Updated 07.15.25
Desserts for two often work best when they are served individually, and panna cotta is perfect for that. Two glasses or ramekins suits the portion size and adds to the richness of the dessert beautifully. Lemon brings a clean freshness to the cream, while passion fruit adds a more vivid tartness that cuts through the softness and makes each spoonful more interesting.
This is a lovely recipe for two when you want dessert to feel a little special. It can be made ahead, it looks beautiful with very little effort, and it finishes a meal with exactly the right note. Lemon Panna Cotta with Passion Fruit Curd feels delicate, bright, and quietly luxurious.
Passion Fruit is really a fruit that does not make an effort to be noticed, at least not with it’s outer shell. Inside it is a different story. The seeds ‘swim’ in a kind of thin jelly substance and you can just eat it out of the fruit with a spoon. Those seeds travel down your throat with a velvety softness.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.
For the Lemon panna cotta
- Milk
- Gelatin powder
- Half and half
- Heavy cream
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla bean
- Lemon
For the Passion fruit curd
- Passion fruit
- Granulated sugar
- Butter
- Lemon juice
- Eggs
How to Make Lemon Panna Cotta
Step 1 – Bloom the gelatin powder. Blooming gelatin is softening and hydrating the powder (or sheets) in a cold liquid, milk in this case.
This will take about 15 minutes.
Step 2 – Combine in a saucepan, rest of the milk, half and half, cream, sugar, lemon peel and vanilla bean (scrape the seeds from the pod and add seeds and pod).
Bring to a simmer and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Take pan from the heat and rest for 10 minutes. The flavors of lemon and vanilla will infuse the milk.
Step 3 – Remove vanilla bean and lemon peel from the milk. Bring it back to a simmer and add the gelatin, whisking until it is dissolved.
Strain the liquid panna cotta and divide over 2 bowls or ramekins.
Chill in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight.
- Step 4 – When ready to serve, take the panna cotta out of the bowls (if you prefer to do so) and place it upside down on a small dessert plate. You can also serve it straight from the bowl.
The passion fruit curd is a delicious combination with this Lemon Panna Cotta as it hits the same flavor combinations: sweet and a tangy undertone. You can also serve this dessert with simple thin strips of lemon peel.
For instructive steps on how to make the Passion Fruit Curd, check out this post.
Lemon Panna Cotta with Passion Fruit Curd
Pin Recipe FacebookIngredients
For the Lemon Panna Cotta
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1.5 teaspoons gelatin powder
- 1/2 cups half and half
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 vanilla bean
- 1/2 lemon
For the Passion Fruit Curd
- 3 passion fruit, about 1/4 cup passion fruit pulp
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1.5 eggs
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
For the Lemon Panna Cotta
- Wash the lemon and use a paring knife or lemon peeler to make strips of the skin of the lemon
- Sprinkle the gelatin powder in 2 tablespoons of milk. Allow to bloom for about 15 minutes.
- Combine rest of milk, half and half, cream, sugar and the lemon peel in a saucepan. Scrape the vanilla seeds from the vanilla bean, add to the saucepan and add bean as well. Bring to a simmer and whisk until sugar dissolves. Take from the heat and let it rest for about 10 minutes, allowing the flavors of the lemon and vanilla to seep into the milk/cream mixture.
- Remove lemon peel and vanilla bean from the milk and discard.
- Bring it back to a simmer and add the gelatin mixture, whisking until dissolved. Strain milk/cream mixture and divide over 2 small bowls or ramekins.
- Chill in the refrigerator until set for about 8 hours or overnight.
- When ready to serve, take panna cotta out of the bowls, you may need a small sharp knife to cut around the edges. Place each panna cotta upside down on a small plate and serve with passion fruit curd.
For the Passion Fruit Curd (NOTE 1)
- Mix the butter and the sugar until white. Add the eggs, salt and the lemon juice and mix again. You will have a mixture that looks like curdled.
- Add the passion fruit pulp and mix.
- Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and cook over low-medium head. Do NOT boil and stir constantly. The mixture will thicken in about 10-15 minutes and will leave a path on the back of the spatula.
- Transfer the passion fruit curd into a jar. Allow to cool.
Notes
- The detailed instructive steps on how to make the Passion Fruit Curd, please check out this post.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.