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.
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Recipe
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
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*I originally shared this recipe on September 2016. Updated October 2018 and March 2022.
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Takes me back to my childhood. Perfect texture, not too sweet, so easy to make!
Very Nice
I also have been getting tapioca at an Amish store that sells it in bulk.
The minute tapioca from Amish or Mennonite stores is better than the boxed from supermarket.
I grew up eating Tapioca pudding. Add a well drained can of crushed pineapple to the finished pudding to send your tapioca pudding over the top.
We have made this several times. My teenagers will go make it themselves. This is a recipe to bookmark.
I also can not find minute tapioca, I e been to 6 store and nothing
I have up trying to find it also. I found bulk tapioca in an Amish market and I am going to try it with the Kraft recipe.
It’s usually on the box pudding aisle, on the bottom shelf!
Have been making this for years. The best, but now I can’t find the box of tapioca anywhere.
I have made this recipe several times and it is the absolute best one that I have found! Each time the texture comes out a little diffently because I am never sure exactly how long to boil and how hard it should be boiling. I would appreciate your guidance on this. Thank you.
The recipe says to bring it to a boil. I would not cook it any longer once it has come to a rolling boil.
While I like the flavor of tapioca pudding, I can’t stand the little pearls. Can this be made with tapioca flour/starch? I’ve read other places that when you use tapioca in pies you can sub the tapioca flour for the pearls, weight for weight. I’m wondering if that would work here?
I haven’t tested it myself so I can’t say for sure, but let me know if you do!
I don’t drink milk. I do consume a lot of heavy cream and half-and-half. I make my own yogurt with half-and-half. Is it possible to make tapioca with half-and-half? I would be very grateful to know. And if you could tell me the quantity to use instead of milk, that would be great.
Thank you so much and advance!
I’ve made tapioca with half & half before. It’s good. I’ve also done 2% alone and I’ve mixed milk with leftover whipping cream – just use however much of your chosen liquid as the recipe calls for. I’ve found tapioca pudding a very forgiving recipe in that regard. The richness of the flavor changes, but it’s always come out tasty.
Yes, you can use the flour 😀 I tried it. I weighed out the flour instead of measured, but then just followed the recipe. We had a nice tapioca custard.
I also could find tapioca in I’m big chain stores, but I did find the quick version in my natural grocer.
After trying several tapioca recipes, this one is the best! It came out absolutely delicious. I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Thank you so much for sharing them.
I use this recipe all the time except I separate the eggs, beat the egg white and carefully fold cooked pudding into beaten whites while beating so as not to cook the whites with the hot pudding….makes for a lighter, fluffier pudding. If egg is not large I use 2 eggs. Just made this today for son and wife…oh,so good!
Mary again…should have said eat egg whites stiff…sorry.