Lemon Panna Cotta -

A jar of panna cotta garnished with pomegranate arils kept on a white platter with spoons.

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Lemon Panna Cotta

This lemon panna cotta is light, creamy, and bursting with fresh lemon flavor. Made with agar agar and a few simple ingredients, it's an easy make-ahead dessert - perfect for spring and summer!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Chilling time2

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: Servings

Calories: 294kcal

Author: Natasha Minocha

Ingredients

13.5 oz Coconut milk, full fat
1/3 cup Sugar
2.5 tsp Agar-agar
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup Greek yogurt, plain
2 tsp Lemon juice
1 tsp Lemon zest

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the coconut milk, sugar, and lemon zest just to a gentle boil until sugar dissolves.
13.5 oz Coconut milk, full fat, 1/3 cup Sugar, Zest of 1 lemon
Take off the heat. Whisk in the agar-agar.
2.5 tsp Agar-agar
Bring back to a gentle simmer. Keep stirring frequently. Don't let the mixture come to a boil. You want to cook until you see small bubbles on the surface.
Pour the mixture through a sieve to ensure there are no lumps.
Cool the mixture for 10 minutes, until lukewarm.
Stir in the yogurt, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix well.
1/4 cup Greek yogurt, plain, 2 tsp Lemon juice,1 tsp Lemon zest
Pour into your serving bowls and refrigerate to set completely for 2-3 hours. You can even let it set overnight.
Just before serving, top with pomegranate arils, pistachio, and some more lemon zest. Enjoy!

Notes

Measure your agar carefully. Too much agar, and your lemon panna cotta will be hard and rubbery instead of jiggly and creamy.
Mix the agar agar well. It needs to dissolve properly for the lemon panna cotta to set smoothly. Stir well and simmer gently.
Keep the heat low. Overheating damages the gelling power of agar agar. So don’t bring it to a boil. When you see tiny bubbles around the edges of the pan, take it off the stove.
For a satiny smooth panna cotta, pour the mixture through a sieve to ensure there are no lumps.
Lemon flavor mellows as the panna cotta chills, so taste it before pouring into your serving glasses or molds. Add some more if needed.
Allow the lemon panna cotta to set for at least a few hours in the refrigerator for the best texture.
If your panna cotta hasn't set after a few hours, pour it back into the saucepan and cook it again until the mixture reaches the boiling point.
If you plan to serve panna cotta on a plate, remember to lightly grease your bowl or ramekin with oil before pouring in the mixture.

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