Dairy-free Coconut Panna Cotta {2 Ways}–A Fancy Yet Oh-So-Easy Dessert

This Dairy-Free Coconut Panna Cotta is a surprisingly simple dessert that looks super fancy, but it’s not! You only need a few simple ingredients to have this on the table in no time. Plus, there are 2 great versions: regular and blended with a fruit puree.

It’s such a flexible recipe too, including a great vegan option. This easy, healthy dessert works for just about any special diet. Whether you’re paleo, keto, vegan, gluten-free, or AIP, this coconut panna cotta recipe is sure to be a favorite in your home.

I love making easy healthy desserts like this one. I mean, healthified fancy desserts like chocolate chip cheesecake cupcakes and chocolate coated pumpkin truffles are fun, but let’s face it. Mom life can be crazy and some days we’re lucky that we’ve gotten out of our PJs, so I say bring on the healthy easy stuff.

4 ingredients. Super pretty and delicious. Enough said.

What Is Panna Cotta? 

Panna Cotta is a light and creamy molded dessert with a custard-like texture that is a classic Italian dessert. Traditional Italian panna cotta is made from heavy cream (also known as heavy whipping cream), sugar, and unflavored gelatin and is served either in its molded shape (similar to how you might serve flan or jello) on a plate or in small dessert containers.

This coconut milk panna cotta, however, is made from coconut milk and a whole food and/or low-carb sweetener instead for a healthy dessert that’s special enough for dinner parties, but easy enough for every day.

Ingredients

• full-fat coconut milk
• sweetener
• gelatin (or agar agar)
• optional vanilla, fruit, puree, or sauce, garnishes. This Sugar-free Blueberry Syrup or this Sugar-free Lemon Curd work great for this dish.

Directions

Dissolve gelatin in coconut milk (Photo 1)

Let it sit (Photo 2)

Puree fruit with sweetener and add it in the mixture (Photo 4)

Cool the mixture (Photo 5)

Pour the mixture into dessert cups (Photo 6)

Like an eggless custard, it has a firmer set than most puddings, thanks to the gelatin.

This Italian specialty satisfies cravings for something sweet and creamy.

What’s Great About This Dessert

• It’s allergy-friendly (paleo with GAPS options).
• It’s easy to make.
• It contains simple, inexpensive ingredients.
• It sounds elegant, so those whom you make it for can feel special.

How to Make Vegan Coconut Panna Cotta

If you’re avoiding animal products, then here’s how you can make a vegan panna cotta instead by simply using agar agar flakes instead of the gelatin.

Agar agar is a thickening agent, like gelatin, but it’s made from red algae.

You can use 3 3/4 tablespoons of agar agar flakes instead of the gelatin in this recipe.

Note that agar needs to be boiled in order to dissolve (you can’t bloom it like you bloom gelatin), so add it directly into the pan with the coconut milk, sweetener, and salt and bring the liquid to a boil.

Whisk often as the coconut milk boils to prevent burning, for 2-3 minutes until the agar flakes are dissolved.

The rest of the directions are the same, but agar doesn’t need to be refrigerated to set. Also, if you use agar powder, you’ll use less than the recommended amount.

Note that agar agar comes in two forms: flakes and powder. Agar powder is more concentrated than the flakes. If you use the powdered version, you’ll need to use much less than what is called for here.

Tip: You can typically find agar agar flakes near other seaweed products in your local store.

How to Remove Panna Cotta From a Mold

If you decide to put your panna cotta in molds, instead of small dishes or dessert cups, here are tips for getting the panna cotta out of the molds.

1. Dip the panna cotta molds, one at a time, into a heat-proof bowl filled with several inches of hot water. Hold the mold with the base in the water for about 5 seconds, keeping in mind that some molds will take longer than others. You’ll have to experiment with your type of mold to see how long it takes you.
2. Using a butter knife, trace around the inside part of the mold.. 
3. Invert the mold onto the serving plate, tapping the sides gently, if needed, until the panna cotta releases from the mold.
4. To make this a bit easier, you can also coat the inside of the mold with a healthy non-stick spray or a small amount of a light cooking oil (a light olive oil, avocado oil, or even a light coconut oil would all work well.)

FAQs & Tips

Coconut Milk: For best results, you’ll want to use the right kind of coconut milk for this recipe. You could truly use any type, including homemade coconut milk, but full-fat coconut milk will work better than light coconut milk for this recipe.

Sweeteners: You can use whatever sweetener works for you. Whole food sweeteners like maple syrup, honey, and coconut sugar are all great choices. If you’re eating low carb, then a monk-erythritol blend, xylitol, allulose, and stevia are great choices.

No matter whether you make the plain or blended variety, I’m sure you’ll be pleased with yourself that you made something with a fancy pants name like “panna cotta” without batting an eye.

Well, maybe you will bat an eye. But only one eye and only once, I’m sure.

Note: This post was originally written in April 2014. The photos were reshot in May 2022. This is a previous image for reference. I love the citrus cup idea, but to make this recipe easier, I decided to make the new version easier so you don’t have to scoop out lemons. But go for it, if you’d like to!

This recipe was developed by Julia Baurain from Swirls and Spice. She makes great dairy-free recipes and is pretty handy with car repairs too.

Have you ever tried or made panna cotta before?