Recipe- Coconut Milk Tapioca

Ah tapioca. I think I was the only 10 year old in existence that loved tapioca pudding. (Did anyone else even know what it was?) I feel it’s either loved or hated and while I am totally one to judge something by its texture, I love the texture of tapioca! It was a special treat on select Sundays after dinner. My mom would buy and make the boxed stuff and serve it warm. This version is a little different.

I bought tapioca pearls and combined it with only a few other ingredients, then served it chilled. I’m not the biggest fan of actual coconut, but coconut milk works well in this recipe. You can either use half coconut milk, half almond milk, or all coconut milk if you want a richer coconut flavor. The maple syrup makes it just sweet enough, but not overpowering. While I think this pudding is delicious on its own, it is also very versatile. Any choice of fruit can be mixed in or it can be topped with a non-dairy whipped cream. (Our favorite is SoDelicious brand.)

It’s amazing how such a simple pudding can be this good! My toddler loved it, so I suppose she will grow up loving tapioca pudding just like I did. 😊

Prep time: 15 minutes

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

4 cups coconut milk (or 2 cups each of coconut and almond milk)

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup tapioca pearls (I used Bob’s Red Mill)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Choice of chopped fruit (optional)

Vegan whipped cream (optional)

Directions:

Whisk to combine milks, maple syrup, tapioca pearls, vanilla, and salt in a medium saucepan.

Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until pearls are translucent, stirring constantly. Make sure you are scraping the bottom of the pan as you stir. Some of the tapioca may cook faster, so do not remove from heat until all pearls are translucent!

Chill for several hours. You can stir the tapioca occasionally as it is chilling so it will distribute more evenly throughout.

Serve with your choice of additions!