I've never made tapioca pudding before and always loved it as a kid. When I set my sights on making a rich, glorious version with coconut milk as a base instead of milk and egg, I didn't realize I'd have a runaway hit in my household. But that's exactly what happened.
To be fair, I'm currently obsessed with all things coconut, as evidenced here and here. I can't help myself! I love the decadence and the non–dairiness of it all. I thought it might lend a natural richness and have a perfect floral taste when playing against all those chewy tapioca pearls. I was right! Love it when that happens.
This pudding is great, but the smoked sesame seeds really put it over the edge. Have you worked with this ingredient before? They have a unique taste that adds earthiness and complexity to a velvety pudding. I highly recommend this additional element, but they aren't absolutely necessary.

Coconut Tapioca Pudding with Smoked Sesame Seeds
Serves 4
2 cups almond milk, divided
1/3 cup tapioca pearls
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup agave syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water mixed in
1/4 teaspoon salt
Smoked sesame seeds (for garnish)
In a large bowl, soak the tapioca overnight (or for at least 4 hours) in 1 cup of the almond milk. When you're ready to cook, add the other cup of almond milk and warm the tapioca and almond milk mixture over medium heat. Wait until the pudding is boiling, then add the coconut milk, vanilla, and agave. Cook for another 10 or 12 minutes, stirring continuously.
Finally, add the cornstarch-water mixture and salt, cooking and stirring for five minutes. Cool in a Tupperware or glass bowl for at least an hour before serving. Or eat a little warm, it's wonderful! When serving, sprinkle a few smoked sesame seeds on top.
• Buy smoked sesame seeds online here and here
Related: Easy Summer Desserts: 5 Puddings We Can't Wait to Try
(Images: Leela Cyd Ross)
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Comments (22)
This recipe sounds great. I've never used almond milk before. Should I soak the tapioca overnight in the fridge or at room temperature?
What kind of coconut milk is used? Do you mean the culinary type in a can and if so do you include all the fat in it? Or do you mean a prepared coconut milk beverage? Hard to tell with this recipe.
By coconut milk, do you mean the kind that comes in the can, or the kind they sell at Trader Joe's in a half gallon with the regular milk (which I think is much less creamy than the canned kind)?
Coconut milk in culinary applications is almost always is found in a can. It's not the trendy drink that you buy in disposable cartons. That's called coconut water. I would be surprised if the author meant water instead of milk.
If you couldn't use almond milk, what would your substitute be?
a few answers to the questions -- i soaked my tapioca overnight at room temperature, just with a plate on top of the bowl.
and i used coconut milk found in a can (full fat!) for this recipe.
instead of almond milk, you could use soy, rice or any other non-dairy milk you like.
Sounds wonderful! I will have to try it soon. I wonder if it would taste good cold as well? My sister taught me how to make a taro tapioca dessert soup that is one of my favorites so I have a feeling I'd like this.
Since you soak the tapioca pearls, I'm assuming they're not the instant kind. Have you tried this with instant tapioca? Also, any tips on sourcing smoked sesame seeds? I've seen black sesame seeds at Japanese markets, but not smoked. Thanks for the post--can't wait to try this!
Never mind about the sesame seeds--just saw your sources in the post!
Catherineap, Havent' tried instant tapioca - if you do, post here and let us know how it went! and Monica, I love this pudding hot and cold, or room temperature too! all good :) your taro soup sounds AMAZING. would you ever post the recipe here?
Hi Leela - I'm so excited to hear the pudding is good cold as well. I'll be trying it one day soon. Here is the recipe for the taro tapioca dessert soup I mentioned: http://playingwithflour.blogspot.com/2011/07/taro-tapioca-dessert.html
This Asian dessert "soup" is great hot and icy cold. It'll require a trip to the Asian market for a couple of the ingredients. : )
This sounds very yummy, even if I can't remember a) whether or not I like tapioca pudding or b) whether or not I've ever had tapioca pudding! Thanks for sharing! I'd definitely like to try this.
Is the cornstarch essential to the recipe? Can it be substituted with anything? I just don't cook/bake with cornstarch very often, so I wonder if there are other options that I might already have around.
On the corstarch alternative - have you tried arrowroot? Would that work fine?
hmm... i think the cornstarch is pretty essential as it is a thickener -- haven't tested the arrowroot either. You could try without and see how it goes? sorry I don't have a better answer.
Can chia seeds be a substitute for tapioca? Same quantity? I hope it can work!
Oooh, I love tapioca! Has anyone tried making a honeydew sago dessert before (with coconut milk and pandan)? I think substituting the sago with tapioca would be kind of awesome too.
Hi Leela - I bought unsweetened almond milk and was wondering if that's what you used or if I'll likely need to use a bit more sweetener. Thank you!
I cannot believe how perfect and yummy this recipe is! The almond milk really cuts the heaviness of the coconut milk, while leaving the delicious coconut flavor intact. Yay! More vegan dessert recipes, please!
HI Monica,
I buy regular almond milk so yes, if you're using unsweetened, maybe up the sweetener by a tablespoon or so? Hope that works for you!
Thank you, Leela! I had fun making this today. I don't think I've had tapioca pudding before (just the Asian dessert soups that have tapioca in it) and it was very nice. I didn't need much extra sweetener even using the unsweetened almond milk. This was the first time I used agave and I had to get used to that caramel-like flavor but it mellowed a lot once everything had a chance to blend together. I think it would be delicious even w/o the cornstarch thickener - and just be closer in consistency to those dessert "soups."
I really like the combination of almond milk and coconut milk together. I wonder if it'd be ok to soak the tapioca in water overnight and then rinsing the tapioca to get rid of that starchy water before cooking it with the almond milk...
in a recipe-unrelated question: where did you get those pretty minimalist bowls? I've been looking for something similar for a while but can't seem to source them.
I just made some with potato starch, and it turned out wonderful!