Gluten Free Naturally: Tapioca Pudding


The next time you are at your local Asian market (or if you are lucky, at your local well-stocked grocer), pick up a bag of large pearl tapioca. You don’t need much to make a sweet treat for yourself that is quite versatile.

I always avoided making tapioca because everyone talks about what a “long and arduous” process it is. To be honest, this was no more work than wild rice or soaking beans, etc. The longest part of the whole process is the soaking and the waiting. The active time? It’s a snap.

We like the large pearls of tapioca – the same ones in the Bubble Teas we adore in the summer when made with fresh fruits. This recipe is written for the large pearl variety and proportions of liquids would have to be adjusted for small pearl tapioca.

This recipe makes a GREAT lunch box treat. I included a small portion along with my Sun-dried Tomato bread sandwiches (gotta mention those again… my taste buds are still acting in remembrance. LOL). Sometimes it’s nice to have a sweet treat at the end of lunch. I tend to pack a lot of fruit or nuts with my lunches. This was definitely a nice change of pace. And last week was high-stakes testing for the kids – which meant a lot of alternative schedules and proctoring. Blech. Proctoring.

You can see why I was happy to have something to look forward too, huh? 🙂

What kinds of treats do you pack with your lunches if you know your days are going to be LONG and TEDIOUS or stressful? I’d love to hear your ideas. 🙂

Gluten-Free Tapioca Pudding
Ingredients:
1/2 cup large pearl tapioca balls
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 cinnamon sticks
2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar (optional)

Directions:

  1. Soak tapioca in 2 cups of cold water overnight.
  2. Drain water from tapioca and rinse well.
  3. In a saucepan, whisk together milk, cream, eggs, sugar (not the turbinado), and nutmeg. Add cinnamon sticks. Heat while stirring until sugar has dissolved completely.
  4. Pour tapioca pearls into an ovenproof dish with a cover (1 1/2 quarts at least). Pour milk/cream/egg mixture over the top.
  5. Bake at 325F for 35-40minutes – stirring 2-3 times during the baking – or until the tapioca pearls are translucent.
  6. Serve with whipped cream or sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Enjoy warm or cool. (It will thicken as it cools. Don’t worry, but consider whipping in some whipped cream to lighten if you so desire.)

I hope you have may a sweet treat in your lunch this week too!
-Kate

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