Tapioca Pudding Recipe

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.

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!

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.

Tapioca Pudding

This homemade Tapioca Pudding recipe is a creamy, classic dessert that is easy to make and naturally gluten-free! It is the perfect dessert to make ahead and one that the whole family loves!

Prep: 10min

Total: 60min

Yield: 4

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 405 kcal, Carbohydrate 53 g, Protein 10 g, Fat 17 g, Saturated Fat 10 g, Cholesterol 139 mg, Sodium 285 mg, Sugar 36 g, Trans Fat 1 g, Fiber 1 g, unSaturated Fat 6 g, servingSize 1 serving

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

Instruction:

1. 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.
2. Add the eggs to a bowl and whisk to combine.
3. 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.)
4. 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.
5. 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.

Homemade Vanilla Tapioca Pudding