This coconut milk panna cotta is made with only a handful of wholesome ingredients, and which a very short cooking time, it’s a great summer dessert! It’s very simple to make and a wonderful replacement to the traditional dairy and gelatine version, using agar powder instead.
Lightly sweetened, creamy, and with a great flavour thanks to the lemon zest and vanilla, vegan panna cotta is a fantastic dessert (and gluten free, too). It’s a set pudding, but still creamy and definitely not rubbery. This one is served in glasses but you could also pour it into moulds for some fun shapes.
There’s some confusion about the origin date of panna cotta, which is Italian, but there are similar desserts (blancmange, bavarois, muhallebi) from other regions and different times in history. Regardless, panna cotta became more popular in the mid-20th century. I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily a common household dessert now – maybe it peaked in the 90s along with things like molten chocolate cake – but it should be!
For some more pudding-like desserts, try a vegan chocolate mousse, coconut milk rice pudding, or an easy chia pudding parfait.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Agar powder: I’m certain that flaked agar can be used here, I just don’t know the amount needed as powder is more potent due to the volume it fills compared to flakes.
- Full-fat coconut milk: other plant ‘creams’ can take the place of coconut milk, but of course the flavour will change significantly. A vegan ‘whole’ milk like oat barista, for example, is thick enough to make a creamy panna cotta, but has a rather less pleasant taste.
- Add-ins: additional flavourings can be added to suit your tastes – cardamom is nice. If you prefer a more wintery flavour, try subbing orange for the lemon and adding extra spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, lebkuchen spices).
Step by Step
1. Mix: add the lemon juice, maple syrup, and agar to a saucepan and whisk to combine.
2. Cook: bring to a low boil, then simmer for a minute.
3. Add coconut milk: plus the lemon zest and vanilla, then simmer again.
4. Pour: transfer the panna cotta mixture into moulds or small jars and cool.
Recipe Notes
If you find that the panna cotta isn’t quite sweet enough for you, try topping it with some coconut sugar. It will likely dissolve, but the flavour is nice (or use some extra maple syrup).
Look for a brand of coconut milk that’s quite smooth before cooking. Some brands have that grainy texture and it isn’t very pleasant here.
Agar is a common ingredient in desserts throughout Asia, used as a gelling agent in many jellies and other sweets. It’s made from red seaweed and needs to be boiled in order to activate, as seen in this recipe. You may find agar in powder or pieces (strips or flakes) – I can only get the powdered form where I live, so I haven’t tested this recipe with flakes.
How to Store
Storage: cover tightly (jars with lids are perfect for this) and refrigerate for up to three days, without any added topping.
Freezing: it should be fine to freeze this, but I haven’t tested it. I know the gelatine version freezes quite well but I’m not sure if this one would separate when thawing.
Newsletter
Expert Tips
- Prepare the ingredients: this recipe needs a bit of watching, so you’ll be better off from the start if you have a mise en place.
- Use moulds: the pudding can be formed into pretty shapes with moulds, so if you have any (metal, or even silicon) you can use those instead of jars.
- Give it time: the panna cotta must chill completely before serving, so make sure you prepare it in advance so that it has enough time to cool.
More Coconut Milk Desserts
Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream
Honey Lemon Ice Cream
Strawberry Elderflower Scone Cake
Vegan Coconut Bread
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Coconut Panna Cotta
Ingredients
- Juice of one lemon
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey if not vegan
- 1 teaspoon agar agar powder
- 400 ml canned full-fat coconut milk, cream only
- Zest of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Whisk the lemon juice, maple syrup, and agar together in a small saucepan. Bring this to a low boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once it boils, reduce the heat to low and simmer for one minute.Juice of one lemon, 3 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 teaspoon agar agar powder
- Add the coconut cream, lemon zest, and vanilla to the pan. Bring to a low boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for another two minutes.400 ml canned full-fat coconut milk, cream only, Zest of one lemon, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool for five minutes. Pour into glasses or moulds and refrigerate for one hour or until completely cold.
- Serve the panna cotta as is, or topped with fresh or frozen berries.
* For American cup measurements, please click the pink link text above the ingredient list that says ‘American’.
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
This post was originally published in August 2014. It was last updated with new photographs and improvements to the text and recipe as of August 2020.
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