Vegan Strawberry Panna Cotta (Gluten & Soy Free)
Panna Cotta is a sophisticated treat that would make you think twice if it is easy to make but the truth is, it really is! It is a creamy Italian dessert, traditionally made with heavy cream and gelatin, turned vegan. Made with full fat coconut, sweetened with maple syrup, and topped with delicious macerated strawberries. It is the perfect date night dessert for a cozy night in or if you just feel like treating yourself!
Equipment
- sauce pan
- whisk & spatula
- ramekins, dessert molds, or dessert cups
- box grater or micro plane
Ingredients
FOR THE PANNA COTTA
- 350 ml (1½ cup) full fat coconut milk see notes
- 35 g (roughly about ¼ cup) maple syrup see notes
- 50 ml (¼ cup) hot water
- ½ tsp agar agar powder see notes
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
FOR THE MACERATED STRAWBERRIES
- 195 g chopped fresh strawberries roughly about 4-6 strawberries
- 20 g granulated sugar about 2 tbsp.
- pinch of kosher salt
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
FOR THE PANNA COTTA
- Mix of agar agar powder with the hot water to fully dissolve, making sure that there are no clumps. Clumps of the powder may unevenly set.
- Preheat sauce pan to medium low heat.
- Pour the coconut milk into the sauce pan and whisk in the agar agar powder mixture until it is well combined. Add in the rest of the ingredients such as the vanilla extract and maple syrup.
- Allow the mixture to simmer for about 5-7 minutes or until it is close to a boil. Whisk every minute (or so) to make sure the agar agar powder is not clumping in the mixture.
- Turn off heat. Pour the mixture into a couple of molds or ramekins. Divide equally between the molds.
- Allow it to set in the fridge overnight or in the freezer for at least an hour.
FOR THE MACERATED STRAWBERRIES
- In small mixing bowl, add the chopped strawberries and sugar. Mix until strawberries are fully coated in sugar.
- Squeeze in roughly a teaspoon of lemon juice and add in a tiny pinch of salt and lemon zest.
- Fold mixture together with a spatula thoroughly. Allow it to sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes until the juices of the strawberries release.
ASSEMBLY
- You can serve the panna cotta as is and top with strawberries. You can also serve the panna cotta on a small saucer simply by placing the saucer on top of the the mold (or ramekin) and carefully flipping the mold over the saucer. The panna cotta should slide easily but if it is too difficult, you can also run a butter knife or a cake spatula around the corners of the panna cotta before flipping over to loosen it up.
Notes
- Milk - Always choose plant milk with a high fat content. Full fat coconut milk will work the best for this recipe. Using alternatives like coconut lite or other plant milks may alter the texture and creaminess of the dessert.
- Sweeteners - You can definitely use your choice of sweetener or choose your level of sweetness. I do prefer using maple syrup as it gives a great "caramel" flavor to the panna cotta. Compared to using regular granulated sugar or agave, maple syrup tasted the best overall. But you can always customize it according to your preference.
- Thickener - Agar agar powder is THE BEST option for this recipe. I would not substitute it with anything else. If you are living on Guam, it will be difficult to find on island but you can go to Simply Foods or big Asian grocery stores such as American Groceries or New Happy Mart as your best bet to find it. I got mine online at Vitacost and it arrived within 4-5 days. I usually don't result to online purchases for a lot of my ingredients but I have tried this dessert with tapioca starch and corn starch, both have failed in texture.