Blood Orange Panna Cotta

A recipe for Blood Orange Panna Cotta! A creamy vanilla-scented panna cotta is covered with a layer of blood orange gelatin for a stunning and decadent treat.

I have been looking for new ways to use blood oranges to take advantage of the season (usually between December to March/April in the United States) and absolutely love the layering in this Blood Orange Panna Cotta.

Panna Cotta is an Italian dessert created by adding gelatin to sweetened cream. It is heated, then refrigerated until set to form a jiggly and smooth texture. To add even more flavor and a vibrant contrast in color, this panna cotta is topped with a lightly sweetened blood orange gelatin.

Immediately before serving, I topped the dessert with cacao nibs, finely chopped pistachios, and fresh mint. Other options include blood orange segments/slices, chocolate curls, shaved chocolate or simply on its own.

A Few Tips

This recipe comes together fairly easily, but does require a few hours to set each of the layers.

It can be made up to a couple of days in advance (for a perfect make-ahead dessert) and refrigerated until needed. Don’t add the garnishes until immediately before serving.

If the cream starts to steam too much, decrease the temperature. Neither mixture should not come to a boil. Cook just until the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is smooth.

I used half a vanilla bean to add a light flavor to the panna cotta base. If unavailable, you can swap for 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract. If using vanilla extract, do not mix in until after removing from heat and with the gelatin.

Whisk the bloomed gelatin into the warm mixture after removing from heat. If it does not dissolve completely, place the cream or orange mixture back over very low heat and continue to whisk until dissolved. Do not bring to a boil.

The panna cotta layer may separate slightly as it chills. This is a normal occurrence due to the milk and cream.

After cooling for 10 minutes, very gently pour the warm blood orange juice over the chilled panna cotta. If you pour too quickly, the layers may blend together.

The exact color of the top layer may vary based on the color of the blood orange juice.

Looking for more Blood Orange recipes?

Try my:

• Blood Orange Vinaigrette
• These Blood Orange Chardonnay Cupcakes
• Blood Orange Shortbread Cookies

This recipe was originally posted in February 2015 and updated January 2022.

Blood Orange Panna Cotta Recipe

Adapted from From Which Things Grow

Print Pin

5 from 4 votes

Blood Orange Panna Cotta

A recipe for Blood Orange Panna Cotta! A creamy vanilla-scented panna cotta is covered with a layer of blood orange gelatin for a stunning and decadent treat.

Course Dessert

Cuisine N/A

Keyword blood orange, dessert, orange, panna cotta

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 8 hours hours

Total Time 8 hours hours 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6 Servings

Ingredients

Panna Cotta:

• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) cold water
• 1 tablespoon (9 grams) gelatin powder
• 2 cups (480 milliliters) heavy cream
• 1 cup (240 milliliters) milk
• 1/3 cup (67 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/2 vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

Blood Orange Gelatin:

• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) cold water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (4 grams) gelatin powder
• 1 1/2 cups (355 milliliters) freshly squeezed blood orange juice
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar

Instructions

To make the Panna Cotta:

• In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Set aside as you prepare the remaining ingredients.
• In a medium saucepan, whisk together the heavy cream, milk, and granulated sugar over medium heat.
• Scrape in the seeds from the vanilla bean and add the pod.
• Stir often until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture barely begins to bubble on the edges.
• Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes (no longer). Discard the vanilla pod.
• Add the gelatin with the water. Whisk until smooth.
• Transfer among individual serving glasses about 3/4 full (leaving room in each one for the blood orange layer). Cover and chill until set, 4 hours to overnight.

To make the Blood Orange Gelatin:

• In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Set aside as you prepare the remaining ingredients.
• In a small saucepan, whisk together the blood orange juice and sugar over medium heat.
• Cook, stirring often, just until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is barely starting to bubble around the edges. Remove from heat and stir in the gelatin with water.
• Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then gently pour the blood orange juice over the chilled panna cotta.
• Cover and return to the refrigerator for another 4 hours or up to three days until set.
• Serve chilled.