While I have named this Low FODMAP Buttermilk Panna Cotta, please understand that the “buttermilk” is a faux soured lactose-free milk, as we do not have access to a lactose-free buttermilk commercially. Panna Cotta, meaning cooked cream, is a delicate custard, Italian in origin, that is actually barely exposed to heat. It is thickened with gelatin.
What Is Panna Cotta?
Panna cotta is all about the flavor of the dairy. It can be made with milk or buttermilk and often cream is used as well, but it is usually a leaner custard than a crème brulée, pot de crème or a cornstarch thickened pudding.
Part of the dairy (the cream in our recipe) is heated briefly to be able to help dissolve the sugar and the softened gelatin, but that’s it. It is not “cooked”, which preserves the fresh, dairy flavor.
Panna cotta is often unmolded, but can be served in forglasses, ramekins or containers in which it is made as you see here. This allows the minimal amount of gelatin to be added, making a very delicate custard indeed.
Let’s Talk Dairy & FODMAPs
The low FODMAP Diet is not a dairy-free diet, but it is a lowered in lactose diet. Lactose-free whole milk should be easy to find, but in the U.S., we cannot source lactose-free heavy cream.
There are a few ways to approach this:
- Use lactose-free heavy cream, if you can find it.
- You could make your own lactose-free heavy cream following our directions for DIY Lactose-Free Dairy.
- You could use conventional heavy cream and make 10 servings, which would put the level of lactose in the cream well within the limits that Monash suggest in their app.
- Take a Lactaid Fast Acting Caplet when you eat the panna cotta.
- If you digest lactose well, you can just use conventional heavy cream and eat away!
Optional Strawberry Sauce
You can see that in some of the pics I have shown you an optional strawberry coulis (sauce). You can serve the panna cotta plain, with fresh low FODMAP fruit, or a low FODMAP sauce.
Strawberries, being NO FODMAP, are a great choice. Also, since this dessert is something you can make year-round, I used frozen berries for the optional sauce. This way you don’t have to wait for strawberries to be in season.
Ingredients For Low FODMAP Buttermilk Panna Cotta
All of the ingredients for our Low FODMAP Buttermilk Panna Cotta are easy to find in most supermarkets.
How To Make Low FODMAP Buttermilk Panna Cotta
First combine the milk and the lemon juice to make our faux “buttermilk” or soured milk; set aside.
Then, sprinkle the gelatin over water in a small bowl and allow to sit for about 5 minutes to soften – or bloom – the gelatin.
Heat the cream and sugar in a saucepan JUST until warm enough to dissolve the sugar, whisking it on occasion. Do not let the mixture boil or even simmer.
Once the sugar is dissolved, whisk in the softened gelatin until dissolved, then whisk in the faux “buttermilk”.
And whisk in vanilla.
Now comes the very important step of straining this mixture through a fine-meshed strainer into a large measuring cup or pitcher. Straining it helps it attain a super smooth texture. Straining it into a pitcher, or something with a spout, allows you to pour it easily into your chosen vessels (glasses, ramekins, etc.)
Then you simply pour it into your containers and chill!
If you want to be ready to make recipes quickly and easily – be prepared! Check out our article on 12 Essential Pantry Items, 10 Essential Low FODMAP Baking Items and 8 Essential Fridge & Freezer Items.
Low FODMAP Buttermilk Panna Cotta
While I have named this Low FODMAP Buttermilk Panna Cotta, please understand that the “buttermilk” is a faux soured lactose-free milk, as we do not have access to a lactose-free buttermilk commercially. Panna Cotta, meaning cooked cream, is a delicate custard, Italian in origin, that is actually barely exposed to heat. It is thickened with gelatin.
Ingredients:
Panna Cotta:
- Scant 1 ¾ cup (420 ml) lactose-free whole milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 ½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin, such as Knox
- 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) lactose-free heavy cream
- 7 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Strawberry Sauce:
- 10- ounces (280 g) frozen strawberries
- 1/3 cup (65 g) sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Preparation:
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Panna Cotta: Have ready 6 glass dishes or ceramic ramekins. Whisk together the milk and lemon juice; set aside for 5 minutes or until it curdles and thickens a bit. Meanwhile, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and set aside for 5 minutes as well.
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Place cream in a small saucepan, whisk in sugar, and heat and whisk just until sugar dissolves. The mixture should be warm; do not let it simmer or boil. Remove from heat. Whisk in the softened gelatin until dissolved, then whisk in soured milk and vanilla.
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Pour through a very fine-meshed strainer into a large measuring cup (or pitcher with spout). Divide mixture into glasses or ramekins and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. The panna cotta is best eaten within 24 hours.
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For the Optional Sauce: Combine the frozen berries, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan and heat over low heat, to defrost berries. Stir often, then adjust heat and simmer for several minutes or until the mixture thickens a bit and looks syrupy. Cool completely, then blend in blender (or use an immersion blender right in the pot), then strain, discarding the solids. Pour the cooled strained strawberry sauce on top of the cooled panna cotta right before serving.
Notes:
Tips
FODMAP Information
Our recipes are based on Monash University and FODMAP Friendly science.
- Lemon Juice: Monash University has lab tested lemon juice and it is low FODMAP in ½ cup (125 g) amounts.
- Strawberries: This popular berry has been lab tested by both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly. Monash lab testing reports that no FODMAPs were detected in strawberries. They suggest 10 medium berries (150 g) as a serving. FODMAP Friendly gives strawberries a “pass” and pegs 10 medium berries at (140 g).
- Sugar: Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have both lab tested white, granulated sugar. Monash states that a Green Light low FODMAP serving size of white sugar is ¼ cup (50 g). FODMAP Friendly simply states that they have tested 1 tablespoon and that it is low FODMAP. Regular granulated white sugar is sucrose, which is a disaccharide made up of equal parts glucose and fructose. Sucrose is broken down and absorbed efficiently in the small intestine.
Please always refer to the Monash University & FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps for the most up-to-date lab tested information. As always, your tolerance is what counts; please eat accordingly. The ultimate goal of the low FODMAP diet is to eat as broadly as possible, without triggering symptoms, for the healthiest microbiome.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
