Don’t let berry season slip by without trying this fabulous vegan strawberry panna cotta. Sure, you can make it any time of year, but it is tastiest during peak season. This Italian-inspired dessert is perfectly sweet and naturally dairy-free, thanks to a creamy blend of classic ingredients. It also happens to be egg-free and gelatin-free!
Vegan Strawberry Panna Cotta without Dairy, Eggs, or Gelatin!
This is the Balsamic Berry Vegan Panna Cotta from Celine Steen’s cookbook, Bold Flavored Vegan Cooking. Panna cotta is usually made with dairy cream and gelatin, but Celine forgoes both. She uses a silken tofu and coconut for a creamy consistency and agar to firm it up. I have updated her recipe with options and have more details about the ingredients in the information below.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Easy Make Ahead: You can blend this dessert together a day or two before serving.
- Pretty Presentation: It’s elegant enough for a fancy dinner, but can also dazzle in jars at a casual affair.
- Creamy Texture: The tofu and coconut cream create a consistency that rivals dairy cream.
- Gelatin-Free: It’s the perfect dessert option for vegans and vegetarians.
Ingredient FAQs
- Berries: Can I use different berries in the panna cotta? Yes, you can! If using blackberries or raspberries, puree the berries first and strain the juices to remove the seeds.
- Berries: Can I use frozen berries? You can use frozen berries in both the panna cotta and the topping. Defrost the berries before adding them to the panna cotta. Taste, and add more sugar and/or lemon if needed, since frozen berries can be less flavorful. If the berries aren’t pretty enough for your topping, you can puree them, strain, and cook them with the syrup to create a sauce topping.
- Agave: Can I use honey instead of agave nectar? If you don’t have strictly vegan needs, then you can use honey.
- Tofu: Can I use regular tofu? Silken tofu is softer, creamier, and purees into a very creamy texture. In a pinch, you can use soft regular tofu. But do not use a firm or extra-firm tofu that isn’t silken.
- Coconut Cream: Do you have a coconut-free option? You can use the soy-free option to make a coconut-free option. The same heavy cashew cream can be used in place of the coconut cream, but you will only need 3/4 cup.
- Agar Agar: What is agar agar? This is thickener that’s derived from seaweed, and is often used as an alternative to gelatin. Agar is sold as a powder and flakes, but the two cannot be used interchangeably. Make sure to use agar powder specifically. You can buy it at natural food stores, often near baking, starches, or spices. But I usually buy it online.
Special Diet Notes: Vegan Strawberry Panna Cotta
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian.
Vegan Strawberry Panna Cotta
Ingredients
Method
- Place the vinegar and agave in a small saucepan. Bring to a low boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring frequently, until reduced to about 3 tablespoons, about 8 to 10 minutes. You can eyeball this; the reduction should be thickened and light golden.
- Remove from the pan from the heat and add the vanilla. Let the berry mixture cool.
- minutes before serving the dessert, gently fold the berries into the cooled syrup.
- Place the berries and sugar in a heat-proof medium-sized glass bowl. Gently stir together, cover and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Transfer the berries sand sugar to a small blender, and add the agave, vanilla, and salt. Blend until smooth.
- Strain the berry puree through a fine-mesh sieve, to remove the seeds, back into the medium bowl.
- Very lightly brush eight 3 ¼ x 1 ¼ -inch (8.3 x 3.2-cm) mini brioche molds (or any mold of similar size) with oil.
- Place the coconut cream, tofu, and lemon juice in a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan. Whisk the agar into the mixture. Bring to a low boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes to activate the agar.
- Pour this mixture on top of the strawberry mixture, and whisk to thoroughly combine.
- Divide the mixture among the prepared molds.
- Let the berry mixture cool to room temperature before transferring the molds to the refrigerator to firm for at least 3 hours.
- Remove the panna cotta from the molds by shaking gently to coax them out. If they resist, use a toothpick to help release them.
- Serve the berry panna cotta with the berries, and add rose petals as decoration if desired.
Nutrition
Notes
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Let us know how it was!More Recipe Notes: Vegan Strawberry Panna Cotta
Serving Options
You can use almost any single-serve ramekin or mold to make these personal desserts. They don’t have to be mini brioche molds specifically. But there’s another option that’s even simpler if you don’t have any molds. You can just use small jars or dessert glasses. Rather than unmolding the panna cotta, you can actually serve it in the jar or glass. Top each serving with the berries and balsamic drizzle right in the glass, and serve with a spoon!
Make Ahead
- Time: You can make this vegan strawberry panna cotta a day ahead.
- Tips: Wait to unmold the panna cotta until just before serving. If serving in a glass, wait to top it until time to serve.
Storage
- Store: Tightly cover the panna cotta with plastic wrap and store it in your refrigerator for up to 4 days. If possible, store the panna cotta and berries separately. Do not freeze the panna cotta as this can negatively effect the texture.
- Serve: It is best served cold, so it can be topped and served right out of the refrigerator.
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