This Vegan Panna Cotta is silky smooth with a delicate flavour; perfect served with a sweet, fruity topping. Get the recipe below.
A quintessential Italian dessert
Panna cotta is a creamy Italian dessert. Traditionally made with cream and gelatin, this dessert might seem off-limits for those following a plant-based diet or those who cannot eat dairy. But, thanks to the invention of vegan cream substitutes and a magic ingredient called agar, it's possible to make this quintessential Italian dessert vegan.
What is panna cotta?
Panna cotta is a dessert that originates from the Piedmont region in Italy. The name "panna cotta" translates to "cooked cream" which is a pretty good description of the dessert.
It is usually made from just cream, sugar, and gelatin that is then flavoured with vanilla (or other flavours like citrus). The mixture is heated and then poured into moulds. It is then chilled until it has set.
The result is a silky smooth, wobbly dessert. Its a bit like a creamy jelly!
Panna cotta can be topped with a whole range of different things but a red berry coulis is common. In these photos I've used poached rhubarb and pistachios. More topping ideas can be found below.
How to make vegan panna cotta
Vegan substitutes
So, how do we replicate this creamy dessert without dairy products or gelatin? The key lies in the substitutes.
- Vegan whipping cream: The best alternative for heavy cream in vegan panna cotta is vegan whipping cream. Brands like Oatly and Elmlea do incredibly realistic cream alternatives. They have very similar properties to cream made from cows milk and so they make the most authentic dessert. You could use coconut cream but it adds a subtle coconut flavour which is less authentic.
- Milk: To get just the right consistency the cream is watered down slightly with milk. Instead of cows milk we use plant milk. Soy is my preferred plant milk as it most closely mimics cows milk.
- Agar: Gelatin is typically used to set traditional panna cotta, but agar is an excellent vegan substitute. It provides the same gelling effect, it's just made from seaweed instead of animals!
Step by step instructions
Now that we have our substitutes in place, let's walk through the basic steps to make vegan panna cotta:
- Prepare the ingredients: Add the vegan whipping cream, plant milk, agar powder, sugar and vanilla to a sauce pan.
- Heat the ingredients: heat over a medium heat, stirring continuously until the agar dissolves completely.
- Boil the ingredients: bring the ingredients to the boil and cook for 5 minutes.
- Pour into moulds: Once the mixture has boiled reduce the heat then pour it into individual moulds or ramekins.
- Chill: Place the moulds in the refrigerator and let them chill for at least 4-6 hours, or until set.
- Serve: Once set, carefully un-mould the panna cotta onto serving plates and garnish with the toppings of your choice. You can make un-moulding them easier by either laying cling film in the mould first, or gently heating the outside of the mould to loosen it slightly before turning out.
Toppings
- Seasonal fruit: Top your vegan panna cotta with fresh berries in the summer, poached pears in the autumn, or citrus segments in the winter.
- Decadent sauces: add a luscious sauce, such as raspberry coulis, chocolate ganache, or salted caramel.
- Crunchy additions: Add texture contrast with a sprinkle of toasted coconut, crushed nuts, or granola.
The recipe
Vegan Panna Cotta
Equipment
- 6 small pudding moulds metal or silicone
Ingredients
- 5 g agar powder
- 100 g plant milk
- 400 g vegan whipping cream e.g. Elmlea or Oatly
- 50 g caster sugar
Instructions
- Dissolve the agar powder in the plant milk then add to a saucepan with the rest of the ingredients.
- Place on a medium heat and bring to a boil, whisking continuously.
- Let it boil for 3 minutes before taking it off of the heat.
- Pour into the moulds and leave to cool before placing into the fridge to set completely. This can take up to 2 hours.
- When ready to serve, remove from the moulds. You may find this easier to do by dipping the moulds into hot water for a minute or two or running a sharp knife around the edge.
- Serve with your favourite toppings.
Nutrition
More vegan desserts
If you're looking for more decadent desserts, why not try one of these recipes that will impress your guests.
And yes, they're all vegan!
You can find more dessert recipes here.
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