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If you’ve never tried panna cotta, you are in for a very pleasant surprise! Panna cotta is similar to pudding or custard. The dessert originated in Italy and its name translates to “cooked cream.” It’s quickly become a family favorite in our house and while it takes a while to set in the refrigerator, I’m sure that you’ll find with that first bite, that it’s worth the wait! This caramel and chocolate panna cotta marries two of our favorite flavors into an individually served dessert that is perfect for family dinners!
A couple of things to keep in mind when you are making this caramel and chocolate panna cotta. Keep an eye on your cream when it’s on the stove. It only takes a second for it to go from simmer to boiling over and you don’t want that mess! As soon as you see it bubbling around the edges, you can remove it from the heat or turn down the heat.
While this recipe would typically ask you to make your own caramel, I like to find and share shortcuts because I’m a Mom of three who works full time and I know that most of us don’t really have the time to do things completely from scratch, all the time. So instead of making the caramel from scratch, I use caramel bits. You can also purchase individually wrapped caramel, but those will take a bit more time to unwrap and melt.
I think that you’ll find that this caramel and chocolate panna cotta is perfect on it’s own, but you may want to put a little topping on it for added texture or just to make it look fancier. I used whipped cream and chopped peanuts. Just throw some dry roasted peanuts in the food processor and it gives the dish a little crunch!
You can also make a little extra caramel sauce and put some full dry roasted peanuts in it, and top your caramel and chocolate panna cotta with those. I did that in the last batch and my husband said it reminded him of the peanuts in Cracker Jacks! He loved the added crunch as well!
I’ve tried to show the steps in photos above for you, to make it a bit easier.
Step 1: Chocolate chips in a bowl
Step 2: Heated heavy cream on top of chocolate chips
Step 3: Combined heavy cream and chocolate chips to form ganache
Step 4: Ganache separated into 8 dishes
Step 5: Heavy cream and caramel bits
Step 6: Combined heavy cream and caramel bits to form caramel sauce
Step 7: Milk and Great Lakes Gelatin
Step 8: Combined milk and Great Lakes Gelatin
Step 9: Heated cream and milk
Step 10: Combined heated cream and milk with gelatin mixture
Step 11: Combined heated cream, milk with gelatin and caramel sauce
Step 12: Panna cotta mixture separated into 8 dishes, on top of ganache
Why Great Lakes Gelatin?
My secret weapon when making my caramel and chocolate panna cotta is Great Lakes Gelatin pork gelatin. Their premium gelatin is made of ONE simple ingredient and provides you with exceptional cooking functionality at a fair price. It will dissolve in hot liquids and will thicken upon cooling. It’s unflavored, colorless and odorless.
Great Lakes Gelatin is a versatile cooking ingredient that is used in many thickening and gelling cooking applications from gelatin desserts to puddings and sauces. It comes in either pork gelatin or beef gelatin. You can even make gummies with it! I’m looking forward to using it for the sauces and gravy for our holiday dinners!
Now that you know a little bit about the dish, I’m excited to share our recipe for caramel and chocolate panna cotta.
Caramel and Chocolate Panna Cotta
Print
Caramel and Chocolate Panna Cotta
- Total Time: 7 hours
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
This caramel and chocolate panna cotta is heaven. Caramel panna cotta on top of a layer of chocolate ganache. It’s the perfect dessert for any gathering.
Ingredients
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup caramel bits
Panna Cotta
- 1 3/4 cup milk, divided
- 1 tbsp Great Lakes Gelatin
- 2 cups heavy cream
Toppings (optional)
- Whipped cream
- Chopped peanuts
Instructions
Chocolate Ganache
- Boil heavy cream in a sauce pan on medium high heat.
- Place the chocolate chips in a bowl and pour the heated heavy cream on top.
- Whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Pour evenly into 8 small dishes or ramekins.
- Put in fridge for 1-2 hours.
Caramel Sauce
- Boil heavy cream and caramel bits in a sauce pain on medium high heat. Stir until the caramel is completely melted.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Panna Cotta
- Pour 3/4 cup of milk into a large bowl and add Great Lakes Gelatin Co. gelatin. Stir until combined and set aside.
- Heat remaining milk and heavy cream in saucepan over medium high heat until it starts to bubble.
- Pour heated milk and cream mixture over the gelatin and milk mixture and whisk until gelatin is completely dissolved.
- Pour caramel sauce into the bowl, whisking as you pour, until completely combined.
- Remove the dishes from the refrigerator and evenly distribute the caramel sauce mixture on top of the ganache, in all eight dishes.
- Return to the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
- Top with whipped cream and crushed peanuts.
If you try our version of the Caramel and Chocolate Panna Cotta recipe, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Don’t forget to check out all of our family friendly recipes!
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*This post is sponsored by Great Lakes Gelatin. All opinions are my own. This post may also contain affiliate links. This means if you click on any of them and make a purchase, our family may receive a small commission. As always, we appreciate your support!

Brianna S
November 12, 2020This looks heavenly, Heather!! I just put the ingredients in my shopping cart…going to make it next week!!
Heather
November 12, 2020Let me know how it turns out!
Catalina
November 12, 2020Who can resist this panna cotta?! It looks amazingly delicious!
Kathy
November 12, 2020This sure does look amazing. I’ve never had this drink before either. I love that it’s caramel and chocolate. A great combination.
Heather
November 12, 2020This isn’t a drink. It’s more like a pudding.
Nikki Wayne
November 12, 2020Wow,thanks for sharing this. Seems so delicious, I love panna cotta.
★★★★★
Jenn
November 12, 2020This recipe looks and sounds so delicious. I love a panna cotta – one of my favorite desserts.
Crystal Carder
November 12, 2020This looks like a great recipe. I would personally substitute the pork gelatin with a vegetarian option, but other than that, looks amazing!
Heather
November 12, 2020Have you been able to find a vegetarian option for gelatin? From what I understand, they are all made from animal products.
Tasheena
November 11, 2020This looks so yummy! I can’t wait to make this for my family.
★★★★★
Pam Wattenbarger
November 11, 2020I haven’t ever tried the gelatin but I do love Panna Cotta. That looks absolutely amazing.
Sarah Bailey
November 11, 2020Why isn’t it possible to put your spoon through the screen and grab a bite yet?! This looks absolutely amazing I so want to try some.
melissa chapman
November 11, 2020I have never cooked with gelatin but it seems to be the secret ingredient here. This could be a great dessert to make on Thanksgiving for a surprise.
★★★★★
Jill
November 11, 2020If this isn’t the best dessert ever, I don’t know what is. I love the caramel and chocolate working together on this one. I can’t wait to make it.
★★★★★
Trisha Velarmino
November 11, 2020I loved all your pics but I am not sure if I am equipped to do this! It looks like it’s so advanced! I am also not into trying pastry/desserts/sweets. I feel like it’s so complicated and you need to have the exact measurements.
Heather
November 12, 2020I am not an expert. I think if you tried any of my dessert recipes, you’d be surprised how easy they really are to make!
Deborah Brooks
November 9, 2020ooh this looks like a yummy treat! I am a huge caramel fan!
★★★★★
Natalie
November 9, 2020I haven’t made panna cotta in ages. Thanks for this reminder. I will give your recipe a try. Sounds delicious.
★★★★★
Autumn Murray
November 7, 2020This caramel and chocolate panna cotta recipe certainly looks like heaven! Just pinned so that I can make it later! Thank you!
Emman Damian
November 7, 2020I love this caramel and chocolate panna cotta. It looks so yummy! I can’t wait to try it.
★★★★★
Amanda
November 6, 2020Isn’t caramel and chocolate the absolute PERFECT combo?!?!
Tisha
November 6, 2020This looks absolutely amazing and something I must try right away!
★★★★★
Yeah Lifestyle
November 6, 2020This has got my mouth watering! I love panna cotta but only have had lemon flavoured ones, I can’t wait to try your caramel and chocolate recipe for a change
★★★★★
Janeane M Davis
November 6, 2020This looks like such a deliciious dessert. O(n the cooking shows panna cotta is always such a hard thing to make. Your recipe makes it seem possible.
Catherine
November 6, 2020So light and creamy! This sounds heavenly…I wish I could try one right now. What a wonderful and elegant dessert.
★★★★★
Veronika Sykorova
November 6, 2020I love panna cotta but I haven’t tried it with chocolate yet! Looks really yummy, I can’t wait to give it a try
Wanda Lopez
November 6, 2020I absolutely love panna cotta. It is a delicious and elegant treat perfect for any occasion and time of the year, like the holidays.
Melissa Cushing
November 6, 2020Wow… I am loving this recipe and have pinned it to my Pinterest Desserts page! I honestly did not know there was such a thing as Pork Gelatin…. seems strange to me but with results like those delicious cups above… may be worth trying 🙂
★★★★
Heather
November 6, 2020If you google what gelatin is, I think you’ll be surprised 🙂
Mahnoor Khurram
November 6, 2020My mom loves to make desserts like these! I need to show her this recipe.
★★★★★
Christiana Acha
November 6, 2020What a yummy looking delight! I love the way it looks so rich and filling 😍
★★★★★
Edgar
November 6, 2020Wow….this is a completely new one! I love how it looks and sounds….will give it a try.
Aaris Grant
November 6, 2020This looks delicious! I’ve never heard of Pana Cotta but it reminds me of Flan. I’ll have to save this recipe to try one day 👏🏾
Ryan Escat
November 6, 2020It sounds so yummy! I always craved for this as it looks so good on videos, whenever I watched it on my favorite online video sharing site.
★★★★★
Marta
November 5, 2020I LOVE panna cotta, but I don’t think I’ve ever made a caramel and chocolate one! I can’t wait to try this one.
Kathy
November 5, 2020This sure does look delicious. I have never tried this or heard of it til now. I want to give it a try though. It sounds like it would be really good.
Amber Myers
November 5, 2020This looks like such a tasty dessert. I am positive I will love it and so will my family.
Chad
November 5, 2020Are you kidding me! This looks SOOOOOO GOOOD! I can’t wait to make it this weekend, can’t wait.
Kita Bryant
November 5, 2020WOW! That looks amazing. I have to say, I’ve never made panna cotta before, but have always wanted to try it. You make it sound so easy!
Matt Taylor
November 5, 2020This caramel and chocolate panna cotta looks absolutely amazing. I love both chocolate and caramel, can’t wait to try this.
★★★★★
Tara Pittman
November 5, 2020This looks so yummy. I wonder if I could make it with plant based milk
Heather
November 5, 2020I haven’t tried it, but if you do, please let me know!
Ben
November 5, 2020Holy wow! That looks really good. I have never heard of Panna Cotta before. I’m probably very culinarily sheltered, I guess. I’m going to make this immediately.
★★★★★