Meet my current favorite quick and easy dessert: a tapioca pudding made with oat milk and flavored with vanilla.
Tapioca pudding, for those not familiar with it, is not unlike rice pudding, except the texture of cooked pearl tapioca is estimated to be seven hundred and eighty three times more enjoyable than that of cooked rice, as each tiny pearl rolls off your tongue like the word “pearl” itself.
Pearl tapioca is made with the starch extracted from cassava roots (a.k.a. manioc or yuca). It’s a pre-cooked product that can also be used as a thickener in tart fillings, or to add textural variety to broths and soups. In France, Tipiak sells it under the name perles Japon — it’s anybody’s guess why they call it that — but actually offers two distinct varieties under that label: one made from potato starch, and one made from manioc starch, which is the one I use. I can’t recommend any particular brand outside of France, but you should be able to find pearl tapioca in the baking aisle of your grocery store, or at Asian markets.
For this recipe, you’ll want to use small pearl tapioca, which comes in miniature beads (do not, I repeat, do not, spill the contents of the package on the floor, or you’ll be finding them in absurd places for years to come), rather than the larger pearls, also called boba, that add chew to Taiwan-style bubble tea.
I first made tapioca pudding at the request of Maxence, who’s always a good customer for this kind of humble, comforting dessert, and who spent a happy childhood eating his grandmother’s. I myself am not normally drawn to soft, milk-based preparations, but this one quickly won me over with its delectable creamy-bouncy texture.
My recipe is completely effortless, and uses pantry ingredients only, making it a fine emergency dessert option. You simply heat oat milk (my non-dairy milk of choice) with a vanilla bean, simmer the pearl tapioca in it (mine cooks in fifteen minutes), before adding sugar and a bit of salt.
You then let it cool, and as the pearl tapioca continues to swell, it absorbs all the liquid and becomes all mochi–like and wonderful. (Wait, could this be why it’s called “Japan pearls” in France?)
You’ll perhaps notice that it is one of those handy ratio-based recipes (see Ruhlmann’s book on cooking ratios) that relies on a 10:1:1 ratio of milk, pearl tapioca and sugar (measured in weight). This means you can commit the recipe to memory easily and scale it up or down, as I often do when I have an open carton of milk that needs to be used pronto.
Tapioca pudding requires little embellishment, and we usually just lap it up from a little bowl with a spoon, but when I serve it to friends, I like to offer a side of crisp butter cookies, such as these or these, just to amp the sophistication a notch.
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Vanilla Oat Milk Tapioca Pudding Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Serves 6 to 8.
Ingredients
- 1 liter (4 cups) unflavored and unsweetened oat milk (shake well before using; substitute any other kind of milk, dairy or non-dairy)
- 1 small vanilla bean, or 1/2 large vanilla bean (I use Tahiti vanilla)
- 100 grams (1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon) small pearl tapioca (note that different brands may require different cooking times, and some pearl tapioca needs to be pre-soaked, so check the package and adjust the process accordingly)
- 100 grams (1/2 cup) unrefined sugar (I use an unrefined blond cane sugar)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Pour the milk in a medium saucepan. Split the vanilla bean lenghtwise, scrape the seeds with the dull side of a knife, and add the bean and seeds to the milk.
- Bring the milk to a simmer over medium heat. Sprinkle the tapioca into the milk and stir with a wooden spoon. Cover, and cook at a simmer for 15 minutes (or according to package instructions), stirring from time to time.
- Remove from the heat, add the sugar and salt, and stir to dissolve. The mixture will still feel somewhat soupy at this point, but the pearl tapioca will continue to expand as it cools, and the mixture will set satisfyingly then. Transfer to a serving bowl or container (along with the vanilla bean*) and let cool completely.
- Serve at room temperature or cold (but not too cold), with crisp butter cookies if desired. The tapioca can be made a day ahead, and keeps for a few days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
When you're done eating the tapioca, rinse and dry the vanilla bean, and place it in your sugar jar, or use it to feed your homemade vanilla extract.
https://cnz.to/recipes/desserts/vanilla-oat-milk-tapioca-pudding-recipe/
Unless otherwise noted, all recipes are copyright Clotilde Dusoulier.
This post was first published in January 2011 and updated in July 2016.
FAQs
The base ingredients for most Jell-O brand instant puddings are dairy-free as well as vegan. By using a non-dairy milk such as coconut, almond, or oat milk you keep this simple instant pudding dairy-free/ vegan.
Why won t my pudding set with oat milk? ›
This is because you cannot replace milk with oat milk at a 1-to-1 ratio when making instant pudding. However, you may still notice instant pudding made with oat milk sets differently and has a slightly different texture and flavor than regular pudding.
Is tapioca pudding the same as vanilla pudding? ›
Tapioca pudding tastes very much like vanilla pudding only its texture is quite different. While still delicately creamy and smooth, it's tapioca's distinctly pearly texture that turns some people off. Tapioca pudding has a reputation for resembling fish eggs, but they are nothing like such.
What are the little balls in tapioca made of? ›
Looking at a tapioca pearl, you may think, “What are these made out of?” These white little balls that give tapioca pudding its signature texture actually come from the starch of the cassava root, which is grown in the tropics. After this starch is extracted, it's formed into little pearls.
Can I use oat milk instead of milk in pudding? ›
And using oat milk to make a chocolate pudding is absolutely perfect: oat milk is naturally thick and creamy, making it a perfect base to make a silky rich pudding recipe, even if it is made dairy-free and egg-free.
What makes oat milk extra creamy? ›
The secret ingredient to making creamy oat milk? Drumroll please... after testing I found that adding ¼ unsweetened shredded coconut made the oat milk extra rich and creamy!
How do you thicken homemade oat milk? ›
If you want your oatmilk to be thicker, similar to what you purchase in the store, you will need an added gum. Xanthan gum works great to thicken cold liquids and you don't need much for a batch.
What can I substitute for instant vanilla pudding mix? ›
You can replace pudding mix in baked goods with alternatives like cornstarch, arrowroot powder, or custard powder for thickening. Additionally, using Greek yogurt, sour cream, or applesauce can add moisture and a similar texture to your recipes.
Why is my homemade oat milk gooey? ›
Over-blending can make the oat milk slimy in texture, which is why we recommend blending for about 30-45 seconds. Soaking your oats can also make the oats more prone to sliminess. Just add to the blender with water and blend! Sometimes heating your oat milk can make it become slimy, so we don't recommend it.
Is tapioca pudding good for you or bad for you? ›
The bottom line. Tapioca is high in carbs and calories, so it is not a traditionally healthful food. However, it can help a person meet the recommended daily allowance of several important nutrients. It can also be a tasty, nutritious food choice for people who need to gain weight.
Tapioca pearls are commonly soaked in sugar syrup to make them sweet and chewy. In teas, they are often added for their texture, with the flavor being provided by the drink itself. The pearls are known as sabudana in the Indian subcontinent; they are used for sweet and savory dishes, such as sabudana khichri.
Is tapioca pudding healthier than rice? ›
Regarding nutritional value, tapioca, and rice pudding are high in carbohydrates and calories, but tapioca pudding is typically lower in fat than rice pudding. Tapioca pudding and rice pudding are both gluten-free, making either a good option for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
What is the chunky stuff in tapioca pudding? ›
Small tapioca pearls:The distinguishing ingredient in tapioca pudding, and be sure to buy the small ones for this recipe. They're hard little beads that will cook until tender, thickening the pudding and creating a fun texture. Milk and cream: for the base creaminess of the pudding. Granulated sugar: for sweetness.
Is it OK to eat tapioca balls? ›
The tapioca pearls in bubble tea, also known as bubbles or boba, have a jelly-like texture and are made with tapioca starch, making it completely safe for human consumption. On the other hand, popping bubbles are made from water, fruit juice, sugar, and plant-based Alginic acid, which also makes them safe to eat.
Is tapioca and tapioca pudding the same thing? ›
Tapioca can take many forms, but the small pearls are what's used to make tapioca pudding. Tapioca pearls are usually opaque when raw, but become supple and translucent when cooked. The larger tapioca balls are the popular boba found in boba drinks and bubble tea all over Southeast Asia, and now the world.
What non-dairy milk is best for instant pudding? ›
I recommend soy milk as it has a naturally sweet flavor, so it will enhance the flavors of the jell-o pudding. It's also a great vegan milk option that has a rich texture. To substitute one cup of milk in instant pudding, use one cup of unsweetened soy milk.
Can I use oat milk instead of milk in cake mix? ›
Here's the reason: oat milk replicates the viscosity of dairy milk more closely than other alt-milks do, so it's easy to swap into any cake, muffin, or other recipe, one-for-one.
Can you use oat milk with cake mix? ›
Oat milk just happens to rank number one on our list of favorite alternative milks for baking. The lightly toasted oat flavor is complementary with so many of the flavor profiles in baked goods. Try it in chocolate or vanilla cakes and cupcakes, make a banana bread with a hint of oat, or mix with berries in muffins.
Why can't you use almond milk in instant pudding? ›
Regular instant pudding usually won't set with almond milk because the pudding mix is formulated to work with the specific proteins in cow's milk. If you want to try to fix it, you can try dissolving a little bit of cornstarch in water and adding that in.
