Jamie Oliver’s yoghurt panna cotta is a set vanilla cream lightened with Greek-style yoghurt, topped with elderflower strawberries, baby mint and crushed biscuits. It serves 12, from his book Together (2021).
Jamie calls these “so utterly easy to make and great for a party”. The cream and yoghurt blend keeps them fresh rather than heavy, and the biscuits on the side give every spoonful something crunchy to dip into.
The order matters when you make the base. Soaked gelatine goes into the cream once the heat is off, and the yoghurt goes in last. That way it stays fresh and tangy rather than cooking.
Jamie Oliver Panna Cotta
Course: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy12
servings20
minutes155
kcal20
minutesA make-the-day-before dessert for twelve from Together: vanilla cream and yoghurt set in little cups, finished with cordial-soaked strawberries. Light enough to end a big summer feast.
Ingredients
- For the panna cotta:
3 leaves of gelatine
400ml single cream
100g golden caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
400g Greek-style yoghurt
- To serve:
400g strawberries
4 tablespoons elderflower cordial
2 sprigs of mint
shortbread or ginger nut biscuits
Directions
- Get ahead (the day before)
- Soak the gelatine: Put the gelatine in a small bowl and cover with cold water.
- Heat the cream: Pour the cream into a pan with the sugar and vanilla paste. Place on a medium-low heat until it just starts to bubble, then turn the heat off.
- Add gelatine and yoghurt: Lift the gelatine leaves out of the water and whisk them into the pan until melted, then whisk in the yoghurt.
- Set: Once smooth, divide between espresso cups, small glasses or moulds. Sit them on a tray lined with kitchen paper so they don’t slide about, cool, cover and leave to set in the fridge overnight.
- On the day
- Macerate: Hull the strawberries and halve or quarter them, depending on size. Mix with the cordial in a nice bowl and leave to macerate for an hour or so.
- Turn out (optional): Serve in their cups, or turn out onto little plates. Dip each cup into a bowl of boiling kettle water for 20 seconds, or until you get a wiggle, then put a plate on top and confidently flip out.
- Finish: Spoon over some strawberries and syrup, pick over a couple of baby mint leaves, and serve with bashed-up biscuits on the side.
Notes
- (summery feast): Jamie serves this as the finale of a summery feast with rainbow tomato crostini, slow-roasted lamb, lemon potatoes, dressed beans, apricot sauce and green sauce.
- (vegetarian): Leaf gelatine is made from animal products, so this isn’t vegetarian as written.
- Setting time: Overnight, plus 1 hour macerating
FAQs
Why use yoghurt as well as cream?
Half the dairy here is Greek-style yoghurt, which brings a gentle tang and keeps each portion to 155 calories. The single cream still gives it that silky, classic panna cotta texture.
Jamie goes lighter still in his vanilla yoghurt panna cotta on his site, swapping the cream for semi-skimmed milk and serving it with roasted rhubarb. Greek yoghurt does similar work in his no-bake fig tart, giving a creamy filling without heaviness.
How much wobble should they have?
Three leaves of gelatine across roughly 800g of cream and yoghurt gives a soft set. It should hold its shape when turned out but tremble on the plate and melt on the spoon.
Our tip: gelatine leaves vary in strength by brand, so check the packet if yours seem very firm or very loose. Never let the cream boil hard once the gelatine is in, because too much heat weakens its setting power.
How do I turn them out cleanly?
Jamie’s trick is a 20-second dip in boiling kettle water, which melts the very outside layer. Wait until you see a wiggle, put a plate on top, and flip in one confident movement.
You don’t have to turn them out at all, though. Serving them in espresso cups or little glasses is just as pretty, the same way Nigella’s butterscotch pots are set and chilled in their own small dishes.
Shortbread or ginger nuts?
Jamie gives you the choice. Shortbread is buttery and gentle, letting the elderflower and strawberry lead, while ginger nuts bring a warm spice that’s lovely against the cool cream.
He serves the biscuits bashed up on the side rather than scattered over the top. That keeps them crunchy, so guests can dip each spoonful in as they go rather than finding soggy crumbs.
Can I make it vegetarian?
Not as written, since leaf gelatine comes from animals. Jamie doesn’t give an alternative, so this is our advice: use a vegetarian setting agent and follow its packet instructions closely.
Agar-agar isn’t a straight swap. It needs boiling to activate and sets much firmer, so the texture will be less wobbly than Jamie’s version.
What else works on a party dessert table?
These are light and make-ahead, so they pair well with something richer. James Martin’s cherry trifle is another big-batch dessert that can be prepped in advance.
The panna cotta sets overnight and the strawberries need just an hour, so very little is left for the day itself. There are more party ideas on the Jamie Oliver recipes page.
