Mango Panna Cotta
Velvety and creamy with a delightful little wobble, my Mango Panna Cotta is a true summertime delight. Made with agar agar in place of the normal gelatin, this tropically flavored Italian dessert is suitable for vegetarians and can easily be made vegan. Best of all, this vegetarian panna cotta comes together with just 15 minutes of active work!
About Mango Panna Cotta
Panna cotta means “cooked cream” in Italian. It is a softly set pudding that is milky and rich, yet firm. Panna cotta can be wholly made with cream or with a combination of cream, milk, and fruits.
This famous Italian dessert is our favorite, so I try to make it at least a few times a year. Our favorite iteration comes about when mango season is in full swing. I make my mango panna cotta with the heaps of Alphonso mangoes I can’t help but purchase; they’re too delicious!
Aside from this mango-flavored recipe, I also make a strawberry panna cotta in the spring, and regular Panna Cotta Recipe during the rest of the year. If you have never made it, fear not! This is a simple, straightforward recipe that I am certain you can master.
Generally speaking, gelatin is used to set panna cotta, but being vegetarians we do not use gelatin. Luckily, there is a clever method for making this a vegetarian version.
The thickening & setting ingredient in this vegetarian mango panna cotta is an ingredient known as agar agar, and not the gelatin that is typically used. Agar agar is a vegan ingredient acquired from a particular kind of algae. It is often used in vegan or vegetarian desserts as a stand-in for gelatin.
If you’ve ever had the flavored china grass that is available in the stores, then you’ve already tried agar agar! It is a nearly flavorless ingredient, and a real boon in any vegetarian or vegan kitchen. It can act as an egg substitute in puddings and a gelatin substitute in jellies.
Agar agar strands and powder are available easily online and in some Indian metro cities — either will work for this mango panna cotta recipe.
If you’re worried about buying an ingredient for just a single recipe, I’m here to allay your concerns. Aside from my panna cotta recipes, agar agar is also used in my Mango Pudding and Mango Cheesecake recipes!
Once set, the panna cotta should gently wobble. I have used 1.5 tablespoons of chopped agar agar strands, which set this vegetarian panna cotta perfectly. I have used less amount of agar agar in the past and the panna cotta did not set well, so be sure to measure accurately.
Perhaps the most fear-inducing step of making panna cotta is the unmolding process. You just created a gorgeous dessert and want it to look pretty on the plate! Here’s the deal: so long as you oil your serving bowls or ramekins, the mango panna cotta should easily release from the container for a flawless presentation.
How To Make Mango Panna Cotta
Making mango panna cotta is easy. I have used Alphonso mangoes to make the mango pulp because they are abundant here. Feel free to use any good-quality sweet , ripe mangoes. Just make sure they are not fibrous.
For the cream, I used light cream (25 to 35% fat) to save on some calories, but regular whipping or heavy cream will also work.
Prep
1. First, chop the agar agar strands into small pieces and soak them in ¼ cup of warm water for 10 minutes. You will need 1.5 tablespoons of chopped agar agar strands.
I like to use kitchen scissors to chop the agar agar strands. Remember to chop the agar agar into very small pieces. You can also use 1.5 teaspoons of powdered agar agar if you would prefer to skip this step.
2. Meanwhile, peel, chop, and then purée 2 medium-sized alphonso mangoes in a blender.
Make sure to use mangoes which yield a thick pulp. Mangoes which make for a juicy or runny pulp will affect the texture and consistency of panna cotta making it more like a pudding.
Cook Cream Mixture
3. Mix 1.25 cups light cream or whipping cream, 1 cup whole milk, and ½ cup sugar in a saucepan and place it over low to medium-low heat. Stir with a wired whisk.
The sugar should dissolve completely. Keep stirring at intervals while the cream mixture comes to a gentle simmer.
Cook Agar Agar
4. At the same time, place the agar agar and water solution on the stovetop. Keep stirring until the agar agar strands are dissolved.
Combine
5. The cream+milk+sugar mixture should come to a gentle simmer. Turn off the heat as soon as it does.
6. The agar agar has also dissolved by now.
7. Mix the hot agar agar solution into the hot cream+milk+sugar mixture and stir very well with a wired whisk.
8. Wait for about 5 minutes to allow the panna cotta mixture to cool a bit, then add the prepared mango purée and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.
9. Mix very well with a whisk until the mixture is entirely uniform.
Assemble and Refrigerate
10. If you plan to serve your mango panna cotta on a plate, be sure to grease your bowls.
Pour the panna cotta mixture into serving bowls. Cover the serving bowls with a lid, or aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
Allow it to cool for about an hour, or until it is just warm to the touch. Place the bowls in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours or more till the mango panna cotta looks wobbly and is perfectly set.
11. Serve mango panna cotta chilled. I like to top the serving bowls with some chopped mango pieces or garnish with mint leaves for a bit of extra flair. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
Making this vegetarian panna cotta recipe is easy, but I do have a few tips to share to ensure your success:
- Be sure to chop your agar agar strands into very small pieces. This will help it dissolve more easily. I find that using scissors makes the process easy, but you can also use your spice grinder or a sharp chef’s knife if you prefer. You can also opt to use agar agar powder if you would prefer to skip this step.
- Be sure to grease your bowls if you want to unmold the panna cotta onto a serving plate. I generally serve it straight from the bowls, but the traditional Italian presentation usually has it served on a plate. If you are using a complexly patterned mold, be sure to get all the nooks and crannies well oiled.
- Plan ahead! Panna cotta requires at least 4 to 5 hours to set up in the fridge. I recommend making it the night before you plan on serving it to ensure you have ample chilling time.
FAQs
Are panna cotta and crème brûlée the same thing?
No! Crème brûlée is a French dessert made from a custard that is first cooked in a water bath, then topped with sugar. The sugar is then caramelized by using a blow-torch or a broiler (the name means “burnt cream,” which refers to this caramelization process).
Panna cotta, on the other hand, is more like a pudding in preparation. While it means “cooked cream,” all of the cooking is done on the stovetop; the oven and water-bath never come into the equation. Panna cotta is also usually made without eggs, whereas eggs are usually a big component of crème brûlée.
If you’re eager to make a comparison, panna cotta is similar to Mexican flan, but without the built-in caramel sauce.
Can I make vegan panna cotta?
Sure! Simply swap in coconut cream and full-fat canned coconut milk for the dairy.
How do you eat panna cotta?
I usually serve my panna cotta straight from the bowls I use to set it up. I like to add a little texture by adding chopped fruit, but you can also use a fruit coulis if you prefer.
If you’d like a slightly fancier presentation, you can serve the set panna cotta on a plate — just be sure to thoroughly grease your molds so you have a smooth, shiny surface.
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
- 2 alphonso mangoes – medium-sized, about 225 to 250 grams and yields about 1.5 cups mango puree
- 1.25 cups light cream – 25% to 35% fat or 1.25 cups whipping cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1.5 tablespoons chopped agar agar strands or 1.5 teaspoons agar agar powder
- ¼ cup water for soaking the agar agar strands
- ½ cup raw sugar or white sugar – add as per taste
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla essence
Instructions
Preparation
- First chop the agar agar strands in small pieces and soak them in warm water for 10 mins.
- Rinse, peel and chop the mangoes. Add the chopped mangoes in a blender and make a smooth puree. Keep the mango puree aside.
Making mango panna cotta
- Mix cream, milk and sugar in a pan or saucepan and keep it on the stove top on a low to medium-low heat. Stir with a wired whisk.
- Keep on stirring at intervals while the cream mixture comes to a gentle simmer. The sugar should also dissolve completely.
- Also at the same time, keep the agar agar and water solution on the stove top. Keep on stirring the agar agar solution and let it cook till the agar agar strands are dissolved completely.
- The cream+milk+sugar mixture should just gently come to a simmer. Turn off the heat.
- Mix the hot agar agar solution into the hot cream+milk+sugar mixture and stir very well with a wired whisk. * Check notes
- Wait for about 5 minutes till the panna cotta mixture becomes less hot. Then add the mango puree and vanilla extract. Mix very well with the wired whisk.
- Pour it in serving bowls. Cover the serving bowls with a lid or aluminium foil/plastic wrap. Let it become warm. Then place the bowls in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours or more till it is set and becomes wobbly.
- While serving, top with some chopped mango cubes or garnish with mint leaves and serve mango panna cotta cold.
Notes
- * Both the agar agar solution and the cream mixture should be hot when you mix them. If in case one of them cools or becomes warm:
– for agar agar: on cooling the agar agar sets and becomes gelatinous, so add some hot water and reheat them with continuous stirring. You can also use a hot water bath.
– for the cream mixture: gently reheat this mixture on a low flame till its hot. - Do use mangoes that make for a thick pulp. Alphonso mangoes works best in this recipe.
- Adjust the sugar as required keeping in mind the sweetness of the mangoes. Remember to make the recipe with sweet tasting. mangoes.
- The recipe can be scaled to make a small or a large batch.
Nutrition
This Mango Panna Cotta recipe post from the blog archives first published in April 2014 has been republished and updated on 27 April 2022.
Which cream should we use ?? Is Amul cream ok to use ?
yes you can use amul cream.
I am a vegetarian. Glad to have found this recipe. We can’t find any shops in Perth that sell agar agar strands. Only in powder packet. Should the powder be the same measurement as the strands in is this recipe? Thanks
thanks. i have mentioned the amount in the recipe card. you can use 1.5 teaspoon of agar agar powder.
This recipe you have serves 3 to 4 people?
if a person has only one bowl, then it serves 3 to 4. otherwise it will serve less people.
Can i make this with 2% milk (or toned milk) instead of whole milk?
Thank you so much!
Welcome Eva. You can use toned milk.
Hi dear, I’m a big fan of ur blog n hv tried few of ur recipes. Have just finished d mango kulfi n shifted it in the freezer… N waiting. Coming to this recipe, pls let me know if I can half this recipe. If yes, then will all d ingredients b halved? What with agar agar? Will b using it for d first time. Thanx in advance.
Thanks Nidhi for your kind words. All the ingredients will be halved including agar agar.
Can i get a substitute for agar agar n gelatin?
there is no substitute. you can just skip both in the recipe.
Can I use bananas instead of Mangoes?
Meena, Yes you can use.
I didn’t use mangoes and so added more cream and agar agar. But still didn’t set
fine rupashi. then i believe that more agar agar strands will be required for the panna cotta to set. you can try next time with some more agar agar strands.
I used agar agar strands. I didn’t use mangoes and so added more cream
okay. did you add more agar agar strands than what is in the recipe. since as such cream is not thick and pulpy like mango pulp. so to set more agar agar strands are required.
It didn’t set even though I kept in the the fridge overnight
rupashi, did you use agar agar strands or agar agar powder. sometimes depending on the quality of agar agar, the panna cotta or a mousse will not set. also in this recipe, the mango puree helps in setting. if used readymade mango puree, then its better to use a thick pulp. hope this helps.
Is amul fresh cream ok to use
even i have used amul fresh cream. you can easily use it.
Hello Dassana, made this lovely recipe over the weekend, used canned mango pulp as the fresh mangoes I was getting were of dubious quality. Since the pulp is sweetened I reduced the amt of sugar to 2tbsp. I used slightly over 1.5 cups of pulp, but will up it to 2 cups next time for a more intense flavour and colour. I used gelatine powder and for your readers who are going to use gelatine instead of agar agar, I used 3tsp mixed in a little hot water . The panna cotta set perfectly. A great dessert which can be made ahead in case of a party. Thanks once again for such a lovely recipe. Also thank you for the Chole recipe, the home made masala takes the Chole to a new level. I am not fond of using store bought masalas and now I don’t need to:)
thats great anu. nice to know. thanks also for sharing the tip. and i do agree that home made masalas are much much better than store brought ones.
Hi Anu, Hi Dassana,
Can I use canned Mango pulp for this recipe? Will it be a huge flavor difference? Am skeptical.Please advise. I want to make it for a party.
SB, yes you can use canned mango pulp. there will be a difference in taste but it will still taste good.
Hi Dassana! Can I skip mangoes and make it vanilla flavor??
yes aashi, you can make a vanilla pannacotta. in this case, use 1.5 cups of milk and 1.5 cups of cream. you can also just use 3 cups of cream instead of milk. add more sugar than what is mentioned in the recipe as per your taste. you can keep the chopped agar agar to 3 tsp or even use 4 tsp.
Hi Dassana! I’ve been looking for a panna cotta recipe and I stumbled upon yours and I have been wanting to make it ever since I found it. However, I live in the U.S. so I am not exactly sure where I can find the Amul Cream. Do you know if there is a substitute for it//another brand that would be easier to find? Thanks so much!
thanks theresa. amul cream is an indian brand of fresh cream which has 25% fat. you can use whipping cream or even cream having 40% to 50% fat.
Hi Dassana!!! Wonderful recipe!!! Got some beautifully rich, ripe mangoes & I am dying out to try your recipe right now… the most frustrating part is that I could not find any cream in nearby groceries….
still I desperately want to make this..Is there any way to make it only with whole milk???? Please, please help me…. would be grateful to you.
thanks najia. you will need cream for this recipe. milk won’t do as then the panna cotta won’t set. if you have some collected malai from the milk, in your fridge, then just whip it up till smooth and use it.
Dear Dassana,
I have tried making this so many times never succeeded, till I tried it the way YOU have shown here. Just loved it.
Trying out everyday a new dish and just loving it. Family Loving it too. The step by step pictures help too.
Love reading the narration at the beginning.
Thanks
Welcome G.Parikh. Glad to know that this recipe worked out well for you. thanks for sharing your positive feedback on recipes.
Hi, superb recipe, wanna try it asap. Can anyone pls tell where to buy agar agar in Pune.
Sweta, try Dorabjee super store in Camp (in front of SGS mall). baking material are available in Chandan store in MG road, Camp also.
In pannacota you used fresh amul cream or whipped cream
supriya, i used amul cream.
if we use agar agar powder then do we have to soak. How to use agar agar powder please let me know.
agar agar powder need not be soaked. just dissolve in hot water and simmer till you get a gelatinous liquid.
HI… I just wanted to know in case of using flavored china grass ….how to use it ? i mean in the same way you have used agar agar or anything else??? pls help….
use it the same way agar agar is used.
Hi I have a quick question. Just to be more precise… I have a pack of strips of agar agar which is 10g. So how much of it Should I use if I chop roughly.
sudha, since you have agar agar strips, try adding 2 tsp of it.
1st time tried making it and everyone loved it. Great recipe and thnx for the detailed instructions. Used 3 mangoes which yielded 3cups puree, swapped the amounts of milk and cream (calorie conscious haha) , added 1/2cup more of cream and milk, and used 6 tspn of agar agar for tht amount of puree (shud have just easily doubled the ingredients) . 1st time using agar and it takes time to dissolve I realised, that was d only waiting time. Nevertheless texture was great, not too soft and not too hard.
thanks reweena for the feedback. glad that the proportions you used, helped. agar agar if chopped in tiny pieces dissolved quicker than when in large pieces or strands.
Works just perfect! I had previously tried a recipe which suggested adding agar agar to warm milk which was disastrous.
The quantities are perfect! And the panna cotta demoulded well!
thanks a lot sanket for this positive feedback.
What will happen if I add more agar agar than the mentioned quantity. I understand that if added less, it won’t set properly. If more?
srijothi, i think it will become very thick and gelatinous. but it has never happened with me.
Looks like a wonderful recipe!!
Just a query though…
If I were to make vanilla panna cotta..
Then I should only add vanilla essence and nothin els rite?
Rest all ingredients nd quantities remain the same??
yes, only vanilla essence is added. since here mango pulp is added, to make vanilla panna cotta, just double up the proportions of cream, milk and the rest of the ingredients. with 1.25 cups cream and 1 cup milk, the quantity of panna cotta will be less, just about 2 servings.
Dear Dassana
Love you site 😀 Had a quick question. You mentioned in your write up that agar-agar is an ingredient in china grass. So can I use china grass in this recipe? If so, how much would I need? Thanks a ton in advance. Keep rocking the kitchen and the interwebs 😀 Love, K
yes you can use china grass. since china grass is in powdered form, you can add up to 2 to 3 tsp. but remember to use a vanilla or mango flavored china grass. any other flavored one will overall contribute to the panna cotta flavor.
I made this today and it was absolutely ravishing! Thanks, Dassana.
welcome rita
i know this is a really stupid question to ask on a vegetarian blog..but if i were to use gelatin instead of agar agar, do you know how much i should use? i’m out of agar agar right now and just dying to make your recipe..none of the other mango panna cotta recipes online look as beautiful or yummy as yours. thanks 🙂
thats difficult to answer. i have never used gelatin, so i have no idea how much to add. i am just guessing here. 1 tsp. but not sure. you can read the directions on the gelatin pack and adjust as per the ingredients in the recipe. and thanks 🙂
Thanks Dassana ! I made this according to your recipe and it turned out just perfect !
welcome jennifer
Love the presentation… may i ask what kind of glass bowls are these? Are they oven safe and how much do they hold?
these are regular glass serving bowls. they are not meant to be used in the oven. but can be kept in the fridge.
Can we demould the panacotta and serve it like we see in restaurants…if yes how to do it without breaking
grease the bowls with oil before adding the panna cotta. once set, gently tap the sides and demould them. you can even place them in warm water for some seconds and then demould them.
I liked the recipe, but is there any other option apart from agar-agar
poorva, as i know for vegetarian only agar agar is the option.
wow! looks so creamy and tempting panna cotta
Oh my! This looks scrumptious. I’ve never actually seen a mango pannacotta before. This is right in time for the coming mango season.
thanks safa
Yum! I want this right now! I wish I could just close and open my eyes like a genie and make it appear.
I made these with agar agar powder. I doubled the recipe so I added 3 tsp of agar agar. The top of my panna cotta looks set, but inside its like a thick pudding. Should I have added more ? Is there any way to fix it? I set it overnight.
let it set overnight. it will be fine. if not set well, then you can still enjoy it. it tastes damn good even without it getting set. there is no way to fix it.