A few weeks ago I went on a panna cotta rampage. I think I made it 4 times in 3 days. This is one of my favorites. Really, it started as an excuse to use all the pretty citrus hanging around the markets right now(blood orange, anyone?). And grapefruit looks so pretty against a white backdrop. Enter: Coconut Panna Cotta.
For one, it’s dairy free. Which is unusual in the world of traditional heavy cream laden panna cotta.
For two, Coconut and Grapefruit pair so nicely together. The tangy, sparkling grapefuit gelee is offset with the mellow smooth coconut and vanilla.
Do try and serve these in clear dishes, if you have them. The colors just beg to be seen!
And, if you’ve got the winter blues, these little desserts will help you feel a little brighter. At least, that’s what citrus does for me. I keep bowls full of lemons, or oranges, and even limes around the house year round, but in the winter I display them in abundance because I find looking at them lifts my mood.
And if looking at them helps, well, eating them must be twice as good, right?
If you’ve never heard of a “Gelee” before, it’s just a fancy word for gelatin, usually made with fruit juice only. Simple stuff. Actually this entire dessert is very simple to make. Fancy words like “gelee” just make is sound tricky.
- 1 14 oz can Coconut Milk
- 3 T. Sugar
- ½ Vanilla bean, slit and seeds scraped
- 2 T. Water
- 1½ t. Gelatin(powdered)
- FOR THE GRAPEFRUIT GELEE:
- ½ C. fresh Grapefruit Juice, divided
- ¾ t. Gelatin(powdered)
- 1 T. Sugar
- 1 Grapefuit, segmented
- Mint leaves, for garnish
- Pour the 2 T. water into a small bowl. Sprinkle the 1½ t. gelatin over the water and allow to bloom for 5 minutes.
- Place the coconut milk, sugar, and vanilla bean in a small saucepan and bring just to a simmer. Remove from the heat and add the bloomed gelatin to the pan. Whisk the coconut milk/gelatin mixture until the gelatin has completely dissolved. Discard the vanilla bean, scraping out any remaining vanilla beans and adding them back into the coconut mixture.
- Divide the panna cotta mixture evenly between 4½ c. dishes or ramekins. Refrigerate the panna cotta for at least 3 hours, or until firmly set.
- To make the grapefruit gelee:
- Place 2 T. of the grapefruit juice in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the juice and allow it to bloom for 5 minutes.
- Place the remaining grapefruit juice and 1 T. sugar in a small saucepan. Bring the juice to a boil and add the bloomed gelatin. Whisk the gelatin into the grapefruit juice until it has fully dissolved. Remove from heat.
- Remove the chilled panna cottas from the fridge and place 2-3 segmented grapefruit slices on top of each one.
- Pour the grapefruit gelee into each of the panna cotta glasses, so that it almost completely, but not quite covers the grapefruit slices.
- Refrigerate for another hour, or until the gelee has set.
- Serve cold, garnished with mint leaves.
These look amazing! You’re right, the citrus looks gor-geous with panna cotta.
Thank you Jess!
I have never wanted to make anything so bad ever. So far everything I have seen on this blog is gorgeous and I want to make and devour them.
Thank you so much! I hope you get a chance to try them, they are definitely one of my favorites =)
I tried to make these twice and both times the panna cotta won’t set to a thick enough consistency. Not sure what I’m doing wrong. I followed everything exactly. The grapefruit gelée set totally fine. I’m wondering if not enough gelatin for some reason? Thank you!
Hi Caitlin!
I’m sorry the panna cotta is giving you trouble. I’m not sure why it wouldn’t be working for you. It isn’t supposed to be a very firm panna cotta, if that helps. It should just set to the point that it just holds together. The gelee on top is firmer than the actual panna cotta. You could always try adding more gelatin to see if it gives you a consistency that you like better =)
Hi, can I ask if you know how long they last for after being made? I wanna make these for a party but Ive got so much to make so I would like to make these a few days before the party. Do you think they would taste the same if I made them 2 days before?Or would they get watery? Many thanks
Hi MJ,
These should last for a few days, I would imagine that you would be ok to make them two days ahead of time. Just make sure to wrap them tightly so that they don’t dry out or soak up any other smells =)
Hi, these look delicious, i’ m totally making them! Don’t you have to cool the grapefruit jelly a bit before putting it on the panna cotta? I’m afraid if i pour the warm jelly over the chilled panna cotta it will “melt” it. What is your recommendation? Thanks
Hi Ingrid,
You would actually need the jelly to be warm to get a smooth surface once it’s poured on top of the panna cotta. Since it’s a thin layer of the jelly, it will cool quickly once it hits the cold panna cotta and won’t cause it to melt. Just make sure that the panna cotta is completely set before adding the gelee =)
Hi Caitlin,
I don’t care for grapefruit. Can I use the blood oranges? If so, how many oranges would equate to the one grapefruit?
Sorry, Kayley…I called you Caitlin
You can definitely use oranges! I would use 2 in place of one grapefruit, depending on the size of the oranges.
Is T for tablespoon and t for teaspoon?
yes =)