🍮 Tapioca Pudding — creamy, comforting, and lightly sweet, this classic dessert features soft, chewy pearls suspended in a silky custard. It’s old-fashioned in the best way — simple ingredients, rich flavor, and a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
🥣 Classic Tapioca Pudding Recipe
Serves: 4–6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25–30 minutes
Chill Time (optional): 2 hours
Ingredients
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½ cup small pearl tapioca (not instant)
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3 cups whole milk (or milk of choice)
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¼ tsp salt
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2 large eggs, lightly beaten
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½ cup sugar
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1 tsp vanilla extract
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Optional: ground nutmeg or cinnamon for garnish
Instructions
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Soak the tapioca:
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In a bowl, soak tapioca pearls in 2 cups of water for 30 minutes, then drain.
(Skip soaking if using quick-cooking tapioca — follow package directions.)
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Cook the tapioca:
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In a medium saucepan, combine soaked tapioca, milk, and salt.
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Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until tapioca becomes translucent and mixture thickens slightly (about 15 minutes).
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Temper the eggs:
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In a small bowl, whisk eggs with sugar.
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Slowly pour a little of the hot tapioca mixture into the eggs while whisking (this prevents scrambling).
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Return the egg mixture to the saucepan.
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Cook until creamy:
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Stir constantly for 3–5 minutes more, until pudding thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
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Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
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Serve:
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Enjoy warm, or chill for a few hours for a classic cold pudding texture.
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Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg if desired.
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✨ Tips
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For extra richness, replace ½ cup of milk with cream or coconut milk.
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Stir continuously near the end of cooking to prevent sticking.
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The pudding thickens more as it cools, so don’t overcook.
Would you like me to create an image of creamy tapioca pudding — served in a glass dish with a sprinkle of nutmeg on top?
