Tapioca Pudding
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Made with just a few simple ingredients including tapioca pearls, milk, and sugar, this Tapioca Pudding recipe is a simple, creamy, delicious, and timeless dessert. Homemade is so much better than boxed Minute Tapioca and easier to make than you might think!
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5 STAR REVIEWS
Easy Tapioca Pudding Recipe
I sort of feel like tapioca pudding is the forgotten dessert. I never hear anyone talk about it and I definitely never see anyone serve it.
Only the best memories come to mind when I think about homemade tapioca pudding – my mom used to make it when I was a kid. But it was usually reserved for times when I was sick. Like matzo ball soup. And she always served it in footed dessert dishes, never in parfait glasses or ramekins. So funny the things we remember from our childhood!
Helpful Tips and Variations
- Different brands of tapioca call for different instructions. Pay close attention to the packaging because some brands of small tapioca require the pearls to soak overnight, while some do not. This will effect how much milk you add.
- Do not boil. The mixture should just gently bubble, but never come to a boil or the eggs and pudding can curdle.
- Optional mix-ins. Feel free to add in some raisins and cinnamon, which is common in rice pudding.
- Make it chocolatey. You can add cocoa powder to the mixture, giving it a chocolate flair.
- Make it fluffier. If you like your tapioca extra light and fluffy, you can separate the eggs. The egg yolks get stirred in with the hot tapioca, while the egg whites are beaten to soft peaks and folded into the pudding off the heat.
Tapioca Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup small pearl tapioca (not instant)
- 2 & 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup small tapioca pearls in a 1 & 1/2 quart pot. Let stand for 30 minutes until the pearls are plump and have absorbed the water.
- Turn on the heat to medium-high. Pour in 2 & 1/2 cups whole milk and 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt; stir while bringing to a bare simmer.
- Reduce the heat to low, add in 1/2 cup sugar and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently (so the tapioca doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan), until the tapioca pearls have plumped and thickened, about 5 minutes.
- In a separate bowl or measuring cup, beat 2 large eggs. Slowly whisk in about 1/2 cup of the hot tapioca (this equalizes the temperature between the two mixtures to avoid curdling.)
- Pour the egg mixture into the pot with the rest of the tapioca; increase heat to medium and stir for several minutes until you get a thick pudding consistency that coats the back of a wooden spoon. (Do not let mixture boil.)
- Take off the heat and cool for 15 minutes.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
- Serve either warm or cold and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!What is Tapioca?
Tapioca is a starch extracted from the cassava root, also known as yuca, a plant native to Brazil, referred to there as “mandioca,” and its starch is referred to as “tapioca.” It’s become a staple in many countries, but actually has zero nutritional value, and often just used as a thickening agent in many foods, like stews, gravy, and pie.
Tapioca pearls come in all different sizes and can even be dyed different colors like you see in boba tea. My preferred brand is Bobs Red Mill, but you can use any kind, adjusting my recipe depending on the package instructions.
Minute Tapioca vs. Homemade Tapioca
Minute (or Instant) Tapioca, is a smaller grain than the pearls, which helps it cook faster, making it widely popular. Tapioca pearls, although varying in size, are still larger than the Instant version and usually require pre-soaking before being used in a recipe. BUT I just love the texture of the larger pearls, you guys. And honestly, it’s worth the wait. Homemade Tapioca pudding is still crazy easy!
Serving Suggestions
You can enjoy tapioca pudding cold or warm. I think the preference for most people is cold, but try it right from the pot – it’s amazing. We love it both ways. We really just love it simple as is, but feel free to stir in some fruit if you’d like or top it with homemade whipped cream.
Proper Storage
- How long is tapioca pudding good for? Any leftovers should be stored in an airtight container or individual custard cups in the refrigerator. It will keep up to 5 days. I recommend placing some plastic wrap on the surface of the pudding, to avoid a skin forming.
- To reheat tapioca pudding. Reheat over low heat and add more milk to thin out as needed, since the pudding will continue to thicken as it chills.
- Can you freeze tapioca pudding? You can, but I don’t recommend it. Once thawed, the pudding separates and becomes grainy and not very creamy. It’s best eaten fresh or chilled and/or reheated.
If you love this pudding recipe, don’t miss our others including rice pudding and banana pudding.
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Funny you say nobodies talking about Tampico anymore. One day I saw some pearls and it reminded me of my childhood. I lived tapioca pudding , so I bought the pack of pearls. With the internet you have information at your fingertips but for some unknown reason I attempted to just go with it. Now repeat that story over a year about 10 times. I’ve gotten better each time done actually turning out better than others. Today I decided to get someone’s help. I happen to find you and I’m so happy I did cuz can tell from the pictures your pudding is what I’m shootings for. It looks perfect. I was pretty close, I had the ingredients right but the soaking prior, I wasn’t doing so that explains much of my mixed results. The consistency of the tapioca is everything. One time I did soak them in coconut milk. That time turned out so good, the one time I thoroughly enjoyed my cooking. The only difference was the soaking g and then the amounts of ingredients. Anyways I’m pretty dang confident that my next batch is you going to be perfection. Know how to cook , I used to do it for a living but now I just cook deserts at home for fun. I do a mean tres leches flan. I also take care of 100s of chickens so I have an an dance of eggs and I love deserts but the crap you find at the store is do full of things I can’t pronounce. My rule is if I can’t pronounce something t I probably can’t digest it either. Ha I don’t believe that sugar s as bad as some will say I believe it’s what else is mixed in with the sugar. It’s like coherent. I’ve grown my own Tabacco. It’s actually got some beneficial properties just tabacco leaves. I’m it’s the 100 of chemicals that go into the coherent that is what’s gonna kill you. They also add something that makes them addictive. Swear I rolled my own taco and I’d smoke a blunt now and again, the only addiction was mental. It’s the process, the ritual of smoking after a nice meal or with a night cap (preferred shot if …) but I wasn’t ever like I need a cigarette. Im not advertising the safety of cigs I’m just making a comparison to sugar, and why I believe what I believe. Anyways I guess I’m justifying cuz I always have desserts made up. It’s a nightly ritual for me as well I gave up the night cap for the sweet cap. Anyways thank you so much by for sharing g your expertise. I’ve got a package in the cupboard I will be going to work on it today. Alina and sry for the extended version , the short one said thanks, I flipped a coin for the longer short . You got…. 😁🫕
Thank you for the detailed, easy to follow instructions! My mom used to make this every Sunday for dessert. I haven’t had this in so long and I’ve never dared to make it until I found this recipe! I didn’t have any whole milk so I used 1 1/2 cups of evaporated milk and 1 cup of water. It came out perfectly! Thanks for trip down memory lane! 💕 My mom would have approved wholeheartedly. 🥲☺️
So good! It came out fantastic using Organic Califas Coconut milk instead of the whole milk. I also adding a little splash of almond extract. Remember just a little (1/4 -1/2 tsp) because almond extract is potent! I really liked how you added the eggs in; So much easier than the old fashioned way. The old fashioned way also has a tendency to taste a little eggy. Thank you!
Question: Can I use 2% milk to make this recipe?
Hi Wilma – For best texture and taste, use whole milk. I think 2% will be ok, but the overall results will be thinner and it might take longer to cook.
I’m thinking abt making this but want to add that my mama made tapioca for us for Sunday dessert and she added crushed pineapple to it after cooling. Loved it! I believe she used the quick boxed tapioca but it was delicious.
I have made so many different recipes and every one of them said either soak overnight or add more milk and cook for 45 minutes this one didn’t and it’s the first one that came out perfect! My son just had a bowl and it’s the first time he said that it’s really really good and got seconds before he left kitchen I’m having my third serving. Thank you
This is so creamy & yummy! I bought a bag with no instructions on it, but because of the recipe & the reviews, I understood that the pearls needed to be soaked overnight (the pearls didn’t soak up all of the water after 30 minutes). It was so delicious, it was worth the wait. I also like to sprinkle ground nutmeg on the top.
Made it…..loved it!! Added cut up mango when serving-absolutely delicious! Would definitely recommend.
I have made it twice, one plain and another with cocoa powder. Both was delicious! Question: when should I add the cocoa powder? I added it at the end and that did not look so smooth. Still tastes good, just not pretty (lol!). Thanks for your answer.
I’m confused by the note after the recipe. If the box says to soak overnight do we do that or follow your 30 minute soak?
Hi Bob! If the package requires to soak overnight, you will need to do that and simply skip the 30 minute soak in step 1. I clarified in the notes. Enjoy!
Always turns out perfect. Love, love, love this recipe.
Do I have to use salt? I’m on a very low salt diet prescribed by my doctor.
It’s not a deal breaker to leave it out, but it will take away from the flavor a bit.
How much coco powder do I add
This tapioca was delicious. I could wait to try it, so I ate some warm out of the pan!
Amazing! My husband and I love this recipe so much I don’t need to try any other. As I always say if it’s not broke don’t fix it. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Perfect recipe for my husband when he had some teeth pulled, he requested it!
So easy and soon good, Thank you and Happy Holidays!
This is the recipe my mother used. I can’t wait to try it.
This is my favorite receipe and I am addicted to Tapioca Pudding. Today I used 1/4 cup of organic coconut sugar (1/2 cup made it too sweet) It is also delicious with regular sugar but I need to decrease my sugar intake. I am going to put blueberries on top with each serving. Thank you. Love my addiction!
I have followed your recipe exactly except I use almond and coconut milk and I use maple sugar in place of white sugar. I soak the tapioca in almond milk and use canned coconut milk in the rest of the recipe. It is awesome! I have also added 1/4 cup cocoa powder and the next time I make I’m adding raisins and cinnamon. We don’t eat rice so the tapioca has been a great alternative. This is a solid recipe and my go to.
Both me and my husband like this tapioca pudding very much! We couldn’t stop eating… Thank you so much for the recipe!
This is my favorite tapioca receipe. I tried it the first time separating the eggs and it was too runny. oops. So I tried it again without separating the eggs and because I am trying to decrease my sugar intake, I only used 1/4 cup of sugar instead of 1/2 cup. It is so yummy and I know I can easily become addicted! Now I want to try your rice pudding receipe. Thank you!
First time making tapioca pudding and it was so much easier than I imagined. This brought back great memories of my gram, so thank you.
So easy and perfect every time!
It is truly a five star recipe! I saw that there was another recipe with 4.9 stars and more reviews but i decided to try the 5 star because that means that every single person who has reviewed it gave it 5 stars and there were like 48 or so, so that says a lot! It was so creamy and delicious! True perfection. I used Bob’s Red Mill small pearl tapioca and I don’t think it needed the whole 30 minutes to soak. It could have been done in 5-10 it looked like but I soaked it the whole time anyway. When my mom tasted it (she is a tapioca connoisseur) the thought it was so creamy and fluffy, she thought I had whipped the egg whites separately! I didn’t! It was just that good!!
I love tapioca pudding and i never have the small pearls on hand- just the large ones for bubble tea! i’ve been craving some tapioca for a while so i purchased a bag of small pearl tapioca and followed your recipe ( did not separate the eggs) It turned out amazing! I meant to make it to serve tomorrow, but everyone ate it within minutes of it being off the stove! Thanks for a great recipe- it is definitely going in my rotation!
First time making tapioca pudding and I’m so glad I chose your recipe. It was easy and the pudding was delicious! One question, after being in the refrigerator for a few days, the pudding was a bit chewy and gelled together. I wasn’t able to scoop it because it was one big piece. Any suggestions?
Hi Donna! Tapioca pudding naturally solidifies after chilling in the fridge. You could probably put it in the microwave for about 15 seconds with a little milk or cream to loosen it up again. Glad you liked it!
My wife this made this last night. Worked out, pretty much perfectly. Hadn’t had this in many years, since I was a kid. Was a little sweeter than I remembered.
We’ll make a new batch next week, and try it with coconut milk instead of Milk. Thank you!
Perfect! Tasted just like I remember from my childhood. I used full fat oat milk as I am dairy free and it tasted wonderful no difference at all. Also are used almond extract just because I love it but this is the third time I’m making it and it’s wonderful thank you very much for the recipe
OMG thanks for sharing, saving for my collection
This was a wonderful recipe. The eggs ere so much easier to temper than normal…either that or I amjust getting better and neater at it. Simple but delicious!
Turned out perfect and so delicious!
Thick and creamy!
This recipe is simple and brings back the old fashioned tapioca pudding from my childhood.
What did I do wrong…the pearls were a little chewy. Other than that, it tasted great!
Sounds like it wasn’t cooked long enough. The pearls should be soft and fully cooked through. Glad you liked it!
This Tapioca Pudding recipe just awesome. Will definitely make it again, better than store bought. Thank you
Can you soak the tapioca in milk instead of water? TY for the recipe.
I’ve never made it that way, but I can’t see why not. Try it!
I am going to try it today – had to order Tapioca from Amazon yesterday – couldn’t find it anywhere. I’m trying Bob’s Red Mill brand. I’ll let you know how it turns out! TY again for the recipe Amy! I make homemade vanilla which I am sure will enhance it.
i found tapioca pearls in an asian grocery store
wow it was a really nice pudding
Replying to Abby who is asking about the eggs. My son is also allergic and what you could do is make a corn starch pudding. It will work basically the same with a little less richness.
My cousin couldn’t eat eggs either, to make up for the fluffiness the whipped whites usually bring, we added some vanilla to some heavy whipping cream and made stiff peaks, then folded it in at the end. It was still yummy. I really like Ms. Ricci’s recipe.
Very nice recipe. Brought back lots of lovely childhood memories
This was everything it said it was. Easy, quick and delicious. My grandmother would approve!
Hi, thanks so much for posting this recipe! I want to make this for my friend and he prefers large pearl tapioca. Can I substitute large pearls in for equal parts?
Hi Ayesha – I’m sure you could, but you’ll probably need to increase the liquid and cook longer. See what the back of the package instructs.
I love tapioca pudding! This is nice and easy.
Just like Moms
Thank you for the directions. My tapioca package did not have instructions/recipe. I had to identify the “sweet spot” settings for medium-high and low to allow the tapioca to cook but not burn since every stove top heating settings vary.
My family loved the end result. I’m happy that I made two batches.
never got thick…is it because i used Fairlife 1%…..??
Have you ever tried this with the Egg Replacer by Bob’s Red Mill? My boys are allergic to eggs and I’m wondering if I could make this work. Thanks!
Hi Abbey! Unfortunately, this recipe has only been tested as written so I can’t vouch for the results with that product.
Try the vegan version. Coconut milk is used instead and no eggs.
Excellent and easy tapioca pudding just like we had as kids – thanks for sharing.
This was exactly what I remember as a kid. Hit the spot, thank you!
I adore tapioca pudding and this came out great. Easy and not too much stirring. Thank you!
This was excellent. I looked at a number of recipes before deciding on this one. Used tapioca granules, which made it smoother than pearls.
Who wants smooth? Want texture when it comes to tapioca. Pearls all the way
It’s really good. I just pulled it out of the pan, let it sit for about 15 minutes and tasted it – it’s good for a comfort food on a May grey California afternoon.
Easy. I’ve made this several times and it always turns out perfectly.