Roasted Blackberry Panna Cottas

Creamy panna cottas made with roasted blackberries, Greek yogurt & some really good vanilla. This is a super simple dessert & it’s a great way to use seasonal blackberries!

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I’m lucky enough to live in the countryside so I’m quite literally surrounded by blackberry bushes! This means that there’s always plenty to use during late summer to mid Autumn.

So one of the recipes that I wanted to make during this year’s season was a blackberry panna cotta. Mainly because I’m a huge panna cotta fan but also because it’s something a bit different. Plus the blackberries give the panna cottas a vibrant purple colour that looks really good!

The way to make a batch of blackberry panna cottas that I found worked the best, was to take my Greek yogurt panna cotta recipe & incorporate a roasted blackberry puree into the cream. This is actually really easy to do! You roast the berries with sugar & a splash of balsamic vinegar for 20 minutes or so then blend them smooth. The puree then gets warmed up with the cream then set with gelatine. That’s all there is to it!

So why do we roast the blackberries & use Greek yogurt? Well roasting the berries intensifies their flavour & adding Greek yogurt into the mix adds a subtle tanginess that works perfectly with the rich, roasted fruit. Plus, it makes the panna cottas even creamier!

Every year, I try and publish at least a couple of recipes using blackberries during their peak season! So far I’ve made a crumble, a jam, frozen yogurt, cheesecake brownies & a bread & butter pudding. If you’ve got a suggestion for next blackberry season, feel free to leave a comment below this post!

If you’re looking for more pudding recipes to try then take a look at our ever growing collection of dessert recipes! There’s something for everyone here, from fruit crumbles, sticky toffee pudding & treacle tart, to tiramisu & a whole load of homemade ice creams. Plus, even more panna cotta variations!

What You’ll Need

• Blackberries – Fresh blackberries are best, especially when you pick them yourself! You can also buy them from supermarkets & markets when they’re in season. If you are picking your own blackberries, try to pick out ones that are plump, juicy & still slightly firm (not mushy!). You’ll get the best tasting berries this way.
• Balsamic Vinegar – We’re roasting our blackberries with a small amount of balsamic vinegar, to intensify their flavour. Don’t worry, they won’t taste like vinegar! They’ll have an intense, well balanced flavour.
• Milk & Cream – When I make panna cottas, I like to use a mix of double cream & whole milk, so that they’re a bit lighter & don’t feel overly heavy when you eat them.
• Greek Yogurt – Whisking some yogurt into the cream, gives our panna cottas a slight tanginess that cuts through the richness from the dairy.
• Vanilla – Make sure to use a good quality vanilla, for the best flavour! Half a pod or a teaspoon of paste will work.
• Sugar – You’ll need caster sugar for the panna cottas, the roasted blackberries & the macerated blackberries.
• Gelatine – Make sure to use sheet gelatine for this recipe (not powdered!). I use Dr Oetker platinum grade gelatine sheets but other brands will work as well.
• Lemon Juice – This is used in the roasted blackberry puree & the macerated berries to cut through the sweetness & intensify the flavour of the blackberries.

How To Make Roasted Blackberry Panna Cottas

The best way to incorporate blackberries (and other berries) into a panna cotta is to roast them first, blend them into a puree then whisk into the cream. Super simple right?! For even more blackberry flavour, we’re going to be serving these panna cottas with some macerated blackberries, which are sweet & juicy and have a syrup which we can spoon over the top. More on that below though.

Roasted Blackberry Puree

First, we need to make a roasted blackberry puree, which we’ll be whisking into the cream as we warm it up. Now we could simply blend raw blackberries up but roasting them gives them a more intense flavour, plus it doesn’t take that long at all.

So to make our puree, we mix blackberries with sugar, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar & a pinch of sea salt then place into a roasting dish & roast at 200°c/392°f for 20-25 minutes, until the berries are soft & the juices are syrupy. It’s key to stir the berries every 10 minutes or so, so that the juices don’t catch on the tray.

Once roasted, we transfer the blackberries to a blender then blend into a smooth puree. Don’t worry about passing the puree through a sieve at this point, we’ll do this after making the panna cotta mix. Also, the puree will seem quite thick. Don’t worry this is what we’re after!

Panna Cottas

These panna cottas are made the usual way but with the addition of our blackberry puree into the cream. The key things to do to ensure perfect panna cottas, are to soak the gelatine sheets well in cold water & not to let the cream boil as this will affect how the panna cottas set. Other than that, they couldn’t be easier to make!

1. Soak Gelatine
   First, we fill a bowl up with cold water then add in the gelatine sheets one at a time (this helps soak them better). We let the gelatine soak whilst we warm up the cream.
2. Blackberry Cream
   Next, we add 300 grams of the blackberry puree (this will be all of it!) into a large pan, along with double cream, whole milk, caster sugar & vanilla then we give everything a whisk, to combine. If you’re using a pod, scrape out the seeds then add both the pod & seeds into the cream.
3. Warm Cream
   Now we need to warm the cream up over a low heat, until it is steaming hot but not boiling then we take the pan off the heat. This will only take a few minutes! Make sure to stir the cream regularly.
4. Add In Gelatine & Yogurt
   Once the cream is warm, we squeeze as much water as possible out of the soaked gelatine then stir it into the cream. Then we add in the Greek yogurt & whisk to combine.
5. Cool Over Ice
   Before pouring the cream into moulds, we cool it over ice to hold the vanilla seeds in suspension, which prevents them from sinking. To do this, we fill a large bowl up with ice & cold water them place the bowl of cream in the water. We leave the cream like this for 15-20 minutes, stirring regularly until the mix is thick (but not fully set!).
6. Pour Into Moulds & Set
   Once the mix is cool, we pour it into lightly greased pudding moulds (I used 150ml ones) then chill them in the fridge until completely set. This will take at least 4 hours.

Turning Out & Plating Up

To turn a panna cotta out of its’ mould, we dunk the mould into a bowl of hot water then immediately lift it back out (make sure not to get the actual panna cotta wet!). Next, we loosen the panna cotta’s top edge with our fingers to loosen then turn it out into a bowl. If the panna cotta is stuck in the mould, dunk the mould back in the water a second time. If the panna cotta’s being really stubborn, give it a firm shake with your hand over the top, to release it.

Macerated Blackberries

Macerating fruit is a quick & easy way to improve their flavour & texture and it also draws out their natural juices to make a sort of syrupy sauce that you can serve with all sorts of desserts!

To macerate blackberries, we add them into a mixing bowl then add in a small amount of caster sugar & a splash of lemon juice. We gently stir to combine then let them sit in the fridge for at least a couple of hours before using. You’ll know when the blackberries are ready to use when there’s plenty of juice in the bowl & the berries are soft. I like to macerate fruit for at least 4 hours or for up to a couple of days before using.

How To Wash Wild Blackberries

Wild blackberries can be found on hedgerows & in woodlands in late summer & early to mid Autumn. Once ripe, they’ll be juicy, plump and a dark, black colour.

It’s important to wash wild blackberries after picking them, to remove any bugs & dirt. To do this fill a large bowl with 3 parts cold water & 1 part vinegar (apple cider or white wine works best) then add in the berries & leave to soak for at least 5 minutes. The acidity will draw out insects/bugs if there are any.

Drain the blackberries into a colander then refill the bowl with cold water & soak the berries for another 5 minutes. Repeat this step once more then drain & leave the berries to dry slightly before using. Make sure to use cold water not warm/hot!

Tips & Tricks

• Make these panna cottas in peak blackberries season. This is when they have the best flavour! In the UK, peak blackberry season is between late summer to early to mid Autumn.
• Roast the blackberries to intensify their flavour. This also reduces the water content of the fruit, which keeps our panna cottas as creamy as possible. If you were to simply blend the raw blackberries then add them to the cream, it will water it down.
• Add a good quality vanilla pod or paste to your panna cottas, for the best flavour.
• Don’t let your cream boil as this can affect how the gelatine sets. It should just be steaming hot & warm enough to melt the gelatine.
• To prevent the vanilla seeds from sinking as the panna cotta sets, cool the mix over ice until it has thickened. Then transfer to a jug & pour into moulds. This holds the seeds in suspension, which distributes then evenly throughout the cream.
• Let your panna cottas chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, to ensure that they are fully set before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Equipment Used

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• Pudding Moulds
• Gelatine Sheets
• Blender (I Use A Nutribullet)

More Dessert Recipes To Try!

• Dark Chocolate Mousse
• Classic Cherry Pie
• Burnt Honey & Almond Panna Cottas With Roasted Peaches
• Mulled Wine Poached Pears
• Banana Sticky Toffee Pudding With Miso Caramel
• Amaretto Tiramisu

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