Light Mango Coconut Panna Cotta

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Cool, creamy mango coconut panna cotta is topped with sun-drenched mango and features a base of sweet dates and walnuts. 

Easy to make and lightened up with Greek yogurt rather than rich cream, it makes an elegant dessert that’s the perfect finish for a special occasion  meal. 

Over the past few months I’ve been lucky enough to spend quite a bit of time exploring southern Italy. One of the classic desserts I’ve enjoyed — along with favourites like  Italian Butterball Cookies, gelato and tiramisù — is panna cotta.

This popular moulded and chilled dessert (which means “cooked cream” in Italian), is served plain or topped with seasonal fruits, caramel sauce or liqueur.

Mango season is an ideal time to make a tropical version of this delicious dessert. For this version of mango panna cotta, I’ve lightened up the traditional recipe for vanilla panna cotta by using Greek yogurt, milk and light coconut milk rather than heavy cream.

I’ve used sweet Medjool dates and walnuts to create a crunchy base, but for an even easier option you can omit the base and serve the panna cotta plain and topped with mangos.

Difference Between Panna Cotta and Crème Caramel Flan

Although panna cotta and crème caramel look similar, they are quite different.  Unlike crème caramel (known as flan in Mexico and other countries in Latin America), panna cotta does not contain eggs. Crème caramel, bathed with liquid caramel, and crème brulée, with its crackly topping of caramel,  are both made with an egg custard while panna cotta is made with heavy cream.

There’s another important difference between panna cotta and custard. Unlike cooked custards such as crème caramel and crème brulée, panna cotta doesn’t need to be cooked in a bain-marie or in the oven in a water bath.

It’s made by dissolving gelatin in warm milk and chilling rather than cooking. This makes panna cotta much easier to prepare and especially appealing as a spring or summer dessert when you don’t want to turn on the oven.

Ingredients for Mango Coconut Panna Cotta

Begin by selecting ripe mangos. In my recipe for No-Bake Mango Pie, I discuss the various varieties of mangos available throughout the world.

I haven’t yet met a variety of mango I don’t love. In my opinion they’re all delicious – but the best mangos to use for this recipe are the ataulfo variety. They’re sweet, yet firm enough to hold their shape and look beautiful without going mushy.

Another key ingredient is a white balsamic vinegar. When choosing a balsamic vinegar, use a high quality balsamic vinegar from Modena, Italy, one without artificial additives.

How much money do you need to spend to purchase a good quality balsamic vinegar? While researching a story on balsamic vinegars for LUXE magazine, I interviewed several producers of quality balsamic vinegars and sampled a variety of white and dark balsamic vinegars, including a prized aged version that sold for $500 USD for a single bottle.

I learned that while it’s possible to spend a fortune on luxury balsamic vinegar, it’s possible to find a quality balsamic vinegar for much less. For everyday use I count on the  Olio Carli brands of Aged Balsamic Vinegars. They produce both a dark and a white balsamic vinegar as well as several other products such as chile-infused oils.

Produced in Vignola (Emilia Romagna), their dark balsamic vinegar is aged for 12 months in select barrels (barriques) of oak, chestnut and cherry.  It’s 100% natural, caramel-free and has a beautiful flavour that’s very versatile. This makes it perfect for desserts, salad dressings and roasted vegetables where you want a rich, caramel flavour and colour.

White balsamic vinegar combines white wine vinegar with aromatic grape musts from varieties such as Moscato and Trebbiano grapes grown in the Modena region of Italy. While white balsamic vinegar has the intense flavour of dark balsamic vinegar, it has a more subtle fruity aroma and a soft golden colour. This makes it ideal for light-coloured desserts or dishes where you want the tangy flavour, but not the deep red colour, of dark balsamic vinegar.

While you might be reluctant to add another vinegar to your pantry, the good news is that a 250 ml (8.45 ounce) jar of either white or dark Olio Carli balsamic vinegar is $9.99 USD in most shops. In my opinion, you can’t get a better balsamic vinegar for the price!

Look for it in well-stocked Italian grocers such as Maselli’s Grocers on the Danforth in Toronto or  buy it online on Amazon, where you can find both the  Dark Olio Carli Balsamic Vinegar  and the White Olio Carli Balsamic Vinegar. 

If you don’t have white balsamic vinegar, you can substitute champagne vinegar or dissolve a half teaspoon of sugar or honey into 1 1/2 teaspoons of regular white vinegar.

How to Make Mango Coconut Panna Cotta

Peel and chop the mangoes into bite sized pieces and mix with balsamic vinegar. Allow the mixture to marinate while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

Chop the fresh mango into bite sized pieces. While the mangoes are marinating, prepare the base. Add the walnuts or pecans to food processor and process into a meal. Remove and set aside.

Add the dates to food processor and chop into small pieces. Then add nuts back in and blend.

Spoon into the  bottom of parfait glasses, mason jars or other clear glass serving cups. Place in the refrigerator to chill.

Stir together 2 tablespoon cold water and 1 ½ teaspoon unflavoured gelatin in a bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Bring 1 cup light coconut milk, ¼ cup granulated white sugar, 3 Tablespoons unsweetened flaked coconut and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract to a simmer in a saucepan over a medium heat.

Remove from heat. Strain. Discard the flaked coconut solids and whisk in gelatin mixture.

Strain the coconut solids from the liquid. Then, add the one cup of plain 2% fat Greek yogurt and ¼ cup of whole milk to the gelatin and coconut liquid,  using a whisk to mix thoroughly but gently.

Assemble by dividing the filling among four dishes on top of the date base. Top the panna cotta with the mango and balsamic vinegar mixture.

Assemble by pouring the coconut mixture onto the base and topping with the mango mixture. Chill for two hours and garnish with sprigs of fresh mint before serving.

Tips for Making Mango Coconut Panna Cotta

• Vegetarians and vegans can adapt this recipe by substituting agar ( a seaweed product) for the gelatin (an animal product). Be sure to follow the directions on the package of agar agar flakes or agar agar powder as  agar needs to be cooked in order for it to set. It will also be slightly firmer  than gelatin.
• If you don’t have white balsamic vinegar, you can substitute champagne vinegar or dissolve a half teaspoon of sugar or honey into 1 1/2 teaspoons of regular white vinegar.
• Got extra mangoes? Use them up in this easy recipe for vegan mango sorbet – made without sugar!  

• Wondering what to do with extra coconut milk? Try this recipe for a posh Coconut Chia Kiwi Parfait, created especially for Afternoon Tea at the Shangri- La Hotel in Toronto. Not only is it delicious but it’s vegan and gluten-free!  

You Might Also Enjoy:

For more mango and date recipes, check out these posts:

• No-Bake Mango Pie  
• Sparkling Mango Cocktail 
• Mango and Black Bean Salsa 
• Healthy Energy Balls with Dates 
• 25 Best Mango Recipes from Around the World 

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