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    Home » Berries

    Published on: June 23, 2015 by Janice; Updated on: February 7, 2022 24 Comments

    Homemade tapioca pudding recipe with fresh strawberries

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Homemade tapioca pudding with vanilla bean served in small glass jars with a layer of fresh strawberries on the bottom

    This vanilla bean tapioca pudding recipe is an old-fashioned tapioca pudding thickened with egg yolks and served with fresh strawberries for an elegant summer time dessert that you can make ahead!

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Tapioca pudding ingredients: fresh strawberries, tapioca pearls, cardamom pods, and vanilla bean

    I've noticed people generally have very strong opinions about tapioca puddings and rice puddings. I've seen a lot of hate and disgust cross the faces of people talking about these puddings and their childhood. It makes me laugh because growing up, we hardly ever had pudding.

    What is tapioca and what kinds of tapioca are there?

    Tapioca is made from the starch of the cassava plant and tapioca comes in different forms: tapioca pearls, minute tapioca, tapioca starch, among others:

    1. Tapioca starch: Tapioca starch is extracted from the cassava plant. Tapioca starch can be used as a thickener in pie fillings, but also plays an important role in gluten-free baking as an integral component of gluten-free flour mixes (find out more on this in this Bob's Red Mill gluten-free cookbook). This blueberry rhubarb crisp is thickened with tapioca starch, as is the filling for this rhubarb pie with a lattice crust and this whiskey peach crumble pie. Tapioca starch is used as a stabilizer in this buttered popcorn ice cream. You can buy tapioca starch on Amazon.
    2. Minute tapioca: Minute tapioca is a finer grind of tapioca pearls, resembling very coarse cornmeal. Minute tapioca is used for pie fillings but you could use it for pudding. This tapioca pudding recipe is not made with minute tapioca. I used minute tapioca to thicken concord grapes when making this concord grape crisp with a peanut butter crumble and for this cherry chocolate crumble. Minute tapioca is also known as granulated tapioca or tapioca granules, and you can find it on Amazon.
    3. Tapioca pearls: Tapioca pearls are balls of cassava starch which has been shaped into pearls. Contrary to popular belief, tapioca isn't a grain like rice, for example, which is grown. Tapioca starch is extracted from the cassava plant, mixed with boiling water to form a paste that can be rolled, cut, and shaped into various shapes and sizes, like tapioca pearls. Tapioca pearls come in various sizes from very small tapioca pearls to large tapioca pearls also known as boba, used in boba tea. Actually boba are chewy tapioca pearls sweetened with brown sugar and therefore is a dark colour. Tapioca pearls also come in white or lighter colours. This tapioca pudding recipe uses white tapioca pearls (medium size). Tapioca pearls can be purchased on Amazon.
    Vanilla cardamom tapioca pudding with strawberries served in mini glass jars

    What type of tapioca is in tapioca pudding?

    Tapioca pudding is a classic, just like butterscotch pudding and rice pudding, in my books. This tapioca pudding recipe from Ricardo is an old-fashioned tapioca pudding made with egg yolks as well as tapioca pearls for the best tapioca pudding that is as decadent as a crème anglaise and PERFECT to serve with a mound of mashed strawberries.

    This custardy pudding is so good that you probably won't want to share it with anybody. I opted to add not only vanilla bean, but also crushed cardamom to the tapioca pudding because we all know that you can't go wrong by adding a little cardamom to a custard, especially when fresh strawberries are involved.

    Homemade tapioca pudding with vanilla bean served in small glass jars with a layer of fresh strawberries on the bottom

    This tapioca pudding is an easy tapioca dessert though it does require a little cooking. For a no-cook pudding, try this rosewater chia pudding recipe or this coconut chia pudding.

    Vanilla cardamom tapioca pudding with strawberries
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    4.5 from 4 votes

    Tapioca pudding with fresh strawberries

    Prevent your screen from going dark
    This cardamom vanilla  tapioca pudding is creamy, cool, and tastes great with fresh berries.
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Keyword Tapioca pudding with fresh strawberries
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 22 minutes
    Total Time 32 minutes
    Servings 6
    Calories 554kcal
    Author Janice

    Ingredients

    • ½ vanilla bean
    • 4 cardamom pods
    • 1 L (4 cups) whole milk (3.25 % fat)
    • 67 grams (⅓ cup) granulated sugar divided
    • 60 grams (⅓ cup) medium tapioca
    • 1 large egg yolk
    • 300 grams (⅔ lb) fresh strawberries trimmed

    Instructions

    • For the directions to this recipe, visit the recipe page on Ricardo
    Tried this recipe?Mention @bakesomethingawesome or tag #bakesomethingawesome!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 554kcal
    « Honey apricot jam with a little tea
    Mini rhubarb scones »
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    Comments

    1. June @ How to Philosophize with Cake says

      June 23, 2015 at 7:29 am

      I would probably want to make the caramel almond cheesecake! This pudding looks awesome, too 🙂

      Reply
    2. Kait St. says

      June 23, 2015 at 9:53 am

      The jam and sweet spreads look like a light, summer dessert!

      Reply
    3. LJ Stubbs says

      June 23, 2015 at 11:53 am

      This is the best time of year to try out strawberry recipes. I'd try the Strawberry pie, I think.

      Reply
    4. Eva Lalonde says

      June 23, 2015 at 1:09 pm

      Ricardo is one of my go to recipe references. I've tried several recipes including tarte aux pacanes (insane).

      I LOVE TAPIOCA but I've never made it...guess what's on my must do list! Will let you know how it turns out...where did you get the tapioca pearls?

      I'd also love to try Ricardo's brownie espresso. ...chocolate and espresso...oh yeah...gonna make it and post...wooohooo!!☺

      Reply
    5. Madeleine says

      June 23, 2015 at 6:07 pm

      I'd try the maple tapioca pudding. Need to use up the maple syrup before the next trip to Quebec.

      Reply
    6. Ayngelina says

      June 24, 2015 at 12:34 pm

      Strawberry season is one of my favourites! This looks like a great recipe to try.

      Reply
    7. Julia (@Imagelicious) says

      June 24, 2015 at 12:49 pm

      I would make Black-Bean Brownies. I've always been curious about black beans in brownies and this dessert is also vegan.

      Reply
    8. Danielle says

      June 24, 2015 at 1:19 pm

      I want to try making the potato donuts with maple syrup

      Reply
    9. joy says

      June 24, 2015 at 2:19 pm

      Chocolate Brownie cookies!!

      Reply
    10. Isabelle says

      June 24, 2015 at 3:16 pm

      It hard to pick only one but I think the Crème Fraiche Panna Cotta with Coffee Jelly
      Crème Fraiche Panna Cotta with Coffee Jelly would be amazing!

      Reply
    11. Laureen Fox says

      June 24, 2015 at 5:02 pm

      I would make the GREEK YOGURT WITH HONEY AND PISTACHIOS. Quick, easy, refreshing and not too filling.

      Reply
    12. Bhawya says

      June 24, 2015 at 7:58 pm

      Truly tempting recipe.. ll try it soon..

      Reply
    13. Cindy A. says

      June 25, 2015 at 10:33 am

      The Rustic Plum And Blackberry Pie looks amazing!

      Reply
    14. La Cuisine d'Hélène says

      June 25, 2015 at 10:38 am

      I would bake The Best-Best Chocolate Cake. Looks so good.

      Reply
    15. Chloé says

      June 25, 2015 at 11:35 am

      I'd love to bake the red grape and muscat cake!

      Reply
    16. Barbara Mayhew says

      June 25, 2015 at 11:52 am

      I would make the Caramel and Nut Fudge

      Reply
    17. Brenda Penton says

      June 26, 2015 at 7:09 am

      I'd like to make the Whipped Cream-Filled Doughnuts

      Reply
    18. Jenny @ The Brunette Baker says

      June 26, 2015 at 8:32 am

      Fun giveaway, thanks Janice!

      Oh gosh. It all looks so incredible, but I'd have a go at the Maple Pecan Crumble and Chocolate Croissant and Apple Bread pudding. Xo

      Reply
    19. Madeline says

      June 26, 2015 at 10:59 pm

      I'd love to make the Quick Cannoli

 recipe!

      Reply
    20. Lynn says

      June 28, 2015 at 8:07 am

      My favourite Ricardo dessert recpoe is the Framboisie, so that what's I would go with.

      Reply
    21. Temi says

      June 28, 2015 at 11:04 am

      I'd have to say the Tapioca! Personally I really enjoy Tapioca pudding.

      Reply
    22. Christian says

      June 28, 2015 at 11:06 am

      De mon côté, toute la famille adore le chocolat. Cet après-midi, nous allons tenter de créer un succulent Rocky Road Brownies pour nous rappeler notre voyage dans les Rocheuses canadiennes !!

      Reply
    23. Melodie says

      June 29, 2015 at 4:05 pm

      Pie! Any kind of pie! Plum and blackberry pie!

      Reply
    24. Shareba @ In Search Of Yummy-ness says

      June 29, 2015 at 4:29 pm

      The only pudding I ate a lot of as a child was bread pudding... not really the same thing lol. I do love store bought tapioca pudding though, so I have a feeling that I would LOVE this recipe. I would also try Ricardo's Corn Crema because it looks oddly delicious 😛

      Reply

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