The Best Homemade Tapioca Pudding Recipe

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This Tapioca Pudding recipe is a creamy, old-fashioned pudding dessert that is downright dreamy! Made with tapioca pearls, milk, cream, and sugar, and infused with cinnamon and vanilla, Homemade Tapioca Pudding will put any store-bought variety to shame!

Tapioca pudding in small serving bowl topped with fresh whipped cream and strawberries with berries in background.

My mom was known more for her savory recipes, like Pizza Meatloaf, Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce, and Rice Pilaf, than for baking. That said, there were three desserts she made often. Hot Milk Cake, Snickerdoodle Cookies, and Tapioca Pudding.

Old-Fashioned Tapioca Pudding is my dad's all-time favorite dessert and therefore a treat we enjoyed often. It is rich, creamy, and has a unique texture. And while it may be my dad's favorite dessert, no one complained when we were treated to a bowl of tapioca pudding.

Reasons to Love This Tapioca Pudding Recipe

Old-Fashioned Dessert. Made with simple ingredients and a bit of patience, this dessert is a dessert made with love.
Make-Ahead Pudding. Tapioca Pudding can be made up to 48 hours in advance, making it a great dessert to prep ahead for a gathering or family dinner.
Perfectly Flavored. Made with a small amount of cinnamon and nutmeg and finished with deep, rich vanilla, this creamy pudding sings with flavor.
Unique Texture. Instead of being simply creamy like traditional pudding or a panna cotta, the tapioca pearls add a nice texture to the pudding, leaving you feeling satisfied.
Gluten-Free Recipe. Tapioca pudding is naturally gluten-free, making it a great treat to serve to anyone with a gluten allergy.

Notes on Ingredients

Ingredients for Tapioca pudding labeled on counter.

Small Tapioca Pearls: While I have included modifications for using minute tapioca, this recipe calls for small tapioca pearls. You can purchase them online or find them in the baking aisle of most large grocery stores.
Milk + Cream: To make the creamiest, most luscious tapioca pudding, I recommend using a combination of whole milk and heavy cream. Feel free to replace the cream with half and half or additional whole milk if desired.
Granulated Sugar: The classic option for sweetening this pudding.
Eggs: The eggs work to thicken the pudding.
Flavorings: Vanilla extract is always added to tapioca pudding. I strongly recommend adding a pinch of both cinnamon and nutmeg to the pudding as both add a rich warming undertone to the pudding.

Dietary Modifications

Dairy-Free Tapioca Pudding: Replace the milk and cream with canned coconut milk (not cream) for creamy, thick, dairy-free tapioca pudding.
Egg-Free Tapioca Pudding: Simply omit the eggs, keeping in mind that your pudding will not be quite as thick.

How to Make Homemade Tapioca Pudding

The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step One: Cook Tapioca Pearls. Cooking the tapioca pearls does take a bit of time and patience. That said, it is as simple as simmering the tapioca pearls in milk and cream until they soften.

Kristen's Tip

Because you need to stir the pudding often as it cooks, I recommend preparing tapioca pudding when you are making dinner or meal-prepping for the week. That way you will be able to maximize the time spent in the kitchen.

Tapioca pearls in small saucepan after softening in cream and milk.

Step Two: Temper Eggs into Pudding. To prevent the eggs from scrambling or seizing up in the pudding, you need to slowly heat the eggs, AKA temper the eggs. To do this, whisk the eggs in a small bowl. Add ½ cup of the warm tapioca pudding to the eggs and whisk to combine. Now you can slowly pour that mixture into the pudding and the eggs will thoroughly combine without issue.

2 large eggs whisked with ½ cup of prepared tapioca pudding.

Step Three: Thicken. Once the eggs have been tempered into the cream mixture, turn the heat up, and cook until the tapioca pudding has thickened, whisking constantly. It won't take but a few minutes.

Cooked tapioca pudding in small saucepan after thickened.

Step Four: Cool. After the pudding has thickened transfer it to a heat-safe bowl. It is important to immediately cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap which will prevent a skin from forming on the surface of the pudding. This simply ensures every bite is nice velvety and creamy.

Prepared tapioca pudding in heat-safe bowl with layer of plastic wrap over the top of the surface of the pudding.

Step Five: Serve. While you can serve tapioca pudding warm, it is traditionally served chilled. Add a dollop of whipped cream to take this creamy dessert over the top.

Tapioca pudding in small serving bowls topped with fresh whipped cream and strawberries with berries and cinnamon sticks in background.

Storage Options

Refrigerate: Keep the surface of the pudding covered with plastic wrap and refrigerate the pudding for up to 4 days.
Freeze: While many cream desserts don't freeze well, tapioca pudding freezes well. Transfer the fully cooled pudding to a freezer-safe container and place a layer of plastic wrap on the surface of the pudding. Store in the freezer for 1-2 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Options for Flavoring Tapioca Pudding

Chocolate Tapioca Pudding: For a rich chocolatey version of tapioca pudding, omit the cinnamon and nutmeg and reduce the granulated sugar to from ½ cup to ¼ cup. Whisk ¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder into the milk and cream along with the sugar. Cook as directed. After removing the pudding from the heat, stir in vanilla along with 1 cup of chopped dark chocolate into the warm pudding. Stir until the chocolate has fully melted.
Coconut Tapioca Pudding: Use coconut milk in place of the milk and cream. Serve the pudding with toasted coconut if desired as well.
Add Orange Zest: For a bright, citrus flavor, omit the cinnamon and nutmeg, and add the zest of 1 large orange to the pudding when simmering the tapioca pearls.
Add with Fresh Fruit: Add diced mango, diced strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or peaches to the pudding right before serving.
Add Dried Fruit: Stir in raisins or dried cranberries, just like rice pudding.

Minute Tapioca Pudding

This recipe is designed using tapioca pearls, not minute or instant tapioca. If you have Instant or Minute Tapioca rather than tapioca pearls, you can still enjoy delicious, creamy tapioca pudding using the following modifications.

Whisk together 1 large egg with 2 cups of whole milk and ¾ cup of cream in a medium saucepan. Stir in ⅓ cup sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, and 3 tablespoons of Minute tapioca. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes. Don't skip waiting 5 minutes, the tapioca needs that time to absorb the liquid.
Turn heat to medium and bring mixture to a bubblie stirring constantly, being careful not to let it burn.
Remove from heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding and cool for 15 to 20 minutes.