This creamy Coffee Panna Cotta with Kahlua Jelly takes a classy dessert and adds an adult touch making this an ideal dessert for two on a date night. The combination of these two flavors and textures is perfect, though you could just make one or the other, though might want to double to serve this in a fun way.
Table of Contents
Ingredients and substitutions for Coffee Panna Cotta with Kahlua Jelly
- Coffee: The base for the panna cotta and depth of flavor which you can effect with your own favorite coffee.
- Cream: The cream adds a traditional element and weight to the liquid for the panna cotta to set as well as complimenting the coffee for this dessert.
- Milk: As well as making the panna cotta less rich, the milk helps take the bitterness off the coffee.
- Sugar: Helps turn coffee into dessert by sweetening both the panna cotta and jelly! Superfine or caster sugar is best here as it doesn't add too much additional flavor beyond sweetness, though light brown sugar would also work well.
- Kahlua: The kahlua jelly adds a great additional coffee flavor and makes this an adults only treat. If you don't drink, you could simply omit the kahlua and increase the coffee in the jelly.
- Agar agar gelatin: Using agar agar which is a vegan alternative to gelatin can be a bit finnicky, but see the notes above to help you here or follow the recipe exactly as this was thoroughly tested. Alternatively, sub 2 leaves gelatin for the panna cotta and 1 leaf for the jelly. Agar agar is a plant based gelatin obtained from seaweed and comes in a variety of ways such as flaked, bars or strands, however, this recipe requires agar agar powder which dissolves more quickly. This gelatin needs to be measured with a scale because even 1 or 2 grams more or less can result in a very different consistency. Additionally, agar agar also needs heat to dissolve which is different from gelatin which can dissolve at room temperature. So you will need a candy thermometer to ensure it reaches 85C/185F for the agar agar to dissolve.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Coffee Panna Cotta:
Step 1: Coffe panna cotta: Heat the coffee, sugar, cream, milk, vanilla beans and agar agar powder with a candy thermometer until it reaches 85C/185F.
Step 2: Whisk and pour: Whisk the agar gelatin so the powder dissolves and cools for 3 minutes before pouring into your serving glasses to set, until no longer jiggly.
Step 3: Kahlua jelly: Heat the kahlua, coffee, sugar and agar agar powder with a candy thermometer until the liquid has reached 85C/185F.
Step 4: Whisk and pour: Whisk the agar gelatin so the powder dissolves and cools for 3 minutes before pouring into your serving glasses to set, until no longer jiggly.
Step 5: Serve up: Dig in and enjoy!
FAQ's to make the best Coffee Panna Cotta with Kahlua Jelly
Simply set up a shelf in your fridge and trial the right leaning height for your glasses whilst theyโre empty to lean into something (I used the edges of the fridge as the set mark to lean into). Ensure you have an item that will support and balance your glasses, such as a used block of butter or even a small bag of rice that you could pop into the fridge to keep that balance after you close it and try not to open the fridge for 1 hour after you have made the panna cotta so as not to disturb the setting process.
Other no bake desserts youโll enjoy
Coffee Panna Cotta
Ingredients
Coffee Panna Cotta
- 115 grams / ยฝ cup + 1 tablespoon coffee
- 60 grams / โ cup superfine/caster sugar
- 151 grams / โ cup cream
- 50 grams / ยผ cup - 2 teaspoons milk
- ยฝ teaspoon vanilla beans
- 5 grams agar agar powder
Kahlua Jelly
- 139 grams / ยฝ cup + 1 tablespoon kahlua
- 62 grams / ยผ cup - 2 teaspoons coffee
- 50 grams / ยผ cup superfine/caster sugar
- 3 grams agar agar powder
Instructions
Coffee Panna Cotta
- Place the coffee, sugar, cream, milk, vanilla beans and agar agar powder into a saucepan with a candy thermometer on medium high heat until it reaches 85C/185F.
- Whisk to combine and ensure the powder dissolves and cools for 3 minutes.
- Pour into your serving glasses and place in the fridge to set for 1 hour, it shouldnโt be jiggly and if it is, leave for a further 30 minutes.
Kahlua Jelly
- One the panna cotta is no longer jiggly, place the kahlua, coffee, sugar and agar agar powder into a saucepan with a candy thermometer until the liquid has reached 85C/185F.
- Remove from the heat immediately and continue whisking to dissolve the agar agar properly and allow to cool for a 3 minutes.
- Pour into your serving glasses and place in the fridge to set, preferably overnight for the entire dessert to set.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Cream: The cream adds a traditional element and weight to the liquid for the panna cotta to set as well as complimenting the coffee for this dessert.
- Agar agar gelatin: Using agar agar which is a vegan alternative to gelatin can be a bit finicky, but follow the recipe exactly as this was thoroughly tested. Alternatively, sub 2 leaves gelatin for the panna cotta and 1 leaf for the jelly.
This gelatin needs to be measured with a scale because even 1 or 2 grams more or less can result in a very different consistency. Additionally, agar agar also needs heat to dissolve which is different from gelatin which can dissolve at room temperature. So you will need a candy thermometer to ensure it reaches 85C/185F for the agar agar to dissolve. - Candy thermometer: Due to the delicate nature of agar agar, a candy thermometer helps ensure your panna cotta and jello will set. If using a different type of gelatin, a candy thermometer will not be required.
- The alcohol flavor: The amount of kahlua in the jelly is enough that despite heating to set the agar agar you can still taste the liqueur.
Nutrition
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