contain stabilizers and don’t melt evenly; opt for bars that you chop by hand.
- Butter. A bit of butter in the ganache makes it so smooth.
- Mascarpone. I love folding in a bit of mascarpone into whipped cream for extra elegance.
How to Make Coffee-Flavored Panna Cotta
Jenny’s Tip: The trick to perfect panna cotta is to use the right amount of gelatin! If you use too much gelatin, the texture is too firm and not creamy enough. You want just enough gelatin to set the custard and make it easy to slice.
- Simmer the dairy. In a saucepan over low heat, whisk together the half and half, heavy cream, espresso powder, and vanilla. Stir the mixture often as it comes to a gentle simmer (don’t bring it past a gentle simmer or else you might scorch the dairy!).
- Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. This will take a little while! You’re looking for the mixture to double in volume and become pale in color.
- Bloom the gelatin. This is a fancy way of saying you need to sprinkle the powdered gelatin into a bowl of cold water and let it sit for about 5 minutes until fully dissolved and smooth. You don’t want there to be any lumps!
- Temper the egg yolks to prevent them from scrambling. This step is key, so don’t skip it! To do this, drizzle some of the warm cream mixture into the whisked egg yolks. Once combined, add a little more of the warm cream, then repeat. Once the yolks are warm, add them to the saucepan on the stove.
- Simmer the custard until thickened. This should only take about 5 more minutes over low heat. I typically strain my coffee-flavored custard through a fine mesh strainer to make sure no lumps sneak into my panna cotta. Then, I stir in the gelatin.
- Chill for 4 hours to set, then top with ganache and whipped cream. You’ll want to let the chocolate ganache cool slightly before pouring over the panna cotta, otherwise you might melt it. Wait to add the whipped cream until you’re ready to serve.
Make-Ahead Tips
I love this dessert because it’s so easy to make ahead of time, either all at once or in stages.
- Panna cotta. Can be prepped and chilled up to 3 days in advance. Keep the glasses covered in the fridge to prevent a film from forming.
- Ganache. Can be poured over the panna cotta up to 24 hours in advance. If you top them with ganache any earlier, the chocolate starts to weep.
- Whipped cream. Must be made and added to the panna cotta just before serving. If made in advance, it will weep and deflate the fridge.
If you do give this recipe a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!
More Easy Dessert Recipes to Try Now
- Almond Ricotta Cake
- Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Cheesecake Marbled Brownies
- Guinness Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
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Coffee Panna Cotta Recipe
Ingredients
Panna Cotta
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups half and half
- 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 packet gelatin powder
Ganache
- 2 oz semi-sweet chocolate , chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Mascarpone Whipped Cream
- 1/2 cup cold heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons mascarpone , at room temp
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Simmer the dairy products. Combine the heavy cream, half & half, vanilla bean paste and espresso powder in a medium saucepan over low heat and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Bloom the gelatin. In a small bowl, pour the packet of gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water and allow to sit for 5 minutes, or until dissolved.
- Whip the yolks and sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and both sugars until pale in color and doubled in volume.
- Temper the egg yolk mixture. While whisking the eggs, pour some of the warm heavy cream mixture to bring the eggs up to a working temperature. Continue to whisk more of the warm cream into the eggs until the sugar is dissolved. While whisking, pour the egg mixture back into the heavy cream on the stove. Cook over medium heat while whisking constantly until the mixture has just thickened slightly (about 5 minutes).
- Strain, then add the gelatin. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a large measuring cup. Whisk in the bloomed gelatin until smooth.
- Chill for 4 hours. Pour the panna cotta into individual cups or ramekins (mine were 7 oz. cups) leaving a little room at the top for the ganache. Chill for 4 hours or overnight.
- Make the ganache. Add the chocolate and heavy cream to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and warm. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, vanilla, and salt. Allow to cool slightly. Transfer to a piping bag or a heavy duty ziplock bag and cut a small hole in the tip or corner. Top each panna cotta with a layer of ganache and return to the fridge for 10 minutes to set.
- Make the mascarpone whipped cream. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the cream vigorously until slightly thickened. Add the mascarpone, powdered sugar, and vanilla and whisk until soft peaks form. Top the panna cottas with whipped cream and serve.
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With the gelatin, do you mix the water it’s been blooming into the recipe as well, or do you try to strain out the gelatin after its bloomed?
If you’re using sheets of gelatin, you should be able to just fish the softened pieces out, squeeze out any extra water, and then discard that water. If you use powdered gelatin dissolved in a small amount of water, just add all of that in.