Enjoy a creamy, comforting and nostalgic dessert with this vegan coconut tapioca pudding. Made with coconut milk and tapioca pearls, this easy pudding recipe is free of both eggs and dairy!
While the weather may still be warm here and showing no sign of crisper days to come, I know before long, the days will grow shorter and cooler, and fall will officially have arrived.
Soon we’ll be neck deep in apples, pumpkins and squashes of every kind and cozy comforting food will be on the menu. That’s where this coconut milk tapioca pudding comes into play; it’s a comforting dessert with nostalgic appeal while still being creamy and cooling. It bridges the gap between summer and fall, equally at home in the company of summer fruit as with more intense and spicy autumn flavors.
What is Tapioca Pudding?
Tapioca pudding is one of those forgotten old-fashioned desserts that radiate coziness and comfort. It’s a milk pudding which is a class of desserts made from starches cooked in sweetened milk like the rice pudding of your childhood. In this case the starch is tapioca pearls. If you’ve ever had boba tea, then you’ve had tapioca pearls (just a larger size). Tapioca is extracted from cassava which is a root vegetable similar to sweet potatoes. When cooked the pearls become translucent and have a unique slippery, melt-in-your mouth feel with a gentle wobble in the spoon.
Vegan Tapioca Pudding
There are no eggs or dairy in this vegan tapioca pudding; the starch released from the small pearls of tapioca along with the coconut milk creates the unique and creamy texture. With a simple list of ingredients and no eggs or dairy to worry about curdling it’s also one of the easiest tapioca recipes. Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredient Notes:
(Here are a few notes about the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. As always find the full list of ingredients and directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
- Coconut Milk – The ideal milk for this vegan tapioca pudding is lite coconut milk in a can. Lite coconut milk has the most similar fat percentage to regular whole milk that’s traditionally used in tapioca pudding and will create a creamy consistency without being too heavy or cloying. Most other plant-based milks will not give you the same creamy consistency however if you do want to experiment I suggest using at least half coconut milk for the best results.
- Tapioca – You’ll need small tapioca pearls for this tapioca pudding NOT instant tapioca.
- Sweetener – I like maple syrup but you can substitute the sweetener of your choice. I like my pudding very lightly sweetened when serving it with a fruit compote (see instructions for accompanying plum compote below) but you can adjust to your preferences if you are serving the pudding plain.
- Vanilla – If you’re feeling fancy scrape some vanilla bean seeds into your pudding as the flavor really shines, otherwise use a good quality vanilla extract.
- Fruit – I like to serve my tapioca pudding with a little fruit compote on the bottom like a fruit on the bottom yogurt. If you’d like to make the plum compote that accompanies the pudding you’ll need some black or red plums or pluots, maple syrup and vanilla or cinnamon. Alternatively you can also serve the pudding with some fresh fruit on top.
Do You Need to Soak Tapioca?
The answer is yes and no. While it’s not required to soak tapioca before cooking you’ll get a better result if you do and will shorten the cooking time required so I suggest you do so. If you can soak the pearls in water for at least an hour before cooking they will cook more quickly and evenly. You can even soak them overnight and cook them the next morning.
How to Make Coconut Tapioca Pudding:
(Here are the basic steps and some helpful tips on how to make the recipe. Find the full directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
- Start by soaking the tapioca in water either overnight or for an hour.
- If you’re making the plum compote place the sliced plums along the maple syrup and vanilla or cinnamon in an oven proof baking dish. Bake the plums at 400F until soft and syrupy, then cool and store in the fridge until needed.
- Pour the pearls and remaining water along with the coconut milk and vanilla into a saucepan and gently bring to a simmer over low heat. Reduce the heat to a bare simmer (just a few bubbles along the sides) and cook stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes or until the mixture has thickened and the pearls are translucent. (Keep in mind that the pudding will continue to thicken as it cools so it should still have a loose consistency to it when done.)
- Let the pudding cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to the fridge to cool completely before serving.
- When you are ready to serve, place a few spoonfuls of plum compote at the bottom of a glass or serving bowl and top with the tapioca pudding. Finish with some fresh fruit if desired and you are ready to serve!
Enjoy tapioca pudding as a breakfast, snack or light dessert.
Variations:
- Use the sweetener of your choice and adjust to taste.
- Serve plain or with fruit.
- Add cinnamon and nutmeg instead of vanilla.
More Vegan Pudding Recipes:
Vegan Tapioca Pudding
Enjoy a creamy, comforting and nostalgic dessert with this vegan coconut tapioca pudding. Made with coconut milk and tapioca pearls, this easy pudding recipe is free of both eggs and dairy!
Ingredients
Roasted Plums:
- ¼ cup/ 60ml maple syrup
- ¼ vanilla bean (split and seeds scraped) or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 plums (a mix of red or black plums or pluots), sliced or chopped
Tapioca Pudding
- ¼ cup/32g small pearl tapioca
- ¾ cup/180ml filtered water
- One 13.5 oz/398ml can of lite coconut milk
- Pinch of sea salt
- 2 Tablespoons/30ml maple syrup
- ¼ vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped (or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract)
- Fresh fruit for serving (optional)
Instructions
Make the Roasted Plum Compote:
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Place plums in a medium oven-proof baking dish and toss with maple syrup and vanilla.
- Roast for 20-25 minutes stirring half way through. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Transfer compote to a container and store in the fridge until needed.
Make the Tapioca Pudding:
- Soak tapioca in the water for 1 hour at room temperature (or overnight) and transfer to a heavy-bottomed medium size saucepan.
- Add coconut milk, salt, maple syrup, vanilla and bring to a simmer over low heat. Reduce heat and keep at a bare simmer (stirring occasionally) for 10-15 minutes until thickened and tapioca pearls are translucent.
- Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Transfer tapioca pudding to an airtight container in the fridge and chill (pudding will thicken as it cools).
- Divide plum compote among serving bowls. Top with tapioca, and serve topped with extra fresh fruit if desired.
Notes
Variations:
Use the sweetener of your choice and adjust to taste.
Serve plain or with fruit.
Add cinnamon and nutmeg instead of vanilla.
Storage:
Store tapioca pudding in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Dietary Info
Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Paleo, Refined Sugar-Free
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 269Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 47mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 2gSugar: 39gProtein: 2g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
Jeanette says
This looks like the perfect transition to fall Sylvie - love coconut pudding and those roasted plums sound so warm and comforting.
Catherine @ Chocolate & Vegetables says
Funny, I hadn't thought of roasting plums--but now you've got the idea on my radar! I love anise and am always looking for new recipes that use it, bookmarking this one!
Alison @ Ingredientsinc.net says
yes please! I am bookmarking this one
El says
I definitely prefer to linger over summer. Lovely recipe. The plums are perfect right now!
Shelly says
I've never had tapioca pudding but this is making me want to try it - seems like the perfect recipe to dip your toes into fall.
thelittleloaf says
Maple roasted plums sound heavenly. And this creamy pudding looks pretty gorgeous too 🙂
Irina @ wandercrush says
What a beautiful and creative dessert! I've been craving some sort of rice pudding lately, and I think I'll just change my plans and make it a coconut tapioca one instead 🙂 Thanks for this, Sylvie!
angela@spinachtiger says
Beautiful and I've never cooked with star anise. I love tapioca and this is a very upscale version.
Stacy | Wicked Good Kitchen says
Sylvie, I adore sweet-tart plums (gorgeous close-up!) and the addition of star anise along with vanilla makes this dessert the perfect treat to transition from late summer into fall. Tapioca works wonders and I cannot wait to try this coconut pudding dessert soon. So healthy! Thank you for sharing!
Hani/Hanielas says
You know I've bought Tapioca months ago and haven't tried anything with it yet Thanks for posting this recipe and reminding me of it.
I have to try it out!