Friends, say hello to an easy, elegant dessert perfect for berry season and warmer weather: panna cotta! Our plant-based spin on this classic Italian treat is vanilla-infused, rich and creamy like the real deal, plus beautiful! Prep it for a party or a week’s worth of solo desserts (because you deserve it).
Bonus? It’s naturally sweetened and comes together fast with just 1 pan and 6 ingredients required! Let us show you how it’s done!
What is Panna Cotta?
Panna cotta is an Italian dessert traditionally made from cream, sugar, gelatin, and flavors such as coffee or vanilla. The mixture is usually heated, poured into a mold, and allowed to set, which creates a thick, rich, and creamy dessert.
While the dish is thought to have originated in the 1900s in a region of northern Italy called Piedmont, the name panna cotta didn’t appear in Italian cookbooks until the 1960s. After that time, the dessert’s popularity spread and it’s now on menus throughout the world (including at fancy restaurants)!
How to Make Vegan Panna Cotta
Our inspired, vegan version swaps the cream for thick, full-fat coconut milk and the gelatin for agar agar powder. We heat the coconut milk along with maple syrup for sweetness, vanilla for classic flavor, and salt for balance.
Once the mixture is boiling, we whisk in the agar agar to dissolve it in the liquid.
Next, we divide the mixture between serving jars and transfer them to the refrigerator to set. We told you it’s easy, right?
Lastly, we prepare a simple berry topping by heating fresh or frozen mixed berries until they’re warm and bubbly. We love the flavor combination of berries, vanilla, and coconut, but feel free to get creative and top this dessert with virtually any of your favorite fruits!
Once the panna cotta has cooled, it becomes a little firm and bouncy and is ready for topping with the berry mixture and enjoying!
We hope you LOVE this vegan panna cotta! It’s:
Rich
Creamy
Fruity
Vanilla-infused
Quick & easy
& SO delicious!
It’s a simple yet elegant no-bake dessert perfect for warmer weather and berry season!
Too hot to do much cooking? Make it an Italian-inspired (almost) no-cook meal by pairing with our Heirloom Tomato Panzanella Salad, Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Pinwheels, or Vegan Ricotta & Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Salad.
More Easy, No-Bake Desserts
- Easy Vegan Flan
- Raw Fruit Crisp (10 Minutes!)
- Fudgy Tahini Date Chocolate Bars
- Easy No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Vegan Panna Cotta with Mixed Berries
Ingredients
PANNA COTTA
- 1 (14 oz.) can full-fat coconut milk
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (amber, not dark for best color/flavor // or sub brown rice syrup)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp agar agar powder (not flakes*)
BERRIES
- 3 cups fresh or frozen mixed berries (we like blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries)
GARNISH optional
- Fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- PANNA COTTA: Set out four small glasses, mason jars, or stemless wine glasses (we like small Weck jars // if adjusting the default number of servings, use fewer or more containers).
- To a small-medium saucepan, add coconut milk, maple syrup (or brown rice syrup), vanilla, and salt and whisk to combine. Bring to a gentle boil over low-medium heat.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to low, sprinkle in agar agar powder, and immediately whisk well. Let simmer for 2 minutes, whisking frequently.
- Next, divide the mixture evenly between the glasses (~1/2 cup each) and place them in the refrigerator to set for at least 25-35 minutes, or until slightly bouncy to the touch.
- BERRIES: Just before serving, prepare the berries. If using frozen berries, defrost in a small saucepan or in the microwave until no longer cold. If using fresh berries, place in a small saucepan and cook over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, until a little bubbly and tender when pierced with a fork. Taste for sweetness, adding a little maple syrup if desired (we didn’t add any).
- When ready to serve, top panna cotta with warmed mixed berries and (optionally) fresh mint leaves and enjoy!
- Store leftover panna cotta in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Not freezer friendly.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with 1 cup each of blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries.
Sandra says
This was so easy to make and I was super impressed with how well it set, however mine also seperated in the fridge. Just as you would get if you put a can of coconut milk in the fridge, the cream rose to the top and the bottom layer was translucent coconut water. I scrolled and saw this happened to someone else but not sure why. I used canned organic full fat coconut milk. I would be keen to give it another go with a different type of milk, perhaps carton coconut milk or oat milk?
Hi Sandra, We’re so sorry that happened! We’d love to help troubleshoot. We also used canned organic full fat coconut milk. We wonder if the brand of coconut milk could be making a difference? Specifically whether or not it has guar gum or other ingredients intended to prevent separation. We typically use Whole Foods 365 brand which has guar gum. Which brand did you use?
Sandra says
Thank you for the response! I am in Dubai so I doubt many of the brand’s would be the same. However I used pure coconut milk with no additives. I’ll have a look to see if I can find some with guar gum added for my next try. Thanks!
Sarah says
It worked perfectly and was delicious!
Yay! Thanks so much for the great review, Sarah!
Sonia says
Hi can I substitute maple syrup with any brown sugar or white sugar
Hi Sonia, we haven’t tried that but we think white sugar should work well. Let us know how it goes!
Sonia says
Hey! Yes I did use cane sugar, and it worked perfectly!
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Sonia!
Catherine says
Do you think these could be made using dariole moulds then dipped in hot water and turned out like traditional panna cotta?
Hi Catherine, we haven’t tried it ourselves so we cannot guarantee that they would come out of the moulds. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
The Vegan Goddess says
Hooray, I finally made this! The can of coconut milk was a little smaller than what the recipe called for but I used the same amounts of everything else; there was less of it to fill four servings. Also, I didn’t have the lighter maple syrup on hand so it came out darker but that didn’t affect the taste.
I used frozen fruit on top and let it sit out a while to defrost but it was still too cold and would have been better at room temperature. Next time I will make sure that it is.
Overall, it was a nice treat that was classy.
Yay! Thanks for sharing!
Anna says
I used 1 tbsp of agar agar flakes and mine set up wonderfully! I used full fat Thai Kitchen coconut milk as well.
We’re so glad it worked well, Anna! Thank you for sharing! xo
Kathy says
I used 365 full fat coconut milk and it didn’t set for me. The next day I pulled my ramekins out of the fridge, let the mix warm to room temperature, added some chia seeds and pumpkin pie spice, stirred it up, waited a bit and put it back in the fridge. I think this is my new favorite dessert. Not at all what I planned to make, but so good! Hahahah. Thank you!
Hi Kathy, sorry to hear that it didn’t thicken properly! Did you make any modifications? Is it possible it didn’t get heated enough? Agar needs to get dissolved in the liquid and simmered briefly to activate its ability to thicken.
Sarah says
Same for me! The first MB recipe not to work out. :(
Oh no! We’re so sorry you had a negative experience, Sarah! Would you mind sharing the brand of agar and coconut milk you were using? And how long you cooked the mixture after adding the agar and whisking? We want to see if we can troubleshoot what went wrong!
Atara Dahan says
I used tapioca instead of agar. It didn’t mix with the coconut and just made sweetened coconut milk with globs of tapioca floating in it.
Tried reheating it and using an immersion blender to mix in the tapioca.
We’ll see how that goes.
If it works out, I plan on using blueberry jam instead of berries because I couldn’t find any in the supermarket
Thanks for sharing your experience, Atara! We hope the end results are tasty!
Atara Dahan says
didnt work, sadly
ARSx says
Hello,
I just made this and it separated into three layers – it tasted great just.. any advice?
(Note: I whisked that mixture the entire time…)
Thank you!
Hi there, it’s possible the brand of coconut milk you used caused some separation? Were the separate layers all the same texture or was there a layer of coconut cream/fat on top?
Lisa says
I would love to try this and I’m wondering if honey could be used instead of maple syrup…
Hi Lisa, we haven’t tried that but it should work. The flavor might be slightly different, though. Let us know how it goes!
Harriet says
This was so yum! Had it last night at a dinner party and it went down very well. So easy and quick to make, but so impressive to serve. Loved it!
Yay! We love to hear this. Thanks so much for the great review, Harriet!
Vicki says
This was amazing!!! Perfect balance of flavors, not too sweet. So beautiful too. Definitely going to make this again.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Vicki! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Sara says
Hi! Do you know how I could make this with gelatin? Thank you!
Hi Sara, we haven’t tested it with gelatin, but would suggest ~2-3 times the amount. Let us know if you try it out!
Kaila says
I don’t have agar on hand. Have you tried it with pectin or another type of thickening agent?
Hi Kaila, we haven’t tested with other thickeners, but it could work. Let us know if you do some experimenting!
B. Lerner says
I’m very interested in making the vegan panna cotta, but my husband is allergic to coconut. Do you know if there’s any good substitute that is also vegan?
Hi, you could try another thick, dairy-free milk such as cashew oat milk, but we can’t guarantee it will thicken the same. Perhaps with more agar? Let us know if you try it!
Sherrie says
I’m wondering how strong the coconut flavor is with using the coconut milk…? Does it still have the more neutral/vanilla flavor of traditional panna cotta?
Hi Sherrie, it’s noticeable, but not strong coconut flavor. Hope that helps!
Sahara says
What about using Barista (rich) Oat milk? Not crazy about coconut flavor in this application…
Hi Sahara, we aren’t sure if it will be as thick, but it might work. You could add more agar, if needed? Let us know if you try it out!
Batia says
Just wanted to post an update . I made it with light coconut milk and the texture was wonderful. Not too bouncy, and not too hard . I used the same amount of agar as the recipe states . Thank you again for such an easy and delicious recipe
Love it! Thanks for sharing the update, Batia!
Riz says
Great recipe, will definitely try! Where did you get the cute pots to put the Panna Cota?
Hi Riz, they’re small weck jars. Hope you love it!
Batia says
Looks amazing . Will it work with lite coconut milk or oat milk or soy milk ? Trying to keep the calories down a little .
Hi Batia, we aren’t sure it would thicken enough. Perhaps with more agar? Let us know if you try it!
The Vegan Goddess says
OMG, I am SO trying this recipe! Will report back!
Yay! Let us know how you like it!