Summer Peach Panna Cotta

I had a craving for panna cotta, I also had some frozen peaches in my freezer. It was time to make panna cotta. But I didn't have all the ingredients. I didn't feel like making my own heavy cream for this recipe so I did some research to find out what would be a good substitute and potentially healthier for you.

So I trekked to the store and picked up the ingredients that I needed. Heavy cream is also ridiculously expensive.

Better alternatives are: Whole milk, sour cream, almond milk or Half and Half. I opted for half and half so it would still have that super creamy texture. I have made panna cotta with almond milk and it was good too.

What is panna cotta you ask? Well it basically translates to cooked cream.

How do I make it? Well...

What you'll need:


1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup milk
2 1/2 cups half and half (Use the rest for your coffee)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (or splenda)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup diced peaches*

1 tbsp honey

In a small bowl sprinkle gelatin over the milk and leave sit until gelatin is softened, which takes about 5 minutes.

Take a large sauce pan and combine the half and half with the sugar. Heat up until the sugar is dissolved. DO NOT BOIL. Add the vanilla.

Once you have a simmer going, whisk in the milk and gelatin. Keep whisking gently until all the gelatin has dissolved.

Remove from heat and mix in the peaches.

Carefully pour the mixture into small bowls or ramekins. Chill for 3 hours to over night.

To remove the panna cotta, take a bowl of hot water bigger than the dish and place the dish into it for up to 2 minutes. Run a knife gently along the edge. Remove from water and place a plate on top of the bowl, then flip. Tap on the bottom of the bowl to release.

Top with more peaches and drizzle honey. Then enjoy!

* Peaches can be fresh, frozen, canned. However make sure they are well drained and rinsed of syrup. You can also use the syrup from the peaches in place of the honey.