Chinese Coconut Milk Tapioca and Fruit Dessert Recipe
A delicate dessert made with coconut milk, tapioca and fruit is a popular sweet treat in many Asian countries, including China. Its texture is somewhere between a pudding and a jelly, and the small, translucent tapioca pearls pleasantly “pop” between your teeth. It’s a great alternative to traditional pudding or jelly, especially in summer when you serve it slightly chilled.
This dessert combines the creamy richness of coconut milk with the unique texture of tapioca pearls and the freshness of fruit. It’s naturally gluten-free, light yet satisfying, and can be easily adapted with different fruits or flavorings to suit the season.
Chef's tips
Stir the tapioca frequently while cooking to prevent it from sticking and clumping. If the mixture thickens too much after cooling, you can gently loosen it with a splash of coconut milk. Taste and adjust the sweetness while it’s still warm, as flavors are easier to balance at that stage.
How to serve
Serve in small glass cups or dessert bowls, topped with colorful fruit like mango, strawberries, kiwi or berries. For an extra touch, sprinkle with toasted coconut flakes or a little lime zest just before serving.
Ingredients
- small tapioca pearls available in Asian grocery stores, can be substituted with sago - 80 g
- coconut milk well shaken - 400 ml
- water - 400 ml
- sugar or more to taste - 3 tablespoons
- pinch of salt to enhance the flavor
- vanilla extract or vanilla sugar - 0.5 teaspoons
- mango, strawberries or other soft fruit diced - 200 g
- mint leaves a few for decoration, optional
Preparation
- Put the tapioca into a bowl and cover with cold water for about 10 minutes to soften slightly. Then drain in a sieve.
- Bring 400 ml of water to a boil in a saucepan. When it starts boiling, add the drained tapioca. Cook over low heat for 10–15 minutes, stirring frequently so the pearls don’t stick to the bottom. The pearls should become mostly translucent with a small white dot in the center.
- When the tapioca is almost done, add the coconut milk, sugar, a pinch of salt and vanilla. Mix thoroughly.
- Cook over very low heat for another 5–7 minutes, stirring often. The mixture should thicken slightly and the tapioca pearls should become almost completely translucent.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside for 5–10 minutes so the dessert can cool slightly and thicken further. Keep in mind that once fully cooled it will be thicker than it is in the pan.
- Transfer the dessert into small bowls or glasses. Let it cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Before serving, top each portion with the diced fruit and, if you like, decorate with mint leaves.
- Serve chilled as a light coconut dessert.
Storage
Deser przechowuj w lodówce, przykryty folią lub w pojemniku. Przed podaniem możesz dodać odrobinę mleka lub wody, jeśli zrobi się zbyt gęsty.
