Vegan Brown Butter Vanilla Panna Cotta

Jul 30, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Dessert Custards puddings creams Origin: Ugandan Vanilla: Beans Easy

Vegan Brown Butter Vanilla Panna Cotta, unmolded on a plate with vanilla beans

Vegan brown butter panna cotta flavored with a whole vanilla bean. An easy recipe: 25 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cooking, plus setting; serves 6. Best vanilla for this: Ugandan (bold, chocolatey, smoky), or Madagascar (rich, creamy, classic). Any pure vanilla works.

Prep 25 min

Cook 10 min

Set 2 hr

Total 2 hr 35 min

Servings 6

Diet Vegan

Ingredients

Adjust yield

servings

3.0 cups (720.0 ml)full-fat coconut cream
½ cup (100.0 g)granulated sugar
1.0 tsp (2.0 g)agar-agar powder
1.0vanilla bean, split and scraped
3.0 tbsp (42.0 g)browned vegan butter, cooled

Make it at home

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Instructions

Whisk the agar-agar powder into the cold coconut cream in a saucepan until no lumps remain.
Add the sugar and vanilla and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, whisking often.
Brown the butter: melt it in a small skillet over medium heat, swirling, until it turns golden and smells nutty, then let it cool slightly, and whisk it into the warm cream mixture.
Simmer for 2 minutes, whisking constantly, to fully activate the agar-agar, then remove from the heat.
Pour into six molds or glasses and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until set.
To unmold, run a thin knife around the edge and invert onto a plate, or serve straight from the glass.

Tips

Brown the butter in a light-colored pan so you can see the color change; it turns from golden to burnt in seconds.
Don't toss the scraped pods: tuck them into a jar of sugar for homemade vanilla sugar.
No vanilla bean? Use 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla powder instead. Add it where the recipe adds the seeds; if the bean is steeped in hot milk or cream, stir the swap in after cooking, off the heat.
Choosing vanilla: Ugandan vanilla (bold, chocolatey, smoky) suits this recipe best; Madagascar (rich, creamy, classic) is a great alternative, and any pure vanilla works.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make panna cotta?

Plan on 25 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cooking, plus 2 hr set. The recipe makes 6 servings.

How should I store panna cotta?

Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Add any topping just before serving.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This version uses 1 split vanilla bean. You can swap in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste, or 1 teaspoon of vanilla powder instead; they're interchangeable at these amounts. Beans give the most visible specks and the fullest aroma.

What makes this recipe vegan?

It uses plant-based swaps for every animal ingredient: full-fat coconut cream, agar-agar powder, browned vegan butter, cooled. Check that your plant butter and other packaged ingredients are certified vegan.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 6 servings this recipe makes.

500 Calories / serving

45.2g Fat

24.4g Carbs

3.9g Protein

19.0g Sugar

Whole recipe (6 servings): ~3000 cal · 271g fat · 146g carbs · 23g protein · 114g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.

Per serving · 500 calories

What it takes to burn one serving

Brisk walking 95 min·5.5 mi·~11100 steps
Walking uphill or incline treadmill 68 min·3.4 mi·~6800 steps
Moderate cycling 51 min·10.2 mi
Swimming laps 70 min
Jogging 49 min·4.1 mi·~7850 steps
Stair climbing 46 min·~4150 steps
Dancing 81 min
Bodyweight circuit training 51 min
Cleaning, errands, or playing with the dog 116 min

Rough estimates for one serving, based on standard MET values at about 155 lb. Your own burn depends on body size, effort, and fitness. Shown for context only — food is not something you have to earn.