Easy Biscoff Panna Cotta (No-Bake Italian Dessert)
A silky, no-bake Italian dessert made with cookie butter — set it in the fridge and forget it until dessert.
Biscoff panna cotta is an easy way to put a proper dessert on the table without turning on the oven. Same silky, just-set texture as the classic, but laced with the warm caramel-spice flavor of Biscoff spread.
If you’ve ever stirred cookie butter into yogurt and thought “this should be a dessert,” it already is.
It looks restaurant-level in a glass, takes about ten minutes of hands-on work, and tastes like the best version of a Biscoff cookie. Spoon it straight from the glass or unmold it onto a plate. Either way, a hit of crushed Biscoff and a drizzle of Biscoff glaze on top, and you’re done.
One thing to know: it’s one of those make ahead desserts that needs 6–8 hours in the fridge to set, so plan for the day before. If you’ve got time on your side, it’s one of the easiest Italian desserts you can pull off, and a Biscoff spread dessert that punches way above its effort level. As no bake dessert recipes go, this one barely makes you work.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Six ingredients, no oven. Pantry staples plus a jar of Biscoff — no eggs, no tempering, no baking.
- Make-ahead friendly. You can prep it up 2 to 3 days before serving and the texture holds up perfectly.
- Looks fancier than it is. Pour into nice glasses or unmold onto a plate and it reads as a restaurant dessert with zero technique.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Heavy cream. Brings the fat and the silky mouthfeel. Use full-fat (≥30%).
- Whole milk. Lightens the cream so the panna cotta is creamy rather than dense. 2% works in a pinch.
- Biscoff spread. The whole point — provides the warm caramel-spice flavor and a touch of body. Use smooth, not crunchy. Other cookie butter brands work the same way.
- Powdered gelatin. Sets the panna cotta. One standard envelope (ÂĽ oz / 7 g) is enough for this batch.
- Cold water. For blooming the gelatin.
- Granulated sugar. Just a touch to balance — Biscoff is already very sweet, so you don’t need much. Taste before pouring and add more if you want.
- Salt. A pinch sharpens the caramel notes in the Biscoff and keeps it from tasting flat.
Step-by-Step: How to Make Biscoff Panna Cotta
👉 For an in-depth guide to panna cotta along with tips about unmolding, see the vanilla panna cotta recipe.
- Bloom the gelatin. Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the cold water in a small bowl, give it a quick stir, then let it sit for 5–10 minutes until it absorbs the water and looks like wet, wrinkled sand.
- Heat the milk and sugar. Combine the milk and sugar in a small saucepan. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring now and then, until it’s steaming and the sugar has fully dissolved (around 75°C / 165°F). A brief boil is fine — just take it off the heat once it gets there.
- Add the gelatin. Off the heat, scrape in the bloomed gelatin. Stir until it’s completely melted and the mixture looks smooth — no visible specks or strands.
- Add half the cream and the salt. Pour in half the cold heavy cream and add the pinch of salt. Stir to combine. This drops the temperature of the mixture before the Biscoff goes in, which keeps it from splitting.
- Stir in the Biscoff. Add the Biscoff spread and stir until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Add the rest of the cream. Pour in the remaining cold cream and stir until uniform.
- Taste test. Taste and dial in the final flavor — add a touch more sugar or salt if it needs it.
- Blend and strain. Blend briefly with an immersion blender to make sure the Biscoff is fully integrated, then strain through a fine mesh sieve into a measuring cup or pitcher.
- Pour into molds. Divide between 4 small ramekins, glasses, or silicone molds (around 1/2 cup each).
- Chill. Let them cool on the counter for 15–20 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for 6–8 hours, ideally overnight.
- Serve. Eat straight from the glass with a spoon, or unmold onto a plate. Top with crushed Biscoff cookies and a drizzle of Biscoff glaze.
Tips for Success
- Don’t skip the cooling step before adding Biscoff. If the milk is still hot when the Biscoff goes in, the spread can split and you’ll see oily droplets. Half the cold cream brings the temperature down enough to prevent that.
- Strain it. Even after blending, a quick pass through a fine sieve catches any undissolved gelatin specks and gives you a glassy-smooth surface in the molds.
Storage
Keep panna cotta covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you’ve already topped them with crushed Biscoff or glaze, eat within a day or two — the cookies soften over time.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 361kcal
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup heavy cream ~155 g
- 1 cup whole milk ~240 g
- 1/2 cup Biscoff spread ~120 g, smooth
- 1 envelope powdered gelatin ÂĽ oz / 7 g
- 2 1/2 tbsp cold water for blooming the gelatin, ~37 g
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar ~12 g, more if needed
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Bloom the gelatin. Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the cold water in a small bowl, give it a quick stir, then let it sit for 5–10 minutes until it absorbs the water and looks like wet, wrinkled sand.1 envelope powdered gelatin, 2 1/2 tbsp cold water
- Heat the milk and sugar. Combine the milk and sugar in a small saucepan. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring now and then, until it’s steaming and the sugar has fully dissolved (around 75°C / 165°F). A brief boil is fine — just take it off the heat once it gets there.1 cup whole milk, 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- Add the gelatin. Off the heat, scrape in the bloomed gelatin. Stir until it’s completely melted and the mixture looks smooth — no visible specks or strands.
- Add half the cream and the salt. Pour in half the cold heavy cream and add the pinch of salt. Stir to combine. This drops the temperature of the mixture before the Biscoff goes in, which keeps it from splitting.2/3 cup heavy cream, 1 pinch salt
- Stir in the Biscoff. Add the Biscoff spread and stir until fully incorporated and smooth.1/2 cup Biscoff spread
- Add the rest of the cream. Pour in the remaining cold cream and stir until uniform.
- Taste test. Taste and dial in the final flavor — add a touch more sugar or salt if it needs it.
- Blend and strain. Blend briefly with an immersion blender to make sure the Biscoff is fully integrated, then strain through a fine mesh sieve into a measuring cup or pitcher.
- Pour into molds. Divide between 4 small ramekins, glasses, or silicone molds (around 125 ml each).
- Chill. Let them cool on the counter for 15–20 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for 6–8 hours, ideally overnight.
- Serve. Eat straight from the glass with a spoon, or unmold onto a plate. Top with crushed Biscoff cookies and a drizzle of Biscoff glaze.
Notes
Yields 4 servings of 1/2 cup each. Macros calculated on heavy cream at ~36% fat and Lotus Biscoff spread. Toppings not included.
Nutrition
Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 5.4g | Fat: 26.3g | Fiber: 0.3g
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Recipes You Might Like
- Strawberry Panna Cotta. Same silky, just-set base — fresh strawberry puree instead of Biscoff, with a brighter, fruitier finish.
- Lemon Posset & Orange Posset. If you like the spoonable-in-a-glass format but want something tangy and citrus-forward — only 3 ingredients and no gelatin needed.
- No-Bake Biscoff Tart. Same Biscoff flavor system as a sliceable tart — Biscoff cookie crust, white chocolate cream filling, no oven.