Tapioca Pudding
This dish builds small pearl tapioca, whole milk and white sugar into a satisfying meal you can have ready in about 60 minutes. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for saucepan and pan. At easy difficulty across 7 steps, it's a good one for a busy evening.
What you'll need
Shopping list (1)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: not verified. We could not confirm pearl tapioca from the ingredient list, so we make no dietary claim for this recipe.
Contains: Dairy Egg
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Soak the tapioca pearls in cold water to cover for about 30 minutes, then drain; this softens them and shortens the cooking time.
- Combine the drained tapioca, milk and a pinch of salt in a heavy saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently to stop it catching.
- Cook at a low simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often, until the pearls turn translucent and the mixture thickens.
- In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar until smooth, then temper them by slowly whisking in a ladleful of the hot tapioca to warm the eggs without scrambling them.
- Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook gently for a further 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the pudding coats the back of a spoon and reaches about 75 C; do not let it boil.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Serve warm, or press cling film onto the surface and chill before serving cold.
You'll use: Saucepan · Pan · Whisk
Ingredient substitutions
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
- Eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking) · 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg
Tips & common questions
How long does Tapioca Pudding take to make?
About 60 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 6 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of milk?
Try any unsweetened plant milk. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Tapioca Pudding suitable for my diet?
We make no dietary claim for this recipe: at least one ingredient could not be resolved to a definite plant or animal source, so labelling it either way would be a guess. The full ingredient list is above.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Tapioca Pudding is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Tapioca pudding-3.jpg by Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.