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Panna Cotta is a traditional Italian dessert of sweetened cooked cream, stiffened with gelatin. So, making a version devoid of any cream might seem to be a bit of a cheat, but since my version still eats good, and dramatically cuts down on the fat and calories, I think most people won’t mind too much.

Previously I posted my recipe for a Strawberry Panna Cotta. That recipe works great, and can easily be changed to a Blueberry Panna Cotta by just swapping out the fruits. If you like this recipe, please check that one out at well! This, however, is a recipe is for a 93-calorie Coconut Panna Cotta, which requires some different techniques. I believe recipes like this have an unnecessary reputation of being difficult to make. This one is not. It requires only one or two ingredients you probably don’t already have in your house right now, and takes fewer than 20 minutes. For an impressive looking, great tasting and low-calorie treat, it’s certainly worth a try, right?

Ingredients (Serves 8)

• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar
• 1 packet unflavored gelatin
• 2 tablespoons room temp water
• 1 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt

Step 1: Coconut Prep

The recipe really is quite simple, as long as you take it a step at a time. First, prep the coconut.

Using a food processor or small grinder, combine the 1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes and tablespoon of confectioners sugar. Pulse until it becomes a consistently grainy powder. This shouldn’t take more than 4-5 seconds. The key is making sure you’ve gotten rid of any large pieces and it’s as close to a powder as coconut really can be. Once done, set this aside.

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Step 2: The “Cotta” Stand-In

Instead of that heavy cream in a traditional recipe, combine the buttermilk and Greek yogurt. Whisk until mixed well. If you’re tried my recipe for Strawberry Panna Cotta, here’s a key difference. In addition to the yogurt and buttermilk add 1/4 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Because we’re not adding a wet fruit for flavoring, and in fact adding something that is rather absorbing, it’s vital to balance the liquid content. Add in the coconut/sugar mixture and whisk again until thoroughly combined.

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Step 3: Bloom the Gelatin

With your “cotta” ready, it’s time to bloom the gelatin. In a small bowl, combine a packet of unflavored gelatin with two tablespoons of lukewarm water. Stir rapidly to combine and set aside to bloom for five minutes. In my Strawberry Panna Cotta recipe I called for using 1 1/2 heaping teaspoons of gelatin… which was basically 2/3 or so of a packet, but in practice over time I’ve simply found it easier to just use the entire packet with this much water to get the desired panna cotta texture. So feel free o make that change with the other recipe as well.

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Step 4: Heat the Milk

With the coconut mixture ready and the gelatin blooming, the final element is to heat the milk. In a small sauce pan combine the remaining 1 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk with 1/3 cup of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of coconut extract.

Warm over medium heat while stirring constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved (you’ll be able to tell by the sound). DO NOT let the milk boil, because if the milk is too hot when you introduce the gelatin it will not work. You want it just warm enough to melt the gelatin and combine it. Medium heat is fine for this.

When your five minute timer goes off on the gelatin, remove the milk from the heat and add the bloomed gelatin and stir constantly until combined. It shouldn’t take more than 30 seconds to a minute. Make sure you see no pieces of floating gelatin.

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Step 5: Everybody in the Pool

Finally, add the milk mixture to the coconut mixture. Like any milk, you don’t want to heat buttermilk too quickly or it will split. Your almond milk should be slightly cooled at this point, but even so begin by pouring just a small amount into the coconut mixture and whisk quickly. Continue adding the almond milk at a slow and steady pace while constantly whisking, in order to get a smooth Panna Cotta mixture.

This recipe makes eight 1/2 cup servings, which also fits nicely into 6 oz ramekins. Carefully pour the mixture into your ramekins and refrigerate for 4-5 hours or overnight. If you’re concerned whether or not your panna cotta will set up, you can lightly tap the surface after an hour… it should already bounce back by that point.

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Step 6: Plating

Removing the panna cotta from the ramekins for platting is relatively simple. Here’s the method I use (I believe there are several others) which I find works every time!

First, fill a medium bowl with hot tap water. Then, carefully submerge the ramekin halfway into the hot water, careful not the let the water come up over the edge into the dessert, and twist it back and forth for the count of 10.

Next, remove it from the water and carefully run either a butter knife, a cake frosting tool…anything flat and thin, along the outer edge of the ramekin.

Put a plate over the top of the ramekin and flip it upside down. Give the plate and ramekin a good shake (or two… or three) until you hear the tell-tale sound of the Panna Cotta hitting the plate. Carefully remove the ramekin and see if it worked. If not, keep trying! A bit more vigor is all it will take. Like anything else, it’s a skill, you’ll get better at it over time!

Step 7: Decorating

You can certainly enjoy the results of your hard work as it, but the nice thing about a panna cotta is it is a blank slate for a bit of creative decorating. In the two examples at the top of this recipe I added a few small pineapple slices and some tiny aquafaba pineapple meringues, and in the other one I added a sugar-free chocolate sauce (5 calories per 1 tablespoon).

In both cases, I took the 93-calorie panna cotta and dressed it up while still keeping the dessert itself right around 100 calories! Get creative!