Elderberry Tea Panna Cotta with Berry Coulis
A silky vanilla panna cotta infused with elderberry tea and crowned with a tart elderberry coulis—a deep-purple dessert that's creamy, jammy, and elegant.
This panna cotta takes a classic creamy Italian dessert and gives it a dark-fruit twist. Steeping cooked elderberries in the warm cream infuses the custard with a tart, jammy backbone and a faint blush of purple that keeps the vanilla from feeling one-note.
The pairing of elderberry and cream is inspired by the European tradition of cooking elder berries into cordials and syrups. Here, that seasonal-comfort flavor is set into a wobbly, spoonable dessert that's far easier than it looks.
A glossy elderberry coulis crowns the top, made by reducing more cooked-berry tea with sugar and lemon. Always cook the berries first—raw elderberries are not safe to eat—and strain the coulis well so the custard stays perfectly smooth.
Serve chilled and unmolded, or simply spoon it from the glass with a pool of coulis on top. The contrast of cool, creamy panna cotta against the tart, vibrant berry sauce makes every spoonful feel both cozy and refined.
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 3 tbsp dried cooked elderberries (or 4 elderberry tea bags)
- 1/3 cup sugar (for panna cotta)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 tsp powdered gelatin
- 3 tbsp cold water (to bloom gelatin)
- 1 cup strong elderberry tea (for coulis)
- 3 tbsp sugar (for coulis)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
How to make it
- 1Bloom the gelatin: sprinkle powdered gelatin over 3 tbsp cold water and let stand 5 minutes.
- 2Heat the cream and milk until just simmering. Remove from heat, add elderberries, cover, and steep 15 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve and return to the pan.
- 3Reheat the infused cream gently with 1/3 cup sugar and vanilla until warm. Whisk in the bloomed gelatin until fully dissolved.
- 4Divide among 4 glasses or ramekins and refrigerate at least 4 hours until set.
- 5Make the coulis: simmer 1 cup strong elderberry tea with 3 tbsp sugar and lemon juice until lightly syrupy (about 8 minutes). Cool completely.
- 6Spoon the cooled elderberry coulis over each set panna cotta just before serving.
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