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Rhubarb Panna Cotta
Rhubarb Panna Cotta
This rhubarb panna cotta is an easy, dreamily creamy dessert that showcases the sharp, bright taste of rhubarb in three different ways.
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What’s your favorite way to enjoy rhubarb every spring? When I was growing up, my mom would make rhubarb cobblers every year, as well as strawberry-rhubarb crisps during the magical few weeks when the seasons of both fruits overlap. Though I’ve made both of those desserts in my own kitchen, to my taste buds, my mom’s versions remain the best. All I need to do to get a taste of some of my favorite childhood treats again is to visit my parents during rhubarb season, and I’m sure to find either one of those desserts ready to enjoy.
Over the years, I’ve developed a new list of rhubarb-based favorite recipes: I make classics such as compotes, quick breads, and pies, but also more sophisticated treats such as rhubarb gelato, pâtes de fruits, and macarons. What I love most about rhubarb is its tartness, which plays so well with sweeter elements. Just like citrus fruits, I find rhubarb produces deliciously complex, not-too-sweet desserts that I can’t get enough of.
This year, I was obsessed with the idea of making rhubarb panna cotta. In my mind, combining the rich, creamy panna cotta with sharp rhubarb would undoubtedly create a dreamy treat. Fortunately, I still had some of last year’s rhubarb in the freezer, so I was able to experiment and create this memorable dessert.
This Rhubarb Panna Cotta showcases rhubarb three ways: a compote is mixed into the panna cotta itself, giving it a slightly zesty note, and also used to top the rhubarb panna cotta for a pop of color and concentrated rhubarb flavor. Poached rhubarb finishes the elegant dessert for a spectacular presentation. Don’t hesitate to double or triple those batches of compote and poached rhubarb, because I’ll bet you’ll love them on your morning toast or over oatmeal, too!
Helpful Tips for Making Rhubarb Panna Cotta
Can I use frozen rhubarb to make this panna cotta?
Yes you can! In this recipe, fresh rhubarb and frozen rhubarb can be used interchangeably. See my tips for freezing rhubarb, below.
How to stock up on and freeze fresh rhubarb
Of course, you should use rhubarb while it’s fresh and in season, but make sure to freeze some, too! A bit of thinking ahead in the spring will allow you to enjoy rhubarb desserts, such as this panna cotta, all year long.
To freeze fresh rhubarb, buy several bunches of fresh rhubarb, trim and wash the stalks, cut them into 5-inch (12.5 cm) lengths, and pack into resealable freezer bags. Freeze and you’ll get to enjoy rhubarb desserts all year long! Frozen rhubarb will keep for up to 3 months in a refrigerator freezer, and for up to 1 year in a chest freezer.
CAN I MAKE Rhubarb PANNA COTTA IN ADVANCE?
Yes you can, and in fact, you should! Panna cotta needs to be refrigerated for several hours to set, so it’s best to make it at least a half-day in advance. You can refrigerate set rhubarb panna cotta for up to 5 days. Always garnish it with the toppings of your choosing (if any!) right before serving.
WHY DOES GELATIN NEED TO REST, OR “BLOOM” BEFORE I USE IT?
The type of gelatin I use to make rhubarb panna potta is a dry, grainy powder and it needs to be steeped into a liquid to rehydrate. This step is crucial to creating a super-smooth, creamy panna cotta. Although “blooming” might sound like a technical term (albeit an elegant-sounding one), blooming gelatin is actually super easy. All you need to do is to sprinkle the gelatin over a liquid and leave it to rest, without stirring, for about 5 minutes. After that resting period, you’ll mix in the hot liquid, which will allow the gelatin to fully dissolve and help you create that irresistibly wobbly panna cotta texture.
CAN I USE SHEET GELATIN INSTEAD OF POWDERED GELATIN?
Powdered gelatin is usually the easiest type of gelatin to find. The brand I use is Knox unflavored gelatin, and it is sold in all North American supermarkets. In Europe, gelatin sheets can be easier to find than powdered gelatin.
If you’ve got gelatin sheets on hand, you can use it to make rhubarb panna cotta. For 1 packet of powdered gelatin (2 1/2 teaspoons), substitute 5 sheets, each measuring about 2-7/8″ x 8-1/2″ (7 cm x 11.5 cm). To rehydrate gelatin sheets, you need to steep them in cold water for 5 minutes. This means you can warm up all the milk and cream together, instead of setting aside 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the milk to bloom the gelatin. Once gelatin sheets are soft, drain and squeeze out excess water. Add to the hot milk and cream mixture and stir until fully dissolved.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN PANNA COTTA
It’s easy to make vegan panna cotta. Here’s how:
- Substitute plant milk and cream for the regular varieties. I like to use a combination of oat milk and soy cream because they both have a smooth flavor that lets rhubarb take center stage, but you can also use coconut cream.
- Substitute 1 teaspoon (5 ml) agar agar for the gelatin. Agar has a stronger setting power than gelatin has, so you don’t need to use as much.
- In the method, skip the gelatin blooming step and instead whisk together all the ingredients, including the agar-agar, in a saucepan. Bring to a light simmer while whisking to make sure the agar dissolves properly. Divide between serving glasses and refrigerate as indicated.
HOW TO MAKE DAIRY-FREE PANNA COTTA
Substitute plant milk and cream for the regular varieties. I like to use a combination of oat milk and soy cream because they both have a smooth flavor that lets rhubarb take center stage, but you can also use coconut cream.
How to serve rhubarb panna cotta
You can serve panna cotta in cute little glasses as I did on the pictures, or you can serve panna cotta upside down. For a classic look, you can serve this rhubarb panna cotta unmolded, on a plate, with the compote and poached rhubarb spooned to the side. To do so, use ramekins or v-shaped smooth-sided glasses, and very lightly coat the inside of each container with a neutral oil, such as sunflower, canola, or vegetable oil. When ready to serve, run a sharp knife around the edge of the panna cotta, then invert the container over a serving plate and shake it gently. The panna cotta should slip right out.
MORE PANNA COTTA RECIPES
Maple Panna Cotta / Maple & Orange Panna Cotta / Dairy-Free Almond Panna Cotta
Rhubarb Panna Cotta
Ingredients
For the rhubarb compote
- 7 oz chopped rhubarb (about 1 ½ cups)
- ¼ cup elderflower honey, or any other type of honey
- Finely grated zest and juice from ½ lemon (about 2 tbsp/30 ml lemon juice and 1 tsp/5 ml zest)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
For the rhubarb panna cotta
- 1 tbsp unflavored powdered gelatin (1 envelope)
- 1 cup whole milk (3.25% m.f.)
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream (35% m.f.)
- ½ cup homemade rhubarb compote
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup elderflower honey or any other type of honey
For the poached rhubarb
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup 2-in (5 cm) pieces of thin stalks of rhubarb
For serving
- Crushed shelled pistachios (optional)
Instructions
- For the rhubarb compote: In a small saucepan, combine the rhubarb, honey, lemon juice and zest, and vanilla extract. Set over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, stirring from time to time, until the rhubarb is very soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Blend to a very smooth consistency using a stick blender or a stand blender. You should end up with about 1 cup/250 ml) rhubarb compote. Transfer 1/2 cup (125 ml) compote to an airtight jar and refrigerate. Reserve the rest.
- For the rhubarb panna cotta: Pour 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the milk into a large bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the milk and let rest for 5 minutes (don’t mix—this step allows the gelatin to bloom.)
- Pour the rest of the milk (1/2 cup/125 ml) and the heavy cream in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the honey, and vanilla extract. Heat over medium heat until you reach a light simmer. Whisk in the reserved rhubarb compote (not the one you refrigerated).
- Pour the very hot milk mixture over the gelatin and whisk until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Divide the rhubarb panna cotta mixture between 8 small glasses, bowls, or ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours to set.
- For the poached rhubarb: In a small saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a simmer, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved. Stir in the vanilla extract, then add the rhubarb. Simmer for about 5 minutes, or until you can just pierce a piece of rhubarb with the tip of a knife. Be careful not to overcook the rhubarb because you want the stalks to keep their shape.Set a strainer over a measuring cup and strain the rhubarb. Refrigerate the syrup for another use (smoothies or cocktails!) and refrigerate the rhubarb pieces in an airtight container until ready to serve the rhubarb panna cotta.
- To serve: Spoon about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) rhubarb compote over each panna cotta. Top with some poached rhubarb. Sprinkle with crushed pistachios, if desired. Serve and enjoy!
- MAKE IT DAIRY-FREE: Substitute plant milk and cream for the regular varieties. I like to use a combination of oat milk and soy cream because they both have a smooth flavor that lets rhubarb take center stage, but you can also use coconut cream.
- MAKE IT VEGAN:- Substitute plant milk and cream for the regular varieties. I like to use a combination of oat milk and soy cream because they both have a smooth flavor that lets rhubarb take center stage, but you can also use coconut cream.- Substitute 1 teaspoon (5 ml) agar agar for the gelatin. Agar has a stronger setting power than gelatin has, so you don’t need to use as much.- In the method, skip the gelatin blooming step and instead whisk together all the ingredients, including the agar-agar, in a saucepan. Bring to a light simmer while whisking to make sure the agar dissolves properly. Divide between serving glasses and refrigerate as indicated.
Did you make this?
Tell me how you liked it! Leave a comment or take a picture and tag it with @foodnouveau on Instagram.
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Author: Marie Asselin
“250 ml 2-in (5 cm) pieces of thin stalks of rhubarb”: what does this mean? 250ml? Shouldn’t it be 250g of rhubarb??
This measurement was meant as an approximate volume measurement. Since the stalks are used as a garnish, the quantity doesn’t have to be precise! But I agree that adding the weight measurement is more helpful. I just updated the recipe, but that would be about 125 g 5-cm pieces of rhubarb stalks! Thanks for taking the time to write this message, I appreciate it.
Can we please issue recipes in grams? It’s so much more specific for baking and desserts!
Hi Claire! Most of my recipes (including this panna cotta you were eyeing) have a toggle between imperial and metric measurements at the top of the recipe card (right under the photo!) I hope this helps :)
Looks tasty! What size cups did you use?
The cups I used in the photos are pretty small, probably about 1/3 cup, so this increases the recipe yield to 10.
This is such a beautiful recipe. I love panna cotta and what a brilliant idea to make it with rhubarb – delicious recipe!
The tart fruitness of rhubarb and creaminess of panna cotta complement each other so well. It’s a lovely combination!
Yes I agree this Rhubarb panna cotta is easy dessert! And perfect timing to use our fresh Rhubarb.
Happy you enjoyed this lovely dessert Uma!
These were AMAZING!
I am a massive rhubarb fan and using it 3 ways in a recipe appealed. The sharp rhubarb with the sweet set cream. Delicious and far easier than I thought it was going to be.
I took your advise and doubled the compote recipe and we have been enjoying it on our granola all week!
This is such a great tip!! This compote would a real treat to wake up to 😍
This is the perfect combination of sweet and tart. I have tons of rhubarb in my garden and it was so great to try a new recipe, this panna cotta was so good.
Finding new recipes to use up all that delicious rhubarb can be a challenge! Happy you enjoyed this panna cotta Silvia.
Ahh I love rhubarb so much! I haven’t had it in ages because it’s so hard to come by near me. These panna cotta are absolutely gorgeous for Mother’s Day and such a brilliant seasonal twist.
Thanks for your kind comment Tammy! It’s such a pretty, delicious dessert to serve on Mother’s Day! Plus, you can fully make it in advance, which makes it stress-free too 💆🏼♀️
This was such a delicious dessert and such a great way to enjoy rhubarb! The panna cotta was so creamy, light and perfect for summer or spring!
Thank you for writing Kathryn, happy you enjoyed this delicious panna cotta!
Initially this looked like a very involved dessert recipe. I am happy to say it was not difficult at all and we will be ‘tripling’ this recipe for our 4th of July party.
Panna cotta is a dessert that looks super fancy but is truly easy to make! It’s pretty much endlessly scalable too, so you’re right, it’s a great pick for summer parties.