By Melissa Clark
- Total Time
- 1 hour 10 minutes
- Rating
- 5(240)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This pudding offers you both the satisfying crack of using your spoon to break through a brûlée topping and the sensation of dipping that spoon into fluffy pudding. Tapioca generally isn’t baked, but it is easier than cooking it on top of the stove. And once the pudding is in the oven you can leave it alone, as opposed to the stovetop method, which requires frequent stirring to prevent scorching. The use of pearl tapioca makes for a springy texture, and cinnamon in the topping adds a bit of spice.
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Ingredients
Yield:6 to 8 servings.
- 3cups whole milk
- 1cup heavy cream
- 1cinnamon stick
- ⅓cup small pearl tapioca
- 4large egg yolks
- 85grams granulated sugar (about ⅓ cup)
- ¼teaspoon fine sea salt
- 45grams Demerara sugar (about 3 tablespoons)
- ¼teaspoon ground cinnamon.
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
253 calories; 16 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 17 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 125 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Heat oven to 300 degrees
Step
2
In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, cream and cinnamon stick to a simmer. Whisk in the tapioca. Simmer until the pearls are completely tender, about 20 minutes.
Step
3
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, granulated sugar and salt. Whisking constantly, pour in a third of the tapioca mixture. Whisk yolk mixture into the pot of tapioca; simmer over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a heat-proof spatula, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
Step
4
Transfer pudding to a buttered 1.5-quart gratin dish. Sprinkle the top with Demerara sugar and cinnamon. Bake, uncovered, until the pudding is firm around the edges and jiggly in the center, about 30 minutes. Put under the broiler until top is bubbling and golden, 3 to 5 minutes. (Watch carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn.) Eat warm, or chill and serve cold, removing the cinnamon stick while serving.
Ratings
5
out of 5
240
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Cooking Notes
Scott
Two lessons: First, do not use "Tapioca Granules" even if that's all the market has and the box has a tapioca pudding recipe. Second, do not cook this dish, put in the fridge, and notice the cream that you forgot to add in Step 1. (Double all of this if tapioca pudding is your wife's favorite childhood dessert and she is the creative director of NYT Cooking).
Jen
Many recipes I find call for soaking the tapioca for 12 hours/overnight. Are you using instant in this recipe?
Aaron
I did and it worked fine.A lot of the demerara sugar had dissolved into the custard during baking, though. It tasted great, but there wasn't enough left for a crust, as pictured. Next time, I might try holding some sugar back and putting it on right before I torch or broil.
Christina
I'm supposed to be on a diet. I keep making this instead.
kate
Very tasty and a hit with the family. I could not find pearl tapioca at any of the grocery stores in my city, eventually ordered Bob's Red Mill online. I would say this serves 4-6 at most. Good with raspberries.
Katy
Demerara sugar is chunkier and less processed than regular granulated sugar, so it is light brown with hints of molasses. Other than the texture (which is needed for this recipe), it is a lot like brown sugar. Florida Crystals makes demerara sugar, and I can find it in bigger supermarkets. It's quite overpriced on Amazon.
Angie
I made this a while back (2013) with large tapioca pearls (didn’t soak them so it took forever to cook through) but it was delicious and we think about it often. It has been requested as a birthday treat this weekend. I will make it with large pearls again, hopefully we will get the same yummy result! Can’t wait!
Tallis Green
I used a homemade almond/cashew milk, coconut cream, and also substituted palm sugar for the regular sugar. Worked perfectly and is delicious
Stacey
Could you use a kitchen torch on the sugar instead of putting it under the broiler?
VLJ
Added 1/2 tsp of vanilla after adding the custard back into the tapioca mixture which made the cinnamon less powerful and more mellow.
Ali
Too sweet, maybe half sugar. Add sugar when suggested, not later.
Yvonne
I’ve done this twice now. Delicious. Followed the directions explicitly, but I had to give it an hour in the oven both times to get it to set up - still very “wet” but sets up the rest of the way in the fridge.
Christina
I'm supposed to be on a diet. I keep making this instead.
Chase
If one had the tapioca pudding already made, I am wondering if that could be used and if any more milk or shuck would needed to be added ?
Christina
Pandemic cooking but inauguration day! A great day to celebrate with caloric pudding - especially this creamy comforting toothsome caloric pudding. I added a splash of vanilla and a small handful of candied ginger - next time I'll add more. I didn't achieve the creme brûlée top (even with the broiler) but I didn't especially miss it. Next time, I'll try a blow torch method at the end.
Tallis Green
I used a homemade almond/cashew milk, coconut cream, and also substituted palm sugar for the regular sugar. Worked perfectly and is delicious
Angie
I made this a while back (2013) with large tapioca pearls (didn’t soak them so it took forever to cook through) but it was delicious and we think about it often. It has been requested as a birthday treat this weekend. I will make it with large pearls again, hopefully we will get the same yummy result! Can’t wait!
Stacey
Could you use a kitchen torch on the sugar instead of putting it under the broiler?
Aaron
I did and it worked fine.A lot of the demerara sugar had dissolved into the custard during baking, though. It tasted great, but there wasn't enough left for a crust, as pictured. Next time, I might try holding some sugar back and putting it on right before I torch or broil.
debbie kirsch
what is demerara sugar?
Katy
Demerara sugar is chunkier and less processed than regular granulated sugar, so it is light brown with hints of molasses. Other than the texture (which is needed for this recipe), it is a lot like brown sugar. Florida Crystals makes demerara sugar, and I can find it in bigger supermarkets. It's quite overpriced on Amazon.
cshellyg
Better a day later!
Jen
Many recipes I find call for soaking the tapioca for 12 hours/overnight. Are you using instant in this recipe?
Bronwyn
My tapioca didn't say instant on the package, but just in case I simmered them for 15 minutes first. That cooked them completely so I will not do that again. I'm guessing I lost out on flavor.
Scott
Two lessons: First, do not use "Tapioca Granules" even if that's all the market has and the box has a tapioca pudding recipe. Second, do not cook this dish, put in the fridge, and notice the cream that you forgot to add in Step 1. (Double all of this if tapioca pudding is your wife's favorite childhood dessert and she is the creative director of NYT Cooking).
Kylie
This was super easy and delicious. The top never really brûléed even after 10 minutes under broiler, so I gave up and ate it as-is. Still delicious. Will sub this for when I need a quicker option than baked rice pudding!
kate
Very tasty and a hit with the family. I could not find pearl tapioca at any of the grocery stores in my city, eventually ordered Bob's Red Mill online. I would say this serves 4-6 at most. Good with raspberries.
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