Coffee Drink
Espresso Con Panna: Recipe, Cream Portion and Calories
Espresso con panna means espresso with cream: a shot or shots topped with whipped cream. This small home recipe pairs 36 g prepared espresso with 20 g (0.71 oz) unsweetened heavy cream, weighed before whipping. It keeps the contrast between hot coffee and cool cream without requiring added sugar.
Drink Snapshot
- Caffeine
- About 75 mg (reference)36 g prepared espresso; generic USDA referenceEstimate uses USDA data for the espresso portion.
- Calories
- About 70 kcalComplete unsweetened recipe with 20 g (0.71 oz) heavy creamRounded ingredient estimate using unsweetened cream.
Serving, sugar and sources
- Serving
- 36 g prepared espresso plus 20 g (0.71 oz) unsweetened cream before whipping
- Made with
- Espresso and softly whipped heavy cream
- Sugar
- About 0.6 g total. Naturally present in the cream; no sugar is added to the recipe.
- Preparation
- About 7 minutes
Defined home portion using generic USDA composition. Whipping increases volume with air; it does not create more cream or sugar. See the full calculation or label comparison.
Key Takeaways
- 1Use whipped cream, not steamed milk or milk foam. Weigh 20 g (0.71 oz) of cold cream before whipping it to soft peaks.
- 2This unsweetened serving has about 70 kcal and 0.6 g total sugar.
- 3The 36 g espresso has an approximately 75 mg generic caffeine reference. Cream changes the portion, not the amount of caffeine already in the shot.
On This Page10 Sections
How to Make Espresso Con Panna
Prepare the cream first, then the espresso. Starbucks at Home and Nespresso both describe espresso topped with whipped cream. This home recipe uses 36 g coffee and 20 g (0.71 oz) cream.
Recipe
Espresso con panna
- Makes:
- 1 serving
- Time:
- About 7 minutes
Ingredients
- 18 g ground coffee, to prepare 36 g espresso
- 20 g (0.71 oz) cold heavy whipping cream, unsweetened
Equipment
- Espresso machine, grinder, scale, small whisk, chilled vessel, 100–120 ml (3.4–4.1 US fl oz) heatproof cup
Method
- Whip 20 g (0.71 oz) cold heavy cream in a small chilled vessel with a small whisk until soft peaks form. Keep it cold.
- Warm a 100–120 ml (3.4–4.1 US fl oz) heatproof cup, empty it and tare it on a scale. Brew 18 g ground coffee to 36 g espresso as a starting point, then stir.
- Spoon all the whipped cream onto the espresso. Serve immediately, sipping through the cream or stirring if preferred.
Estimated nutrition per serving: 70 kcal; total sugar 0.6 g. Serving: 36 g espresso plus 20 g (0.71 oz) cream, weighed before whipping.
Recipe notes
Plain serving: estimated 70 kcal, 0.6 g total sugar and 75 mg caffeine. No added sugar.
Choose cream sold for whipping, around 35–36% fat, and check whether it contains added sugar. The plain recipe has no vanilla, cocoa, syrup or sweetener.
Leave room in the cup for the cream topping.
For a machine that cannot work with 20 g (0.71 oz) cream, whip a larger unsweetened batch according to its minimum-fill instructions, then weigh 20 g (0.71 oz) of the finished whipped cream for this cup. Keep the remainder refrigerated. Aeration changes volume, so a large spoonful is not a reliable substitute for weighing.
Espresso Con Panna: Dose and Yield
Start with 18 g dry coffee and 36 g prepared espresso, a 1:2 ratio by mass. Stop by beverage weight, not by the cup looking full: crema makes volume misleading. Adjust your normal espresso recipe for the beans and machine rather than forcing every coffee into one time or roast style.
The 18 g input is ground coffee in the basket; the 36 g output is the drink used in the nutrition model. Use the espresso brewing method to dial in the base before adding cream; the espresso guide explains the drink itself.
Espresso Con Panna Calories, Sugar and Caffeine
This unsweetened serving has about 70 kcal, 0.6 g total sugar and a 75 mg generic caffeine reference. Heavy cream contains naturally occurring milk sugar, even with no sugar added.
Serving calculation and ingredient references
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| Ingredient | Energy contribution | Total sugar contribution |
|---|---|---|
| 36 g prepared espresso | About 3.2 kcal | 0 g |
| 20 g unsweetened heavy cream | 68 kcal | About 0.6 g |
| Plain recipe total | 71.2 kcal, displayed as 70 | About 0.6 g |
For caffeine, USDA's generic prepared-espresso record contains 212 mg per 100 g. Applied to 36 g, that is 76.3 mg, displayed as 75 mg. It is a composition reference, not a measured result for this home shot. Use a decaf-specific reference if replacing the regular espresso.
If you want it sweeter, dissolve 2 g (½ US tsp) granulated sugar in the espresso before adding the cream. That adds about 7.7 kcal and 2 g sugar, bringing this defined cup to roughly 80 kcal and 2.6 g total sugar. The cream portion remains 20 g (0.71 oz). A sweetened aerosol or ready-made topping needs its own label calculation.
Nespresso's device recipe starts with 100 ml (3.4 US fl oz) cream to reach the jug's minimum fill, then instructs the reader to spoon cream onto the coffee. That equipment quantity is not evidence that one serving contains all 100 ml (3.4 US fl oz). Separating batch size from the topping actually served makes calorie comparisons more useful than comparing spoonfuls or dollops.
What Does Espresso Con Panna Taste Like?
Expect contrast between hot espresso and cool, rich cream, followed by more mixing as the cream warms. The coffee determines whether the cup leans chocolatey, nutty, fruity or more roasted.
Unsweetened cream is my starting choice for espresso con panna. I enjoy the softer texture it brings to the shot without adding the sugar that often comes with a café topping.
Sip through the cream, use a spoon first, or stir if you prefer an even texture.
Espresso Con Panna Troubleshooting
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| What you notice | Likely issue | What to change |
|---|---|---|
| Cream runs off the spoon immediately | It is warm, under-whipped or unsuitable for whipping | Chill whipping cream and the vessel, then stop at soft peaks. |
| Cream looks grainy or clumpy | It has been whipped too far | Start again and stop earlier; a stiff mound is not required. |
| A full-size mixer cannot catch the cream | The one-cup portion is below its working minimum | Use a small whisk or make a larger batch and weigh the served portion. |
| Coffee is buried under topping | The cream portion is larger than you prefer | Weigh a smaller topping next time and adjust the nutrition accordingly. |
| Drink is sweeter than expected | Cream or garnish was already sweetened | Read the label before adding sugar to the espresso. |
Keep unused cream refrigerated at 4°C / 40°F or below. FDA guidance limits unrefrigerated perishable food to two hours, or one hour above 32°C / 90°F. Assemble the hot coffee just before drinking rather than holding the finished cup for later.
Con Panna vs. Macchiato and Einspänner
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| Drink | What accompanies the coffee | Useful ordering question |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso con panna | Whipped cream | Is the cream sweetened, and how many shots are used? |
| Espresso macchiato | A little steamed milk or milk foam | Is this the small espresso macchiato? |
| Einspänner | Whipped cream; coffee and water proportions vary | What is the coffee base and serving size here? |
| Affogato | Ice cream or gelato | Which frozen dessert and portion are used? |
Starbucks' espresso explainer makes the useful milk-foam versus whipped-cream distinction. Ask about the shot and topping portions when ordering.
What the Name Tells You
Con panna means “with cream.” It identifies the topping rather than an exact shot count, roast, cream ratio or level of sweetness. Nespresso lists sugar as optional; other published recipes and cafés use sweetened toppings.
Do not assume café viennois always means this same small recipe. Viennese-style coffee names cover different preparations; the Viennese coffee guide explains those distinctions.
Common Questions
Is Espresso Con Panna Sweet?
It can be. This recipe uses unsweetened cream and no added sugar. Sweetened whipped cream, syrup or sugar makes a different sweetness level; ask about the topping when ordering.
How Much Cream Goes on Espresso Con Panna?
Our starting point is 20 g (0.71 oz) cream before whipping over 36 g prepared espresso. Weigh the cream for repeatable portions because whipping adds air.
Can I Use Canned Whipped Cream?
Yes, as a variation. It may contain added sugar and have a different texture or fat content. Weigh what you serve and use its label rather than the plain heavy-cream estimate here.
Do I Stir Espresso Con Panna?
You may sip through the cream for contrast or stir it in for a more uniform drink. Serve promptly either way.
Is Con Panna the Same as Coffee with Liquid Cream?
The recipes cited here use whipped cream. Adding unwhipped cream changes the texture and does not create the same topping.
Editor's Take
Sources and Further Reading
7 references
External links open in a new tab
Drink and preparation
- Starbucks at HomeEspresso con panna recipePublished espresso-plus-whipped-cream preparation.(opens in a new tab)
- NespressoEspresso con panna, Barista recipe bookPrinted pages 22–23: espresso, cold cream and optional sugar. The 100 ml cream instruction is the device jug minimum, not a stated individual topping weight.(opens in a new tab)
- StarbucksEspresso drinks explainedDistinguishes whipped-cream con panna from espresso macchiato with milk foam.(opens in a new tab)
Nutrition and storage
- USDA FoodData CentralPrepared espresso, record 171891Per 100 g: 9 kcal, 0 g sugar and 212 mg caffeine. Scaled to the prepared espresso portion.(opens in a new tab)
- USDA FoodData CentralHeavy whipping cream, record 170859Per 100 g: 340 kcal, 2.92 g total sugar and 36.08 g fat. Our 20 g portion is unsweetened.(opens in a new tab)
- USDA FoodData CentralGranulated sugar, record 169655Per 100 g: 387 kcal and 99.8 g total sugar, used only for the optional sweetened comparison.(opens in a new tab)
- U.S. FDAKeeping cream refrigeratedRefrigeration and room-temperature limits for perishable dairy.(opens in a new tab)