This Vegan Panna Cotta with Blueberries is our favorite Summer dessert. Easy to make and absolutely delicious! Vegan & Gluten-Free.
Sometimes I crave creamy, fresh desserts, but I find they are very difficult to buy in our grocery stores – the vegan dessert aisle is still rather limited! Luckily, I can make my favorite Vegan Panna Cotta with Blueberries at home in minutes with just 7 ingredients!
This recipe is very simple to make, and it literally takes minutes. The panna cotta makes for a great fresh dessert and it’s also eye-catching to serve to your guests.
And no one will be able to tell this panna cotta is plant-based!
What is panna cotta?
Panna cotta originates in Italy and translates to “cooked cream”. This is a very traditional Italian dessert that is widely popular in restaurants.
Traditionally, panna cotta is made from cream and is therefore not plant-based, which can be a problem if you’re vegan or plant-based, or (like me) allergic to dairy products. Luckily, this dish is easy to make vegan with alternative ingredients.
We’ll also ditch animal gelatin in this recipe and replace it with a gentle plant-based alternative – agar agar powder, which is a gelling and thickening ingredient made from seaweed!
Ingredients
To make this Vegan Panna Cotta you will need:
- coconut milk, we like to use the milk that comes in a regular can, it should be without added ingredients or thickeners
- sugar, use white granulated sugar to keep the color of the panna cotta as white as possible
- vanilla, extract or paste will both work; if you can splurge, try using a whole vanilla pod for the most intense and rich vanilla flavor
- agar agar, this will act as a thickener and is the plant-based equivalent to gelatine. You should be able to find it in major grocery stores or online.
- lemon for a fresh lemony flavor
For the Blueberry sauce you will only need 4 ingredients:
- frozen blueberries, these are readily available and cheaper than fresh. You will cook them down in a sauce and never know the difference between fresh and frozen. I like to use forest blueberries which are smaller and have a more intense flavor, but any blueberries or even other berries will work just fine.
- sugar, you can use white sugar or brown sugar in the sauce
- lemon for freshness and tanginess
- cornstarch for thickening the sauce
See the instructions below or the recipe for exact quantities and more details!
How to make this Vegan Panna Cotta with Blueberries
Making this panna cotta is really simple and is one of our favorite desserts (besides tiramisu!). We will do this recipe in 3 steps:
- cook the coconut milk
- cook the blueberry sauce
- chill
Start by making the panna cotta – this should be done a day in advance before you want to serve, as it needs time to cool down and set in the fridge.
To a small pot, add the coconut milk, sugar, vanilla, and the zest and juice of half a lemon. Gently bring to a simmer while stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Then, whisk in the agar agar and continue cooking for about 2-3 minutes. The agar agar needs cooking time to activate, but at this point, you’re practically done cooking.
Now, prepare clean serving jars (silicone molds work as well!). Pour the hot coconut milk over a strainer into the jars (this will catch the lemon zest or peel) and let cool down.
The coconut milk will separate while cooling, so just give it a gentle stir once or twice as it cools and thickens.
Once cooled to room temperature, cover the jars and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Next, make the blueberry sauce – you can also do this a day ahead before serving, and the sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To a pan, add the blueberries, sugar, and the zest and juice of half a lemon. Bring to a simmer while stirring often and cook on low to medium until the blueberries collapse and the sugar dissolves.
Stir in the cornstarch (I like to dissolve it in a bit of water first) and cook for another half a minute until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy. Remove from heat and let cool down.
You can make the sauce ahead of time and keep it in the fridge, so it’s super convenient.
Now you have both elements done and ready, time to serve!
Serving Suggestion
Serve the panna cotta straight in jars or topple it over to serving dishes. Top with the blueberry sauce and decorate with grated lemon peel and fresh coconut (if you have it).
Storage Tips
The panna cotta and blueberry sauce will both keep refrigerated for up to 5 days. Keep them separate until just before serving, or the sauce will seep into the panna cotta.
I don’t recommend freezing the panna cotta as it will change structure once thawed. You can freeze the blueberry sauce for up to 3 months.
More similar recipes
Panna cotta is one of our favorite desserts, so no wonder we have more recipes for you:
- Blackberry Coconut Vegan Panna Cotta
- Vegan Coconut Panna Cotta with Strawberry Sauce
- Elderflower Panna Cotta with Macerated Strawberries
- Salted Caramel Fig Vegan Cake
- No-Bake Vegan Blueberry Pie
Vegan Panna Cotta with Blueberries
This is our favorite summer dessert! This panna cotta is made with coconut milk and agar instead of gelatine, so it's suitable for vegans. Plus, it's super easy to make and absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
Panna cotta:
- 400 ml coconut milk (1 can)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ tsp agar agar
- ½ lemon, zest and juice
Blueberry sauce:
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 2-3 tbsp sugar
- ½ lemon, zest and juice
- 2 tsp cornstarch
Instructions
- To a pan, add 400 ml coconut milk, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, and the zest and juice of half a lemon. Gently bring to a simmer while stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in ½ tsp agar agar and continue cooking for about 2-3 minutes.
- Prepare 4 serving jars. Pour the coconut milk over a strainer into the jars and let cool down. The coconut milk will separate while cooling, so just give it a gentle stir once or twice before it thickens.
- Once cooled to room temperature, cover the jars and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
- Make the blueberry sauce: to a pan, add 1 cup frozen blueberries, 2-3 tbsp sugar, and the zest and juice of half a lemon. Bring to a simmer while stirring often and cook on low to medium until the blueberries collapse and the sugar dissolves. Dissolve 2 tsp of cornstarch in a bit of water, stir it into the sauce, and cook for another half a minute until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy. Remove from heat and let cool down.
- Serve the panna cotta straight in jars or topple it over to serving dishes, and top with the blueberry sauce. Decorate with grated lemon peel and fresh coconut.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 381Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 86mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 1gSugar: 43gProtein: 2g
Nutrition data is automatically calculated using Nutritionix and may not be accurate.