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Epicurious

Vegan Panna Cotta

5.0

(1)

Glass dishes with vegan panna cotta made with almond milk and kuzu topped with blueberry sauce.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert

If you like panna cotta, the incredibly creamy texture of this dairy- and gelatin-free dessert will delight you. I use kuzu, which is a plant-based starch used in many Japanese dishes, as a setting agent. Kuzu is a raw ingredient that needs to be cooked—the longer the cooking time, the firmer the texture becomes. You can use any other type of unsweetened non-dairy milk if you prefer, but I find that almond milk gives this dessert a lovely nutty taste. This looks so elegant, especially served with the berry sauce, but it’s actually very easy to make!

Editor's Note: If you prefer a less-sweet dessert, start with 3 Tbsp. agave syrup, then heat the ingredients until the kuzu is dissolved. Taste the mixture and, if desired, add more agave syrup to taste.

If you’d rather serve this vegan panna cotta in individual cups or ramekins rather than cutting into portions as directed, divide the cooked mixture from Step 2 between six 4-ounce dessert cups, leaving room for the blueberry sauce at the top. Cover each cup with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic to the surface to prevent a skin from forming, then chill for at least 1 hour. Top each cup with blueberry sauce and serve.

This recipe was excerpted from 'Atsuko's Japanese Kitchen' by Atsuko Ikeda. Buy the full book on Amazon.

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