Tapioca Pudding Recipe - WonkyWonderful (2024)

FAQs

Why did my tapioca pudding curdle? ›

Curdling occurs when the eggs in a pudding are overcooked. For that reason, stove-top puddings are usually thickened with starch and then enriched with eggs. Since the starch thickens first, the pudding will already be fully cooked and thickened before the eggs would have gotten hot enough to curdle.

Add instant tapioca: Another option is to mix a small amount of instant tapioca into the pudding and let it sit for a few minutes. The tapioca will absorb some of the liquid and help thicken the pudding [1].

Looking at a tapioca pearl, you may think, “What are these made out of?” These white little balls that give tapioca pudding its signature texture actually come from the starch of the cassava root, which is grown in the tropics. After this starch is extracted, it's formed into little pearls.

A little extra soaking time can help mitigate against ratio issues if the tapioca pearls are too large for the recipe, and even if you slightly over-shoot the desired size, adding a little extra milk or cream right before serving can help ease a pudding that's too stiff.

Tapioca Troubleshooting Tips

To keep your tapioca pudding from getting runny, be sure to use whole milk. The fat from the milk is necessary for that creamy texture. For a thicker texture, cook the tapioca pearls a little longer than instructed on your package.

Using the tapioca straight out of the bag resulted in a pudding seemed a little “too” stiff (too much starch!). On the plus side, I was surprised that without soaking the tapioca pearls were pretty evenly cooked. This told me that, at least when making tapioca under pressure, you don't have to pre-soak it.

If you want to try to fix it, you can try dissolving a little bit of cornstarch in water and adding that in. Then try using a handheld or stand mixer to whip the pudding up until is starts to thicken. It will probably never set up completely, though, but it may help a little.

In general, you'll use about 6–8 cups (1,400–1,900 mL) of water for 1 cup (150 grams) of dry tapioca pearls. Using enough water is important because the pearls will absorb tons of water while they cook; not using enough could cause them to turn gummy and stick together.

If the pudding is already runny, the enjoyment will be reduced for sure! Pudding is usually runny because it has been stored in the refrigerator for too long or in an open space. Another cause could be due to improper cooking methods.

Tapioca pudding is historically the most common tapioca dish in the U.S. It's made using tapioca pearls, which are small, white balls with no flavor that are used mostly in sweet recipes. They swim in a sweet, custardy pudding made with milk, eggs, and sugar. Bigger pearls are the star of boba tea, or bubble tea.

Do I have to soak tapioca overnight? ›

First, it is important to soak small pearl tapioca before attempting to make pudding with it, or the texture will be off. Some people soak overnight, but we found that 30 minutes or so worked with small tapioca, resulting in a lively textured tapioca with wonderful creamy, custard bridging the beads.

Tapioca pudding is typically made using the small white pearls while Boba tea or Bubble tea is made using large pearls. For Boba drinks the tapioca pearls are often black, but they can be white or multicolored as well.

”To use in freezing, substitute 1 tablespoon tapioca flour for 2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour for 1 cup liquid. In non-frozen sauces, substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons tapioca flour for 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour.

Tapioca pearls, or boba, are made from tapioca and are gummy like gummy bears. The starch was overcooked if they squelch under your chomps or are so soft that they blend together. Alternatively, if they crunch, the starch is undercooked.

In general, you'll use about 6–8 cups (1,400–1,900 mL) of water for 1 cup (150 grams) of dry tapioca pearls. Using enough water is important because the pearls will absorb tons of water while they cook; not using enough could cause them to turn gummy and stick together.

To fix custard with lumps, use an immersion blender. A quick pulse with it will effectively break them down, restoring to a desired creamy texture, even when refrigerated.

The grainy texture is caused by the proteins in the egg yolk clumping together. The custard is still safe to eat, but the texture can be unpalatable. Sometimes it is possible to rescue a curdled custard enough so that it can be used as a base for ice cream, it depends how badly the custard has curdled.