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Glite Dictionary
panna cotta

panna cotta

4 4.2
A creamy Italian dessert made from sweetened cream set with gelatin, often with fruit
  • noun
  • /ˈpænə ˈkɑːtə/
translation icon : panna cotta
  • She carefully unmolded the panna cotta and placed it on a fancy plate.
  • panna cotta for dessert
  • vanilla panna cotta
  • almond panna cotta

I love homemade ice cream and I and I love to make panna cotta with raw cream, which I haven't done for ages.

Examples

  • Panna cotta was fine—dark cookie crumbs and three dots of raspberry sauce were cute.

    Blog text (31)

  • I made the panna cotta the night before and left it well-wrapped in the refrigerator.

    Blog text (15)

  • I think he would have liked to have some of that panna cotta too!

    Blog text (15)

  • The last time Blake took me out to dinner, he had panna cotta.

    Drop (2025)

  • The dessert course was a panna cotta with a very nice chocolate sauce.

    Blog text (23)

  • But first, my showcase dessert choice was a panna cotta, which is Italian for cooked cream.

    Blog text (15)

  • Panna cotta is a wonderful dessert, Mar, and serving it in your espresso cups was a great idea.

    Blog text (15)

  • For dessert, vanilla panna cotta with Mount Hood strawberries and rhubarb.

    Blog text (6)

  • The fifth and last course will consist of classic cappuccino panna cotta with cinnamon-scented crema and wild fennel pollen biscotti.

    Blog text (22)

  • For dessert, I ordered a creamy panna cotta topped with fresh berries.

Synonyms

cannoli
vspanna cotta
27 3.9

An Italian dessert of a fried pastry tube filled with sweet ricotta cheese

is a set creamy dessert from sweetened cream rather than a filled pastry
gelato
vspanna cotta
23 2.5

A creamy Italian frozen dessert thicker than ice cream

is chilled set cream thickened with gelatin rather than a frozen dessert
chocolate pudding
vspanna cotta
7 1.0

A sweet, smooth dessert made with chocolate

is set by gelatin from sweetened cream rather than a stirred chocolate dessert
panettone
vspanna cotta
1 5.0

A sweet Italian bread with dried fruit traditionally eaten at Christmas

is a chilled set cream dessert, not a baked fruit bread
cassata
vspanna cotta
8.2

A round Italian cake of sponge filled with sweet ricotta and candied fruit

is a simple set cream dessert, not a multilayered cake
torta
vspanna cotta
7.4

A flat round cake often served for dessert

is a gelatin set cream dessert rather than a baked flat cake
panocha
vspanna cotta
  • US
9.9

A soft sweet candy made with brown sugar and butter, often with nuts

is a gelatin-set creamy dessert rather than a solid sugary fudge

How Firm

flan
11 3.2
panna cotta
4 4.2
custard
28 1.0
jelly
  • UK
39 1.0

Surface Forms

panna cotta singular
panna cottas plural

Morphology

panna + cotta

Both constituents are non‑English borrowings with no dictionary senses provided, so an average B1 English learner who knows English words would not be able to derive the meaning. Although etymologically ‘panna cotta’ literally relates to ‘cooked cream’ in Italian, this culinary loanword functions as a lexicalized name in English and is not transparently analyzable by learners without knowledge of Italian, making it effectively opaque.

Etymology

The dessert panna cotta gets its name from Italian words panna ('cream') and cotta ('cooked'). Think of sweet cream gently warmed and then set into a smooth, wobbly pudding — that's why the name means the soft, creamy dessert we eat today.