Creamy, silky, and tropical, this coconut panna cotta is a luxurious dessert! It's smooth and melts in your mouth. It looks elegant but takes just 4 ingredients and 10 minutes of cooking!
This coconut panna cotta recipe is incredibly forgiving. And because we’re using agar-agar, it’s a completely vegan panna cotta recipe that sets beautifully without the stress.
It’s my go-to easy dessert when I want to look like a sophisticated pastry chef without spending most of my afternoon in the kitchen! You’ll honestly be shocked at how fancy it looks compared to how little work it requires.
Pour it into small glasses, chill, spoon over the strawberry sauce, and suddenly you have something that feels straight out of a café. If you love strawberries, don’t miss my strawberry tiramisu or strawberry rose chia pudding.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
✨ Coconut panna cotta is incredibly simple to make. The elegant, uncomplicated dessert has an insanely creamy, delicious, and refreshing flavor.
✨ This is the perfect make-ahead dessert (like this 2-ingredient chocolate pudding). Make it the day before your dinner party and just pull it from the fridge when you're ready to serve.
✨ It looks fancy and restaurant-worthy in cups or ramekins, but the actual work? Minimal. Your guests will never know how easy it was.
✨ And if you’re looking for a vegan panna cotta, this recipe uses agar-agar instead of gelatin, so it’s naturally plant-based.
Coconut Panna Cotta Ingredients
Milk: I use full-fat coconut milk for a rich, creamy texture, just like I did for my mango chia pudding with coconut milk. Don't use light coconut milk, or it won't be as luxurious.
Agar powder: Also known as "China Grass," this is a vegan alternative to gelatin. The plant-based setting agent comes from red algae. It sets firmer than gelatin, so a little goes a long way.
Vanilla: Adds warmth and depth. Split a vanilla bean lengthwise and drop it into the milk. You can also use vanilla bean paste.
Sugar: I used regular granulated sugar. This panna cotta is very lightly sweetened, but you can add more sugar if you prefer a sweeter dessert.
Toppings: Strawberry sauce, pistachios, edible flowers, or whatever makes your heart happy!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
Coconut pairs beautifully with almost any flavor. Add mango puree to make coconut panna cotta with mango. Or lychee puree for a floral twist, as I did with my lychee rose panna cotta.
Passion fruit would give a tart contrast to the creamy panna cotta. Pineapple is another great flavor, with coconut, as my coconut pineapple cake and Hawaiian banana bread will attest.
You can add the zest of an orange or lemon for a citrus taste, as I did with lemon panna cotta. Or create a spiced coconut panna cotta with cinnamon, ginger, or cardamom.
If you love coconut desserts, try my coconut macarons or coconut ginger madeleines!
How To Make Coconut Panna Cotta
Step 1: In a saucepan, bring the coconut milk, split vanilla bean, and sugar just to a gentle boil until sugar dissolves.
Step 2: Take off the heat. Whisk in the agar-agar.
Step 3: Bring back to a gentle simmer. Pour the mixture through a sieve to remove any lumps.
Step 4: Scrape in the seeds from the vanilla bean and discard the pod.
Step 5: Pour into serving bowls and refrigerate for 6-8 hours to set completely. You can even let it set overnight.
Step 6: Top with strawberry sauce and serve!
Pro Tips
- Measure your agar carefully. Too much agar, and your coconut panna cotta recipe will be hard and rubbery instead of jiggly and creamy.
- Don't Boil. Panna cotta literally means "cooked cream" in Italian, but you don't want to actually boil it. Just heat it enough to dissolve the sugar and activate the agar.
- Be patient with the setting. Agar sets fast, but still give it a few hours in the fridge for the best texture.
- If you want to plate the panna cotta, make sure you lightly grease the bowls or ramekins. Wipe any excess oil with a paper napkin. Pour the creamy mixture into the bowls and let them set. Run a thin knife around the edges and invert the bowl on a plate. Tap the bottom a few times, and your panna cotta should slide right out easily.
- Make sure the coconut milk is at room temperature.
How To Serve
You can serve this vegan panna cotta with coconut milk directly in ramekins or unmold it onto plates. I prefer to serve mine in pretty glass dishes garnished with nuts, desiccated coconut, and a sprig of mint.
Way less stress and just as gorgeous!
You can also top the coconut panna cotta with:
- Fresh strawberries, raspberries, cherries, or passion fruit
- Edible flowers
- Toasted coconut flakes
- Compote or sauce of your favorite fruit
- A drizzle of mango curd or lemon curd instead of strawberry sauce
- Shaved white or dark chocolate
Recipe FAQs
Most Italian desserts, like tiramisu, take a little bit of effort. Panna cotta is one of the few that doesn’t! Think of it as creamy jelly with a pudding-like consistency. It’s a lightly sweetened cream that’s set with gelatin (or agar for vegan versions) and served chilled. The beauty of it lies in its base, which is somewhat like custard. It lends itself to any flavor, meaning you can pair it with anything.
This coconut panna cotta is made of coconut milk, sugar, a setting agent - agar agar, and flavorings like vanilla. I finish it with a fresh strawberry sauce for brightness.
Agar powder is derived from red algae. It’s the vegan alternative to gelatin powder, which comes from animal products. Agar sets at room temperature and doesn't melt when warm, unlike gelatin.
This usually happens if too much agar-agar was used.
Add chopped fresh strawberries to a small saucepan with a splash of water and a little sugar. Cook over low heat until the berries soften and release their juices. The amount of sugar depends on how sweet (or tart) your strawberries are, so taste and adjust as you go.
Let the mixture simmer until it thickens into a glossy, rich sauce. You can leave it slightly chunky for a rustic feel or blend it smooth for a silky, elegant finish.
For this coconut panna cotta, I prefer blending it so the texture stays soft and delicate. Let the sauce cool completely before spooning it over the set panna cotta.
Coconut panna cotta can be covered with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
📖 Recipe
Coconut Panna Cotta
Ingredients
- 13.5 oz Coconut milk, full fat
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1 Vanilla bean, split lengthways.
- 2.5 tsp Agar Agar
Strawberry Sauce
- 7-8 Strawberries, chopped
- 1-2 tsp Sugar You may need more
- 1-2 tbsp Water
Instructions
- In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the coconut milk, vanilla bean and sugar just to a gentle boil until sugar dissolves.
- Take off the heat. Whisk in the agar-agar.
- Bring back to a gentle simmer. Don't let the mixture boil. Pour the mixture through a sieve to ensure there are no lumps.
- Discard the vanilla bean. Make sure all the beans from the pod have been scraped out and put back in the mixture.
- Pour into serving bowls and refrigerate to set completely for 6-8 hours. You can even let it set overnight.
- Top with the strawberry sauce and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Strawberry Sauce
- Combine the strawberries, sugar, and 1 - 2 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan. Cook until the strawberries are soft and cooked through. Run this sauce through a blender to make it smooth. Taste and adjust for sweetness. Let it cool completely before pouring it on top of the panna cotta.
Notes
- Measure your agar carefully. Too much agar, and your coconut panna cotta recipe will be hard and rubbery instead of jiggly and creamy.
- Don't Boil. Panna cotta literally means "cooked cream" in Italian, but you don't want to actually boil it. Just heat it enough to dissolve the sugar and activate the agar.
- Be patient with the setting. Agar sets fast, but still give it a few hours in the fridge for the best texture.
- If you want to plate the panna cotta, make sure you lightly grease the bowls or ramekins. Wipe any excess oil with a paper napkin. Pour the creamy mixture into the bowls and let them set. Run a thin knife around the edges and invert the bowl on a plate. Tap the bottom a few times, and your panna cotta should slide right out easily.
- Make sure the coconut milk is at room temperature.
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