Low Carb Panna Cotta Recipe With Mascarpone Cheese and Vanilla – Easy Creamy Classic Italian Dessert that’s gluten free and keto friendly – with the full video tutorial.

Low Carb Panna Cotta Recipe

This low carb panna cotta recipe is enriched with keto friendly mascarpone cheese, making it silky smooth and indulgently rich.

Panna Cotta has always been one of those recipes that had intimidated me in the past. So it wasn’t until recently that I experimented with a low carb friendly version with mascarpone cheese. 

What I learnt was that it’s so much easier to make tasty panna cottas than I had thought. And, you’ll find that traditional Italian panna cotta desserts are naturally low in carbs, with this keto panna cotta recipe having only 2.2 grams of net carbs per serve.

How To Make The Easy Recipe

In Italian Panna Cotta translates to “cooked cream” and so a classic panna cotta involves cooking cream that’s then set with a gelatin mixture to create a superb dessert of creamy richness, that’s made with simple ingredients.

It’s really easy to substitute in mascarpone for the traditional heavy whipping cream. And, the finished dessert is much creamier and richer than one made with cream. (Here are 10 more easy keto recipes with mascarpone.)

To actually make the low carb panna cotta, start by blooming the gelatin or agar agar by mixing it with water and leaving it for a few minutes to thicken in a small bowl or jug.

I tested using both and it just depends on which you prefer to use. (And whether you’d like the dessert to be vegetarian friendly.) 

Then, mix together mascarpone cheese, milk, vanilla and stevia in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed but not bubbling and the sugar dissolves. You can use unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk or any milk you usually enjoy in your diet. Or, for an even richer cream mixture with a silky texture you can feel free to mix through luxurious heavy cream or coconut cream. 

Stevia is my keto diet friendly sweetener of choice in the easy recipe, but you can feel free to swap in monk fruit sweetener, erythritol or you low carb and keto friendly sweetener of choice in the delicious dessert.  I like the subtle sweetness that 1/4 of a cup provides, but you can feel free to add in additional sweetener if you’d prefer a sweeter keto vanilla panna cotta. 

For the vanilla you can use vanilla extract, essence or even vanilla bean or paste for a deep vanilla flavor. If you’d prefer a citrus panna cotta, you can mix lemon zest, lemon juice, orange zest or orange zest through the panna cotta mixture. 

You want to be sure the mascarpone mixture is warm enough for the gelatin to easily mix through. 

Once the mascarpone has warmed, pour the bloomed gelatin into the warm milk mixture, take off the heat and whisk until completely smooth.

Then, it’s just a matter of allowing the mixture to cool to room temperature and then move into lightly greased individual glasses, ramekins, molds, bowls or a serving dish. 

You can top your panna cotta with any fresh fruit such as fresh berries, as they are, mashed or as a berry puree.  I prefer to top mine with homemade strawberry chia jam, which perfectly balances the richness of the panna cotta. 

It’s up to you how many portions of panna cotta you make. This is an incredibly rich dessert so would comfortably serve 4.

I, however, tend to pour mine into two glasses, store them in the fridge and my Husband and I each devour a glass of panna cotta slowly through the weekend – by the teaspoon full when we are craving something sweet. 

Low Carb Panna Cotta Recipe With Mascarpone

• 2 teaspoons Gelatin or Agar Agar Powder
• 1/3 Cup Water 
• 250g/0.55lb Mascarpone Cheese
• 1/2 Cup Almond Milk 
• 1/4 Cup Stevia
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 

1. Mix the gelatin or agar agar and the water together in a small bowl until the gelatin dissolves. 
2. Set the gelatin aside for 5-10 minutes to bloom. 
3. In a small saucepan, combine the mascarpone, milk, stevia and vanilla. 
4. Place over medium heat and cook until warmed but not bubbling. 
5. Remove from the heat and whisk through the softened gelatin until completely combined. 
6. Pour into 2-4 glasses or small dishes and move to the fridge, serve as is or topped with fresh strawberries, fresh raspberries or your topping of choice. 

This panna cotta is such a rich and heavenly creamy dessert that’s perfect to enjoy all year around. From a romantic Valentine’s Day dessert to a no bake summer sweet treat topped with in season berries, this popular Italian dessert is the perfect option.

You can even whip up a batch of panna cottas as a festive Christmas no bake dessert that you can make ahead so that you can free up your oven for other festive favorites and have the delicious Italian dessert made well ahead of time. 

Yield: 4

Low Carb Panna Cotta Recipe

Print

Low Carb Panna Cotta Recipe With Mascarpone Cheese and Vanilla - Easy Creamy Classic Italian Dessert that's gluten free and keto friendly - with the full video tutorial.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons Gelatin or Agar Agar Powder
• 1/3 Cup Water 
• 250g/0.55lb Mascarpone Cheese
• 1/2 Cup Almond Milk 
• 1/4 Cup Stevia
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Instructions

1. Mix the gelatin or agar agar and the water together in a small bowl until the gelatin has dissolved. 
2. Set the gelatin aside for 5-10 minutes to bloom. 
3. In a small saucepan, combine the mascarpone, milk, stevia and vanilla. 
4. Place over medium heat and cook until warmed but not bubbling. 
5. Remove from the heat and whisk through the bloomed gelatin until completely combined. 
6. Pour into 2-4 glasses and move to the fridge.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 118Total Fat: 8.4gCarbohydrates: 2.3gFiber: 0.1gSugar: 0.3gProtein: 7.9g

Since sharing this recipe for the easy keto dessert, I’ve also shared a chocolate panna cotta recipe, a keto coconut panna cotta recipe and a ricotta panna cotta recipe – I just can’t get enough of experimenting with creamy panna cotta flavours.

Mascarpone Panna Cotta Recipe Video Tutorial

Here’s the video where you can watch the easy dessert of the rich keto panna cotta being prepared, step by step. Hit play below or click here to watch on YouTube.

More Easy Keto Desserts: 

Chocolate Mousse with Cream Cheese

Flourless Chocolate Brownies

Lemon Ricotta Cake

For even more easy keto desserts check out Dessert in Five where you’ll get the full recipes for 30 low carb desserts – all with up to 5 net carbs, 5 ingredients and 5 simple steps. Click here to learn more. 

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Disclaimer – this post is meant for informational post only and should not be construed as medical advice. Please consult with your health professional before making any dietary changes.

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