Coconut Tapioca Pudding

Every pastry chef needs a solid allergen-free dessert and this tapioca pudding has always been mine. Unfortunately, vegan desserts often get a bad rap for being dry or tasteless. This recipe however, is by far the BEST tapioca pudding I have ever had and you will not miss dairy one bit.

Tapioca is such a fun dessert to make (and eat) because it is both nostalgic and modern. This pudding is super simple, delicious, and can be adapted to any season by adding fresh fruit or compote. I have found the key to great vegan tapioca pudding is to cook the tapioca pearls in water before adding them to the coconut milk. This allows the tapioca to retain the fun chewy texture of the individuals pearls without making the pudding too thick or heavy.

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Recipe:

1/2 cup small tapioca pearls (100g)

2 cans coconut milk (about 28 oz)

1.5 cups water

1.5 cups sugar

pinch of salt

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Instructions:

1. Soak tapioca pearls in cold water for roughly 4 hours.

2. After the pearls have soaked, place them in a mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly with cold water until the water runs clear. This removes any added starch that often leads to clumps while cooking.

3. While you strain the tapioca, bring a medium size pot of water to a rolling boil. Place the tapioca pearls in the water and cook over medium heat whisking constantly until the pearls are translucent.

4. In a separate pot, bring the sugar, water, coconut milk, and salt to a boil. Once the sugar has melted, reduce to a low simmer.

5. Once the tapioca is translucent, strain the water through a fine mesh sieve and add the tapioca to the coconut milk. Continue to cook over a low flame for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Viola! The pudding can served warm or cold and will last in the fridge for up to one week.

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#vegan #glutenfree