
I first made this recipe a little over a year ago… because I wanted to impress a guy.
I was crazy about this guy and wanted the dessert to be absolutely perfect. Each trial was coming out *so close* but not yet there. Simultaneously working on perfecting the coconut panna cotta and attempting to keep the kitchen clean (normally with my experiments, the kitchen turns into a giant mess), I was growing more and more nervous by the second.
What if I didn’t get it right by the time he arrived?
And then I ran out of coconut milk… At 5 PM I was running off to Whole Foods to buy coconut milk—no makeup and dishes still piled high in the sink.

Thankfully, the eleventh hour vegan panna cotta was a fantastic success—perfectly soft and custard-like.
And I had a full two minutes to spare!


Vegan Vanilla Coconut Panna Cotta
(makes 6-8)
- 1 cup milk of choice
- 1 13.5-oz can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tbsp agar flakes (look at Whole Foods or an Asian market)
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar or xylitol
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (can sub 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract)
Lightly grease 6-8 small dishes or ramekins, then set aside. In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients except the vanilla. Stir, then let sit 10 minutes before heating. Slowly bring to a boil. Once it starts to boil, lower to a simmer and cook until the agar dissolves (about 5-8 minutes). Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the mixture into the prepared dishes, then chill uncovered in the refrigerator until set (about 3-4 hours). Once set, you can either run a knife around the sides and slide the vegan panna cotta out OR you can cover and leave in the dishes until the next day. Note: If you wish to sub carton coconutmilk or another milk for the full-fat canned coconut milk, please feel free to experiment, but at your own risk.
View Coconut Panna Cotta Nutrition Facts
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P.S. More than a year later, I’m still crazy about the guy.

















Definitely going to make this!
I love your charming story. The Vanilla Coconut Panna Cotta looks delicious as well! Thank you for sharing.
This looks so good! And the story along with it makes it even better.
Honestly? It does not look as the most appealing dessert….! but I bet it’s super tasty! 🙂
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Food is always a good way to impress people 😉
This panna cotta looks so smooth and creamy! Glad it turned out perfectly before your guy showed up 🙂
Aww that’s so sweet! Mmm just made my first panna cotta and I get it! It is delicious 🙂
I’ve never had ‘real’ panna cotta- it never appealed. Unsurprisingly- this one does!
The panna cotta looks great but oh my god those peanut butter fudge slices!
This looks so good, I’ve never made panna cotta but willing to give er a try! How do you get the bubbly shape? Was it poured into a bowl shaped dish? Or does it naturally settle like that??? Hope that’s not a stupid question.. T.I.A.
Not a dumb question at all! I used round dishes like these (third photo): https://lett-trim.today/2014/02/06/healthy-chocolate-lava-cake/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
I’ve never tried Panna Cotta, but I’m obsessed with coconut, and your pictures look delicious! You’re one of the bloggers who inspired me to start my recipe blog (since I have a major sweet too!) so thank you for all your hard work, and congrats on your book success!! xo