You only need 3 main ingredients and less than 15 minutes to make this Tapioca Pudding that is perfect as a mid-week comforting sweet or a crowd-pleasing dessert. You can also easily use dairy milk instead of coconut milk in this recipe if you wish.
Best Instant Pot Tapioca Pudding with Coconut Milk (vegan)
Similar to rice pudding, tapioca pudding is a sweet pudding made using simple ingredients such as tapioca pearls, milk or cream and sugar. Flavourings such as nutmeg may be added or saffron and cardamom powder to make Instant style Sabudana Kheer. You can make Tapioca Pudding so quick in the Instant Pot that I am tempted to call this an Instant Pot Instant Tapioca Pudding!!
Making Tapioca Pudding in the Instant Pot without soaking
Pressure cookers are the heroes of kitchens, whether it is the Instant Pot electric pressure cooker or stove stop pressure cooker! Pressure cooking significantly reduces cooking time and reduces the need for constant stirring. In this recipe, medium sized tapioca pearls are cooked in the Instant Pot with water until they are perfectly soft yet holding their shape. Sugar, coconut milk and other flavourings are then added to make sweet tapioca pudding. Cooking the pearls in water rather than milk reduces the risk of burning but do not worry – the addition of water does not cause the pudding to become runny! Tapioca pearls are made from cassava root starch which turn clear when cooked and thicken. In the traditional recipe, the pearls need to be soaked before using so they soften but with the Instant Pot, there is no need.
Why you should make this recipe:
Dairy-free and Gluten-free – tapioca, coconut milk, sugar and all the fruits falls in these two categories. Plant-based – all the ingredients are derived from plants. No egg Can be made sugar free Easy to customise – add whichever flavours you fancy! No need to pre-soak tapioca – decide to make this last minute? Doesn’t matter as there is no prep required ahead of cooking! Last-minute dessert idea Easy to scale up or down Refreshing on a hot day when served cold or comforting when served warm
Variations of Tapioca Pudding throughout the world
Tapioca Pudding is popular throughout the world and each cuisine has their own variation. Sabudana Kheer – Indian style tapioca pudding is made with tapioca pearls, milk, sugar and flavoured with cardamom or saffron and topped with slivered nuts. Chè chuối – Vietnamese Tapioca Pudding made with tapioca pearls, coconut cream and bananas. Sago gula melaka – In Malaysia, Tapioca pearls boiled in water then served with palm sugar syrup and coconut milk. Frog Spawn/Sago Pudding – In the UK, boiled with milk and sugar then eggs or cornflour is added to thicken the Sago Pudding.
Ingredients for Tapioca Pudding
Let’s take a look at what goes into making 3-ingredient Tapioca Pudding
The main ingredients:
Tapioca I have used medium size of tapioca pearls here. The tapioca pearls themselves are largely flavourless and so all of the flavours in this recipe come from the other ingredients. All types and brands of tapioca pearls are the same, the only difference is the size. Due to this, you may have to adjust the cooking time. I have suggested pressure cook times below. Tapioca starch is often used as a thickening agent in eggless recipes such as Eggless Mille Feuille Coconut Milk I have used tinned thick coconut milk here for extra creaminess. Instead of coconut milk, you can use other non dairy or nut milks such as almond or oat. If you want an eggless tapioca pudding recipe but do not mind dairy milk, you can add whole milk or heavy cream or half and half – it really depends on the creaminess you are going for. If you love coconut milk recipes, try this 2 ingredient Hawaiian coconut syrup that is perfect on pancakes. Sugar – I have used regular white sugar (vegan) You can also use other varieties of sugar such as castor or palm sugar, maple, agave, date syrup or honey (then it won’t be a vegan). Note that using these alternatives may change the colour of the pudding.
Toppings:
Mango – I have used chunks of fresh mango and strawberries but you can absolutely use any other fruit such as fresh blueberries, blueberries or any other stone fruit slices. Sometimes we simply pour Mango pulp over the pudding and garnish it with fresh mint leaves, just like this eggless mango mousse recipe. Optional: Vanilla extract – I have added a dash of vanilla extract for creamy flavours but you can leave it out if you wish. A dash of orange blossom water or rose water would also be a good idea too.
How to flavour tapioca pudding
Tapioca pudding with its simplest ingredients – tapioca, sugar and milk is a blank canvas and a great host for a variety of flavours! Fruit – use any fresh fruit – whatever you fancy or is in season. Fruit goes best if the pudding is served cold. Nuts – you may topped this pudding with raw, roasted or fried nuts of your choice. It will not only add texture to the pudding but will increase protein value and provide a boost of flavour. Saffron, cardamom – for a delicious Indian flavoured pudding add cardamom powder or crushed cardamom seeds and a few strands of saffron just after the pudding is done. Spices – grate over some nutmeg and add a sprinkle of cinnamon powder Matcha – add a little matcha powder once cooked Jam – Swirl through some strawberry and rhubarb jam which also made in the Instant Pot. Vanilla – add a few drops of vanilla extract or essence or go full on fancy with a vanilla pod
Instant Pot Tapioca Pudding with Condensed Milk
Instead of adding the milk/coconut milk and sugar separately, you can use condensed milk instead. Once the tapioca is cooked, stir in the condensed milk for a quick and easy pudding. You can use either dairy or vegan condensed milk here.
Evaporated milk Tapioca Pudding
I love the flavour of evaporated milk especially when it is added to milk based puddings. In place of coconut milk, use evaporated milk.
Paleo Instant Pot Tapioca Pudding
Tapioca Pudding is a great paleo-friendly alternative to rice pudding. Add extra fruit and/or chopped nuts on top.
Sugar-free Tapioca Pudding
You can make no-added-sugar Tapioca Pudding by using 100% natural sweetener in replacement of sugar. You can substitute the sugar with stevia and erythritol blend – look at the packaging for direct substitutions. It is worth noting that tapioca is itself a carb so even with no added sugar, the pudding will naturally have high sugar content. Reducing the amount of added sugar will make the tapioca pudding healthy … well healthier!
Tapioca Pudding with Almond Milk
Instead of coconut milk, you can use other non dairy milk such as almond milk. You can use either sweetened or unsweetened almond milk, just check the sweetness when adding the sugar. You can also make Tapioca Pudding with Oat Milk. Using non dairy milks instead of cows milk reduces the fat content and calories of the recipe overall.
Large Pearl Tapioca Pudding
You can use whichever size tapioca pearls you fancy. To use large pearls, you will have to adjust the time you cook in the Instant Pot. Approximate cooking times are given below. Large pearls give extra texture and look great! I usually buy large tapioca from a South Asian grocrey store that stocks tapioca pearls or “sabudana” in varying sizes.
How to make Tapioca Pudding in the Instant Pot
Follow these easy steps for the best Tapioca Pudding. You can use the Instant Pot or any other electric pressure cooker. Add tapioca pearls and water (ratio of 0.5:1) to the inner pot of IP. Make sure to stir to prevent any tapioca sticking to the bottom of the pot. Pressure cook on High Pressure for 7 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally then open the lid and add the coconut milk and sugar Turn on Sauté for a few minutes or until the pudding begins to thicken. Keep stirring as the milk can stick and cause burning. Turn off or cancel sauté mode and add the vanilla extract and pinch of salt if using. Allow the pudding to cool before placing in serving glasses and topping with fruit. You can also serve it warm directly from the Instant Pot.
Cooking times for Tapioca Pearls
These are an approximate guide for the varying sizes of tapioca pearls – you can follow the instructions provided on your packaging. Small pearls – 3 minutes High Pressure Medium pearls – 7 minutes High Pressure Large pearls – 10 minutes High Pressure
Tapioca Pudding Pot in Pot Method
There is a chance, if you are not careful, that milk based dishes can stick to the pan very easily causing the Instant Pot to show a BURN sign. To avoid this you may want to try the pot in pot method. Make sure you use 6qt or 8qt Instant pot as they are larger in size. Pour 1 cup tap water in to the Instant pot inner pot (liner) In a small stainless steel bowl add the tapioca, coconut milk and sugar (you will probably have to half the recipe below to allow it to fit with the pot – ensure you do not fill this bowl more than half way as it can lead to spillages) Mix well. Put a trivet in the liner, place the bowl on the trivet. Cover the bowl with a safe to use lid. Close the lid and ensure that valve is on the sealing position. Select 30 minutes on HIGH pressure cook. Allow the pressure to release for 10-12 minutes then manually release the pressure. Mix the pudding well, add a pinch of salt and vanilla. Allow the pudding to cool before serving it with the fruit or serve warm.
Stovetop Tapioca Pudding
Clean and wash tapioca and soak in cold water for 40 minutes. In a large saucepan combine the tapioca, (discard the water) and milk. Bring to a simmer, stir continuously until tapioca is tender and translucent. It will take about 18-20 minutes. Now add the sugar. Cook the pudding on a moderate heat and keep stirring till pudding gets thicker. It will take another 8-10 minutes. Add vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Transfer the pudding into another bowl and let it cool to room temperature. Divide the pudding into 4-6 glasses, cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours or more before serving. Let them stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving. Divide mango cubes over the pudding and garnish with the fresh mint leaves.
Tapioca Pudding in Slow Cooker or Crock Pot
Slow cookers are brilliant for “hands-free” cooking and yet the finished texture of this pudding remains creamy and satisfying. Simply add the tapioca pearls (un soaked), milk and sugar into the slow cooker. Stir so all the ingredients are well incorporated and slow cook for 3 hours. You may need to stir at hourly intervals. The pudding is ready when the tapioca is transparent.
How to thicken the Tapioca Pudding
To prevent your tapioca pudding from being runny, use tinned thick coconut milk.
Will Tapioca Pudding thicken as it cools?
Yes, it does. The coconut milk will thicken as it cools down. It will set similarly to a rice pudding. If it is still runny after cooking, you can sauté a little further so that the moisture evaporates. If it thickens too much, add more milk.
Serving suggestions
Tapioca Pudding tastes so good when serve warm or cold. If serving warm sprinkle some cinnamon, nutmeg or cardamom powder and top it up with nuts. Chilled or cold tapioca pudding tastes great when served with fresh fruit. You can also drizzle on some fruit sauce or even chocolate or caramel sauce.
Storage
Tapioca pudding stays well up to 3-4 days in an air tight container in the refrigerator. Coconut milk thickens as it cools so it will go quite thick, you can add little more milk then reheat in the microwave or on the stove. You can also eat it chilled. You can cover the surface of the pudding as it cools, this prevents a film forming on top. I would not recommend freezing as this will destroy the texture of the pearls.
Other Instant Pot Recipes
Instant Pot Vegan Potato Salad Strawberry and Rhubarb Jam in Instant Pot 1 minute Sheer Khurma (Instant Pot) Cypriot Stuffed Peppers Instant Pot Eggless Cheesecake Chocolate Mousse without Eggs (Instant Pot) As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations! Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
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Note – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content, but the recipe remains the same. First time published in May 2015.
