Pumpkin Panna Cotta

Pumpkin Panna Cotta

Suddenly, I’m obsessed with pumpkin. This is normal for the season, except I’m not usually much of a pumpkin person. I’ve never disliked it, but it certainly wasn’t the dessert I went for on the Thanksgiving table. It always seemed like a total waste of a pie to me.

And then this year happened, which must be a taste bud changing year, because there are several things that I suddenly started to love that I couldn’t stand before. Kombucha and tequila, for example. And I have been loving pumpkin. I’ve made the pumpkin cranberry muffins from Practical Paleo more times than I can count.

I couldn’t stand the thought of Thanksgiving going by without some kind of pumpkin dessert on the table. But I’m still not a fan of pumpkin pie, not enough to add it to my list of tasks this week. I considered making a pumpkin cheesecake, but a bit of research into that topic reminded me that I’m a horrible baker, and shouldn’t attempt such things with an already full plate.

Behold: The Pumpkin Panna Cotta. So simple, even horrible bakers like myself can make it. Most of the time it requires is spent chilling in the fridge; active time is less than 15 minutes. And you can pour it into any size cups you’d like. I’ll be using small tea cups (3-4 ounces) since they’ll be one of many desserts at Thanksgiving.

I used heavy cream for this recipe, wanting to keep it classic. I’m sure you could sub full fat coconut milk but I can’t attest for what it will do to the taste or texture. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out!

tiny tea cups are perfect for serving smaller portions of this rich dessert

Pumpkin Panna Cotta

2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 packet or 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
3 tablespoons cold water
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
whole nutmeg and cinnamon for serving, optional.

• In a large saucepan, whisk to combine the cream, maple syrup, pumpkin, ground spices and vanilla over medium heat. Heat until it’s hot, but not boiling.
• Meanwhile, put the cold water in a large bowl and sprinkle with the gelatin. Set aside for 5-10 minutes.
• Pour the hot cream mixture over the gelatin and stir well to combine.
• Pour into ramekins, tea cups, or molds and place in the fridge to set, at least 2 hours.
• Before serving, grate some whole nutmeg and/or cinnamon on each serving.