Fudgy, chocolatey and unbelievably creamy, these individual Halloween party panna cotta desserts will have your guests digging little graves! Miniature chocolate panna cotta are topped with a rich, fudgy chocolate ganache and crushed Oreo cookies to resemble topsoil. This recipe is quick and easy to make! It just needs a few hours to set in the fridge.
Let me start off this post by sharing a fact you may not know about me: I am a Mortician. I have the utmost reverence for the dead and think that death should be talked about more openly. The harsh reality is that there are tragedies happening every day, in every community. You may not celebrate Halloween for a myriad of reasons, but I view it as a humbling holiday because it blurs the line from the world of the living and the world of the dead. These mini desserts are a spooky and delicious Halloween party treat, gently reminding us of our fragile mortality. The latin phrase “Memento Mori” essentially means “Remember You Will Die.”
Interestingly, the design of these desserts was inspired by a grave digger I once had the privilege of knowing, embalming, and burying. His name was Tom. And Tom stood not even 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall and looked like a real life leprechaun (MPR did a story about Tom if you’re curious). He dug hundreds of graves every year and they were all dug by hand with his trusty sidekick Jeff. Grave diggers are some of my favorite people because they are kind, unsung heroes, doing thankless work.
All that is to say life is precious and sweet. Spend time with your loved ones. Savor the moments and make the most of every day we are given…. Happy Halloween!
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What is panna cotta?
Panna cotta means ‘cooked cream’ in Italian. This is an eggless custard dessert. It includes very few ingredients consisting of a simple mixture of cream, sugar, and vanilla. In this case, we’re melting in some chocolate chips too! Gelatin is added to set the mixture and create a dreamy, custard-like consistency. The final product is rich and silky smooth. The consistency of chocolate panna cotta is very similar to pudding.
This recipe is based off the best classic panna cotta recipe I know! I’ve made it dozens of times. Despite the heavy cream, this dessert is perfect as a light, not-too-sweet dessert after a heavy meal. And if you’re new to baking with gelatin, don’t fear! Surprisingly, it’s incredibly easy to work with and I’m going to walk you through every step of making this delicious panna cotta.
What is gelatin? Gelatin is a thickening agent made of tiny granules that have no color or flavor. Depending on where you’re from, gelatin may be sold in boxes containing 2 or more envelopes. One envelope usually contains ¼ – ½ oz. (7-14g) of gelatin.
How to make mini chocolate panna cotta for a party
- Bloom the gelatin. Sprinkle the gelatin over a little cold coffee in a small mixing bowl and let it sit for a 5-10 minutes to gelatinize. You’ll notice the mixture turns into something that looks like soft, rubbery Jello.
- Make the cream mixture. While your gelatin is setting, heat the cream, chocolate chips, sugar, and vanilla together in a saucepan until hot and you see a low boil. Make sure all the sugar and chocolate chips are melted into the mixture. It’s okay if there’s a few bits of chocolate left over – we will strain that out.
- Add the gelatin. Turn off the heat and scrape out the softened gelatin into the hot cream mixture. Immediately whisk until smooth. Adding the gelatin to the hot mixture is what activates it. Make sure the mixture is completely smooth and that there are no little crystals remaining. If there are, bring the saucepan back to the stove and heat very gently without letting the mixture boil (this is very important!) until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
- Portion, set, and serve. Pour your panna cotta mixture through a fine mesh sieve and into a glass measuring cup with a pour spout. Overall, the goal is a smooth panna cotta. Divide the mixture into individual ramekins or glasses and place in the refrigerator to set for a minimum of 4 hours. To serve, top with chocolate ganache.
- Make the chocolate ganache. View my full step by step instructions with helpful tips on how to make ganache. Let the ganache and oreo crumbs set in the fridge for at least an hour.
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Decorate your mini desserts for Halloween
Here is a list of the products I used to create these mini dig-a-grave chocolate panna cotta for Halloween:
- 2oz Dessert Cups: Plastic square mini cube dessert shooter cups.
- Spoons: Dig in with shovel-shaped dessert spoons – perfect for these desserts!
- Cemetery Candies: I loved using this writable grave stone set from Wilton!
Commonly asked questions
Can you freeze panna cotta ahead of time?
Yes, you can! It keeps well in the freezer. Be sure to leave it overnight in the fridge to thaw thoroughly before eating. Especially because soft panna cotta is best for your guest experience.
How long does panna cotta stay good in the fridge?
Panna cotta will stay fresh for up to 3 days. Keep covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container.
Can I replace the heavy cream with milk?
If you want to reduce the amount of cream in the recipe, you can substitute it for a lighter cream or whole milk. However, I do recommend keeping at least ⅓ of the heavy cream to maintain the super creamy and rich texture and flavor and replacing the other ⅔ with a lighter option.
What happens if my panna cotta mixture accidentally boils after adding the gelatin?
Gelatin starts losing strength above 212°F/100°C, which is why you don’t want your cream mixture to get too hot once it’s added. If your mixture comes to a boil on accident, turn off the heat immediately. Most likely, it will still set if it didn’t remain at this temperature for very long. However, if you find that your panna cotta does not set properly in the fridge after several hours, you’ll need to start over.
Can I substitute sheet gelatin for powdered gelatin?
Yes. If using sheet gelatin, substitute 4 sheets of gelatin for the 2 teaspoons of powdered gelatin the recipe calls for. To bloom the gelatin, place the gelatin sheets in a bowl filled with 2 cups of water and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Remove the sheets once they are completely soft and gelatinous and whisk them into the hot panna cotta as directed in the recipe. Don’t add them with the water they were soaking in – add the sheets only.
What else could I use instead of panna cotta?
If you’re not interested in making panna cotta, but you love these desserts, here are a few swaps that would also work well. Remember to add crushed chocolate cookies on top of these for the final touch.
- Ganache Filling: Fill each cup with the ganache filling from my no bake chocolate tart.
- Mousse: Use a classic chocolate mousse, peanut butter mousse, or milk chocolate hazelnut mousse.
- Pudding: Not just average pudding, luxurious and creamy homemade chocolate pudding.
Chocolate Panna Cotta for Halloween
These individual chocolate panna cotta are topped with a rich, fudgy chocolate ganache and crushed Oreo cookies to resemble topsoil. This rich and creamy dessert is a perfectly spooky treat that takes only minutes to make!
Ingredients
Chocolate Panna Cotta
- ¼ cup (60ml) cold coffee, water, or milk
- 2 teaspoons (6g) unflavored powdered gelatin*
- 2 cups (480ml) heavy cream
- ¼ cup (50g/1.8 oz.) granulated sugar
- 4 oz (113g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache Topping
- 5 oz (144g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 5 oz (150ml) heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8-10 Oreo cookies with white cream filling removed, crushed
Instructions
Make the chocolate panna cotta
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Set out your 2oz dessert cups on a small sheet pan or level tray to make putting them in the fridge easier.
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Bloom the gelatin: Place cold coffee, water, or milk in a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over the surface in a single layer. Be sure not to pile it as that will prevent the crystals from dissolving properly. Let stand for 5-10 minutes to soften.
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Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat cream, sugar, chocolate chips, and vanilla on medium heat and bring just to a boil until sugar dissolves and chocolate is mostly melted. Remove from heat. Stir in gelatin and immediately whisk until smooth and dissolved. If the gelatin hasn’t fully dissolved, return the saucepan to the stove and heat gently over low heat. Stir constantly and don’t let the mixture boil.
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Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve and into a glass measuring cup with a pour spout. Pour cream into 14 individual 2oz dessert cups, leaving about 1cm open on top. Refrigerate for at least 2-4 hours, or until completely set.
Make the chocolate ganache and Oreo topping
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Place chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Set aside. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring cream just to a boil. Immediately pour cream over chocolate and let sit without stirring for 1-2 minutes. Then, whisk mixture gently until completely melted and smooth. Add vanilla and whisk to combine.
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Spoon a little bit of ganache onto each panna cotta to cover the top of the dessert.
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Pour crushed oreo crumbs over the top of the desserts. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to set the ganache.
Recipe Notes
Panna cotta desserts can be covered with plastic wrap or placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
* If using sheet gelatin, use the same weight (7g). Add the sheets to a bowl filled with 2 cups water. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, then remove the sheets and stir them into the hot panna cotta as directed in the recipe (you don’t need to add it along with the water, such as in powdered gelatin – add the sheets only).
