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This delicious old-fashioned Tapioca Pudding recipe is one of my favorite classic desserts and only requires the simplest ingredients, including small tapioca pearls, milk, cream, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
If you love homemade pudding be sure to try my Banana Pudding, Baked Rice Pudding, Bread Pudding, or Sticky Toffee Pudding!
There are a few recipes that were instrumental in sparking my love for cooking at a very young age, and Tapioca Pudding is one of them–along with my mom's spaghetti sauce, German pancakes, and Belgian Waffles. These recipes are so easy to make that I could follow the instructions on my own, and what kid doesn't love tapioca pudding, with fun chewy pearls?
This is a great dessert to make ahead of time, and you can serve it warm or cold. For more classic desserts, try my Peach Cobbler, Apple Crisp, or Grandma's Oatmeal Cake!
What is Tapioca?
Tapioca is a starch that comes from the cassava root and formed into little pearls that gives tapioca pudding its signature texture and is naturally gluten-free. The natural starch tapioca flour is often used as a thickening agent, like for my Blueberry Pie.
Ingredients Needed:
- Small tapioca pearls:The distinguishing ingredient in tapioca pudding, and be sure to buy the small ones for this recipe. They're hard little beads that will cook until tender, thickening the pudding and creating a fun texture.
- Milk and cream: for the base creaminess of the pudding.
- Granulated sugar: for sweetness.
- Eggs: for thickening.
- Salt
- Vanilla
How to make Tapioca Pudding:
Cook Tapioca: Add milk, cream, sugar and salt to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then stir in tapioca and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring often for about 45 minutes.
Temper the Eggs: Add the eggs to a bowl and whisk to combine. Add a spoonful of hot tapioca mixture to the beaten eggs, stirring well as you pour it in. Repeat with another few spoonfuls of hot tapioca, stirring after each. This helps temper the eggs and bring them to a warm temperature without “scrambling” them.
Simmer Pudding: Add tempered egg mixture to the saucepan with tapioca and stir well to combine. Cook for 2-5 more minutes, just until thickened (keep in mind it will continue to thicken as it cools). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
Let Cool and Serve: Transfer to a serving bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding (to keep it from forming a rubbery skin on the surface). Allow to cool before serving. Serve warm or chilled.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: This tapioca recipe is a great dessert to make ahead of time! Just store in the refrigerator with a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface for 2-3 days.
To Freeze: Homemade tapioca pudding freezes well as long as you allow it to cool completely. Store in an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface. Freeze for up to two months. Thaw completely before serving.
Recipe Variations:
- Minute Tapioca:
- 2 3/4 cups 2% or whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons minute/instant tapioca
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the milk and egg to a medium saucepan and whisk well to combine. Stir in sugar and tapioca and let sit for 5 minutes. Turn heat to medium and bring mixture to a bubbling, full boil (stirring constantly, being careful not to let it burn!). Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding and cool for 15-20 minutes. Serve warm or cold.
- Chocolate Tapioca Pudding: Add ½ cup of chopped semi-sweet chocolate after adding the eggs. Cook for 2-5 more minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
- Coconut Tapioca Pudding: Swap out the milk for coconut milk.
- Vegan Tapioca Pudding: Substitute the milk for coconut, almond milk, or your favorite plant-based milk and swap out the heavy cream for full fat canned coconut milk.
Tapioca Pudding
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup small pearl tapioca*, (not instant tapioca)
- 3 1/2 cups milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add milk, cream, sugar and salt to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then stir in tapioca and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring often, until mixture has slightly thickened, and the tapioca pearls have plumped and softened, about 45 minutes.
- Add the eggs to a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add a spoonful of hot tapioca mixture to the beaten eggs, stirring well as you pour it in. Repeat with another few spoonfuls of hot tapioca, stirring after each. (This helps temper the eggs and bring them to a warm temperature without "scrambling" them.)
- Add tempered egg mixture to the saucepan with tapioca and stir well to combine. Cook for 2-5 more minutes, just until thickened (keep in mind it will continue to thicken as it cools). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding (to keep it from forming a rubbery skin on the surface). Allow it to cool before serving. Serve either warm or chilled.
Notes
-
- 2 3/4 cups 2% or whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons minute/instant tapioca
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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*I originally shared this recipe on September 2016. Updated October 2018 and March 2022.
In Portugal we made at brasilian style, with coconut milk and grated coconut.
There’s another recipe where you boil the milk with a piece of cinnamon stick and a lemon peel.
Very good
Will it be thickened if if just comes to a boil then is taken off heat? I did that and let it cool but it was not thick enough to eat warm. How come ? I put it in fridge and hope that helps but I wanted to eat it warm. Should I recook it?
Hi Jan,
Yes, it should thicken in the fridge!
It’s taking longer than 5 minutes for my pan to reach full bubbling boil….
5 minutes is how long you let the mixture rest in step 2. When you boil it in step 3 there’s not a time limit for that–just whenever it comes to a boil.
How many calories in a serving? I love homemade tapioca pudding but also would love to know the nutrition value.
Hi Cindy,
There are an estimated 258 cals per serving. Here is the macronutrient estimate per serving: carbs 42g, fat 5g, protein 8g.
I love to serve tapioca pudding with raspberries or raspberry compote.
We love tapioca pudding! I make a similar recipe (same ingredients, different quantities) but I like to separate the eggs, whip the whites and fold them in at the end.
I love that idea!
Yes! Exactly how I was taught! And I add some almond extract, in addition to the vanilla. My husband loves it!
can you use almond milk instead of dairy milk
Hi Jan, I haven’t tried that, but I think it should work fine! Let me know how it turns out for you!
I have tried to make the boxed puddings with almond milk and it does not work at all!
I’ve tried using half coconut milk and half almond milk and I used swerve and I added orange zest for an orange vanilla pudding. It was amazing! Thank you for the recipe!
Sounds delicious–I love those adaptions.
Just made this recipe with no changes, and all organic ingredients. My husband tasted it and his eyes rolled back in his head (in an absolutely good way)! Thanks for a wonderful recipe. Can’t wait to try it with the addition of some fresh, flavorful Georga peaches.
Thanks for sharing! I love the idea of adding fresh peaches–YUM!
I love tapuoca pudding, never had it as a child. I make mine in the microwave, same ingredients but you mix the tapuoca, egg, milk & sugar let it sit in a large microwave safe bowl let sit for 5 minutes. Then cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes. Remove add the teaspoon of vanilla, cover let sit until cooled then spoon into serving dishes.
Did you mean add milk and egg (not vanilla) to medium saucepan?
I see where you add vanilla later but not egg anywhere.
Sorry, my mistake! Yes, add the milk and egg to the saucepan (I’ve updated the directions)
Good 👀😍😃🌸