Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you go
For 6 small glasses
- 60g (⅓ cup) tapioca pearls
- 400ml (1⅔ cups) water
- 400ml (1⅔ cups) coconut cream
- 40-50g (3-4 tablespoons) sugar (preferably brown)
- a few drops of vanilla extract (optional)
Tapioca comes from the cassava root, which is used in many countries, particularly in Asia and Africa.
I really love this dessert because it has a creamy, smooth texture, and those who don’t enjoy the denser texture of traditional rice pudding have appreciated these little glasses.
- In a saucepan, bring the 400ml (1⅔ cups) of water to a boil, then add the tapioca and stir gently. Cook for 20 minutes and let cool slightly. The pearls should be completely translucent.
- Drain the tapioca pearls through a fine-mesh strainer, stirring a bit with a spoon to remove some of the viscous liquid. They’ll look a bit sticky - this is normal.
In a saucepan, bring the coconut cream to a boil (if it’s lumpy, I recommend blending it for a few seconds to get a smooth texture) with the sugar. Add the tapioca pearls, stir, then turn off the heat.
Pour into small glasses and refrigerate for at least two hours and until ready to serve.
You can serve them as is or topped with fresh fruit cut into cubes and flavored with vanilla sugar. I like serving this dessert with homemade cherry compote, but you can also top it with fresh fruits like mango, banana, kiwi, lychee, etc.
Tips
- Don’t skip the rinsing step unless you prefer a denser, firmer texture.
- If you want a creamier texture that’s not quite set, use 50g of tapioca; otherwise, for a slightly firmer texture (without being gelatinous), I recommend using 60g.
- Note that children don’t always appreciate this dessert (more for you!).
- If you like, you can add lemon zest at the end of step 3.