French Panna Cotta Tart with Raspberry Coulis and Filo
An elegant French-inspired dessert featuring a crispy phyllo shell baked until golden, filled with silky homemade panna cotta, and topped with a vibrant raspberry coulis. The contrast of textures—shattered filo against creamy custard and tart berry sauce—makes this a show-stopping tart that's surprisingly approachable for home cooks.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Wait
- 5 hr
- Total
- 6 hr 25 min
- Makes
- 1 tart (8 servings)
Steps
Before you start
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) 15 minutes before baking the shell
- Have gelatin bloom in ice water for 5 minutes before using
- Chill a 9-inch (23 cm) tart pan (or a 9-inch cake pan if you don't have a tart pan) in the freezer for 10 minutes
- Read through all instructions to understand the chilling timeline—the panna cotta needs 4 hours to set before assembling
Prepare phyllo shells
- Remove the chilled 9-inch tart pan from the freezer.
- Working with one phyllo sheet at a time, lightly brush it with melted butter on both sides, then carefully drape it into the pan, allowing edges to overhang.
- Repeat with remaining 5 phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter and layering them, rotating the angle slightly with each layer for an attractive presentation.
- The overlapping edges will crisp beautifully.
- Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons (25 g) sugar evenly over the phyllo.
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Tip: Work quickly with phyllo—it dries out fast. Keep unused sheets covered with a damp towel. Brush between every layer so each one crisps up.
Bake phyllo shellOven 375°F / 190°C
- Place the tart pan on a baking sheet.
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 15–18 minutes, until the phyllo is deep golden brown and crispy.
- The edges may brown faster than the center, which is fine.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes.
- Once cooled, gently trim any excess phyllo extending beyond the pan rim with a serrated knife.
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Ready when: Phyllo is deep golden brown and crispy to the touch; it crackles when pressed gently
Tip: If phyllo darkens too quickly, loosely tent with foil for the last 5 minutes. The shell should shatter slightly when you bite it.
Bloom gelatin
- In a small bowl, sprinkle the 2.5 teaspoons (8 g) gelatin powder over 3 tablespoons (45 ml) ice water.
- Let sit undisturbed for 5 minutes so it absorbs the liquid and becomes spongy.
- Do not stir.
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Ready when: Gelatin is spongy and no longer powdery
Tip: Use ice water—warm water will cause the gelatin to clump. Blooming ensures even texture in the panna cotta.
Heat cream and milkOven 165°F / 75°C
- Pour the 2 cups (480 ml) cold heavy cream and 0.5 cup (120 ml) whole milk into a medium saucepan.
- Add 0.5 cup (100 g) sugar and 0.125 teaspoon (0.5 g) salt.
- Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until steam rises and tiny bubbles form at the edges—about 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
- Do not boil.
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Ready when: Steam rises and small bubbles ring the edge; temperature reaches 165°F (74°C)
Tip: Heating the cream brings out vanilla notes and ensures gelatin dissolves properly. Scalding it too vigorously can cause graininess.
Dissolve gelatin into cream
- Remove the hot cream from heat.
- Add the bloomed gelatin to the hot cream and stir gently with a whisk for about 1 minute until the gelatin is completely dissolved and no granules remain.
- Add the 1.5 teaspoons (7.5 ml) vanilla extract and stir to combine.
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Ready when: Gelatin is fully dissolved; no grainy texture remains when you rub the mixture between your fingers
Tip: Stir gently to avoid incorporating too much air, which can create bubbles in the panna cotta. Dissolving gelatin in hot liquid ensures a smooth set.
Cool panna cotta base
- Pour the cream mixture into a large bowl and set it over an ice bath (a larger bowl filled with ice and a little water).
- Stir occasionally for 8–12 minutes until the mixture cools to about 110°F (43°C) and begins to thicken very slightly—it should coat the back of a spoon lightly but still be pourable.
- This prevents lumps and ensures an even set.
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Ready when: Mixture coats the back of a spoon; it reaches about 110°F (43°C) and moves slowly when tilted
Tip: Don't rush this step. Cooling the custard before setting helps avoid a grainy texture. If it gets too thick, gently reheat over warm water.
Fill tart shell
- Pour the cooled panna cotta mixture into the cooled phyllo shell, spreading it evenly with a spatula.
- The filling should come to just below the rim of the phyllo so it doesn't overflow as it sets.
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Tip: Pour slowly and tilt the tart pan gently so the filling settles evenly. The panna cotta will firm up as it chills.
Chill panna cotta
- Cover the tart loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to 8 hours, until the panna cotta is set but still has a slight jiggle—it should not be rubbery.
- Test by tilting the pan; the custard should move very slowly.
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Ready when: Panna cotta jiggles slightly when the tart pan is tilted; it is not liquid but still soft and creamy
Tip: Overnight chilling is fine. Don't freeze the tart—panna cotta becomes gummy when frozen and thawed.
Make raspberry coulis
- While the panna cotta chills, combine the 10 ounces (280 g) fresh raspberries, 3 tablespoons (38 g) sugar, and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice in a small saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring gently, for 5–7 minutes until the berries break down and the mixture becomes syrupy.
- The mixture will look like chunky jam.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
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Ready when: Mixture is thick and syrupy; berries have mostly broken down
Tip: Fresh raspberries work best, but frozen thawed berries are fine. The sugar and heat concentrate the tart berry flavor.
Strain coulis
- Press the warm coulis through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, using the back of a spoon to extract all the liquid and seedless fruit pulp.
- Discard the seeds.
- Let the coulis cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to serve.
- It can be made up to 2 days ahead.
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Ready when: Coulis passes through the strainer as a smooth, seedless liquid; only seeds remain
Tip: Straining gives a silky, elegant sauce. If you prefer a more rustic texture, you can skip this step and use the chunky coulis instead.
Remove tart from pan
- Once the panna cotta is fully set, run a thin knife around the inside of the tart pan to loosen it from the edges.
- Push the removable bottom up gently so the phyllo shell releases from the pan sides.
- Slide the tart onto a serving platter or cake board.
- If using a regular 9-inch cake pan, carefully invert the tart onto a plate, then invert again onto the serving platter so the phyllo is upright.
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Tip: Handle the tart gently—the phyllo is fragile and may crack. Cracking is actually rustic and charming; you can fill small cracks with a dab of coulis.
Finish and serve
- Just before serving, drizzle the raspberry coulis over the top of the panna cotta in a generous spiral or pool it in a ring around the edge.
- Scatter the optional 0.5 cup (60 g) fresh raspberries and small mint sprigs over the top for color and freshness.
- Slice with a hot, damp knife for clean cuts—dip the knife in hot water and wipe it clean between each slice.
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Tip: A hot knife cuts through the phyllo and creamy filling cleanly without crumbling or dragging. Serve immediately for the best contrast between crispy shell and silky filling.
Good to know
Tips
- The secret to silky panna cotta is patience: cool the cream slowly over an ice bath and don't chill it so fast that it seizes. Gentle stirring is key—you want smooth, not airy.
- Phyllo is temperamental but forgiving. If a sheet tears, just patch it with a piece of another sheet brushed with butter; once baked, no one will notice.
- Make the components separately and assemble close to serving time. The phyllo's crispness is what makes this dish special, and it softens in the fridge.
- A small squeeze of lemon juice in the coulis brightens the berry flavor and balances richness. Don't skip it—it's the difference between flat and vibrant.
Make ahead
The phyllo shell can be baked 1 day ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. The raspberry coulis can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. The panna cotta can be chilled overnight (up to 8 hours). Assemble the finished tart no more than 4 hours before serving to keep the phyllo as crispy as possible; the panna cotta stays creamy and the coulis stays vibrant.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature (assembled): up to 2 hours (phyllo begins to soften). Refrigerator (assembled): up to 4 hours (phyllo gradually absorbs moisture). Refrigerator (panna cotta alone, covered): up to 3 days. Raspberry coulis, refrigerated in an airtight container: up to 3 days. Phyllo shell, room temperature in an airtight container: up to 2 days. Do not freeze the assembled tart or the panna cotta—gelatin-set custards become gummy when frozen and thawed. Reheat: not applicable; serve chilled.
Substitutions
- heavy cream (35–40% fat), cold → Crème fraîche (8 oz / 240 ml crème fraîche plus 8 oz / 240 ml whole milk). Crème fraîche adds a subtle tang and richness. Use equal parts crème fraîche and milk to maintain the proper ratio. The panna cotta will be slightly less dense but equally creamy.
- vanilla extract → Almond extract or 1 split vanilla pod, seeds scraped. Almond extract brings a delicate nuttiness. A fresh vanilla pod adds tiny flecks and deeper vanilla flavor—steep the whole pod in the hot cream for 10 minutes, then remove. Both work beautifully with raspberries.
- fresh raspberries (or frozen, thawed) → Strawberries, blackberries, or a mixed berry blend, finely chopped. Any soft berry works. If using strawberries, dice them fine. Blackberries have more seeds, which straining removes. Mixed berries make a lovely speckled coulis.
- phyllo dough sheets (thawed if frozen) → Puff pastry or homemade pie dough, rolled thin. Puff pastry gives a flakier, less shattery crust—bake at 400°F (200°C) for 12–15 minutes until golden. Pie dough is richer but less delicate. Both provide a sturdier base than phyllo and hold up longer in the refrigerator.
