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Tapioca Pudding Recipe
My recipe for Large Pearl Tapioca Pudding takes some time to cook right, but it is worth every last minute spent waiting for this delicacy to be ready to eat.
What is Tapioca?
If you don’t know what tapioca is because none of your older relatives ever made you tapioca pudding, then you might be more familiar with the large black tapioca pearls commonly found in at the bottom of your bubble tea. Your local boba house might just call them black pearls, they are really just large pearl tapioca that gets its color from the addition of brown sugar.
Boba is available at larger Asian markets. You can find it in white, black and multi-colored. There are also a ton of shapes and sizes.
I have never used these in tapioca pudding. It’s my understanding that they are meant to be cooked in sugar water before adding to boba or bubble tea.
What is the best kind of tapioca for pudding?
I believe the key to the best tapioca pudding is starting with large pearl tapioca. It will leave behind the large clear balls like you see in diners and snack packs.
Small pearl tapioca and instant tapioca can be used, but I have had poor luck with both of those.
Large Pearl Tapioca
Using large pearl tapioca will produce something similar to Kozy Shack. The packages of large pearl always say to soak it overnight, but I only ever soak mine for about 7 hours. It cooks up beautifully, even as a double batch. With that being said, I have also had days that I had to cook the pudding a few minutes longer because of my impatience.
Large pearl tapioca will take about 25 minutes of simmering even after the tapioca has been soaked for 8 hours or longer.
I use Reese brand large pearl tapioca. Use the soaking package directions for whichever brand you use.
Small Pearl Tapioca
Small pearl tapioca needs a much shorter soaking time, 30 to 60 minutes. Use the soaking package directions for whichever brand you’re using. It only needs to be simmered for 10 to 15 minutes. Only cook until te tapioca has turned clear.
Because of the smaller size, this one is more likely to stick to the bottom of the pan and scorch. Stir this constantly to avoid that.
Instant Tapioca
This one requires only 5 minutes of soaking and 5 minutes of simmering. Please don’t walk away from the stove when using this method.
I do not use instant tapioca because I don’t think it turns out as nice. As with the other sizes, look at the package directions and use their recommendations.
How to Make Large Pearl Tapioca Pudding
Soaking the tapioca is an important step for all three sizes. Allow enough time to properly soak whichever size you decide to use. I soak large pearl tapioca in cool tap water for at least 7 hours and up to overnight.
Drain the rehydrated tapioca well before adding to the rest of the ingredients because you don’t want to water down your pudding.
Add the milk and the sugar to the pan first and allow to come to a simmer. You want the sugar to be dissolved so that there is some sweetness inside the tapioca pearls.
As soon as the milk and sugar are hot, add the tapioca and stir it well. Stir as often as necessary to keep the tapioca from sticking to them bottom of the pan. Cook just until the tapioca balls are clear or nearly clear. Large pearl tapioca will take about 25 minutes.
You also want to avoid browning any of the pudding ingredients. It’s ugly and doesn’t taste very good either.
Temper your eggs before adding to the hot tapioca pudding mix or the eggs will turn into tiny scrambled eggs. Tempering eggs is just adding a bit of hot liquid to beaten eggs and mixing it well. I do this a couple of times to make sure that the eggs won’t get shocked. I add about 1/4 cup of the hot liquid to the eggs at a time.
Add tempered eggs back into the pan and mix well. Turn the heat back up and bring it all to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla.
Cover the cooked tapioca with plastic wrap and press the plastic wrap to the top of the pudding. When cooling, make sure it is covered with plastic wrap sitting directly on top of the pudding. This prevents a skin from forming on top.
It is good warm, trust me, I couldn’t wait a minute longer and had to try some as soon as it was cool enough to get into my mouth. It’s a whole lot better cold though.
Can I Double a Tapioca Pudding Recipe?
You can easily double a tapioca pudding recipe, but unless you are feeding a crowd I do not recommend doubling it. It makes a ton of pudding.
How Long Does Tapioca Pudding Last?
Tapioca pudding will last in the refrigerator for up to one week. It’s usually all eaten long before it goes bad!
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Tapioca Pudding
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup large tapioca pearls
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cup sugar divided
- 3 eggs beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Place tapioca pearls in a bowl and fill with water.
- Stir the tapioca around and drain.
- Refill the bowl with water and allow to sit for at least 7 hours and up to overnight.
- Drain the tapioca and set aside.
- In a large saucepan mix milk and 3/4 cup of the sugar.
- Over medium heat, bring milk and sugar to a simmer.
- When little bubbles start forming around the edges of the pan, add the tapioca and reduce the heat to maintain just a simmer.
- Continue to simmer for 25 minutes, or until tapioca balls are mostly clear, stirring frequently. (There should be no more than a tiny speak of white in the middle of the balls.)
- In a bowl, combine eggs and remaining 3/4 cup of sugar.
- Temper the eggs by mixing small amounts of the hot mixture (about 1/4 cup at a time), until half of the hot mixture has been incorporated.
- Add egg mixture back to the pan and stir well.
- Cook and stir constantly for 2 minutes or until the pudding is thick.
- Remove from heat and add vanilla.
- Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill.
Notes
- This may take a little longer than 25 minutes depending on how much liquid the tapioca pearls absorbed during soaking.
- Can be made with less sugar, this will affect provided nutritional information.
- To use small pearl tapioca, reduce the soaking time to 30 to 60 minutes. Follow the rest of the directions in the recipe and only simmer the small pearl tapioca just until to turns clear, 10 to 15 minutes.
- To use instant tapioca, soak the tapioca for 5 minutes. Follow the directions in the recipe but reduce the simmering to 3 to 5 minutes or just until the tapioca pieces have turned clear.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and may vary based on exact ingredients used. For accuracy, consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Loved it! I tweaked it a bit I soaked the tapioca over night then used almond milk and sweetener instead of sugar. I started off with 3/4 cup sweetener and when I tempered the eggs I only used 1/4 cup it didn’t thicken up a lot but I don’t like my tapioca pudding to thick. It was taste tested by my granddaughter and she gave a thumbs up! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Bonnie!
Thanks for swinging back through to leave a review! I am so happy you had success! Thumbs up from grandkids is always the perfect compliment! (Hard to come around here some times.)
It took well over an hour for the tapioca to get near clear
Hi Jean!
That’s quite a bit longer than usual. Tapioca can vary depending on the brand, how long it’s been in your pantry, and how long it soaked before cooking. Older tapioca takes much longer to soften and clear up. Glad it got there eventually!
I read the reviews and was a little nervous to make as I am not a cooking connoisseur. I used small tapioca as I couldn’t find large and also added a little nutmeg and cinnamon at the end. Otherwise, I followed the instructions perfectly. This turned out amazingly delicious! My husband does not typically like tapioca and even loved it. Thank you for the recipe. Definitely a keeper.
Hi Emily!
I’m really glad you found my recipe helpful and your husband liked it (sometimes that is a feat in and of itself – LOL)! Thanks for stopping by again to let me know how it went and leaving a review! Happy Holidays!
Always one of the Best Nostalgic dessert pudding. Appreciate your easy instructions. Taste like my moms!
Awww! Thanks for your kind review and for stopping by again to leave it! We appreciate you!!
Love this recipe. Brings back old memories of having years ago.
Hi Jody!
Thanks for visiting again and leaving a review!
The tapioca pudding turned out great, I followed the directions just like he said and timed everything and it turned out beautiful.
Hi Gladys!
Thanks for stopping by and letting us know it turned out perfectly for you and I’m glad it did!
Perfect!
Hi Antonia!
Thanks for stopping by again just to let us know! I’m very happy it worked out for you!
Just like my mum’s!
Hi Jenny!
Thanks for coming back and leaving a 5-star review!
Way too much sugar and too sweet to eat. Also, the tapioca never got set up correctly even after an hour. Thank you for sharing your recipe but this one is not for me. I have to throw it all away, it’s that sickening sweet.
Hi Linda!
I’m sorry you found it too sweet. This is just the way we have always made it in my family.
Thank you, thank you ever so much! My tapioca was a hit, my husband and I thank you so very much for your wonderful recipe. I thought that the amount of work that went into completely cooking the tapioca without doing any burning, would be my downfall. Thank you so very much. Happy me, no burning…. just wonderful tasting tapioca.
Hi Judy!
I’m so glad to hear it turned out well for you! Tapioca can be a bit tricky, especially with the risk of burning, so I’m really happy it worked out and that you both enjoyed it. Thank you for taking the time to let me know—it made my day to read this!
So simple, so easy, and so delicious. What more could you want? Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe.
Large pearl tapioca is the best. I like to add heavy cream to make it creamy . I always double the batch, I would recommend less sugar, it is rather sweet, but very rich and creamy . A must have!
Hi Michelle!
Thanks for stopping by to leave a review and share your changes! When do you add the heavy cream? Curious if you cook with it or add at at the end, I remember the diner I would go to with my grandpa would bring out the little silver coffee creamer thing when it was served.
I tried this today. I cut the sugar by 1/4 cup, still very sweet. Unfortunately the pudding did not thicken. A lot of time, very disappointing.
I love the texture of the large tapioca. I double the amount of tapioca when i make this.
Hi Lea!
Thanks for sharing! That’s my favorite part too!
Tried this recipe twice and could not get it to thicken! Used whole milk and used the large pearl tapioca, that I purchased on line. So upset that it didn’t thicken!! Waisted a lot of good ingredients. I even cooked it an extra 25 min. the second time. Followed the recipe exactly. Can I try and thicken it by heating it back up and adding corn starch or arrowroot? If so how much?
Hi Mary!
I’m sorry to hear you are having problems. You shouldn’t need to add anything extra to this to make it thicken, the tapioca pearls should absorb most of the liquid. Before you try heating it back and adding cornstarch, test it to see if the tapioca is cooked all the way through, I’d hate for you to waste any more ingredients at this point. You can heat it back up, but I would use a slow simmer to avoid scorching anything. I’ve never experienced this problem, and you are the first to reach out with this. If I were going to add cornstarch, I would dissolve it in some cold milk or water before adding it. I wouldn’t know how much to use as I don’t know how thin your pudding turned out.
Cheers!
My mother always made it with brown sugar instead of white. It adds a great new flavor.
Ohhhh! Sounds lovely, I’ll have to give that a try!
I’ve made this twice now. Once with small pearl tapioca and once with larger pearl. They both turned out perfectly delicious.
Hi Jessica!
Thank you so much for visiting again! We are very happy to hear this recipe worked out for you!
I HAVE HAD NO LUCK FINDING THE LARGE TAPIOCA
Hi Louise!
Sorry to hear you are having trouble sourcing an ingredient. It happens from time-to-time even here in Tulsa.
Last time I bought any, I had to order from Amazon. Here is my Amazon affiliate link for Reese’s https://amzn.to/4bTEjKE I prefer the Reese’s brand. You might want to try there. You can also find it labeled as boba in Asian markets. I stick to the medium-sized white ones from there. We also have some instructions in the post for using regular sized tapioca (not instant):
Small Pearl Tapioca
Small pearl tapioca needs a much shorter soaking time, 30 to 60 minutes. Use the soaking package directions for whichever brand you’re using. It only needs to be simmered for 10 to 15 minutes. Only cook until te tapioca has turned clear.
Because of the smaller size, this one is more likely to stick to the bottom of the pan and scorch. Stir this constantly to avoid that.
Hope at some of this helps!
iT IS VERY HARD TO FIND THE LARGE TAPIOCA i HAVE HAD NO LUCK AT ALL
Sorry to hear that! This is answered in the other response.
I’m going to try your recipe but recently found raspberry tapioca pudding at an Amish farmers market and I thought I was in heaven.
Would there be any special instructions on adding the raspberries? Fresh only or frozen? Rush some for the juice and add it and so on?
Hi Barbara!
I have never heard of raspberry tapioca pudding, but it sounds awesome! I wonder if they didn’t use a premade raspberry boba and added it to homemade pudding or even made their raspberry boba, I’m not versed in either of those methods. If I wanted to turn this recipe into a fruity version, I would try adding some fresh or frozen raspberries (about 1 1/2 cups) while the tapioca was cooking, before adding the tempered eggs. Or I would add some raspberry puree to the pudding after it has finished cooking. Hope this helps!
Except for adding a touch of salt, I followed the recipe as written and enjoyed a successful first attempt at making tapioca pudding “from scratch”. It was delicious.
Hi Lori!
I’m so glad it worked! Thanks for stopping by again to let us know!
Literally just finished making your recipe! My daughter in law is due any day for her first baby, having terrible heartburn and being an old nurse lol I thought home made tapioca pudding! Loaded with protein and calcium, amino acids, electrolytes! And comfort food at its best! I’ve never made a custard on the stove top before, I’m an old fashioned dump cook lol. Well this came out amazing! I made a double batch because Granpa and Papa are gonna want some too! Daddy doesn’t like it! Thanks so much!
Hi Fred!
Waiting for grandbabies to make appearances are exciting times!! Thanks for stopping by again! I am so happy to hear that it turned out!
Other than adding a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg, I followed your recipe to the letter. Not only best tapioca pudding I’ve ever made – also best I’ve ever tasted. Addictive. Many thanks!
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a great review! We are glad you liked it!
Soooo good! I discovered I was almost out of milk at 10 pm, so I made up the difference with half and half — about 3 cups — could not have been better. Family loved it.
Hi Kathleen!
I’m happy to hear it worked out for you and that you guys loved it! I bet it was super creamy with 1/2 & 1/2!
Lovely
When I was younger (70+yrs) my grandmother made this a lot. We had all the milk and eggs we wanted, so for us it was a cheap dessert. So while making this several memories came back to me about my grandmother who lived with us. I too decreased the sugar.
Hi Rebecca!
Thanks for sharing your story!
Cheers!
Excellent recipe! If making with small pearl tapioca, how much should you use?
Hi KM!
I don’t use small pearl tapioca, if I was going to though, I would just follow the directions on the back of the package. You won’t need to soak some brands, to do so will likely give you super mushy tapioca balls,
Cheers!
Very good, I used 1 cup of sugar and sweetness was spot on… can’t imagine with 1 1/2 cups, would be way too sweet for me.
Hi Michelle!
I’m glad you like the recipe and less sugar worked for you! I am going to have to give less sugar a try, I keep hearing from readers it works out perfectly. Thanks for visiting again and letting me know how it turned out for you.
Cheers!
I only use 3/4 cup of sugar for all and I still would cut back, too sweet for me. I also added a 1/4 tsp Kosher salt because your recipe and the one on my tapioca package were the same except for salt. It was good my family liked it, will make again with less sugar.
Hi Sandra!
I’m happy to hear it’s good even with less sugar! I’m going to need to give that a try next time I make it.
Cheers!
I’m adding fresh raspberries to try something a little different.
I always find lots of tapioca pearls at Asian markets.
Hi Richard!
That sounds interesting! I’d love to hear how it turns out. I love Asian markets! I’ve never tried their tapioca though. You’ve piqued my interest.
I have made your pudding and the first time it came out great. I must have been very conscientious about following the recipe to the letter. The next few times we’re a disaster. I think the mixture got too hot. So now I use a double boiler and turned the heat down to a simmer. Much better results. However it is confusing when the last step is to stir constantly until the pudding thickens. I had a tough time getting that to happen in 2 minutes. So I continued cooking and stirring for an additional 20 min. And the pudding was just barely covering the spoon. Please explain.
Hi Sharon!
I wish I could explain, but it seems based on your comment that the recipe worked once for you it should have worked the other times. The double boiler probably isn’t nearly as hot as the stove burner. I would guess it just takes longer for the tempered eggs to come up to temperature to finish cooking.
This was very easy to make, very delicious
5 stars
Hi Correne!
Thanks for visiting and letting me know that you liked it and that you found it easy to make.
Cheers!
Very GOOD!! My husband has this instead of birthday cake. The recipe is a bit sweet for our taste so next time I will lessen the sugar.
I’m giving you an idea about a different way to serve your Tapioca. Instead of using all the egg , separate your eggs. Put your yolks in with your tapioca. In separate bowl , whip your egg whites till stiff peaks form. When your Tapioca is semi cool, fold your egg whites into the Tapioca carefully. This will make your tapioca fluffy and less filling!!!
Hi Patty!
Thanks for your tip!
Happy Holidays!
My family and I love tapioca pudding . However, I have never tried making it until I found your recipe. So I got brave and tried it. It was wonderful. Everyone wants the recipe. Thanks for a great recipe to share.
Hi Sharon!
Thanks for visiting again and letting me know. I’m so happy that you tried it and you’re having great success with it!
Cheers!
I like tapioca but the skin on the top is the best bit and my family will fight for the right to the skin on top of any milk pudding, so I won’t use the cling film to prevent skin forming. In fact mine goes in the oven to make a more caramelized skin
Oh my! A caramel top sounds lovely!
I am not a big fan of tapioca, but my husband is. He’s also a fan of most desserts and sweets. This recipe was too sweet for him. I’m not sure it will get eaten. Funny thing is- I didn’t think that. Too bad I’m not a fan, haha!
it was good, however, way too sweet. The sweetness overpowered the flavor. I will definitely reduce sugar next time.
I made this recipe tonight. Only thing I changed was amount of sugar which I reduced to 1 cup. It was perfect! Thank you.
Hi Alice!
So glad you liked it. I may need to give it a try with less sugar.
Stay Safe!
HI We have dined at your establishment on numerous occasions and love it. Was surprised to see your recipe for tapioca pudding using the large Pearl’s. Pray tell where can you buy the large white Pearl’s. Ihve called 13 stores and nobody carries them. Would you share where you purchased them? Thaks so much
Hi Mary!
I’m sorry, we have no affiliation with the restaurant located in Australia. But, the brand we use for our blog recipe is Reese and it’s available on Amazon, in the U.S. anyway.
Cheers!
Very yummy
Yes it’s delicious, try to get the tapioca on The English Amazon, they have different size pearl’s
One of the best tapioca recipes I’ve made!
Hi Deborah!
I am so glad you liked it! Thanks for dropping in and letting me know!
Great tapioca ! Love it and will make again .I did reduce sugar and still wonderful
Hi Beth!
Thanks for dropping by and letting me know. I love that you were able to change up the recipe to suit your tastes better with success!
Stay Safe!
I doubled the recipe and reduced the sugar, it was wonderful! Thanks for the great recipe! Tastes just like when my mom made it when we were kids.
I bought large pearl tapioca in bulk at an Amish general store.
Hi Elizabeth!
Thanks for swinging back by and letting me know how it went and leaving a review!
Stay safe!
My favorite tapioca pudding recipe. I make it several times a year.
Hi Jeannie!
Thank you so much for coming back and leaving a 5-star review. I’m so happy it’s your favorite!
Cheers!
I’ve been wanting to make large pearl tapioca for such a long time. My grandmother from Van Couver made it
for me when I was a kid and I loved it.
I followed your recipe and it came out great. (I used a little less sugar) after reading some other comments.
I soaked my pearls for 7 hours and they were great. I purchased them on line from a company named; Hoosier Hill
Farm.
Thanks for the recipe.
Hello!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your memory and letting me know how it turned it! I’m so glad you liked my tapioca pudding recipe!
Cheers!
The first few times I made this it came out perfectly. The last two times I’ve made this recipe it curdled. I suspect that I have the heat too high at the end even though I have it at medium heat as the recipe states. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Pam!
I’m sorry to hear you had trouble the last two times you made this.
I’ve changed the directions to make it a bit more clear, you only want this recipe to simmer. Try turning the heat down to a point that it is just simmering. That will be different on all stoves since some run hotter than others.
Is it curdling before or after you add the eggs?
If it’s after, you can also try adding more hot liquid to the eggs during tempering. Remember to add just a little bit at a time to give the eggs a chance to get over the shock. I add about 1/4 cup of liquid at a time to my beaten eggs.
Hope this helps!
The curdling is happening after putting the tempered eggs in. I put the tempered egg/sugar mixture in slowly. The curdling happens at the very end and I wonder if I shouldn’t let it come to a boil. It just falls apart at the end and curdles.
Hi Pam!
Thanks for coming back with more details! I want to troubleshoot this for you.
I believe too much heat at the end could be what’s happening, especially if it is happening at the very end. I’ve changed the directions to cook until thickened rather than boil.
Once it has thickened it’s done.
Once the eggs are tempered you can just put it all in quickly. It’s the tempering that needs to be fairly slow. (But you’ve made this successfully twice before so I didn’t think you had an issue with tempering. That advice is really more for anyone else reading through the comments. Tempering can be a little tricky for beginner cooks.)
Let me know if this helps.
Cheers!
I have made instant with no problem but after soaking the larg pearl tapioca overnight and draining off the water most of the pearls had fallen apart, like they had disintegrated. What could have caused this? They soaked for about 12 hrs.
Hi Jillian!
I’m not sure what could have caused this. Maybe it’s a brand issue. I suspect that the large pearls used would have disintegrated during direct cooking too if they were that fragile. I use Reese Large Pearl Tapioca. I have never had any problems with new bags from the store or partially used bags that have sat in the pantry for months. Hope this helps!
Hi Beth, I just found your site while looking for a Tapioca recipe. Yours looks good! I went to the store, got my large pearl Tapioca and am ready to go. My question is; on the pre-wash and soak do I use warm or cold water? Thank you!
Hi Jeannie!
Thanks for visiting and asking that question! I should probably provide that information, I just use cold water from the tap.
I would love to hear how it turns out!
Cheers!
I can’t find anywhere on the net that I can buy ready to eat pearl tapioca
Hi Allen!
Thanks for stopping by. I’m not sure you can buy ready to eat tapioca pearls without them being in something like tapioca pudding. Even the tapioca commonly found in Boba/Bubble tea has been cooked in a sugar solution before use.
Cheers!
I thought this pudding was too sweet, but the tip for long soaking the pearls helped. The package we had said 1 hour hot water soak. It took almost about 16 hours with heating it to a boil in water at least twice for the pearls to be mostly translucent. I might 1/2 or 3/4 the sugar next time.
Hi Scott!
Thanks for the feedback! Next time I make tapioca pudding I might try less sugar and see how it goes!
Happy Easter!
This has been my go-to recipe for a few months now and loved it! I have made it with milk and coconut milk and both have been equally successful and delicious. I would think it would also work with almond or rice milk. I’ve also substituted the sugar for maple syrup and nonsugar sweeteners and it’s good those ways too. This is just a good recipe!
Hi Diane!
Thanks for your kind words and tips! I love to hear that you experimented and still had great success!
Cheers!
Hi Beth!
Thank you for a GREAT Old-Fashioned Tapioca recipe that REALLY WORKS!
I have made it per your specifications and it reminded me of my grandmother’s recipe!
Also, as of late, I’ve been trying to transform all of my recipes to a more low-carb version.
I know, I know…Tapioca IS a starch, and FULL of carbs, but when I REALLY have the craving for Grandma’s tapioca and NOTHING else will do to satisfy the “comfort food” feeling, I have successfully made this recipe with a few substitutions. ( I only make it 2-3 times a year.) 🙂
I have used unsweetened ALMOND milk/COCONUT milk/ALMOND-COCONUT milk instead with a splash of heavy whipping cream (total is equal amount to your recipe). I subbed 1 to 1.5 tsp of STEVIA for the 1.5 cups of sugar, and it worked well!
Hope this helps, Danielle R ONeil (question from December 2018)!
Thanks again!
Hi Daniel!
Thanks for stopping by again and sharing your experience with ingredient substitutions for a lower carb version of tapioca pudding!
Cheers!
Congrats on your pearl tapioca- I have made it in dbl boiler, slow cooker, now, insta-pot. I make dbl batch, bot reduce super to 1cup, increase time to 8 min., temper yokes before they hit the hot mix, love your site. Jc
Hi Gerald!
Thanks for stopping by! Glad to hear you are having success. You must be like me and love tapioca pudding!
LOVE. LOVE! LOVE THIS!!
Thank you for sharing! I made this pudding for my daughter who LOVES tapioca pudding I gave it a go!
We found the initial recipe a bit too sweet and we prefer more tapioca pearls. I only had yellow sugar on hand, so that may have been what pushed it over the edge. I reduced the sugar for the next batch, used 2% instead of whole milk and doubled the amount of pearls … just like Kozy Shack … only no preservatives!
Hi MamaRW!
Thanks for sharing your tips!
Love tapioca pudding! It is true comfy food, especially on our cold winter nights in upper Wisconsin. If anyone is having problems finding large pearl tapioca, try Middle Eastern grocery stores. It is apparently a popular staple in that diet.
Hi Linda!
Thanks for that information! I’ll need to look myself next time I’m in one.
Cheers!
I use 1/2 of the sugar and also always use skim milk. We love it this way!
Hi Michalle!
Thanks for stopping by and leaving your tips!
Has anyone done this recipe with non dairy milks (nuts milks, coconut or oat)?
Hi there. Soak in a bowl in the refrigerator or just on the counter? Thanks! Pati
Hi Pati!
I soak mine right on the counter.
This is an old thread, but I used 3/4 C Splenda, and it worked fine. If I did this again, I think I wouldn’t put the egg in until all cooking time expired, and then I would just cook it an extra 2 minutes in the microwave. It separated a little, but I didn’t have quite a half cup of pearls left, so that might have contributed. I expect it to thicken up as it cools. Good right out of the microwave though! Thanks for the recipe. Much easier and quicker in the microwave.
This is such an amazing recipe! My children love it.
Delicious. Am making again with small pearl as all I have on hand. Optimistic, bc the large pearl turned out so well. Thinking about cardamom along the vanilla.
Hi Joe!
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a 5-star review!
So glad you found success with our tapioca pudding recipe!
Let me know how it goes with the small pearls!
I love this recipe, but this time I only used 1 cup sugar. That is plenty sweet!
Hi Mickey!
Thanks for stopping by and leaving feedback!
I made this and my son absolutely loves it! So as soon as it was gone he went to the grocery store and bought two more bags and started soaking them right away…not checking if my schedule would allow cooking within 7-8 hours… So now our tapioca has soaked over 15 hours! Can I still cook it? Or will it turn to mush? Thanks for the recipe. He’ll never eat store bought ready-to-eat again.
Thanks to Beth and all the commenters. I’m making my first large pearl tapioca for my Mom and her Nigerian caregiver, who grew up with tapioca as THE special dish in Nigeria. No trouble finding it at store but the Reese’s brand instructions were pretty scary…now I have the courage to try it!! – By the way this is also my first visit to this site and I like the “tone” very much – signing up for Beth’s blog too!
Thanks for visiting our site Patricia and leaving such nice feedback! Good luck with your first batch of tapioca pudding! I hope you find great success. Let me know how it goes!
I just made this recipe for my husband and he is very pleased with how it came out. I’m not a fan of tapioca but he is and says the sweetness is perfect! I made it in my electric rice cooker while keeping an eye on it to make sure it wouldn’t boil over. And much to your advice I did double the recipe which of course was not necessary LOL. Now I have tapioca for my husband AND a few friends and family. Thanks for a good and pretty easy to make recipe.
Hi Lucy!
Thanks for visiting our site! We love hearing when a recipe was well received.
Brilliant use of the rice cooker! I just might need to give that a try!
Iam unable to find large pearl tapioca.will the boba used for bubble tea work in this recipe?perhaps a little less sugar,and expect a slightly tinted pudding.thanks for any suggestions.
Hi Brenda!
Boba is just a really large tapioca pearl. You might need to soak and cook them a bit longer. I would soak them at least overnight. With any luck the Boba will not discolor your pudding, but if it does, it will still be delicious. Since the Boba you mention are colored, especially if they are black, you will need be able to see when they have turned clear, so you may have to taste test a few until they are cooked through. We had a reader leave a comment before that they used less sugar with great success. Boba is not generally flavored or sweetened, they get their flavor in Boba tea from being soaked in a simple syrup of types prior to being placed into tea. Hope this helps!
We made this a few days ago and it was a big hit with the family just the way it’s written. I’d never had that large-size tapioca, loved it! SO much better than the premade stuff we’d occasionally get!
I tweaked the recipe. I used 1/8 less my vanilla sugar. Vanilla bean in c&h pure cane. I used 1 can of whole milk evaporated milk added 2% till needed amount. Whipped the 3 egg whites till stiff, folded in gently to hot egg mixture when it was done. It made it lighter and very tasty.
So happy to hear that your revisions were successful!
i used3 large tablespoons of coconut sugar added cinammon and allspice and salt and it was really loverly
I found this to be cloyingly sweet. It turned out well, was very creamy and easy to make but it cojld benefit from a bit of salt and about a half-cup less sugar.
Great tips Amy!
I’ll be sure to give them a try next time I make it!
Well, I suppose there is a lot of sugar in tapioca pudding recipes because they are intended to be desserts.
You can certainly reduce the amount of sugar in any recipe you find, but the finished product will be something different than any blogger or recipe site test kitchen has put out there as tried and true. Most of us cook our recipes multiple times to be sure that the recipe, as written, is how we are cooking it.
With that being said, try 1/3 cup of honey in this recipe and see how it turns out. I don’t believe it will be sweet enough, but I encourage everyone to experiment in the kitchen!!
Happy Sunday!
Beth