Ube Tapioca Pudding
Recipe Guy
Desserts | Merienda and Bakery | Fil-Am Fusion
Small tapioca pearls give this ube pudding its soft, beaded texture, while halaya makes the milk mixture more substantial than a flavored cream. Coconut milk and vanilla round out the dessert, which is spooned into cups and chilled before serving.
About This Recipe
The pearls are soaked and partly cooked in water before they enter the milk mixture. Draining between those stages removes excess cooking liquid and keeps the pudding's texture from depending entirely on starch carried over from the pot.
Ube halaya needs to blend smoothly into the warm milk so it does not leave dense purple lumps among the pearls. Gentle heat and regular stirring help keep the base even. Extra halaya or macapuno stays on top, where its texture remains distinct from the finished pudding.
Ingredient Notes
Pearls
Small pearl tapioca gives the classic soft bead texture. Do not use instant tapioca unless you change the cooking time.
Milk
Coconut milk adds richness and works especially well with mango, ube, taro, and toasted coconut.
Texture
The pudding thickens as it cools, so stop cooking while it is still a little loose.
Cooking Notes
- Drain the pearls after both soaking and their first simmer, as directed. Transfer the pearls themselves to the milk mixture rather than pouring in cloudy cooking water with them.
- When adding halaya, break up any dense portions against the side of the pan and stir them through. Scrape the bottom regularly so the thickening mixture does not catch underneath.
Ube Tapioca Pudding Recipe
A purple ube tapioca pudding enriched with ube halaya, coconut milk, and vanilla.
Shopping List
- small pearl tapioca
- milk
- coconut milk
- evaporated milk
- sugar
- vanilla
- salt
- 1 cup ube halaya
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 teaspoon ube extract
Ingredients
Tapioca Base
- 1/2 cup small pearl tapioca
- 3 cups water for soaking and par-cooking
- Pinch of salt
Cream Mixture
- 1 1/2 cups milk or coconut milk
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk or whole milk
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Flavor and Finish
- 1 cup ube halaya
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 teaspoon ube extract, optional
- Extra ube halaya or macapuno for topping
Instructions
- Rinse tapioca pearls, then soak them in cool water for 30 minutes.
- Drain the soaked pearls and simmer them in fresh water until mostly translucent.
- Drain again so excess starch does not make the pudding gluey.
- In a 3-quart saucepan, combine the 1 1/2 cups milk or coconut milk, 1/2 cup evaporated or whole milk, and the additional 1 cup coconut milk from Flavor and Finish: 3 cups total milk liquids. Warm with the salt and 1/4 cup of the listed sugar, stirring to dissolve.
- Whisk the 1 cup ube halaya into the warm milk mixture until smooth, pressing out any lumps before adding the drained tapioca.
- Add the drained tapioca and simmer gently, stirring along the bottom, until every pearl is tender and the mixture is creamy and still flows from a spoon. Allow about 10 to 15 minutes for this stage, longer if needed; it will thicken further when chilled.
- Remove from heat and stir in the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and optional 1/2 teaspoon ube extract. Taste and use up to the remaining sugar in the listed 1/3-cup maximum if needed.
- Spoon into cups, add the topping, and chill until cold.
Nutrition Estimate
Approximate nutrition for 1 serving (one-quarter of the ube pudding). Uses whole milk, evaporated milk, the additional coconut milk and 1/4 cup sugar. Halaya uses this site's formula and its approximate four-cup batch yield; extra topping is excluded. Calculated from published food data, not laboratory tested; brands and portions vary.
Tips For The Best Ube Tapioca Pudding
- Cook gently: Hard boiling can break the pearls and scorch the milk.
- Stir often: Tapioca settles quickly and can stick to the pan.
- Chill covered: A cover prevents the top from drying out.
- Adjust after chilling: Cold desserts taste less sweet, so check sweetness before serving.
How To Serve And Store
Serve cold in small bowls or glasses. Add fruit, coconut, or syrup just before serving for the best texture.
Common Questions
Can I make it dairy-free?
Use coconut milk for the 1 1/2-cup base and the additional 1 cup, plus 1/2 cup neutral plant milk. Check that the halaya and toppings are dairy-free too; many contain milk or butter.
Can I use large boba pearls?
Use them as a topping, not as the pudding base, because they need different cooking times.
How long does it keep?
Refrigerate up to 3 days.
Why is it too thick?
Stir in a splash of milk before serving.
Can I use large boba pearls for this ube pudding?
This method is written for small pearl tapioca. Large pearls need their own preparation and would change the spoonful substantially, so do not substitute them while keeping the same soaking and cooking sequence.
Why is there so much loose starch around my cooked pearls?
Make sure you drained the water after the initial simmer. Keep that water-cooking stage separate from the creamy finish; carrying all its liquid into the milk changes both the thickness and proportions.
Technique and food-safety references: kawalingpinoy.com.
