I love Italian food! And not just pasta and pizza but also Italian desserts. Last weekend, I made this vegan blueberry coconut panna cotta which was just soooo good and also pretty easy to make!
For those of you who have never heard of panna cotta or at least never tried it. It means “cooked cream” and it’s made of sweetened cream that is thickened with gelatin. It’s often served with berries or caramel or chocolate sauce.
Before I became vegan, panna cotta with strawberry sauce was one of my favorite desserts (right after crème brûlée and tiramisu I think), but cream and gelatin isn’t exactly vegan, right? Well, we’re lucky: it’s just as easy to whip up a vegan version! And it’s actually just as delicious – if not even better!
The secret ingredient is agar or also called agar-agar.
But what is agar and where can you buy it?
For me it kinda sounds like archaic war cries and when I first heard of it, I just had to think of these stone age people holding their lances and shouting “agar agar!”.
Well obviously, that’s not quite what it is. As Wikipedia explains, it’s a “jelly-like substance, obtained from algae”. And just like tofu and tempeh it comes from Asia, or more specifically from Japan. It was discovered in the mid 17th century, so they have been using it for centuries before it became a popular vegan substitute for gelatin. It’s actually a better solidifying agent than gelatin because of its better solidifying temperature.
You can buy agar in major supermarkets (it’s usually in the section for exotic foods), health stores, and of course Whole Foods. You should also be able to find it in most Asian supermarkets. And of course you could also order it online
Once a month, I meet up with some of my friends and we have dinner together at Vapiano. They have a so-called “ladies night” where you get free drinks, a goody bag with some free samples, and a dessert. You need to book a table in advance and have to be pretty early because it’s quite popular – well obviously, I mean FREE stuff!! Most of the time, they offer panna cotta with strawberry sauce for dessert, so I always skip dessert. Next time I might just bring my own vegan panna cotta and see if someone notices the difference. Haha!
I hope I got you hungry with this vegan panna cotta. The recipe really couldn’t be easier! You just need some time to let it harden in the fridge. But apart from that it’s super easy!!
Let me know if you give this vegan blueberry coconut panna cotta a try. As always, I love hearing from you! I’m so sorry I didn’t get to answer all of the comments in the last few weeks. I was super busy with my final exams and I just started a new job, but I’ll get to it as soon as possible.
Have a great weekend, everyone! It’s almost here!! Yeaaahhh!
Talk to you soon. xx
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- 1 13, 6 oz can full fat coconut milk
- 1/2 vanilla bean
- 1 heaped teaspoon agar powder
- 1-2 teaspoons agave (depending on how sweet you want the panna cotta to be)
- 1 1/2 cup blueberries
- 4 tablespoons water
- 1/4 teaspoon agar powder
Ingredients
For the panna cotta:
For the blueberry layer and sauce:
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- Scrape out the vanilla bean and put it together with the coconut milk and the agave in a small pot and bring to boil. Stir in the agar and whisk to avoid lumps. Cook for 2 minutes. It's not supposed to thicken up yet, so don't worry.
- Fill about half of it in two small glasses and put it in the freezer for about ten minutes, so the single layers don't mix up.
- In the meantime, make the blueberry layer. Put the blueberries together with the water in a small pot and cook for about 4 minutes. Put about 1/3 of the blueberry sauce aside (you'll need it later on for the top). Then stir in the agar and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Get the panna cotta out of the freezer and gently put the blueberry layer on top of the first panna cotta layer. Then put it back into the freezer for another 2 minutes and add the rest of the panna cotta. I didn't mind that the top layer wasn't as accurate as the bottom layer, but if you do put it in the freezer for a bit longer.
- Put into the fridge for about 4 hours to harden.
- Top the panna cotta off with the remaining blueberry sauce and serve it with some fresh berries.
Something I’ve always wanted to make! I have everything but the can of coconut milk :P It will happen!!
Let me know if you give it a try, Rebecca! :-)
Italian’s really do know how to do dessert! And vegans know how to transform it into healthier treats! The minute I saw this on FB I knew I was going to love it, the flavors are perfect. And beautiful bright photos too. I just bought more agar agar (it does sounds weird especially when you say it twice :D) so now I can try this! Oh and good luck with sneaking it into Vapiano haha!
Thanks, Natalie! So glad you like it. :-) I know, Italians really know how to make great food and I love that we can veganize most of it! :-) Haha! Thanks! ;-)
OH my goodness, this looks fabulous!
Thanks, Becky! :-)
This is so beautiful, Sina!! I honestly don’t think I’ve ever had Panna Cotta, thought I always think it looks so good! And I’ve never used agar flakes…I have wanted to, but can never find them. I guess a trip to Whole Foods is in order! I can’t wait to try this gorgeous dessert!
Thanks, Jenn! Oh, if you’ve never tried agar, you should really give it a try. I’m sure you’ll find them at Whole Foods. :-) Let me know if you give it a try.
Wow, that panna cotta is gorgeous! I love the splash of purple in the middle of the cream. Congrats on the new job!!
That is a gorgeous dessert. I’m so excited to try it. Let us know what happens if you sneak in your own panna cotta at the next girl’s night. :)
love panna cotta, what a gorgeous dessert!! :)
Thanks, Manali! :-)
This looks amazing! I have to try this because panna cotta was my Italian grandfather’s favorite dessert :)
Thanks, Sarah! Let me know if you give it a try. :-)
Creamy desserts like this are so good! And you’re right, making them vegan is not as hard as people would think. Sounds delicious!
Thanks, Sophia! :-) I just love veganizing desserts like this one.
Love to add coconut milk, sounds good :)
Thanks, Uma! Glad you like it. :-)
I honestly don’t know if I’ve ever had panna cotta! If you’re talking creamy and vanilla though, I’m all in :)
I’m sure you’d love panna cotta, Alisa! :-) It’s so good!
Agar! Funny name that is :D
But it definitely sounds like an interesting option to create great texture in desserts and alike! Cool stuff and delicious looking recipe!!
Thanks, Howie! :-) Yes, I love using it for desserts and it’s also great to make vegan “cheese”.
Yum! Panna cotta made with coconut milk and agar is so much better than the dairy based ones. My fiancee is going to love the blueberries in your version :)
Thanks, Lucie! So glad you guys like it. :-) And I totally agree with you, it’s so much better than the one with cream and gelatin.
Sina, you have excelled yourself again. This looks unbelievable. I honestly wish I could have a taste now!!
Thanks so much for the compliment, Hedi! :-)
Looks so colorful! I’ve never really been a panna cotta fan, but this might change my mind! Looks fantastic!
Thanks, Brandi! :-)
Ha, I LOVE your thoughts on the way “agar” sounds. :) Your vegan panna cotta is so clever and looks amazing!
Haha! Such a weird word! Thanks, Gin. :-)
I love agar and this panna cotta is just what I need for a fancy dinner this Sunday.
Glad you like it, Kathy! :-)
I have been using agar for years, it has been such a life saver as so many of the great desserts call for gelatine which I just couldn’t bring myself to eat….. well done for turning this classic dessert vegan I love it can’t wait to try it :D
Thanks, Emma! Totally agree, agar is awesome! :-)
http://www.healthynhappy.org/10-vegan-summer-worthy-desserts/
One of my favorite desserts paired with my favorite fruit. Delish!