Durian Panna Cotta Recipe

Elegant, silky and barely-there wobble — durian panna cotta is one of the most refined ways to serve the King of Fruits. This Italian set-cream dessert is a perfect canvas for durian’s richness, and it needs no oven, just a little patience while it sets in the fridge.

This recipe gives you a smooth, just-set panna cotta with a clean durian flavour, plus the ratios and tips you need to nail the texture every time.

What you’ll need

Makes about 4 small servings

• 200 ml whipping cream
• 150 ml milk
• 150 g durian flesh, deseeded and mashed very smooth
• 40 to 50 g sugar (adjust to your durian’s sweetness)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
• 5 g powdered gelatine (about 1.5 to 2 teaspoons) plus 2 tablespoons cold water — or 2.5 leaves of gelatine

A smooth, creamy variety gives the silkiest result. D24 and Golden Phoenix make a gentle, sweet panna cotta, while Mao Shan Wang adds bittersweet depth.

Step-by-step method

1. Bloom the gelatine

1. If using powdered gelatine, sprinkle it over the 2 tablespoons of cold water and let it sit for about 5 minutes until spongy.
2. If using leaf gelatine, soak the leaves in cold water until soft, then squeeze out the excess.

2. Warm the cream base

1. Gently heat the cream, milk and sugar in a saucepan, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and it is hot but not boiling.
2. Take off the heat.

3. Dissolve the gelatine

1. Add the bloomed gelatine to the hot cream and stir until fully dissolved — no grains should remain.

4. Add the durian

1. Whisk in the smooth durian purée and the vanilla until fully combined.
2. For the silkiest texture, pass the mixture through a fine sieve to catch any fibres.

5. Set

1. Pour into serving glasses or lightly oiled moulds.
2. Cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until just set with a gentle wobble.

Getting the texture right

Panna cotta should be delicately soft, not rubbery. A few pointers:

• Too firm? You used too much gelatine — ease off next time.
• Won’t set? The gelatine may not have fully dissolved, or the mix was too warm when the gelatine went in — it needs hot, not boiling.
• Want it unmoulded? Use a touch more gelatine and lightly oil the moulds so it releases cleanly; for glasses, less gelatine gives a lovely soft set.

Serving ideas

Durian panna cotta is rich, so keep toppings light and fresh:

• A spoonful of fresh durian on top for extra aroma.
• A drizzle of gula melaka syrup for a local touch.
• Fresh mango or a few berries to cut the richness.
• A sprinkle of toasted coconut flakes.

Make-ahead friendly

This is a brilliant dinner-party dessert because it must be made ahead. Prepare it the day before and keep it chilled, covered, so the durian aroma does not spread through your fridge. Add any fresh toppings just before serving.

Choosing your durian

Panna cotta is a delicate, understated dessert, so the durian’s quality is on full display — there is nowhere for tired fruit to hide. Choose ripe, creamy flesh with a clean aroma, and purée it as smoothly as you can. Passing the mixture through a fine sieve before setting is the small extra step that separates a silky, restaurant-worthy panna cotta from a grainy one.

Sweetness varies from durian to durian, so taste your cream base before it sets and adjust the sugar accordingly. A bittersweet variety may need a touch more sugar, while a naturally sweet one may need less. Keep in mind that chilled desserts taste slightly less sweet than they do warm, so a base that seems just right in the pan is usually perfect once set.

Layered durian panna cotta

For an elegant twist, set the panna cotta at an angle in tilted glasses, then top the set layer with a thin layer of clear coconut jelly or a spoon of fresh durian purée. The contrast of textures and the two-tone look make it feel like a dessert straight from a cafe menu, with barely any extra effort.

Get the right durian for it

Smoothness starts with the fruit, so use ripe, creamy durian. For a gentle, sweet set, try our Golden Phoenix durians; for a deeper flavour, our Mao Shan Wang durians shine. Browse everything in our durian catalog or compare profiles in the durian varieties hub.

Frequently asked questions

Ready to make an elegant durian dessert? Message us on WhatsApp for today’s freshest durians (prices are seasonal — message us on WhatsApp), delivered islandwide and dehusked to order. Start at our Singapore durian delivery page.