Silky smooth pumpkin panna cotta is heaped high with a sweet ‘n’ salty caramel pecan sauce and is guaranteed to wow in the fall dessert department!
If you’re looking for that wow dessert to bring to any fall gathering this season, look no further!!
If you’re looking for that dessert to hoard to yourself cause you got nowhere fun to go this fall, also look no further!
This pumpkin panna cotta isn’t picky about the occasion. It just wants to be dove into and you should NOT have any problem with making that happen, trust me.
Panna cotta is usually one of those desserts that scream summer since they’re typically topped with a fruit (like we did with this greek yogurt panna cotta a few months back)
But I’m setting out to change that mindset with a little pumpkin.
Here’s what this pumpkin panna cotta features –>
- Silky, custardy panna cotta with creamy pumpkin and warming spices
- A sweet ‘n’ salty caramel pecan sauce draped over top
Let’s walk through how to make ’em! –>
Panna Cotta
What actually is it? A technical definition of panna cotta is a no bake Italian dessert made from sweetened cream and set with gelatin. It’s very similar to custard in texture.
Panna cotta starts by softening the gelatin in water. Here we’re using plain gelatin which you can find next to all of the flavored gelatins/jello packages in most grocery stores.
Then we heat our dairy ingredients which consists of heavy cream + milk with a little sugar until just steaming. Be very careful not to let the cream/milk simmer or boil.
From there, we’re mixing in the flavorings (spices, vanilla, + pumpkin) and the gelatin mixture then dividing this custard mixture between 3 pan-sprayed 4-inch ramekins.
The panna cottas will take about 4 hours to set in the fridge. I go over unmolding them in detail in the recipe below, but if you’re having a lot of difficulty, feel free to just serve them in the ramekins!
Caramel Pecan Sauce
Start the sauce out by toasting whole pecans until they’re just fragrant. From there, we’re going to start building the caramel sauce with granulated sugar, butter, and a little honey.
Bring the sugar mixture to a boil and let it cook until it’s golden brown. Then carefully begin to add whipping cream, stirring constantly and taking care to avoid splattering as the cream hits the hot sugar.
Let the caramel cook until a deep golden brown then remove from the heat and fold in the pecans + a pinch of salt.
Spoon ALL that goodness as high as you can over your perfect little panna cottas. ♥
That’s like an actual bowl of fall up there, y’all.
It’s creamy, it’s caramely, it’s perfectly balanced with pumpkin + spice. Literally a fall dessert dream.
I’m sure no one would judge you if you ate all three panna cottas. Definitely not me.
If you’re looking for more pumpkin inspiration, why not check these goodies out?
- Milk Chocolate Swirl Pumpkin Tart
- Chai Spice Maple Pumpkin Bread
- Coconut Pumpkin Pie Mini Cheesecakes
Pumpkin Panna Cotta with Salted Caramel Pecan Sauce
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Ingredients
Pumpkin Panna Cotta
- 2-1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup 2% milk
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree
Salted Caramel Pecan Sauce
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Pumpkin Panna Cotta
- In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over cold water. Let stand 5 minutes.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat cream, milk, and sugar until a low simmer. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla, spices, and gelatin mixture until gelatin is melted.
- Place pumpkin in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in cream mixture until completely smooth.
- Spray three 4-oz ramekins with nonstick spray. Pour pumpkin mixture into ramekins and smooth tops. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface of ramekins and chill in refrigerator at least 4 hours until panna cotta is set.
Salted Caramel Pecan Sauce
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, heat pecans, tossing occasionally until pecans are fragrant. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Place sugar in a medium saucepan. Melt over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sugar is completely dissolved and golden, about 8 minutes. Very slowly, whisk cream into caramel (careful, it will splatter slightly) and cook an additional 1-2 minutes until caramel is a deep golden brown. Remove from heat and immediately whisk in hot water, returning to heat for a minute or two if the caramel starts to harden. Stir in salt and toasted pecans. Store caramel in fridge until ready to use (caramel will harden as it chills - when ready to serve, heat in the microwave 30-60 seconds)
- When ready to serve, run a knife around the inside of each ramekin. Place a plate on each ramekin and invert onto plates, tapping and gently jiggling to release panna cotta.
- Top panna cottas with warmed salted caramel pecan sauce. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Nikki Sabatino says
I just made this last night for my husband’s birthday and it was really good but I would change one thing. I think I needed to add more pumpkin puree. I also might lessen the amount of ground cloves. It was more of a spiced panna cotta than a pumpkin flavor. But, overall really tasty! The pecan caramel topping was delicious!
Sarah says
Thanks for the honest review, Nikki! I did originally test this recipe with more pumpkin and it unfortunately gave the panna cotta a much less set texture. I found that by adding a little less, it helped the gelatin to set much better.
A. says
11/26/2020 This sounded like a great alternative to pumpkin pie. However it was unappealing in color (all shades of brown) and in flavor, mostly because the clove and allspice presence was too strong. On the other hand the salted caramel pecan sauce was really good and also easy. So the challenge is to find a better pumpkin cotta recipe and complement with the sauce. I made a double recipe, so we’re slogging through the ramekins subsequents nights. A dollop of whipped cream helps a bit, softens the spice flavor, and once I find the right recipe I might try s