This decadent Vegan Panna Cotta has the same texture as the traditional Italian dessert but is completely dairy-free and uses a plant-based alternative to gelatin. It’s velvety, indulgent, and simple to make at home.
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Panna cotta is a classic Italian dessert made with heavy cream, sugar, and gelatin. It’s creamy and light but holds its shape when served. This vegan panna cotta recipe doesn’t use dairy or gelatin but still achieves the same silky, jiggly texture as the traditional dessert. It’s perfect for an elevated dinner party dessert or if you want to impress your family.
If you like dairy-free Italian desserts, you will love my raspberry sorbet, dairy-free coffee mousse, and tropical sorbet!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Only 5 Ingredients: This decadent dessert is easy to make and only requires 5 ingredients, coconut milk, cornstarch, agar agar, sugar, and vanilla.
- Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, and Dairy-Free: This recipe is not only vegan, but it’s also gluten-free and nut-free! That makes it perfect for serving guests with a wide range of dietary needs.
- Perfect for Dinner Parties: This dessert appears elegant and elaborate, but it’s actually simple to make. It’s perfect for dinner parties where you want to impress your guests without laboring away in the kitchen all day.
Ingredients
- Full-Fat Coconut Milk: Coconut milk is an excellent vegan alternative for this dairy-free panna cotta because the full-fat version has a thick, creamy texture.
- Agar Agar Powder: This panna cotta without gelatin uses agar agar powder to achieve the jiggly effect while the dessert still holds its shape. Agar agar is a plant-based gelatin alternative made from red algae.
- Sugar: Deepens the sweetness of the strawberries with a bit of extra sugar and also sweetens the panna cotta.
- Vanilla Bean Paste: This thick, honey-like mixture contains actual ground vanilla bean seeds, which will be visible in the finished panna cotta. You can use vanilla extract if you don’t have vanilla bean paste.
- Strawberries: These sweet berries make for the perfect coulis to top your vegan coconut panna cotta. Use fresh or frozen strawberries.
- Lemon Juice: Add a little brightness and acidity to the coulis with lemon juice to round out the flavors.
- Cornstarch: This will help create the consistency of the panna cotta and thicken the coulis so it isn’t overly runny and gives it a glossy appearance.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Make a Caramel Sauce: Use coconut cream and brown sugar to create a vegan caramel sauce to top this vegan panna cotta recipe. Add a little flaky sea salt to make it salted caramel.
- Try It With Citrus: Instead of berries, make a citrus coulis using lemons, limes, or oranges. The citrus topping is perfect for a summer dinner party outside.
- Make Chocolate Panna Cotta: Turn this into a chocolate dessert by melting a few ounces of vegan chocolate into the panna cotta mixture before pouring it into the molds.
How to Make Vegan Panna Cotta
This vegan strawberry panna cotta recipe looks so elegant, but it is so easy to make. It requires less than 15 minutes of active cooking time, which is ideal when you’re busy cooking the main meal.
To get started, you will first need to make a slurry which will aid in thickening and creating the custard-like consistency of this Italian dessert. Whisk together the cornstarch and agar agar with 2 tablespoons of room-temperature coconut milk until the mixture is smooth.
Step 1: Cook the Ingredients. Add the remaining coconut milk to a saucepan over medium heat. Then add the sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt to the milk. Slowly whisk in the cornstarch and agar agar slurry.
Step 2: Cook. Cook this over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, until the mixture starts to bubble.
Step 3: Pour Into the Ramekins. Slowly pour equal amounts of the panna cotta into ramekins or small glass dishes. Place them in the refrigerator to chill for 3-4 hours.
Step 4: Plate and Serve. Once the vegan panna cottas are fully set run a knife gently along the edges of the ramekins to loosen them. Place a plate over the ramekin, then flip it over and the panna cotta should slide out gently.
Step 5: Make the Coulis. Cook the strawberries over medium heat with the sugar and lemon juice until soft and the sugar dissolves. Use an immersion blender to blend the cooked strawberries until they are completely smooth. dd the cornstarch to the blended coulis and whisk it to break up any clumps. Then allow it to cook and thicken for another 1-2 minutes. Cool in the refrigerator before serving.
Step 6: Serve. Top the panna cotta with the chilled coulis and serve it cold to your guests. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Shake the Coconut Milk: You’ll need to shake a can of full-fat coconut milk to recombine it because it separates as it sits in the can. After it’s shaken it should have the consistency of heavy cream.
- Avoid Clumps: The best way to keep your cornstarch and agar agar slurry from forming clumps is to whisk them into room-temperature coconut milk until they are dissolved. Heat will activate the thickeners and make them clump before they can be properly whisked.
- Use a Fine Mesh Sieve: For even silkier vegan panna cotta strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer before pouring it into the ramekins. This will catch any small clumps so you get the smoothest possible texture.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Do not freeze this vegan panna cotta recipe because it will alter the creamy texture.
- Make Ahead of Time: Save more time the day of your dinner party, make the panna cotta the evening before, and let it chill overnight. Be sure to cover them as they chill so they don’t pick up any smells or flavors from food in the refrigerator.
Serving Suggestions
This panna cotta recipe without gelatin is the perfect dessert for a plant-based dinner party with your friends or a date night with your partner. It looks sophisticated, but is so easy to make! This dessert is also light, which is perfect after a heavy meal.
- Pair this vegan dessert with an Italian dinner of vegan gluten-free lasagna or a plate of creamy dairy-free fettuccine alfredo.
- Plan an entire dinner menu and have this panna cotta for dessert. It would go so well with an appetizer of bread and Italian bread dipping oil, a side of vegan Caesar salad, and homemade vegan ravioli as the main dish.
Recipe FAQs
If you don’t have an immersion blender you can use a regular blender to blend the strawberry coulis. Just be careful pouring the hot berry mixture into the blender!
No, only use agar agar powder for this panna cotta recipe without gelatin. The flakes, even if you grind them up, are too strong and the dish will be firm without any jelly-like wiggle.
This coconut panna cotta recipe is the closest to traditional panna cotta. Other vegan milks don’t have the same creamy texture. Cashew cream may be the closest substitute but it can have too strong of a flavor.
More Delicious Vegan Italian Desserts
Strawberry Panna Cotta
Ingredients
Panna Cotta Ingredients
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon agar agar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
Strawberry Coulis Ingredients
- 8 oz strawberries fresh or frozen
- a little bit of dragonfruit for color optional
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
Panna Cotta
- To a small bowl, add the cornstarch and agar agar and whisk them together with 2 tablespoon of coconut milk until you break up any clumps.
- In a pan over medium heat, add the remaining can of coconut milk. Then add the sugar, vanilla, a pinch of salt, and cornstarch/ agar agar slurry. Whisk well.
- Cook over medium heat until the mixture starts to bubble (5-7 minutes).
- Divide the panna cotta into small dishes and refrigerate for 3-4 hours, or overnight.
- When you are ready to enjoy, run a knife gently along the edges of the panna cotta bowls to loosen the panna cotta. Place a plate on top of the bowl, flip over, and allow the panna cotta to slide out on its own gently.
Strawberry Coulis
- To make the strawberry coulis, add the strawberries to a pan over medium heat and add the sugar and lemon juice. Cook for 7-10 minutes until the strawberries have released their juices.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the strawberry coulis until smooth. Then add the cornstarch and whisk it up to break up any clumps. Cook for another 1-2 minutes to allow the mixture to thicken.
- Allow the coulis to cool, then top the panna cotta with the strawberry coulis, add extra berries, and dig in!
Notes
- Shake the can of full-fat coconut milk to recombine it before using it in your panna cotta otherwise, it won't have the right creamy texture.
- Avoid Clumps in your cornstarch and agar agar slurry by whisking them into room-temperature coconut milk. If the milk is hot the thickeners will start to clump before you can whisk them.
- Strain the panna cotta through a fine mesh strainer before pouring it into the ramekins to catch any small clumps and give it a silkier texture.
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