Creamy coconut panna cotta is easy to make. It’s a light, refreshing dessert that’s bursting with coconut flavor. Its beautiful presentation is sure to impress your friends and family!
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When you are short on time but don’t want to skimp on delicious desserts, coconut panna cotta will become your best friend. It’s a super simple individual dessert packed with coconut flavor that comes together quickly.
As a pastry school grad, I’m showing you how easy it is to make panna cotta, yet your friends and family will think you spent hours creating this beautiful creamy recipe.
If you love coconut desserts, try making creamy coconut cheesecake, one-pot coconut rice pudding, and moist, fluffy coconut cupcakes.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This coconut panna cotta recipe is creamy, refreshing, and bursting with coconut flavor.
- It takes only 20 minutes to make.
- Coconut milk panna cotta is made with 6 ingredients.
- A perfect recipe to prepare ahead of time for parties and gatherings.
What is Panna Cotta?
Panna cotta is a molded, chilled Italian dessert. The name translates to "cooked cream." Unlike a custard that's thickened with eggs, gelatin is the thickening agent for panna cotta. Typically, it is served unmolded and drizzled with a sauce or garnished with fruit.
The essential ingredients of panna cotta include milk, cream, and gelatin. The ideal panna cotta has a balance of dairy to gelatin to thicken and maintain a delicate and slightly jiggly texture.
Before you begin
Take out the following baking equipment:
Digital kitchen scale
1 small bowl
1 medium saucepan
1 whisk
6 ramekins or serving dishes
Read the recipe from start to finish.
Ingredients Needed
- Coconut milk: use good quality canned coconut milk, not refrigerated coconut milk.
- Heavy cream: adds richness and creaminess.
- Sugar: sweetens the coconut milk panna cotta.
- Vanilla: always use PURE vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Salt: enhances the sweetness.
- Gelatin: thickens the panna cotta.
- Water: mixes with the gelatin to soften it before adding it to the milk mixture.
How to Make This Recipe
- Heat the coconut milk, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium saucepan until hot but not simmering.
- Sprinkle the gelatin over water and allow it to sit for 2 minutes to soften.
- Add the softened gelatin to the coconut milk mixture and whisk until dissolved.
- Pour the coconut milk panna cotta into serving dishes or molds.
Note: If using molds, lightly grease with coconut oil or a mild oil to easily release the panna cotta.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until set.
How to Serve
This coconut panna cotta recipe is versatile. You can serve it as a beautiful dessert or as a breakfast treat.
- Top with macerated strawberries or raspberries for a beautiful presentation.
- Serve with a passion fruit sauce or fresh mango and coconut chips for a fun tropical twist.
- Sprinkle your favorite granola with toasted shredded coconut for a delicious breakfast parfait.
How to Store
Panna cotta will stay fresh for up to 3 days. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.
FAQ
Yes, you can replace part of the heavy cream with whole milk or a lighter cream. I recommend substituting up to ¾ of the heavy cream with the lighter option, so it’s still creamy and rich in flavor.
If the milk mixture is too hot when added to the gelatin, it will cause the gelatin to lose its strength. The panna cotta will not set properly.
Yes, you can substitute 5 sheets of gelatin for the 1 packet of powdered gelatin. To bloom gelatin, place the sheets into a bowl filled with 2 cups of cold water. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. Whisk the soft sheets (without the water) into the hot coconut milk mixture.
Absolutely! Pour the panna cotta into freezer-safe containers and allow them to set in the refrigerator. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a thick skin from forming on top and freeze. To serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Baking Success Tips & Takeaways
- Once the coconut milk mixture is added, the gelatin works quickly. Have your serving containers ready so that the panna cotta does not begin to set in the saucepan.
- To remove panna cotta from a mold, dip the mold into a bowl filled halfway with hot water. Allow it to sit in the water for 15 seconds. Turn the mold onto a serving plate and shake slightly to loosen.
- It’s fun to dress up this dessert with fruit. Mango, berries, and passion fruit sauces and compotes look beautiful served over panna cotta with coconut milk.
Please leave a starred rating and comment below if you make this Coconut Panna Cotta. I love reading your feedback! And if you’d like to make this recipe later, don’t forget to pin it on Pinterest! Happy Baking!
Print
Coconut Panna Cotta
- Total Time: 6 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 individual servings 1x
Description
Creamy coconut panna cotta is easy to make. It’s a light, refreshing dessert that’s bursting with coconut flavor. Its beautiful presentation is sure to impress your friends and family!
Ingredients
- 1 - 13.5 oz can (382 g) unsweetened coconut milk
- 240 g (1 cup) heavy cream
- 110 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1 packet (7 g) unflavored gelatin
- 60 g (¼ cup) water
Instructions
- If unmolding the coconut panna cotta, lightly grease 6 molds with a mild oil. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the coconut milk, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt over medium-high heat until hot but not simmering. Remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and allow it to stand until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir the gelatin into the milk mixture until dissolved.
- Divide the panna cotta between serving dishes or molds. Cover and refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours or overnight.
Notes
- Storage: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Custards & Parfaits
Diana Doyle says
It's amazing that such a simple recipe delivers incredible flavor and results. I chose this recipe because it also provided weights for the ingredients with the most important weight being the gelatin (I don't buy my gelatin in packets). Too much and the panna cotta becomes rubbery and it won't set if you don't add enough. If you have time, make at least 1 day ahead. The flavor improves even more. To dress this up even more. I pureed some very ripe mangoes and sauced the top. Simply spectacular.
Maria Pagiotas says
Hi Diana!! Thank you so much for sharing, I am happy you enjoyed this recipe 🙂 A mango topping sounds like the perfect topping!
Christy says
This recipe looks great! Can I add a bit of lemon juice, or will it curdle?
Maria says
Hi Christy! Thank you, I hope you enjoy making it 🙂 The lemon juice can curdle the heavy cream. To prevent this, I would just add lemon zest or add a bit of lemon juice to the milk mixture once it's hot.
Jose says
Easy
Iliana says
Yum! We loved this recipe. It pairs so nicely with some lightly cooked strawberries or any berries. Can't wait to make it again!
Maria says
Hi Iliana! So happy you loved this recipe! I love that it goes well with many different types of fruit for a fun presentation!
Susan says
Great base recipe for so many options. To make it dairy free. I use oatmilk, instead of water. I use coconut water and it turns out beautifully. Thank you for sharing.
Maria says
Hi Susan! So happy you enjoyed this recipe. These sound like great variations, thank you for sharing!
Nisha Rambharose says
This was my mother's day dessert today. Just the right amount of sweetness. It was so yummy!
Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Maria says
Happy Mother's Day Nisha! So happy you enjoyed this coconut panna cotta! Thank you for sharing 🙂
waterfallmagazine.com says
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Keep on working, great job!