There are few desserts that tick both the refreshing and indulgent boxes as well as Panna Cotta does. I love the smooth creaminess and when served with a tangy fruit sauce/compote, it lifts the dessert to new heights.
I’ve been wanting to create a dessert using coconut and pineapple forever and thought this would be the best way to showcase these wonderful, tropical flavours. Caramelising the pineapple adds a lovely depth to the compote which means it won’t just be a sickly sweet fruit sauce. This compote is also pretty amazing on french toast or pancakes for breakfast or served over vanilla ice cream for a simple dessert.

Coconut Panna Cotta with pineapple compote
Ingredients
for the panna cotta
- 2 sheets leaf gelatin
- 200 ml coconut milk
- 200 ml cream
- 75 g caster sugar
for the pineapple compote
- 1 cup pineapple peeled, cored and cubed
- 4 tablespoons caster sugar
- juice of 1 grapefruit
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 100 ml water
Instructions
- Place the gelatin leaves in a bowl and cover with cold water. Allow to soak for 5 minutes.
- In the meanwhile, heat the coconut milk, cream and sugar in a saucepan until hot but not boiling.
- Squeeze the water out of the gelatin leaves and stir into the hot cream mixture, off the heat.
- Pour the panna cotta mixture into 4-6 ramekins and place in the fridge to set for at least 4 hours.
- To make the compote, caramelise the pineapple in a saute pan with the sugar.
- When the pineapple is golden brown, add the grapefruit juice, lemon juice and water and allow to simmer until the liquid has reduced by half.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely before serving with the set panna cotta.
Nutrition
Which type of cream? half&half or heavy cream?…..would coconut cream also work?
ThankYou!
I always use heavy cream.
Hello! I wondered if you’d be so kind as to tell me how many tsps of gelatine to use. Gelatine is available to us in a powdered form. Thanks.
Dali, generally 1 tablespoon of gelatin powder is the same as 4 gelatin leaves. I’m sure you’d be able to find the leaves if you looked at a good grocery store, though.