Probiotic Panna Cotta With Caramel Apple Drizzle

Thickened with gut-friendly gelatin, homemade panna cotta blends a creamy texture with tangy milk kefir and a drizzle of apple cider caramel!

Chocolate’s my thing. I’ll go for a dense, fudgy brownie any day of the week.

This homemade panna cotta, though…

I could hardly stop eating it. You almost didn’t get any pictures for this — I was so tempted to devour it before the photo shoot.

Thankfully, this easy recipe makes a few extra servings. Milk kefir gives it a hint of tang that blends well with the sweet apples.

And the apple cider caramel sauce is downright amazing. If you have extra caramel it makes a great apple dip too.

Why I Love This Recipe

Not only does it taste phenomenal, but homemade panna cotta looks so elegant on the plate.

Even better, it’s easy to make! The hardest part is waiting for it to set up in the fridge.

And sharing. Sharing a dessert this good is a tough one. 😉

Homemade Panna Cotta Ingredients

This traditional Italian dessert has simple ingredients like sugar, dairy, and gelatin. In its purest form panna cotta is a light, creamy dessert topped with a simple fruit sauce.

This recipe sticks to the heart of the dish while using nutrient-dense ingredients. Since this recipe calls for a caramel apple drizzle, I’ll run through those ingredients, too.

1. Milk Kefir

Panna cotta typically calls for whole milk and cream, but we’ve replaced the milk with milk kefir for a probiotic boost. I was worried it would be too sour, but the maple syrup, apples, and caramel balance out the tart kefir.

It’s important to not heat the milk kefir, though, or it will kill the beneficial bacteria.

Learn how to make milk kefir, along with troubleshooting tips and more, here!

Are y0u dairy-free? Use a non-dairy milk kefir instead.

2. Gelatin

Gelatin thickens the panna cotta. Instead of a baked custard, we don’t have to deal with eggs potentially curdling or cracked tops.

It’s much creamier than a Jello-type dessert, though, because of the dairy.

Grass-fed gelatin supports a healthy gut, hair, skin, nails and more. It’s truly a traditional superfood.

Be sure that you use the kind that will gel and NOT collagen. While both are crazy good for you, collagen peptides won’t set up the homemade panna cotta.

We recommend this glyphosate-free, sustainably sourced, grass-fed gelatin.

3. Cream

Are you dairy-free? Use full-fat coconut milk instead.

4. Butter

In the caramel apple sauce, feel free to use coconut oil instead of butter.

5. Apples

Do you have a favorite apple variety? Use it! It doesn’t really matter which one you choose — each will yield a subtly different, delicious flavor.

6. Maple Syrup

Maple syrup is my sweetener of choice, however you can use honey (for just a hint of floral) or a crystalline sweetener, as well.

Ingredient Substitutions

If you’re skipping dairy, full-fat coconut milk can replace the cream. You can also use a non-dairy milk kefir, and coconut oil instead of butter in the caramel sauce.

Tips And Tricks

Although this recipe is easy, there are a few tricks to making a successful homemade panna cotta.

• Grease the small bowls, but not too much.
• Give it enough time to set in the fridge. After 2 hours mine was ready to eat, but it wasn’t firm enough to invert onto a plate.
• I also found that if I left it in the hot water bath too long, the sides melted too much. A short stint in the freezer fixed that problem though.

Can You Freeze Panna Cotta?

This recipe keeps well in the fridge for several days at least. I highly doubt it’s going to last that long before it gets eaten, though.

If you want to make the recipe ahead of time, you can make it 2 to 3 days before the event.

If you want to store some for later, homemade panna cotta can be frozen… usually.

Since this recipe has a high enough fat content and uses maple syrup instead of granulated sweetener, it should freeze well. I would test one out before freezing the whole batch though.

Before serving, thaw frozen panna cotta out slowly on a tray in the fridge.

Did you try this recipe? If so, please rate it in the recipe card below. Also, we would love to see, so tag us in your photo on Instagram or Facebook! 

And check out our other delicious fall dessert recipes on the blog…

• Soaked Pumpkin Muffins With Cream Cheese Filling
• Sprouted Apple Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies
• Grain-Free Apple Pie Shortbread Bars With Crumb Topping
• Pumpkin Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls With Cream Cheese Frosting
• Pumpkin Pie Panna Cotta: The Elegant, 5-Minute, No-Bake Thanksgiving Dessert
• Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Rolls With Cream Cheese Frosting
• Instant Pot Chai Spiced Apple Cake
• Allergy Friendly Apple Cranberry Crisp (Use Your Instant Pot!)
• Soaked Apple Cinnamon Muffins

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Probiotic Panna Cotta With Caramel Apple Drizzle

Thickened with gut-friendly gelatin, homemade panna cotta blends a creamy texture with tangy milk kefir and a drizzle of apple cider caramel!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Chill Time 4 hours

Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes

Servings 7 servings

Calories 223 kcal

Author Jamie Larrison

Ingredients

Panna Cotta

• 1 tablespoon sustainably-sourced gelatin (certified glyphosate-free)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1-1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean, scraped
• 1-1/2 cups milk kefir preferably full-fat

Caramel Apple Topping

• 2 apples about 2 cups
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup apple cider approximately
• 1/4 cup grass-fed butter
• 1 pinch sea salt

Instructions

Panna Cotta

1. Dab a paper towel into coconut or olive oil and lightly wipe the bottom and sides of the bowls or ramekins.

2. Combine the cream, maple syrup, and cinnamon into a medium-sized saucepan, whisking for a few seconds to combine.

3. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cream mixture and allow it to bloom for about 5 minutes. When it's done it will look a little wrinkled on top.

4. Turn the heat onto medium-low. Gently heat and stir the panna cotta mixture with a whisk.

5. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, just until the gelatin is dissolved. Don't let the cream simmer.

6. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Gently whisk the milk kefir and vanilla into the cooked cream mixture.

7. Pour the panna cotta into single serving ramekins (2 to 4 ounces) or small bowls. The smaller they are, the faster it will set up.

8. Transfer the panna cotta to the fridge for 2 to 4 hours or overnight.

9. You can eat the panna cotta in the bowl, or invert onto a plate. To invert, slide a spatula or butter knife around the top of the bowl, releasing the panna cotta from the top. Place the bowl into a container of hot water to loosen the sides for 1 to 2 minutes. Place a plate on top of the bowl and flip both over.

Caramel Apple Topping

1. Cook the apples in 1/2 cup of apple cider for 8 to 10 minutes until soft, but not mushy.

2. Set the apples aside.

3. To the same skillet or pot, add remaining 1/2 cup apple cider, maple syrup, and butter.

4. Bring the cider caramel to a heavy simmer, whisking frequently and simmer for about 5 minutes or until thickened.

5. Once the panna cotta is set, spoon cooked apples on top and drizzle with the warm or room temperature cider caramel.

Nutrition Facts

Probiotic Panna Cotta With Caramel Apple Drizzle

Amount Per Serving

Calories 223 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Fat 10g15%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Cholesterol 31mg10%

Sodium 82mg4%

Potassium 161mg5%

Carbohydrates 32g11%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 27g30%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 391IU8%

Vitamin C 3mg4%

Calcium 66mg7%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.