Creamy vegan tapioca pudding makes for a unique and delicious recipe. This naturally sweetened dessert is on the healthy end of the dessert spectrum.
This post is sponsored by Bobs Red Mill.
Here’s what I’m thinking:
Breakfast pudding. Can you dig? I’ve got no qualms. In fact, I welcome the breakfast pudding with open arms. Fresh fruit and nuts (or granola) atop tapioca num nums? May we all live by the, “life’s short, eat dessert first,” mantra.
Move over, smoothie bowls, there’s a new breakfast in town, and it’s going to take coffee shops, family diners, breakfast nooks, and hippie cafes by storm. Be the first person in your life to re-discover tapioca and let it spread like FIRE!
Let’s talk texture!
Tapioca.
What a strange, strange substance.
Delightful, though.
Besides the obvious – goo balls of bliss – what the heck is tapioca? According to my sister when we were kids, frog eggs. False, Laura. Real false. While I fully believed for years on end that my sister enjoyed eating undeveloped amphibian offspring, as it turns out tapioca is not, in fact, frog eggs.
Tapioca comes from cassava (a.k.a. yuca) root and are starchy little pearls of goo bliss that when cooked in milk become thick, gelatinous, and creamy.
It didn’t dawn on me to make tapioca at home until I came across Bob’s Red Mill’s Small Pearl Tapioca, at which point I had instantaneous visions of all of the ways in which I’d be enjoying various flavors of tapioca pudding.
Preparing the pudding is super simple and takes very little time. The tapioca pudding recipe comes together quickly and seamlessly on the stove top, much like the way you would prepare oatmeal or rice.
Now that I’m aware of how uncomplicated it is to make tapioca, I’ve been making it in large batches and eating it for breakfast and dessert. And snack. And just because. #DessertFirst. Moving right along.
While you traditionally add tempered egg yolks to tapioca pudding, I found cooking the tapioca pearls in full-fat coconut milk made it plenty thick and rich, eliminating the need for the extra step. This recipe requires so few ingredients and yet is full of decadent flavor – you’d never know it was dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and vegan.
Recipe Adaptations:
- I wouldn’t recommend using any other milk besides coconut or cows. Almond milk will separate, and most non-dairy milks will not yield the same creamy texture.
- Sweeten with honey for a non-vegan version, or even go the brown sugar route.
- You can cook up some fresh fruit for a super flavorful fruit-infused dessert, or add cocoa powder if chocolate is your jam. Serve with some chopped nuts and fresh fruit to keep it simple and healthy.
Get your goo ball on!
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Coconut Tapioca Pudding (vegan)
Ingredients
Coconut Tapioca Pudding
- 1/3 cup Bob’s Red Mill Small Pearl Tapioca
- ¾ cup water
- 1 14- ounce can full-fat coconut milk
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- pinch sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For Serving:
- Sliced almonds
- Sliced banana
- fresh blueberries
- kiwi peeled and chopped
- Full-fat coconut milk
Instructions
- Add small pearl tapioca and water to a saucepan and soak for 30 minutes. Do not drain after soaking.
- Add the coconut milk and sea salt and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a gentle boil. Simmer uncovered over very low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick.
- Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes before stirring in pure maple syrup and vanilla extract. Either serve warm, or transfer to a sealable container and refrigerate until chilled.
- Serve with fresh chopped fruit, nuts, coconut milk, and/or granola
Ooohhh I love tapioca pudding. I don’t think I’ve had it in years though (I ate a lot of it in the 80s and 90s – lol!). The texture is totally weird and squishy (love that your sister told you it was frog eggs!), but it’s kind of addicting too. I can’t wait to try this recipe out!
Tapioca pearl s look so interesting- I’ve never cooked with them before but now I wanna give it a try! Bob’s Red Mill always introduces me to new kinds of grains/grain-like products 🙂
Frog eggs, haha! I would have believed her too.
I haven’t had tapioca in forever but it is so good and I love the idea to have it for breakfast. It looks so creamy and delicious!
I will confess that I have never used tapioca at home! I need to get on this! I love the idea of all the ways you could change this up depending on your mood!
This looks so good! I’ve never actually had tapioca outside of bubble tea, but I’ve loved what I’ve tried so I can’t wait to try tapioca pudding!
I suspect this would make me feel like I’m eating dessert for breakfast…and that would definitely be a best thing!
Please
Clarify amount of coconut milk. Whole can?
Hi Karen,
Sorry about that! I switched recipe plugins a couple of months ago, and not all of the recipes translated over correctly. Yes, it’s 14-ounce can of coconut milk 🙂 Hope you enjoy!!
Looks yummy. It would be nice to know the number of servings the recipe makes though.
Hello,
I was looking to make this as a family desert. We love tapioca pudding and I’ve been using a slow cooker recipe for years, but it doesn’t work for vegan. I am wondering how many servings this would make? Fights will ensue if I do not make the right amount (LOL I have Teenage sons)
Hi Tiff! I’d say it comfortably serves 3, so maybe double the recipe to ensure no punches get thrown, lol! I hope you enjoy the pudding! Let me know if you have any other questions! xo
We made this for dinner tonight and LOVED it! The only change I made was decreasing the syrup to just under 2 Tablespoons. Thanks for this!!!!!
I’m so happy to hear it, Alex! Thanks so much for letting me know! xo
I made this too! I made several flavors. It’s St. Paddy’s day so I made a vanilla mint flavor that I turned green :P, chocolate and a pina colada with pineapples, cherries and shredded coconut. SOO Good! I don’t like the traditional tapioca texture so I blend it up to make it smooth and creamy and it is delicious. This is the first time I’ve ever made it and I love it! I will be making it again so thanks for this recipe!
I’m so happy to hear it, Katy! Thanks so much for letting me know your adaptations and for taking the time to send your sweet note! xo
Great recipe – comes out perfect. I have added pineapple chunks and another time I added fresh cherries.
Thank you.
This recipe ROCKS!! I gave up refined sugar 2 years ago and am always on the lookout for something sweet that is healthy and tastes great. This is so easy, I make a double batch every time because one just doesn’t last long enough! Thank you, this is much appreciated!
I’m so happy you like it! Thanks so much for the feedback! xo
I’m assuming I can use coconut cream if I add water to thin out its consistency.
Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Cassandra! Absolutely! Coconut cream will be so lovely in this recipe! Just be sure you end up using the same amount of liquid the recipe calls for, and you should be good to go!
This is awesome! Tastes so good!! Thanks for the awesome vegan/gluten-free recipe ! ?
So happy you like it, Maria!! xo
Wow! I made this tonight and it’s incredible. Turned out beautifully. I doubled the recipe, and was intially a little worried because I only had one can of full-fat coconut milk, and one can of light coconut milk. But, turned out lovely!
I’m so thrilled you like it! Thanks for letting me know, Kim. I’m happy it turned out well with the lite coconut milk! xoxo
I’ve tried a couple of paleo tapioca pudding recipes, and this one is by far the best. It tastes just like my grandmother’s version (with cow’s milk) that I enjoyed as a child. Yum!!
Best vegan tapioca pudding ive tried yet!! easy and fast
I’m so thrilled you like it! xoxo