This eggnog panna cotta comes together in a snap using your favorite prepared eggnog. A quick stovetop cranberry sauce sparkles with a shot of orange liqueur.
I look forward to holiday entertaining all year long, but the stress that sometimes comes with being the hostess with the mostest is very real. That’s why I rely on recipes like panna cotta which you can throw together in minutes and store in the refrigerator until party time. This eggnog version could not be easier because it’s made with your favorite prepared eggnog!
It’s so easy to dress up panna cotta, so when I’m feeling fancy I get out stemmed cordial glasses or these little verrines. I bet many of you already have the perfect stemware for this dessert. Get yourself a beautiful little tray on which to serve these and prepare for oohs and aahs. The presentation looks thoughtful yet effortless.
I made a quick stove-top cranberry sauce topping with fresh cranberries, orange zest and a shot of orange liqueur. The sauce is a tart foil for the sweet eggnog custard. This recipe makes a little more sauce than you’ll need, so after topping the panna cottas be sure to save the leftovers. Serve it as a relish with dinner or spread it on toast!
If you have no time at all for homemade sauce, then you could shortcut this recipe by using canned whole berry cranberry sauce. Just heat it in a saucepan to loosen, and at the end add a shot of Cointreau.
I made sparkling cranberries to garnish the verrines and if you’d like to make a batch, the recipe can be found with my favorite Orange Chiffon Cake. If you’re short on time, you can always skip the sugaring and serve the cranberries fresh.
Panna cotta is rich indeed, and this eggnog version is no exception. I recommend keeping servings on the small side (3-4 oz.each) especially if there’s more than one dessert on the Christmas buffet to enjoy.
Sprigs of rosemary provide a nice touch of evergreen, and incorporating them into a garnish is easy! Skewer a berry all the way through with a toothpick, and then thread a rosemary stem through the hole. Place the assembled berry garnish atop your panna cotta glasses and they are ready to dazzle!
Eggnog Panna Cotta with Spiked Cranberry Sauce
Equipment
- six 4 oz. dessert cups
Ingredients
Panna cotta
- 2 tablespoon cold water
- 2 1/4 teaspoons 1 packet powdered gelatin
- 2 cups 480ml commercially prepared eggnog
Spiked Cranberry sauce
- 6 oz. bag fresh cranberries
- 1/2 cup 100g granulated sugar
- Zest of one orange
- 1/4 cup 60ml orange juice
- 2 tablespoons orange liqueur or to taste
- 6 fresh or sugared cranberries for garnish
- 6 fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish
Instructions
- For the panna cotta: Place the cold water in a small condiment cup. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water evenly and let stand until the gelatin is absorbed.
- In a small saucepan, heat the eggnog until hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and add the gelatin to the hot eggnog. Stir until the gelatin is dissolved.
- Place six 4 oz. dessert glasses on a baking sheet. Pour 1/3 cup of the eggnog mixture into each cup. Transfer the baking sheet with the glasses on it to the refrigerator. Chill for 2 hours.
- For the cranberry sauce: Combine the cranberries, sugar, orange zest an orange juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When berries begin to pop, reduce the heat to a simmer. Mash berries with the back of a spatula against the bottom of the pan. Continue to cool until all of the berries are broken down and a jam-like consistency is achieved. Remove from the heat and stir in the orange liqueur. If the mixture is too thick to fall from a spoon, stir in a little water 1 tablespoon at a time until a sauce consistency is achieved. Let cool and then refrigerate until ready to use.
- When the panna cotta is firm, spoon the cranberry sauce on top until filled to the brim of the glass. Skewer each cranberry completely through from stem to end using a toothpick. Thread rosemary sprigs through each berry. Balance each garnish across the top of each glass.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
This panna cotta looks beautiful and perfect for Chritmas! I never tried making desserts with eggnog (actually never tasted it), but it really is interesting and I really need to try it.
Thank you! I've discovered that I enjoy eating eggnog desserts more than I like drinking eggnog. If you've never tasted it then prepare yourself for a thick consistency that can sometimes be off-putting. 😉
These are so quick to make but they taste like they took hours. I didn't have time to make the sugared cranberries for the top, but I put a sprig of rosemary on top and they looked great. If Christmas has a flavor this is it!
Excellent recipe and presentation! These were a huge hit at our Christmas parties this year. I can't recall ever making anything this good and this pretty to serve in such a short time. Thank you so much!
can these be made a day or two in advance?
These were fantastic! Light, flavorful and perfect after a heavy meal. Will definitely be making these throughout the holiday season. Thank you for such a great recipe!
So glad you enjoyed!!!
Hi! How far in advance do you think I can make these? I’d probably just do the pudding part, and store the cranberry sauce separately…thanks!
Hi Natalie! A couple of days at least. These keep very well in the refrigerator, just be sure to cover them with plastic wrap. I think it’s smart to store the sauce separately until time to serve. Otherwise the cranberry sauce could bleed into the panna cotta.
Why commercial prepared eggnog? Mine is so much better and I want to use it instead. What adjustments would I need to make?
Hi Sherrie,
This recipe is meant to be a convenience to busy holiday cooks. Not everyone would have time to make their own homemade eggnog ahead, and that is why commercially prepared is specified. Feel free to use your own.
Hi, your recipe and photos are wonderful and thank you so much for sharing. Maybe you should be informed that other people stole all your work from your blog.
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Hi Tonya,
Sorry for my late reply. Thank you for letting me know. I’m disappointed to see that people are scraping my content, but we’ll try to get it taken down. Thanks again!
Where did you find the lovely cups?
I wish I could remember! It’s been a few years since I purchased them. I think they are from a line of dessert glasses by Libbey called “Just Desserts”. There are a few styles in the line.
Have you made it with the egg nog that has the liquor in it? Wonder if it would still set with the gelatin?
I haven’t, but I think a tablespoon or two of bourbon (or rum, etc) would still set just fine.
Hi Heather, I’m hosting an afternoon tea and I want to have as much prep done as possible and wondered if I could make these and freeze them?
Hi Nancy – so sorry for my late reply here. I would not recommend freezing the panna cotta. The cranberry sauce could be frozen and then thawed overnight in the refrigerator. Panna cotta does not freeze well, but it does keep well in the refrigerator for a few days, so it could be made ahead, portioned into glasses, covered in plastic wrap, and kept for 3-4 days before serving. I hope this helps!