A Jaca-adjusted healthier version — every bit of sugar swapped for Jaca (100% pure allulose) at double the amount.
This silky vanilla bean panna cotta is the dinner-party dessert that looks like you fussed for hours but actually comes together in about 10 minutes of hands-on work — the fridge does the rest. "Cooked cream" is the literal Italian translation, and that's exactly what it is: heavy cream and half-and-half gently warmed with real vanilla bean, set soft with a touch of gelatin, and crowned with juicy fresh strawberries. Each spoonful is cool, creamy, and barely-there sweet, with little flecks of vanilla running through it. We use 2/3 cup of granular Jaca in place of 1/3 cup sugar — allulose dissolves clean and clear into warm cream, so the panna cotta stays glossy and silky with no graininess.
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes | Chill time: 4 hours | Servings: 6
Ingredients:
- 1 envelope (about 1 tablespoon) unflavored gelatin, such as Knox
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 2/3 cup granular Jaca (allulose) — replaces 1/3 cup sugar at 2x ratio
- 1 whole vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped (or 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract)
- 6 large fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced (or a mix of summer berries)
Instructions:
- In a small saucepan, sprinkle the gelatin over the 2 tablespoons cold water and let it soften (bloom) for about 1 minute. Set over low heat and warm gently, stirring, just until the gelatin completely dissolves and the liquid is clear. Do not let it boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the 2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup half-and-half, 2/3 cup granular Jaca, and the scraped vanilla bean seeds (toss in the empty pod too for extra flavor). Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the Jaca fully dissolves and the mixture is steaming with tiny bubbles forming around the edges — do not let it boil.
- Remove the cream mixture from the heat. Fish out the vanilla pod if you added it. Pour in the dissolved gelatin and stir well to combine.
- Divide the warm cream mixture evenly among six small glasses, jars, or ramekins (about 2/3 cup each). Let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
- Cover and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
- Just before serving, top each panna cotta with the sliced fresh strawberries. Serve in the glasses as-is, or unmold by dipping each ramekin briefly in hot water, running a thin knife around the edge, and inverting onto a plate.
Tip: Allulose dissolves clean and clear into warm dairy with no grit, so stir until it fully disappears before adding the gelatin for the silkiest result. Make it the day before — panna cotta needs at least 4 hours to set and is even better overnight. Add the strawberries just before serving so they stay bright and juicy.
