• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

About a Mom

Inspiration for Motherhood

  • Dinner Ideas
    • Main Course
    • Pasta
    • Chicken
    • Casseroles
    • Vegetarian
    • Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Keto
  • Appetizers & Sides
    • Salads & Side Dishes
    • Appetizers
    • Bread
  • Sweet Treats
    • Dessert
    • Baking
    • Cookies
  • Kids Corner
    • Crafts for Kids
    • Kids Fun
    • Activities
    • Learning Activities
    • Food for Kids
  • Mealtime
  • Printables
  • Crafts
  • parenting
  • About
HomeMealtimeRecipesDessert

Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries

4.50 from 4 votes
Angela SellariBy Angela Sellari
Angela Sellari
Angela Sellari Founder of AboutAMom

Angela is the founder of About A Mom and currently acts as a content creator and editor-in-chief for the About A Mom Team. She has been a professional blogger for over 10 years. Angela has appeared…

Expertise: Content Creation & Editing View all posts →
Jump to Recipe

On my quest this week to find the ultimate Valentine’s Day dessert, I happened upon an Ina Garten recipe on Food Network.

Heart-shaped panna cotta with balsamic strawberries and lemon zest on a striped plate.

Chocolate is always so popular on Valentine’s Day, but I wanted to find something a little different that packed the same WOW factor as all the decadent chocolate desserts plastering the pages of Pinterest over the last few weeks. This Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries Sauce recipe is a  real show stopper. Having never made Panna Cotta before, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. The tangy sweet Balsamic Strawberry sauce is the perfect accompaniment to the rich and creamy Panna Cotta custard.

I’ve been eager to use these cute heart-shaped ramekins that my daughter picked up from Williams-Sonoma a few years back. But if you don’t have heart ramekins any shape will do just fine.

Heart-shaped ramekins filled with panna cotta mixture, alongside a bowl of sliced balsamic strawberries.

Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries is the ultimate Valentine’s Day date night recipe!

Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 packet (1 teaspoon) unflavored gelatin powder
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cold water
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
  • 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
  • 1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
  • 2 pints (4 cups) sliced fresh strawberries
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Freshly grated lemon zest, for serving
Panna cotta with balsamic strawberries and lemon zest in a heart-shaped bowl.

Directions:

Step 1: In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin on 1 1/2 tablespoons of cold water. Stir and set aside for 10 minutes to allow the gelatin to dissolve.

Step 2: Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup of the cream, the yogurt, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds. Heat the remaining 3/4 cup of cream and the 1/3 cup of sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Off the heat, add the softened gelatin to the hot cream and stir to dissolve. Pour the hot cream-gelatin mixture into the cold cream-yogurt mixture and stir to combine. Pour into 4 (6 to 8-ounce) ramekins or custard cups and refrigerate uncovered until cold. When the panna cottas are thoroughly chilled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Step 3: Combine the strawberries, balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, and pepper 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving. Set aside at room temperature.

Step 4: To serve, run a small knife around each dessert in the ramekin and dip the bottom of each ramekin quickly in a bowl of hot tap water. Invert each ramekin onto a dessert plate and surround the panna cotta with strawberries. Dust lightly with freshly grated lemon zest and serve.

Panna Cotta with balsamic strawberries, topped with lemon zest, on a striped plate.
Heart-shaped panna cotta with balsamic strawberries and lemon zest on a striped plate.

Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries

Angela Sellari
Savor this silky Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries recipe. A creamy, gluten-free dessert with tangy berries, perfect for Valentine's Day.
4.50 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Refrigeration + Resting Time 8 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Total Time 9 hours hrs
Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4
Calories 430 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 packet 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cold water
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream divided
  • 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 vanilla bean split and seeds scraped
  • 1/3 cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon
  • 2 pints 4 cups sliced fresh strawberries
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Freshly grated lemon zest for serving

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin on 1 1/2 tablespoons of cold water. Stir and set aside for 10 minutes to allow the gelatin to dissolve.
  • Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup of the cream, the yogurt, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds. Heat the remaining 3/4 cup of cream and the 1/3 cup of sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Off the heat, add the softened gelatin to the hot cream and stir to dissolve. Pour the hot cream-gelatin mixture into the cold cream-yogurt mixture and stir to combine. Pour into 4 (6 to 8-ounce) ramekins or custard cups and refrigerate uncovered until cold. When the panna cottas are thoroughly chilled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
  • Combine the strawberries, balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, and pepper 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving. Set aside at room temperature.
  • To serve, run a small knife around each dessert in the ramkein and dip the bottom of each ramekin quickly in a bowl of hot tap water. Invert each ramekin onto a dessert plate and surround the panna cotta with strawberries. Dust lightly with freshly grated lemon zest and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 430kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 5gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 22gSodium: 55mgFiber: 0.1g
Keyword Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

About Angela SellariContent Creation & Editing

Angela is the founder of About A Mom and currently acts as a content creator and editor-in-chief for the About A Mom Team. She has been a professional blogger for over 10 years. Angela has appeared in numerous TV segments, advertising campaigns and her work has been featured by many top publications. She lives in Tampa, Florida.

Reader Interactions

Published: Feb 2, 2014 | Updated: May 17, 2026
4.50 from 4 votes (4 ratings without comment)

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Use the form below to submit your question or comment. I love hearing from you and seeing what you made!

Recipe Rating




  1. Tammy says

    Posted on 2/7 at 7:34 PM

    That looks delicious. I’ve always been a little intimidated to make Panna Cotta, I don’t have a lot of patience when it comes to making food LOL!

    Reply
  2. LyndaS says

    Posted on 2/8 at 12:12 PM

    That looks really refreshing. I love desserts with strawberries.

    Reply
  3. Lolo says

    Posted on 2/10 at 2:23 AM

    That looks amazing! I love balsamic on my strawberries!

    Reply
  4. Kelsey Apley says

    Posted on 2/11 at 3:35 PM

    YUM!! I have never had Panna Cotta but it sounds really good!!!

    Reply
  5. Cynthia C says

    Posted on 2/21 at 8:41 AM

    This is one dessert I have never tried to make. It looks so good! I wonder if it would work with fat free half & half and low fat yogurt to cut down on the fat and calories?

    Reply
  6. Carol L says

    Posted on 2/21 at 11:31 AM

    Such a great alternative to chocolate. These look delicious. The pics are great too. Thanks for sharing. I definitely want to make these.
    Carol L

    Reply
  7. Stephanie F. says

    Posted on 2/21 at 1:03 PM

    I’ve only had panna cotta a couple of times at restaurants, but I absolutely love it. I will pin this recipe and try to make it at home.

    Reply
  8. M.Clark says

    Posted on 2/22 at 6:42 PM

    This looks delicious!! I have hears about mixing strawberries with balsamic vinegar to really make the flavor pop, I cannot wait to try this. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

    Reply
  9. Shannon says

    Posted on 3/29 at 12:21 AM

    This looks amazing, thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • Shannon says

      Posted on 3/29 at 12:22 AM

      Have a lovely day and thank you very much for all that you do.

      Reply
  10. theresa krier says

    Posted on 3/31 at 7:01 PM

    my daughter made this & it is so delish, thanks for a yummy recipe

    Reply
Older Comments
Newer Comments
Washi Tape Valentine Trinket Box and Gift Tags
Previous Post
Washi Tape Valentine Gift Tags and Trinket Box
12 Decadent Valentine's Day Desserts
Next Post
12 Decadent Valentine’s Day Desserts

Primary Sidebar

  • About
  • Contact

Join The Club

Subscribe for inspiration straight to your inbox!

Sign Up

Let's Connect

Back to Top
  • Contact
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Terms
About A Mom is part of Waywith.

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.