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Sweets · Global

Tapioca Pudding

Creamy vanilla pudding full of soft little tapioca pearls, ready from one saucepan in about 40 minutes.

Hands-on
15 min
Hands-off
25 min
Total
40 min
Makes
6 servings (about 1/2 cup / 120 ml each)
Serves
6

The mixture stands 5 minutes before cooking, then needs constant stirring until it boils, about 10 minutes. It cools 20 minutes and can be served warm then. For cold pudding, chill at least 1 hour more. Total = 15 min active + 25 min hands-off (5 min standing, 20 min cooling).

  • easy
  • vegetarian
  • gluten-free
  • old-fashioned
  • make-ahead
  • stovetop

Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means

Illustration of Tapioca Pudding
Amount
Units

Ingredients

You need: medium saucepan · whisk or wooden spoon · plastic wrap · serving bowls or a medium bowl

Contains: milk · egg

Method

  1. Mix and let stand

    In a medium saucepan, stir together 650 ml (2 3/4 cups) milk, 66 g (1/3 cup) sugar, 3 tbsp quick-cooking tapioca and the beaten egg. Let it stand for 5 minutes.

  2. Bring to a full boil

    Cook over medium heat, stirring all the time, until the mixture comes to a full boil. This takes about 10 minutes.

    Ready when: A full boil: big bubbles keep breaking across the surface even while you stir. At that point the egg is cooked well past the 71°C (160°F) safe point. The pudding still looks thin; that's normal.

    Otto tried this firstOtto sees the first few bubbles at the edge and pulls the pan off. Not yet: he puts it back and keeps stirring until it bubbles hard all over, even with the spoon moving.

  3. Add the vanilla

    Take the pan off the heat and stir in 1 tsp vanilla.

    Ready when: Off the heat: the pudding is still thin and very hot; it thickens as it cools.

  4. Cool

    Let it cool for 20 minutes, then stir. For a creamier pudding with no skin, press plastic wrap right onto the surface while it cools.

  5. Serve warm or chilled

    Serve it warm now, or cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to serve cold.

Swaps

  • Instead of 2% milk: whole milk, same amount Use the same amount; the method doesn't change.
  • Instead of 1 tsp vanilla extract: seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean, cooked in the milk from the start with the split pod Take out and discard the pod before serving.

Don’t swap

  • small or large pearl tapioca for quick-cooking tapioca: pearls need soaking first and a much longer simmer

Make ahead, store & reheat

Make ahead
Make it up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge.
Storage
Refrigerate within 2 hours, covered, and eat within 2 days.

If something goes wrong

  • Pudding looks runny Why: It's still hot, or it never reached a full boil.
    It thickens as it cools. Next time, keep stirring over medium heat until it bubbles hard even while you stir.
  • Rubbery skin on top Why: The surface dried out while cooling.
    Press plastic wrap directly onto the pudding as it cools.

Good to know

  • For a whipped-cream finish, whip 120 ml (1/2 cup) cold heavy cream with 1 tbsp sugar until it holds stiff peaks, fold half into the chilled pudding and spoon the rest on top.

Safety

  • The raw mixture contains raw egg; don't taste it before it has boiled.
  • Boiling pudding spits and sticks. Stir with a long spoon, and kids should let an adult do the boiling stage.
  • This is an egg-and-milk dessert: refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.