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.
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
This tapioca pudding is an easy tapioca dessert though it does require a little cooking. For a fast no-cook pudding, try this rosewater chia pudding recipe.
📖 Recipe
Tapioca pudding with fresh strawberries
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(s)
- 300 grams (⅔ lb) fresh strawberries, trimmed
Instructions
- For the directions to this recipe, visit the recipe page on Ricardo
June @ How to Philosophize with Cake says
I would probably want to make the caramel almond cheesecake! This pudding looks awesome, too 🙂
Kait St. says
The jam and sweet spreads look like a light, summer dessert!
LJ Stubbs says
This is the best time of year to try out strawberry recipes. I'd try the Strawberry pie, I think.
Eva Lalonde says
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!!☺
Madeleine says
I'd try the maple tapioca pudding. Need to use up the maple syrup before the next trip to Quebec.
Ayngelina says
Strawberry season is one of my favourites! This looks like a great recipe to try.
Julia (@Imagelicious) says
I would make Black-Bean Brownies. I've always been curious about black beans in brownies and this dessert is also vegan.
Danielle says
I want to try making the potato donuts with maple syrup
joy says
Chocolate Brownie cookies!!
Isabelle says
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!
Laureen Fox says
I would make the GREEK YOGURT WITH HONEY AND PISTACHIOS. Quick, easy, refreshing and not too filling.
Bhawya says
Truly tempting recipe.. ll try it soon..
Cindy A. says
The Rustic Plum And Blackberry Pie looks amazing!
La Cuisine d'Hélène says
I would bake The Best-Best Chocolate Cake. Looks so good.
Chloé says
I'd love to bake the red grape and muscat cake!
Barbara Mayhew says
I would make the Caramel and Nut Fudge
Brenda Penton says
I'd like to make the Whipped Cream-Filled Doughnuts
Jenny @ The Brunette Baker says
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
Madeline says
I'd love to make the Quick Cannoli recipe!
Lynn says
My favourite Ricardo dessert recpoe is the Framboisie, so that what's I would go with.
Temi says
I'd have to say the Tapioca! Personally I really enjoy Tapioca pudding.
Christian says
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 !!
Melodie says
Pie! Any kind of pie! Plum and blackberry pie!
Shareba @ In Search Of Yummy-ness says
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 😛