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Learn how to cook large tapioca pearls/ large sago pearls without long hours of boiling. The tutorial also includes how to make a thick and creamy pudding using large tapioca pearls. The recipe includes a vegan version without using dairy and eggs.
I love tapioca pudding, the one with large pearls. Large tapioca pearls pudding is not as common compared to the small pearls you see sold in the store. I like large pearls because they give more texture, especially that chewy bouncy texture. I decided to revisit this tutorial to improve on how to effectively cook large tapioca pearls and how to make large tapioca pearl pudding.
Why you’ll love this recipe
1. No more long hours of boiling
2. Active cooking time is only 20 minutes
3. The tapioca pearls are perfectly cooked, soft yet chewy
Few things to note
1. Type of large tapioca pearls/sago pearls I use
These are the large tapioca pearls I use. This type of tapioca pearls CANNOT be soaked when they are still raw. They will literally dissolve into the water because they are pure starch
2. How about instant tapioca pearls?
You need to follow the instruction on the instant tapioca pearls as the instruction on how to boil the pearls are not applicable to instant
To soak or not to soak the large tapioca pearls
There is so much confusion out there, whether to soak or not to soak these large tapioca pearls. Some people soak theirs without the pearls dissolving, mine literally turns into a porridge. I guess it really depends on the type you use. For the one I have, I cannot soak them raw. These large pearls need to be pre-cook AND THEN soaked. They work like a magic and you no longer have to boil them for a long time.
Precook and then soak
This method really works like a charm for tapioca pearls that cannot be soaked without turning into mush when they are raw. Now, I need to tell you that you need to soak them for at least 8-12 hours or overnight. It’s a passive time, but it’s not something you can rush. I guess that’s the downside of this method but it has worked beautifully for me each time I made them
Perfectly cooked large tapioca pearls
How to cook large tapioca pearls/large sago pearls without boiling for a long time
1. Place 8 cups of water in a large pot with a lid. Bring to a boil and add the tapioca pearls. Bring it back to a boil and then immediately lower the heat to let them gently simmer for 5 minutes, give them a stir once or twice to prevent the pearls from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Turn off the heat and cover the lid and soak for 8-12 hours or overnight. It’s going to save you from long hours of boiling
2. Discard the soaking water and rinse the pearls to get rid of excess starch
3. Put a fresh 8 cups of water back into the pot. Add the presoaked pearls back in
4. Turn on the heat to medium and bring it back to a gentle simmer, give them a stir. Cover with a lid and lower the heat to avoid it from boiling over. Let it simmer for the next 15 minutes
5. Then turn off the heat, do not open the lid and let them soak for another 15-20 minutes
6. Uncover the lid and you will see all the large pearls have turned translucent, and if you press on the pearls, they are soft and chewy. You may see a few pearls with some white center, but if you squeeze those pearls, they are actually soft and chewy already
7. Drain off the cooking water and gently rinse the pearls with some water
8. If not using the tapioca pearls immediately, simply toss them with a tablespoon of sugar and they won’t stick to each other anymore. They can be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container for about a day or two
How to cook large tapioca pearl pudding
1. Put milk (or milk of your choice, preferably full fat/cream for the best result), sugar and the tapioca pearls in the pot. Bring the milk to a gentle simmer, don’t hard boil it. Cook until sugar dissolves
2. For the vegan version (without egg), Mix cornstarch with water and stir until they are combined. Stir this into the pot while another hand keep stirring. Off the heat
3. Add vanilla extract and stir to combine. The mixture will thicken and will thicken further when it cools down
4. Serve it warm or chilled
vegan large pearl tapioca pudding
5. For egg version, With one hand keep whisking the egg, slowly add some of the milk into the egg and keep whisking. This is to temper the egg so it won’t curdle when you add it to the milk. After that, gradually pour the egg mixture into pot and keep stirring. The mixture will thicken. It may not thicken as much but it will continue to thicken as it cools down. Add vanila extract and stir to combine
6. Let it cool down for about 5 minutes at room temperature. I love to eat my tapioca pudding warm, but you can chill it in the fridge after it has cooled down
How to store leftover tapioca pudding
Leftover can be kept in a container once it cools down completely. Try to consume within 3 days for the best taste and texture. Simply reheat in a saucepan by adding a splash of milk (or as much as needed) to thin it down a bit and keep stirring and the thick pudding will loosen up to the consistency you like and you can have them warm again
DID YOU MAKE THIS EASY LARGE PEARL TAPIOCA PUDDING RECIPE?
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The recipe is updated on April 13, 2022 to improve the cooking process, the recipe, and to include a new video tutorial.
How to Cook Large Tapioca Pearls and Tapioca Pudding
Ingredients
To boil large tapioca pearls:
- 1 cup large tapioca pearls 160 grams
- 8 cups water
To make large tapioca pearl pudding:
- 2 cups whole milk or coconut milk or other nut milk for vegan version
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup sugar or more to taste
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
To thicken the pudding:
- 1 egg yolk beaten
For vegan version:
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch + 1 Tbsp water or more as needed
Instructions
Precook the tapioca pearls and then soak:
- Do not soak the tapioca pearls when they are still raw. At least not the kind I use. They will dissolve into starch. We need to precook it and then soak them
- Place 8 cups of water in a large pot with a lid. Bring to a boil and add the tapioca pearls. Bring it back to a boil and then immediately lower the heat to let them gently simmer for 5 minutes, give them a stir once or twice to prevent the pearls from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Turn off the heat and cover the lid and soak for a minimum of 8 hours but no more than 12 hours. It's going to save you from long hours of boiling
After soaking:
- Discard the soaking water and rinse the pearls to get rid of excess starch. Put a fresh 8 cups of water back into the pot. Add the presoaked pearls back in. Turn on the heat to medium and bring it back to a gentle simmer, give them a stir. Cover with a lid and lower the heat to avoid it from boiling over. Let it simmer for the next 15 minutes. Then turn off the heat, do not open the lid and let them soak for another 10-15 minutes (sometimes maybe longer depending on the tapioca pearls you use)
- Uncover the lid and you will see all the large pearls have turned translucent, and if you press on the pearls, they are soft and chewy. You may see a few pearls with some white center, but if you squeeze those pearls, they are actually soft and chewy already. Drain off the cooking water and gently rinse the pearls with some water
If not using the tapioca pearls immediately:
- Simply toss them with a tablespoon of sugar and they won't stick to each other anymore. They can be stored at room temperature for about a day or two
If using them to make tapioca pudding:
- Put milk (or milk of your choice, preferably full fat/cream for the best result), sugar and the tapioca pearls in the pot. Bring the milk to a gentle simmer, don't hard boil it. Cook until sugar dissolves
Temper the egg yolk (skip for vegan version):
- With one hand keep whisking the egg, slowly add some of the milk into the egg and keep whisking. This is to temper the egg so it won't curdle when you add it to the milk. After that, gradually pour the egg mixture into pot and keep stirring. The mixture will thicken. It may not thicken as much but it will continue to thicken as it cools down. Remove from the heat and add vanilla extract and stir to combine
Thicken with cornstarch (for vegan version):
- Mix cornstarch with water and stir until they are combined. Stir this into the pot while another hand keep stirring. Off the heat. Add vanilla extract and stir to combine. The mixture will thicken and will thicken further when it cools down.
Serving:
- Let it cool down for about 5 minutes at room temperature. I love to eat my tapioca pudding warm, but you can chill it in the fridge after it has cooled down
Storing:
- Leftover can be kept in a container once it cools down completely. Try to consume within 3 days for the best taste and texture. Simply reheat in a saucepan by adding a splash of milk (or as much as needed) to thin it down a bit and keep stirring and the thick pudding will loosen up to the consistency you like and you can have them warm again
42 comments
Hi Marvellina, Iam in the process of trying your recipe. Can I use 1 1/2 cups of whole milk and a 1/2 cup when I cook it tonight. Will it make it creamier. Your thoughts. I tried soaking first and yes they desinergrated. Your recipe looks like a winner. Thank you.
Hi Linda,I hope I understand your question correctly. Did you mean using 1 1/2 cup of whole milk instead of 2 cups ? It definitely will make it much thicker.
How did it turn out for you?
Thanks *so* much for the pre-cooking / soaking / cooking instructions for large pearl tapioca. I see so many recipes that say to soak it “raw” overnight. I soaked 1/2 cup overnight and when I noticed it was starting to disintegrate I knew that couldn’t be the optimal outcome and started searching more about how to use large pearl tapioca. I found your instructions, and they were spot-on! I probably should have also followed your actual pudding recipe, because I followed a different recipe (substituting their “soak overnight, 5 min cook” (!!!) for your “5 min pre-cook, soak overnight, 15 min cook, 10-15 min rest”) and it never set up, probably because that recipe relied on the excess starch from “cooking” the tapioca directly in the custard.
I ended up trying to salvage the still-liquid “pudding soup” this morning by adding cornstarch and (re)heating to a simmer over medium heat (basically trying to pick back up at the “thicken” step in your recipe). It’s much thicker now, just waiting for it to (hopefully) set up!
Hi Christina, they must be using different kind of tapioca pearls because the ones I have, I could never soak them without turning into a mud! As for the cooking, if the recipe cooks the pearls directly in the custard, the starch would have thickened the pudding. The recipe I have here, relies on egg to thicken the pudding and the tapioca pearls are cooked separately. I hope the cornstarch somehow “rescue” the pudding?
My tapioca did not get thick, even after cooling. I used half-and-half and egg yolk with large pearls. Should I cook it for longer? What do you recommend?
Hi Margaret, sorry for the trouble you had. During cooking, you want to cook until the mixture starts to thicken and then off the heat as it usually continue to thicken up as it cools down. Maybe can try cut down on the liquid to 1 1/2 cup and see
It doesn’t have any flavouring in it, not even vanilla, yet apparently tastes fine without it?
There should be vanilla extract in it. It’s in the steps but somehow not listed in the ingredient list. I have amended it accordingly.
Hi. Your recipe sounds great. I am wondering if boba pearls could be used in place of the tapioca. Any ideas? Thanks
Hi Laura, they are pretty much the same thing 🙂 Boba pearls are made of tapioca starch. Boba pearls is a more well-known term, made famous by the boba pearl tea I supposed 🙂