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Low fat yogurt panna cotta with honey and oranges. I think this was the highlight of yesterday’s wonderful Easter dinner for me.
The meal was great. We had mint glazed slow cooked lamb, turkey breast, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and a roasted vegetable medley of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, brussels sprouts and mushrooms.
But dessert was spectacular – smooth, creamy and refreshing. And a lot lighter and lower in calories than most panna cotta since it was made with nonfat evaporated milk and plain nonfat Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream.
What is panna cotta?
If you’ve never had it, you are in for a treat, especially if you’re a fan of creamy desserts.
Panna cotta, which means “cooked cream” in Italian, is a silky custard that uses gelatin, instead of eggs for setting/binding, so it’s a lot quicker and easier to make. All you need to do is warm the milk enough to melt the gelatin and dissolve the sugar.
And then pour the mixture it into custard cups, ramekins or glasses and refrigerate for a few hours until it’s set. Then you can eat it right from the dish, or for a fancier presentation, invert it onto a dessert plate.
Most panna cotta recipes call for heavy cream, which is high in fat and calories, and sometimes totally worth the splurge.
But if you can make a version without cream that is just as delicious with fewer calories and a lot less fat, why not?
This recipe for Lighter Panna Cotta comes from Camilla Saulsbury, author of Panna Cotta: Italy’s Elegant Custard Made Easy (affiliate link), a cookbook with 100 recipes for panna cotta.
Made with plain yogurt and fat-free evaporated milk, it’s simple yet special with a touch of ground coriander and orange blossom water (affiliate link).
How Many Calories and WW Points in Yogurt Panna Cotta with Honey and Orange?
According to my calculations, each serving has just 172 calories.
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
5 SmartPoints (Green plan)
5 SmartPoints (Blue plan)
5 SmartPoints (Purple plan)
4 PointsPlus (Old plan)
It’s creamy and satisfying (made without any cream) served with orange sections and a sprig of mint. Enjoy!
If you’ve made this Low Fat Orange Honey Yogurt Panna Cotta, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Yogurt Panna Cotta with Honey and Orange Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2/3 cup canned fat-free evaporated milk
- 1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt or plain low fat yogurt
- 1 teaspoon orange blossom water (affiliate link)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- Two large navel oranges, peeled and cut into segments
- 4 fresh mint sprigs (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl (affiliate link), add the water and then sprinkle the gelatin over it. Let stand 5 minutes until dissolved.
- In a medium saucepan stir together the honey and evaporated milk and heat until the mixture is hot, but not boiling.
- Add the gelatin and stir until it is completely dissolved.
- Remove pan from the heat and whisk in the yogurt, orange blossom water, and coriander until smooth.
- Divide the mixture evenly among 4 individual custard cups OR decorative glasses.
- Cover and refrigerate 3-4 hours until set.
- To serve, immerse the bottom half of each custard cup in hot water for about 15 seconds. Then run a clean small knife around edge to loosen.
- Invert onto dessert plate (Note: if you are using glasses, no unmolding is required).
- Serve with oranges and their juices. Garnish with mint if desired
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 5 SmartPoints (Green plan) 5 SmartPoints (Blue plan) 5 SmartPoints (Purple plan) 4 PointsPlus (Old plan) This panna cotta can be made up to 24 hours ahead. Most panna cotta recipes call for heavy cream, which is high in fat and calories, and sometimes totally worth the splurge. But if you can make a version without cream that is just as delicious with fewer calories and a lot less fat, why not?
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Source: Panna Cotta: Italy’s Elegant Custard Made Easy (affiliate link) by Camilla Saulsbury
Do you like to watch cooking videos? Here’s a great video of British food writer, chef, and Cook Yourself Thin television personality, Gizzi Erskine demonstrating how to make yogurt panna cotta with roasted rhubarb and ginger. (She uses leaf gelatin, but the powdered kind that is so readily available at the grocery store works just as well.)
Can marsala wine be substituted for orang blossom water in panna cotta
Hi Jo, I haven’t tried it. If you do would love to have you let us know how it turns out!