Creamy black sesame Panna cotta

Black Sesame is a common ingredient in Japan and other parts of Asia. In the form of seeds or paste, black sesame is widely used in traditional desserts, especially puddings and jelly. This black sesame Panna Cotta is a little twist on Kuro Goma Purin, black sesame pudding! It’s smooth and creamy, rich but not too thick, lightly sweetened, with a delicious nutty, toasted flavor from the black sesame paste! It’s topped with mango coulis, made from fresh mango, bringing the right amount of sweetness and fruitiness to the Panna Cotta. 

You’ll love this recipe as it’s super easy to make, with only a few stable ingredients! This recipe also offers many variations, so super handy if you miss one ingredient or want to try a different flavor. 

Black sesame Panna Cotta is naturally vegan, dairy free and gluten free! So everyone can enjoy this delicious dessert.

What is agar agar?

To make vegan black sesame Panna Cotta, we replace the classic gelatin with “agar agar”. Agar is one of the world’s great gelling agents and is widely used in many types of cuisine. Agar is extracted from a seaweed originated from Asia. It can be found either in the form of a powder, flakes or even sheets. I personally prefer agar powder, which is easier to find and to prepare. Agar can be found in any grocery store, usually in the baking shelf (along with baking powder). 

Agar is very easy to use! You can either dissolve it in boiling water then add the mixture to your preparation, or directly combine the agar powder in your preparation and heat the whole. In either cases, bring the mixture to a boil and allow to simmer stirring continually for at least 2 minutes. Agar needs heat to activate and will set while cooling down.

Agar is a very powerful gelling agent. Always use it with moderation, as a little goes a long way. You can create different kinds of textures depending on the concentration of agar in your preparation. A low concentration of agar, around 0.25% in mass, leads to a weak gel that can be interested to slightly firm up a preparation. For a hard and rubbery texture, I recommend a

Ingredients list

You only need 5 commons ingredients to make the base of this Black sesame Panna Cotta! Here is your ingredients list:

• Coconut and Almond milks – we use a combination of coconut milk and almond milk to reach the perfect consistency for our Panna Cotta. Coconut milk is very rich, so is the best option to make the Panna Cotta creamy. But coconut milk can also be a little heavy, and has a strong flavor. So I like to replace half with almond milk, which is lighter in texture and taste. You can also use soy, oat or rice milk. For a very creamy Panna Cotta, I recommend to use thick full fat coconut cream.
• Black sesame paste – it’s like regular tahini, but made with unhealed black sesame seeds instead of hulled white sesame seeds. Black sesame tahini has a slightly richer, nuttier flavor, along with a deep black color. You can buy black sesame tahini in many grocery stores, or make it at home by simply blending roasted black sesame seeds!
• Sugar – you can use any kind of sugar to sweeten your Panna Cotta : cane sugar, coconut sugar, or even liquid sweetener like maple or agave.
• Agar agar – I used agar agar powder for this Panna Cotta. You can also use flakes or sheets if you’re more familiar with these versions.

For the mango coulis

This black sesame Panna Cotta is topped with mango coulis. You can either buy it, or make it yourself using fresh mango! It’s super quick and easy to make, and so much better 🙂

All you have to do is to blend fresh mango flesh with a little liquid sweetener (maple syrup, agave, coconut syrup, …) and a drop of lemon juice until you reach a smooth texture!

How to make Panna Cotta with agar

First, we prepare the black sesame cream as it requires to set in fridge for at least 2 hours to firm up. To save time, you can also prepare it the day before and store it in the fridge.

1. First, add the coconut milk, almond milk, black sesame paste and sugar in a blender. Blend on high speed to dissolve the black sesame paste in the milk, and get an even liquid.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the agar agar powder in a small quantity of the previously prepared mixture, until it’s completely dissolved. Set aside.
3. Pour the rest of the black sesame liquid in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. When the liquid starts to bubble, pour the diluted agar agar preparation and stir with a whisk to incorporate. Keep the mixture bubbling for 2 minutes while stirring constantly.
4. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the mixture into ramequins, small glasses or jars. Allow to cool for 15 minutes at room temperature, then transfer the jars to the fridge for 2 hours to set. The cream will continue to firm up while cooling down.

Black sesame Panna Cotta FAQ

How to store Panna Cotta?

Cover the jars with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. I recommend to store the Panna Cotta and the coulis separately, and to make the assembly just before serving.

Panna Cotta keeps very well for a few days. You can also make them ahead and simply store them in the fridge.

What can I used instead of mango?

I love the combination of sweet mango with the rich and nutty flavor of black sesame. However, you can basically replace mango coulis with any other fruit coulis! I love tropical flavors like passion fruit or pineapple, but berries like raspberry or strawberry also go very well with black sesame!

You can either make the fruit coulis yourself, or buy one if you prefer or want to save time.

What if I can’t find black sesame tahini?

Craving a creamy Panna Cotta but don’t have black sesame tahini at home? No worries, you can absolutely use regular tahini instead! You won’t get the beautiful black color but it will still taste delicious and similar.

Alternatively, you can also use any other nut or seed butter for a different flavor! Try peanut butter, hazelnut or sunflower for instance!

For more custards and creams, check out these recipes

• Salted Caramel Pudding
• Praliné Tiramisu single serve
• Apricot Melon and Rosemary panna cotta
• Banoffee Tapioca pudding
• Pistachio Chia Pudding
• Espresso Caramel Rice Pudding

I love to see your creations! Don’t forget to tag me @alicepages on your photos on Instagram and give your feedback in the comments below if you make this recipe at home! Your opinion is my best reward.

Mango Black Sesame Panna Cotta

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Creamy and nutty Black Sesame Panna Cotta topped with fresh mango sauce is the perfect light and delicious dessert! It’s naturally vegan, dairy free and gluten free.

• Author: Alice Pagès
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Chill Time: 2 hours
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
• Yield: 4 panna cottas
• Category: Dessert
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Panna cotta

• 1.25 cups full fat coconut milk (270 g)
• 1 cup almond milk (250 ml)
• 4 tbsp black sesame paste
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 5 g agar agar powder (about 1 tbsp)

Mango coulis

• 1 large mango (yield about 250 grams)
• 3 to 4 tbsp maple syrup
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Black sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Add the coconut milk, almond milk, black sesame paste and sugar in a blender, and blend to combine.
2. Whisk the agar agar powder in a small quantity of the mixture in a bowl to dissolve.
3. Pour the remaining of the liquid in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. When the liquid starts to bubble, pour the agar agar preparation and stir with a whisk to incorporate. Keep the mixture bubbling for 2 minutes while stirring constantly.
4. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture equally into small glass jars. Allow to cool for 15 minutes at room temperature, then transfer the Panna cotta to the fridge for 2 hours to set.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the mango coulis. Peel and chop the mango. Blend the mango with maple and lemon juice until perfectly smooth. Taste and adjust the sweetness. Store in the fridge.
6. When serving, pour the mango coulis on the Panna Cotta and garnish with a sprinkle of black sesame seeds.

Notes

1. Storage – Cover the Panna Cotta with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
2. Coconut milk – For a rich and creamy Panna Cotta, I recommend to use full-fat coconut milk with at least 85% of coconut content.
3. Agar agar – Use a scale to precisely weight the agar agar powder, rather than relying on tablespoon measurement. The quantity of agar agar can significantly change the final texture of the Panna Cotta.

Recette version Française

Panna Cotta au sésame noir et coulis de mangue

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Ces Panna Cotta au sésame noir vont vous surprendre par leur couleur élégante, et par leur bon goût de noix grillé qui se marie à merveille avec la rondeur de la mangue! 

• Author: Alice Pagès
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Temps de repos: 2 heures
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 2 heures 25 minutes
• Yield: 4 panna cottas
• Category: Dessert
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Panna Cotta

• 270 g de lait de coco
• 270 ml de lait d’amande
• 80 g de crème de sésame noir
• 45 g de sucre en poudre
• 5 g d’agar-agar en poudre

Coulis de mangue

• 1 mangue (environ 250 g)
• 3 à 4 cuil. à soupe de sirop d’érable
• Le jus d’un citron
• Graines de sésame noir

Instructions

1. Mixer le lait de coco, le lait d’amande, la crème de sésame noir et le sucre au blender pour mélanger les ingrédients et obtenir une préparation homogène.
2. Dans un bol, dissoudre l’agar-agar en poudre avec une petite quantité de cette préparation. Réserver.
3. Verser le reste de la préparation dans une casserole et faire chauffer à feu moyen. Quand le liquide commence à bouillir, verser le mélange d’agar-agar et mélanger au fouet pour l’incorporer. Maintenir l’ébullition pendant 2 minutes tout en fouettant sans arrêt.
4. Retirer la casserole du feu et verser la préparation dans des ramequins. Laisser tiédir 15 minutes à température ambiante puis placer au réfrigérateur pendant 2 heures pour que les panna cotta prennent.
5. Pendant ce temps, préparer le coulis. Éplucher et couper la mangue en morceaux. Mixer la mangue avec le sirop d’érable et le jus de citron pour obtenir un coulis bien lisse. Ajuster la quantité de sirop d’érable en fonction de la sucrosité du fruit. Réserver au frais.
6. Au moment de servir, sortir les panna cottas du réfrigérateur et verser le coulis de mangue par dessus. Décorer de graines de sésame noir.

Notes

1. Conservation – Couvrir et garder les panna cottas au réfrigérateur jusqu’à 3 jours.
2. Lait de coco – Pour des panna cottas crémeuses, utiliser du lait de coco entier (non allégé), avec une teneur d’au moins 85% en noix de coco.
3. Agar-agar – Mesurer précisément la quantité d’agar-agar à l’aide d’une balance de précision car elle peut affecter significativement la texture des panna cottas.