Classic Stovetop Tapioca Pudding

Name: Classic Stovetop Tapioca Pudding
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ½ cup (80 g) small pearl tapioca, soaked in 1½ cups (360 ml) cool water for 30 minutes, then drained; 3 cups (720 ml) whole milk, cold; 2 (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature, separated: yolks whisked together, whites lightly beaten (about 2 tablespoons yolk + ¼ cup white total is fine); ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, divided into 6 tablespoons (75 g) and 2 tablespoons (25 g); ¼ teaspoon (1½ g) fine salt; 1½ teaspoons (7½ ml) pure vanilla extract

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Creamy, old-fashioned tapioca pudding made with small pearl tapioca simmered in whole milk, enriched with tempered eggs and finished with vanilla. Soft, tender pearls in a silky custard base, served warm or chilled.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 25 min
Wait: 2 hr 30 min
Total: 3 hr 10 min
Makes: About 4 cups (6 servings of ⅔ cup)

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Steps

Before you start

Soak the tapioca pearls in water for 30 minutes before cooking; this shortens cooking and gives even, tender pearls.
Use SMALL pearl tapioca (about 2 mm), not large boba pearls or instant tapioca; the timing here is for small pearls.
Separate the eggs and have a fine-mesh strainer and a heatproof bowl ready for tempering.
Plan on at least 2½ hours of chilling if you want to serve it cold.

1
Soak the pearls
- Place the tapioca in a bowl with 1½ cups (360 ml) cool water.
- Let stand 30 minutes, then drain well in a fine-mesh strainer.
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Ready when: Pearls look slightly swollen and opaque white on the outside
Tip: Don't soak longer than 1 hour or the pearls can turn mushy.
2
Prepare egg mixtures
- Separate the eggs.
- In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the 2 yolks with 2 tablespoons (25 g) of the sugar until pale and smooth.
- In a second small bowl, beat the egg whites lightly with a fork just to break them up; set aside.
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Ready when: Yolk mixture is smooth and slightly lighter in color
3
Simmer the pearls
- In the saucepan, combine the drained tapioca, milk, 6 tablespoons (75 g) sugar, and salt.
- Let stand a minute, then set over medium heat.
- Stir constantly with a spatula, scraping the bottom and corners, until the milk begins to steam and small bubbles appear at the edges, about 8 minutes.
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Ready when: Milk is steaming with small bubbles around the edge, about 180°F (82°C)
Tip: Tapioca sticks to the bottom easily; keep stirring and don't let the milk boil hard.
4
Cook until translucent
- Reduce heat to medium-low so the milk barely bubbles.
- Cook 12–15 minutes, stirring every minute or so, until the pearls are mostly translucent with only a tiny white dot in the center and the milk has thickened slightly.
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Ready when: Pearls are translucent with a pinhead-sized white center; mixture coats the back of a spoon lightly
Tip: Pearls will keep softening off the heat, so don't overcook now.
5
Temper the yolks
- Remove the pan from heat.
- Slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot tapioca mixture into the yolk mixture in a thin stream while whisking constantly.
- Repeat with a second cup so the yolks are warmed gradually.
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Ready when: Yolk mixture is smooth, warm, and fluid with no scrambled bits
Tip: Pour slowly and whisk nonstop to avoid scrambling the eggs.
6
Return and thicken
- Scrape the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan while stirring.
- Return to medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, 3–4 minutes until the pudding thickens and reaches 170–175°F (77–79°C).
- Do not let it boil.
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Ready when: Pudding is noticeably thicker and reads 170–175°F (77–79°C)
Tip: Boiling after adding eggs can curdle the custard.
7
Fold in whites
- Remove from heat.
- Stir about ½ cup of the hot pudding into the beaten whites, then stir that back into the pot.
- Cook 1 minute more off the heat, stirring, to let the residual heat set the whites.
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Ready when: No visible streaks of raw white remain
Tip: Skip the whites for a smoother, yolk-only pudding if you prefer.
8
Add vanilla and cool
- Stir in the vanilla.
- Let the pudding cool in the pan for 15 minutes, stirring twice; it will thicken as it cools and will look slightly loose while warm.
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Ready when: Pudding is thick but still pourable, lukewarm
Tip: Serve now if you like it warm.
9
Chill and serve
- Spoon the pudding into a container or 6 dishes.
- Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin.
- Refrigerate at least 2 hours until cold and set.
- Stir gently before serving; add a splash of milk if too thick.
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Ready when: Cold and thick, mounds softly on a spoon

Good to know

Tips

Stir constantly while heating; tapioca sinks and scorches quickly.
The pudding thickens a lot as it chills, so pull it from heat while still slightly loose.
Use a heavy-bottomed pan for even heat and less sticking.
Top with fresh berries, cinnamon, or a pinch of nutmeg for serving.

Make ahead

"Make up to 2 days ahead and keep chilled with plastic wrap pressed on the surface."

Storage & reheating

"Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days; do not leave at room temperature more than 2 hours. Not recommended to freeze, as the texture turns grainy. Serve cold, or rewarm gently in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring in a splash of milk."

Substitutions

whole milk → 2½ cups (600 ml) whole milk plus ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream. Richer, more luxurious pudding.
pure vanilla extract → 1 vanilla bean seeds scraped, or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste. Add the bean to the milk at the start and remove before tempering if using a pod.
granulated sugar → Light brown sugar. Gives a subtle caramel flavor; same weight.
small pearl tapioca → Quick-cooking small pearl tapioca (no soak). Skip the soaking step and cook as package directs, usually a few minutes less.