Feb 09, 2018, Updated Apr 13, 2018
Panna Cotta is one of my favorite desserts but I don’t really eat it at restaurants. That’s because they almost always use gelatin and I am never comfortable with the idea of having gelatin in my food especially because I am a vegetarian. So, whenever I feel like having a panna cotta, I make it at home using agar agar. It gives great results each time. This time around, I changed things up a bit and made my panna cotta vegan. Guys, it turned out so good! Like, it’s not every day that I am super impressed with what I make, but this dessert exceeded my expectations. Hubby said this could be served at a fancy restaurant and he doesn’t even like coconut milk-based dessert! I am always so fascinated by these natural colors. I mean isn’t the bright magenta just gorgeous? I seriously can’t get over it!
Traditionally panna cotta is made with cream but in this dairy free version we use coconut milk. It’s important to use full fat coconut milk here for best results, the lite one won’t really cut it. Panna cotta is a very easy dessert to make, you practically need only the cream, or in this case coconut milk, some sweetener and then something to set/thicken it up. So basically, there are only 3 ingredients that you need to make a panna cotta. Then you top it with some fresh berries or sauce and you are done. Such an elegant dessert which gets done in no time.
To keep this dragon fruit panna cotta vegan, I used maple syrup to sweeten it up and agar agar flakes to set the dessert. You can find agar agar at grocery stores or amazon. You can find it either in powder form or as flakes. I have used flakes here and in case you do the same just make sure that it dissolves completely before you pour into serving containers to set.
This Vegan Dragon Fruit Panna Cotta
✓ is dairy-free, nut-free and gluten-free ✓ free of refined sugar ✓ gets done in less than 15 minutes (excluding the time it takes to set) ✓ makes a perfect dessert to celebrate Valentine’s Day!
I topped with vegan panna cotta with a dragon fruit topping. The pop of pink against the white really stood out and made it look like a very fancy dessert when in reality it couldn’t be simpler to make! In case you can’t find dragon fruit, you can use other fruits like strawberries or raspberries. The panna cotta will still look just as good & pink/red!
Method
To a pan on medium heat, add the coconut milk. Then add the agar agar flakes and 3 tablespoons of maple syrup. Stir to combine. Once the mixture heats up (do not boil), lower the heat to low-medium and let it simmer for 5 to 7 minutes on until the agar agar flakes dissolve completely. Keep stirring often.
Remove pan from heat and pass the mixture through a strainer. This is important to get a smooth panna cotta. Pour the mixture into serving cups/glasses and let it cool down to room temperature. Place the glasses into the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours for the panna cotta to firm up. Meanwhile make the dragon fruit sauce. To a pan on medium heat, add the chopped dragon fruit along with the remaining 2.5 tablespoons maple syrup. Add 1/4 cup water to the pan and let the mixture come to a boil. Boil until the fruit breaks down and get really soft. Mash the dragon fruit using a masher.
In a small bowl, mix the remaining 1/4 cup water with cornstarch. Stir well and then add the cornstarch slurry to the sauce. Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for 2 minutes until it thickens up a bit. Remove the sauce from heat and pass through a strainer to get rid of the black bits in the dragon fruit. You will have a smooth sauce. Place the sauce into the refrigerator to chill. Pour the prepared dragon fruit sauce over the panna cotta once it has set. Serve this vegan dragon fruit panna cotta chilled.
Vegan Dragon Fruit Panna Cotta
title: “Vegan Dragon Fruit Panna Cotta " ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-16” author: “Mary Ladner”
Feb 09, 2018, Updated Apr 13, 2018
Panna Cotta is one of my favorite desserts but I don’t really eat it at restaurants. That’s because they almost always use gelatin and I am never comfortable with the idea of having gelatin in my food especially because I am a vegetarian. So, whenever I feel like having a panna cotta, I make it at home using agar agar. It gives great results each time. This time around, I changed things up a bit and made my panna cotta vegan. Guys, it turned out so good! Like, it’s not every day that I am super impressed with what I make, but this dessert exceeded my expectations. Hubby said this could be served at a fancy restaurant and he doesn’t even like coconut milk-based dessert! I am always so fascinated by these natural colors. I mean isn’t the bright magenta just gorgeous? I seriously can’t get over it!
Traditionally panna cotta is made with cream but in this dairy free version we use coconut milk. It’s important to use full fat coconut milk here for best results, the lite one won’t really cut it. Panna cotta is a very easy dessert to make, you practically need only the cream, or in this case coconut milk, some sweetener and then something to set/thicken it up. So basically, there are only 3 ingredients that you need to make a panna cotta. Then you top it with some fresh berries or sauce and you are done. Such an elegant dessert which gets done in no time.
To keep this dragon fruit panna cotta vegan, I used maple syrup to sweeten it up and agar agar flakes to set the dessert. You can find agar agar at grocery stores or amazon. You can find it either in powder form or as flakes. I have used flakes here and in case you do the same just make sure that it dissolves completely before you pour into serving containers to set.
This Vegan Dragon Fruit Panna Cotta
✓ is dairy-free, nut-free and gluten-free ✓ free of refined sugar ✓ gets done in less than 15 minutes (excluding the time it takes to set) ✓ makes a perfect dessert to celebrate Valentine’s Day!
I topped with vegan panna cotta with a dragon fruit topping. The pop of pink against the white really stood out and made it look like a very fancy dessert when in reality it couldn’t be simpler to make! In case you can’t find dragon fruit, you can use other fruits like strawberries or raspberries. The panna cotta will still look just as good & pink/red!
Method
To a pan on medium heat, add the coconut milk. Then add the agar agar flakes and 3 tablespoons of maple syrup. Stir to combine. Once the mixture heats up (do not boil), lower the heat to low-medium and let it simmer for 5 to 7 minutes on until the agar agar flakes dissolve completely. Keep stirring often.
Remove pan from heat and pass the mixture through a strainer. This is important to get a smooth panna cotta. Pour the mixture into serving cups/glasses and let it cool down to room temperature. Place the glasses into the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours for the panna cotta to firm up. Meanwhile make the dragon fruit sauce. To a pan on medium heat, add the chopped dragon fruit along with the remaining 2.5 tablespoons maple syrup. Add 1/4 cup water to the pan and let the mixture come to a boil. Boil until the fruit breaks down and get really soft. Mash the dragon fruit using a masher.
In a small bowl, mix the remaining 1/4 cup water with cornstarch. Stir well and then add the cornstarch slurry to the sauce. Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for 2 minutes until it thickens up a bit. Remove the sauce from heat and pass through a strainer to get rid of the black bits in the dragon fruit. You will have a smooth sauce. Place the sauce into the refrigerator to chill. Pour the prepared dragon fruit sauce over the panna cotta once it has set. Serve this vegan dragon fruit panna cotta chilled.
Vegan Dragon Fruit Panna Cotta
