Coconut Water Agar Agar Recipe

Want a beautiful, Instagram-worthy dessert that will impress everyone, but that is actually super easy? This recipe is the perfect thing for such an occasion. Not to mention it is healthy, naturally vegan and gluten free, so no matter what your guests' dietary needs are, they can enjoy these gorgeous coconut water fruit cubes!

Coconut water is one of my all time favourite beverages. It's high in electrolytes, much lower in sugar than juice, and oh so refreshing when it's very, very cold. But it's more than a drink! In Thailand we also use coconut water in cooking, especially in desserts. Even though this recipe isn't a traditional dish, it's inspired by the more classic coconut jelly duo.

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Burmese Coconut Jelly

The sweetness and flavour of coconut water REALLY matters in this recipe. So it's very important that you choose one that is sweet and fragrant, and there is a HUGE range of qualities out there on the market. Many people assume that since all packaged coconut water say 100% coconut water on the label, they should all be the same, right? NOPE. Far from it.

Packaged coconut water is actually a combination of young AND mature coconut water. Mature coconuts are the dark brown ones with a hairy husk, and their water doesn't actually have much sweetness or flavour going on at all. On the other hand, young coconuts are green on the outside with a white husk (though ones you see at the store are probably white because the green skin has been removed) and their water can be very sweet and fragrant—definitely the more delicious one between the two!

Different brands of coconut water combine the two at different ratios, which is why some brands are rather bland, while others are much sweeter despite them all being 100% coconut water. Over the years I've tried many brands, and settled on UFC as my go-to because it has the best flavour. So I was quite excited when they asked me to develop a recipe using their coconut water!

Coconut Milk Layered Agar Agar Dessert

Every time I post an agar jelly recipe, this question comes up. And my answer is the same: yes...but. There are so many but's because the two jellies are very different even though they both turn liquid into gel. Gelatin is soft and bouncy, agar is neither of those things so they end up being very different desserts.

I talk about substituting gelatin in detail the video, so please watch starting from minute 12:10. It could make or break the recipe so please actually watch it!

As for the ratio, 1 tablespoon of gelatin sets about 2 cups of liquid, so for this recipe you will need 2 Tbsp. You can adjust this ratio to make a softer or firmer result depending on your preference.

Vegan Mango And Coconut Jello With Agar Agar

Important Note on Unmolding: Do not unmold or cut agar jelly until close to serving time. When agar jelly is uncontained, water will slowly seep out because it's an unstable gel. A small amount of water loss will not affect how it tastes, and if it has to sit for a couple of hours unmolded that's fine, but you want to avoid it when possible. If you want to give it away to people, I recommend making it in clear heat-proof plastic or glass cups that you're willing to part with.

Make sure you're buying pure agar agar powder with no sugar or any other ingredients added (you need to check the ingredient list.) Also if measuring by volume, you need to use agar agar POWDER. If using flakes, use the weight in grams.

Important Note on Unmolding: Do not unmold or cut agar jelly until close to serving time. When agar jelly is uncontained, water will slowly seep out because it's an unstable gel. A small amount of water loss will not affect how it tastes, and if it has to sit for a couple of hours unmolded that's fine, but you want to avoid it when possible. If you want to give it away to people, I recommend making it in clear heat-proof plastic or glass cups that you're willing to part with.

Make sure you're buying pure agar agar powder with no sugar or any other ingredients added (you need to check the ingredient list.) Also if measuring by volume, you need to use agar agar POWDER. If using flakes, use the weight in grams.