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A side on image of a coconut panna cotta topped with mango and chilli crisp on a white plate in bright contrasting sunlight

Coconut panna cotta with agar agar

Gluten free, dairy free, egg free, vegan, gelatin free
*This recipe uses Australian cups and measures. Use gram and ml for international accuracy.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Setting time 4 hours
Course Dessert, Sweet
Cuisine Food Intolerance Friendly
Servings 8 panna cotta

Ingredients
  

  • 500-540 ml (2 cups)* coconut cream (see notes)
  • 250 ml (1 cup)* full fat coconut milk (see notes for FODMAP)
  • 50-65 g caster sugar according to your sweet tooth (see notes)
  • 1.5-2.5 g agar agar powder not flakes (see notes)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
  • Good pinch of salt

Instructions
 

  • Very lightly grease the moulds you’ll be using for your panna cotta.
  • Combine all the ingredients except for the vanilla and salt in a medium/large pot. Whisk to combine, then place on the smallest hob/burner over a medium-low heat.
  • Stir intermittently and continue to cook your panna cotta mixture. You want it to reach a boiling point (vigorous small bubbles on the surface) without burning the mixture or heating it too quickly.
  • If the mixture has not reached this point after 10 minutes, turn the heat up a little. I find this coconut version reaches this point faster than the dairy version, for whatever reason.
  • Once the mixture reaches this point, keep it there for another minute or two.
  • Add the vanilla and salt and stir to combine.
  • Remove the mixture from the heat and carefully decant into a pouring jug.
  • Pour the mixture into your prepared moulds and allow them to cool for 10 or so minutes before transferring them to the fridge. Every batch is different, but allow 2-4 hours to cool and set. I recommend making them the night before so you can correct any issues that come up (see the notes below).
  • Serve with a sauce of your choosing or plain. I love mango and a bit of chilli crisp for a unique but delicious combination. Best eaten within a few days.

Notes

  • In Australia, cans of coconut cream often come in 270ml sizes. This is why the recipe says 500-540ml coconut cream. If you have 250ml cans, that's fine as well. 
  • Add sugar according to your sweet tooth and what you’re topping the panna cotta with. 
  • Agar agar comes in a variety of different forms that are not interchangeable. This recipe uses powder and I have not tested other versions.
  • See the body of the post for tips on working with agar agar.
  • This recipe uses a lower amount of agar agar to better replicate the wobbliness of gelatin. Using too much agar agar results in quite a rubbery panna cotta. 
  •  If your panna cottas have not set after 4 hours in the fridge (or if they have gritty agar agar bits in the bottom) decant them back into the pot and bring to the boil again. Agar agar is very receptive to being re-cooked if needed. It is likely that you didn’t sufficiently boil the mixture in the beginning.
  • Some coconut cream brands are a little gritty and coconut textured. That will translate to your panna cotta, but it's still delicious. 
  • To ensure this panna cotta is low FODMAP, use light coconut milk. I'm not entirely sure why but light coconut milk is low FODMAP whereas regular coconut milk has a threshold. Full fat coconut cream is also low FODMAP.
  • I have tested this recipe with water in place of the coconut milk. It works, but it's a more subtle coconut flavour and a lighter texture (which is not what I want in a panna cotta, personally). 
Keyword Coconut panna cotta without gelatin, Gelatin free panna cotta, Vegan coconut panna cotta, Vegan panna cotta
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