There is something about a creamy bowl of tapioca pudding. It is easier to make at home than you might think, especially with the help of an Instant Pot. It takes almost no effort and gives you all of the nostalgia you could want from the classic treat.
If you are a fan of tapioca pudding, you are going to love this recipe. It is easy to make and so much better than what you can buy at the store.
It just requires a few simple ingredients that are easy to keep on hand. And you can have creamy tapioca pudding whenever you want it.
Tapioca pudding reminds me of childhood. There is just something about the creamy vanilla pudding and pearls of tapioca that draw me in.
After taking frog eye salad to a family dinner recently, it got my siblings and I talking about tapioca. The little pearls of pasta are reminiscent of the tapioca beads.
But instead of being pasta, tapioca is made from the cassava root. The starch extracted from the root acts as a thickener when it is heated, like most starches do.
So it is used in pie fillings, as a flour alternative, and more. But when cooked with milk and some sugar, it makes a really creamy pudding with almost gelatinous balls in it.
Of course, after talking with them about tapioca pudding, I had to make some. It was so good, just like we remembered.
So if you are having a hankering for a little tapioca pudding, but out the Instant Pot and use this recipe. It takes a little time, but almost no effort, and it’s worth the wait!
Minute Tapioca vs. Small Pearl
A lot of recipes for tapioca call for minute tapioca. The smaller grain of the minute tapioca means it cooks more quickly.
But most of the fun of eating tapioca is the texture of the beads. So I prefer using small pearl tapioca, even it it does take a little bit longer.
Because we are using a pressure cooker to make the pudding, there is no presoaking of the pearls needed. And the cook time isn’t very long.
Carlee’s Tips and Tricks
Because the tapioca isn’t soaked first, it absorbs some of the milk. That means this pudding is extra rich and creamy.
This is a great way to make a rich pudding without eggs. So there is no tempering to mess with or no worrying about getting bits of scrambled eggs in your pudding.
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Once you put the milk, sugar, and tapioca in the Instant Pot, give it a stir before putting the lid on. Having the sugar in a pile on the bottom of the insert makes it more likely you’ll get a burn warning.
As written, this recipe isn’t super sweet. I don’t like to add more sugar before it cooks because that also increases the chance of a burn warning.
Let the pudding cook, then give it a taste. If it needs more sugar, stir some in while it is still hot.
It will dissolve easily and you can adjust it to your taste. Using a little honey or maple syrup is delicious as well.
When you first open the lid of the pressure cooker, it will look like there is too much milk in there. Don’t worry if it looks runny. The tapioca will continue to absorb the liquid as it cools.
Plus, the starchy milk mixture will thicken when chilled, too. So it will come together if you give it some time.
Serving Suggestions
If you are like me, you won’t be able to help yourself from enjoying a little bit of warm pudding. There is something extra comforting it.
Tapioca is no exception. You will just want to let it cool down for at least 20 minutes first so that the tapioca is fully plump.
However, the most popular way to enjoy it is cold. It takes a few hours to chill, but it is worth the wait.
You can serve the pudding plain or stir it fruit. You could also top it with some whipped cream if you want to fancy it up a bit.
Reader Janie Commented: Perfect! We ate the WHOLE batch with fresh raspberries and it was divine!! Thank you for sharing!! 😋 ★★★★★
Instant Pot Tapioca Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 cup small tapioca pearls
- 5¼ cup whole milk
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Stir the 1 cup small tapioca pearls, 5¼ cup whole milk and ¾ cup granulated sugar together in the Instant Pot.
- Close the lid and make sure the vent is sealed. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Allow to naturally release pressure for at least 15 minutes.
- Stir in the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and give the pudding a taste. Add a little more sugar if desired.
- Allow pudding to cool for a while at room temperature, then cover and transfer to the refrigerator to chill.
Notes
- This recipe works in both 4 and 6 qt pressure cookers.
- Tapioca will stay good in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Make sure you use small tapioca pearls, not minute tapioca.
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How do you keep it from burning?
It seems to be very dependent on your specific Instant Pot, unfortunately. I think some run a little bit hotter than others.
Super easy, tasty and just what I wanted in a tapioca pudding! I love the plumpness of the grains and I did add some extra sugar. I made half a batch in the 6 qt. Instant Pot since I thought that was what would fit into my Corning Ware casserole dish (with lid). It was wonderful and thank you. I just can’t abide the store packaged puddings anymore and this makes it easy at home. No presoak, no standing stirring, no burnt bottom of the pan, no double broiler, etc. Wonderful.
I am so glad that you liked it!
Burn alert and reality
I’m sorry. I know that is a disappointment when it happens.
It didn’t even get to the timer part of the Insta pot and it boiled up through the little hole on top. Yes it was closed and I halved the recipe and I put it on low, not medium. and it’s still boiled over.
Have you actually tried it?
Of course I tried it. I am not sure how that would have happened. What size instant pot did you use?
Made this recipe twice and neither time did it turn out – was running both times even after adding more tapioca the 2nd time. Had to add thickening both times so I didn’t have to waste the ingredients.
That is really strange. Are you sure you used small tapioca pearls and not instant tapioca? The pudding will be a little bit loose when it is done cooking, but will thicken as it cools.
got a burn notice. that was disappointing
That is disappointing. I hope the tapioca was still delicious.
Mine burned in the bottom. Took out what wasn’t burned and it was good but what a waste. How do you keep it from burning?
Unfortunately, I think some Instant Pots just run a little hotter than others. You can try putting the mixture in a separate container on a trivet in the Instant Pot. That way it doesn’t have direct contact with the heating element.
I prefer the large tapioca pearls. Had to amend a bit for the larger pearls and because my Instant Pot Duo Pro tends to “food burn” ALOT! So….here’s what I did….
I PIP cooked it by putting the trivet rack that came with my Instant Pot upside down inside the Instant Pot metal cooking pot (so my cooking pot on top was close to the heat source) and put a glass Pyrex oven and microwave safe bowl on top of the trivet. I put 2 cups of water in the bottom metal bowl and all of the Tapioca Pudding ingredients in the above Pyrex bowl. Sealed it up and set for Pressure cook, High Pressure, 15 minutes, Start. After the time was up I let it naturally depressurize until safe to open. I had to stir it up, separate the tapioca pearls that stuck together and clumped with a spaghetti spoon and spatula, and repeat the process two more times. After the third time it was finally done. Added the vanilla and let cool on the counter for two hours before removing the glass Pyrex bowl and let sit another hour on the counter before putting in the refrigerator. Hope this helps someone else 🤗
Thanks for the tips!
Hi , can I use my 8 qt instead pot ?
Yes, that should work. You may want to add just a tiny bit more liquid as it will take a bit more steam to build up pressure.