Homemade Tapioca Pudding: A Nostalgic Comfort Dessert

The first time I made homemade tapioca pudding, I was transported back to Sunday afternoons at my grandmother’s kitchen table. There’s something undeniably comforting about those perfect little pearls suspended in creamy, vanilla-scented sweetness. This old-fashioned dessert may seem humble, but it delivers a texture and flavor experience that store-bought versions simply can’t match.

What makes this recipe special is its simplicity – just five ingredients transform into a dessert that feels like a warm hug. Whether served warm on a chilly evening or chilled on a summer afternoon, this tapioca pudding brings comfort in every spoonful.

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What Exactly Is Tapioca, and Where Can You Find It?

While we know tapioca from tapioca pudding recipes like this one, it is actually used in more things. Tapioca is a well-known thickening agent that is used not only in sweet things like pudding and ice cream but also in savory dishes! 

Tapioca is ideal for both types of dishes because it is neutral in flavor. It will not add to the flavor profile of any dish in the slightest; rather, it simply helps thicken up the dish. 

Tapioca is a starch extracted from the cassava root, which makes sense since most other starches are also from roots. Tapioca is also gluten-free! 

Tapioca has grown in popularity with the rise of bubble tea at restaurants over the last few years. Bubble tea uses tapioca pearls, which are different from minute tapioca. 

You can buy minute tapioca or instant tapioca in your local grocery stores, which is usually used for most of the recipes you might need it for. Since tapioca pearls aren’t as common, you might have difficulty finding them in the store, but they can be found online. 

Is Tapioca Pudding Hard to Make?

Tapioca pudding is quite simple to make. You only need milk, sugar, tapioca, egg, and vanilla extract. 

Heat everything except the vanilla extract for a few minutes until the ingredients boil while stirring everything together. 

Then, take the ingredients off the heat, add the vanilla extract, and let it cook, and you’re good to go!

It is a simple pudding recipe, especially when using the minute version of tapioca.

Ingredients

Here’s a list of what you need:

• Whole Milk – Creates the rich, creamy base for the pudding and helps the tapioca soften and expand
• Sugar – Sweetens the pudding while helping to create the right consistency
• Minute Tapioca – Provides the signature pearl texture and thickens the pudding naturally
• Egg – Adds richness and helps create a silky, custard-like consistency
• Vanilla Extract – Adds warmth and depth of flavor that complements the creamy base

I use Kraft brand Minute Tapioca, which is usually found in the baking section near boxed puddings. You can also use Reese brand or Granulated Minute Tapioca. Granulated tapioca is a good value, and you use it like Minute Tapioca.

What is the Difference Between Tapioca Pearls and Instant Tapioca?

Tapioca pearls can come in a few different sizes and are precooked, whereas instant or minute tapioca is processed even further. 

The tapioca pearls are required to be soaked before they are used. With instant tapioca, they do not need to be soaked and are ready to be used immediately, which is why they have the name “instant tapioca”.

When making a recipe with tapioca, it is good to know that ¾ cups of tapioca pearls will thicken the same as ½ cups of instant tapioca. So, the amount to substitute one for the other is not the same.     

How to Make Tapioca Pudding

Here are the steps to make simple, old-fashioned tapioca pudding from scratch on the stovetop:

1. Combine milk, sugar, tapioca, and egg in a medium saucepan.
2. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes.
   
3. Cook on medium heat until the mixture comes to a full boil, stirring constantly.
4. Remove pudding from the heat.
5. Stir in vanilla.
6. Cool pudding for 20 minutes then stir.
7. Serve warm or chilled.

This tapioca pudding recipe makes four servings, and I promise it won’t last long. You may want to make a double batch.

What is the Best Way to Store Tapioca Pudding?

Tapioca pudding, while extremely tasty and one of the best comfort dessert foods, is actually quite a filling dessert. Therefore, you will most likely have leftovers, especially if you forgot how filling it is and made a double batch. 

One of the best ways to store the remaining tapioca pudding is in an airtight container in the freezer. You can leave it in the fridge but it will last much longer in the freezer. 

Before you put the airtight container in the freezer, let it cool down to room temperature and then pop the container in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours to let it chill thoroughly.

When stored properly, tapioca pudding can be stored in a freezer for 2 to 3 months. It is the perfect recipe to freeze because when it is thawed, it tastes just the same as when you first made it. 

When you are ready to eat the pudding, defrost it slowly in the fridge to maintain the right pudding texture and consistency. 

Love pudding and creamy pies? Try these recipes!

• Banana Pudding
• Buttermilk Pie
• Cherry Cream Cheese Pie
• Chocolate Cream Pie
• Chocolate Pudding Cake
• Eggnog Pie
• Lemon Meringue Pie
• Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding
• Pumpkin Custard

Favorite Dessert Recipes

• Apple Crisp
• Cake Mix Pound Cake
• Jello Poke Cake
• Lemon Cream Cake

Check out my easy dessert recipes and the best comfort food recipes here on CopyKat!