• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Teak & Thyme
  • RECIPES
  • SHOP
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • ABOUT
    • Email
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • RECIPES
  • SHOP
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • ABOUT
    • Instagram
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • RECIPES
    • SHOP
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • ABOUT
    • Instagram
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home > Recipes > Puddings

    Baked Tapioca Pudding

    Published: January 17, 2023 | Last Modified: January 20, 2023 by Gail Ng | 5 Comments

    JUMP TO RECIPE PRINT RECIPE

    This baked tapioca pudding is made with a custardy tapioca pudding and a crisp pineapple bun crust on top. It tastes as good as the ones served at Chinese restaurants but you can easily make it at home!

    A scoop taken out of a baked tapioca pudding to show the sago pearls inside.
    Jump to:
    • What is baked tapioca pudding?
    • Why you'll love this recipe
    • Ingredients
    • How to make baked tapioca pudding
    • Storage
    • Tips & tricks
    • Frequently asked questions
    • More tapioca recipes to try
    • Recipe

    Once in a while, there will be desserts that I make that really, really excite me (all desserts excite me so that's saying a lot) and this is one of them! I've wanted to make baked tapioca pudding myself for a while since it's kind of a special treat that I only eat on occasion at Chinese restaurants. It has always been one of my favourites but there aren't too many recipes online for this delicious dessert. Turns out, it's not that hard to make at home!

    If you're familiar with making pastry cream, the custard filling is basically the same as making pastry cream except you mix it with tapioca pearls to make this pudding. The crust is borrowed directly from a pineapple bun topping which is sweet, crunchy, and baked until shiny and golden brown.

    This is the perfect dessert for Lunar New Year and would definitely be a crowd-pleaser as it's "not too sweet". I'm already planning on making it again (twice in one week!) and I hope you love it too!

    What is baked tapioca pudding?

    Baked tapioca pudding is a Cantonese dessert originating from Hong Kong. It's made with a base of custard-like tapioca pudding and topped with a crisp and crunchy crust that resembles the diamond-patterned topping of Chinese pineapple buns. Sometimes it's made with a layer of filling in the middle such as taro paste (recipe for taro paste in my Taro Milk Bubble Tea recipe), black sesame paste, red bean paste, or chestnut paste.

    It's typically served freshly baked and warm for dessert at Chinese restaurants. You'll need to pre-order it a day ahead of time at most restaurants since there's prep work involved and it isn't pre-made as part of their regular dessert offerings every day.

    Why you'll love this recipe

    • This baked tapioca pudding is just like the ones served for dessert at Chinese restaurants.
    • It's crisp and crunchy on top while soft and custardy on the inside.
    • The tapioca pearls give this pudding a fun and satisfying texture.
    • There are a few components to this dessert but I've broken them down to their simplest forms so that the recipe is easy to follow.
    Tapioca pudding in a baking dish with golden brown pineapple bun crust on top.

    Ingredients

    • All-purpose flour
    • Milk powder - This really gives the crust its unique flavour that you can find in Chinese baked goods. It gives it a milky and creamy taste without adding any liquid to the crust.
    • Salt
    • Unsalted butter - This needs to be softened to room temperature so that it's easy to mix without an electric mixer and creates a soft dough.
    • Granulated sugar - You'll need this for both the crust topping and the tapioca pudding.
    • Eggs - You'll need 4 large eggs in total for this recipe. The 1 egg going into the crust needs to be at room temperature. It doesn't matter for the other 3 eggs but I'd take all of them out of the fridge anyways so that you don't forget.
    • Vanilla extract - Adds a lovely fragrant flavour and scent to the dessert.
    • Uncooked tapioca pearls (sago) - You'll need the tapioca pearls (also known as "sago") that are tiny and white when uncooked. Cook these with plenty of water since they thicken the water as they cook and always keep them submerged in cold water after cooking.
    • Milk - Any dairy or non-dairy milk works here but I like the mild taste of dairy milk in this pudding.
    • Cornstarch - This helps thicken the custard as it cooks.

    How to make baked tapioca pudding

    For the crust topping

    Mix dry ingredients - In a small bowl, stir together flour, milk powder, and salt. Set aside.

    Cream together wet ingredients - In a medium mixing bowl, use a spatula or whisk to cream the softened butter with the granulated sugar until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined.

    Form the dough - Add the flour mixture and mix again until it forms a soft dough.

    Mixing ingredients for crust topping in a bowl.

    Roll out the dough - Place the dough in between two sheets of parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to about ⅛"-¼" thick. Let this chill in the fridge laying flat until solid, about 1 hour.

    Forming and rolling out crust dough.

    For the tapioca pudding

    Cook the tapioca pearls - Fill a medium pot full with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add in the tapioca pearls and give it a stir. Boil for 15 minutes until the tapioca is mostly translucent with a tiny dot of white in the middle. Cover, remove from the heat, and let sit for 10 minutes until the tapioca are completely translucent. Drain the tapioca pearls in a fine mesh sieve and keep submerged in cold water until ready to use.

    Tapioca pearls before and after cooking.

    Mix egg mixture - In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla extract. Set aside.

    Temper egg mixture with hot milk - In a small pot, heat milk on medium heat until small bubbles start coming to the surface and it just starts simmering. Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking quickly and constantly with your other hand to temper the eggs.

    Cook custard - Pour the entire mixture back into the pot and return it to low-medium heat. Continue whisking the mixture constantly until it thickens into a custard consistency, about 8-10 minutes.

    Mixing and tempering eggs to make custard.

    Fill baking dish - Remove the custard from the heat. Add the drained tapioca pearls and stir to combine. Transfer this whole mixture to an 8-9" baking dish.

    Mixing tapioca pearls into custard and pouring into baking dish.

    Prep - Preheat the oven to 375°F.

    Cover with crust dough - Take your rolled out crust topping out of the fridge and peel off the parchment paper. Place the dough on top of the tapioca in the baking dish. Use a knife to trim off any overhanging excess.

    Score & apply egg wash - Use a knife to score a diamond pattern on top of the crust. Brush a light layer of beaten egg on the crust.

    Scoring a diamond pattern onto crust topping and brushing with egg wash.

    Bake - Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Let the baked tapioca pudding cool on a wire rack for at least 20-30 minutes so the filling can set before serving warm.

    Storage

    This baked tapioca pudding is best served on the same day it is made but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. Reheat before serving.

    A portion of baked tapioca pudding in a wooden bowl.

    Tips & tricks

    • Cook the tapioca pearls in a full pot of water. The tapioca starch thickens the water quite a bit as it cooks so use more water than you think you need for the small amount of dry tapioca. This small amount absorbs the water and increases in size significantly.
    • Keep the cooked tapioca pearls submerged in cold water. This prevents the tapioca from clumping together and drying out before you're ready to use them. Drain away the water before adding the tapioca to the custard.
    • Roll the crust dough out thinner or thicker as desired. Roll it out to ¼" for a thick and crunchy cookie-like crust. Roll it out to ⅛" for a thinner, crackly crust. Bake until the crust is golden brown - longer if it's thicker and shorter if it's thinner.
    • Whisk constantly when tempering the eggs. Pour the hot milk into the egg mixture slowly with one hand and whisk quickly and constantly with the other hand. You don't want to make scrambled eggs. Do the same when cooking the mixture into a custard. It will start out watery and it'll seem like nothing's happening but keep whisking! The change in thickness happens suddenly.
    • Let the tapioca pudding cool slightly to firm up. It's tempting to dig in when it's piping hot from the oven but the filling needs a bit of time to set. Cool for 20-30 minutes before serving. The pudding will still be warm but it won't fall apart.

    Frequently asked questions

    Are tapioca and sago the same thing?

    Tapioca and sago are different but the terms are often used interchangeably. Real sago is made from the starch of the sago palm whereas tapioca is made from the starch of the cassava root. Most desserts nowadays made with sago are actually referring to tapioca pearls, because sago is difficult and expensive to produce. Tapioca has long been used as a substitute for real sago but the name ”sago” has stuck over time.

    What do you do with the water after boiling tapioca pearls?

    Drain the water from your tapioca pearls and replace it with cold water to stop the cooking process. When you're ready to use the tapioca pearls, drain the water away again down the sink.

    More tapioca recipes to try

    • Mango Sago
    • Brown Sugar Milk Boba
    • Avocado Boba
    • Earl Grey Bubble Tea

    Recipe

    A scoop taken out of a baked tapioca pudding to show the sago pearls inside.

    Baked Tapioca Pudding

    Author: Gail Ng
    Custard tapioca pudding baked under a crisp pineapple bun crust - baked tapioca pudding like the ones served at Chinese restaurants!
    5 from 38 votes
    PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE SAVE RECIPE SAVED!
    Prep Time 35 minutes mins
    Cook Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
    Chilling Time 1 hour hr
    Total Time 2 hours hrs 55 minutes mins
    Yield 6 servings
    Category Dessert
    Cuisine Chinese

    Ingredients
      

    Crust Topping

    • 220 g all-purpose flour
    • 25 g milk powder
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 135 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
    • 135 g granulated sugar
    • 1 large egg, room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Tapioca Pudding

    • 100 g uncooked tapioca pearls (sago)
    • 350 g milk
    • 2 large eggs
    • 100 g granulated sugar
    • 30 g cornstarch
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

    Egg Wash

    • 1 large egg, beaten
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    Crust Topping

    • In a small bowl, stir together flour, milk powder, and salt. Set aside.
    • In a medium mixing bowl, use a spatula or whisk to cream the softened butter with the granulated sugar until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add the flour mixture and mix again until it forms a soft dough.
    • Place the dough in between two sheets of parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to about ⅛"-¼" thick. Let this chill in the fridge laying flat until solid, about 1 hour.

    Tapioca Pudding

    • Fill a medium pot full with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add in the tapioca pearls and give it a stir. Boil for 15 minutes until the tapioca is mostly translucent with a tiny dot of white in the middle. Cover, remove from the heat, and let sit for 10 minutes until the tapioca are completely translucent.
    • Drain the tapioca pearls in a fine mesh sieve and keep submerged in cold water until ready to use.
    • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
    • In a small pot, heat milk on medium heat until small bubbles start coming to the surface and it just starts simmering. Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking quickly and constantly with your other hand to temper the eggs.
    • Pour the entire mixture back into the pot and return it to low-medium heat. Continue whisking the mixture constantly until it thickens into a custard consistency, about 8-10 minutes.
    • Remove the custard from the heat. Add the drained tapioca pearls and stir to combine. Transfer this whole mixture to an 8-9" baking dish.
    • Preheat the oven to 375°F.
    • Take your rolled out crust topping out of the fridge and peel off the parchment paper. Place the dough on top of the tapioca in the baking dish. Use a knife to trim off any overhanging excess.
    • Use a knife to score a diamond pattern on top of the crust. Brush a light layer of beaten egg on the crust.
    • Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Let the baked tapioca pudding cool on a wire rack for at least 20-30 minutes so the filling can set before serving warm.

    Notes

    Note: This recipe for the crust topping makes more than enough to cover 1 baking dish to avoid splitting the egg amount. You can re-roll the scraps for another tapioca pudding or store it in the fridge or freezer for another time.
    Optional filling: Add a layer of taro paste, black sesame paste, red bean paste, or chestnut paste in the middle of the tapioca pudding. Fill the baking dish with half of the tapioca custard, spread the filling on top in an even layer, and top with the rest of the custard.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 630kcal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 169mg | Sodium: 181mg | Potassium: 235mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 854IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 141mg | Iron: 3mg
    Keywords baked sago pudding, baked tapioca pudding
    Tried this recipe?Leave a rating & comment to let us know how it was and tag your Instagram posts with @teakandthyme!

    More Puddings

    • A spoon resting in a ramekin of cracked pumpkin crème brûlée.
      Pumpkin Crème Brûlée
    • A bowl of honeydew sago pudding with honeydew melon balls on top.
      Honeydew Sago
    • Three banana pudding jars with a spoon resting on the side.
      Banana Pudding Jars
    • A spoonful of mango pudding resting in the glass with mango chunks on top.
      Mango Pudding (Hong Kong Style)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a comment or review Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Claudia

      June 26, 2023 at 6:58 pm

      5 stars
      This was delicious and had a nice balance of sweetness. I subbed evaporated milk for regular milk in the filling because I had some leftover in the fridge. It was very tasty! Thanks for this great recipe.

      Reply
    2. Sonya

      March 05, 2023 at 4:17 pm

      Very excited to try this recipe. Just wondering if you've tried coconut milk and taro chunks as an add in.

      Reply
      • Gail Ng

        March 06, 2023 at 9:42 am

        Both coconut milk and taro chunks would work perfectly in this!

        Reply
    3. Natalie

      January 26, 2023 at 8:47 am

      Do you think it'd be okay to use a milk alternative for the tapioca pudding? Like oat milk.

      Reply
      • Gail Ng

        January 26, 2023 at 8:50 am

        Yes! You can use any dairy or non-dairy milk.

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Girl standing in front of kitchen.

    Hi, I'm Gail! I'm a Chinese-Canadian girl with a major sweet tooth. I make desserts, baked goods, and drinks inspired by my favourite sweets, twists on classics, and flavours from my Asian background. I hope you're hungry!

    Learn more about me →

    Popular Recipes

    • Oreo ice cream sandwiches stacked on top of each other.
      Oreo Ice Cream Sandwiches
    • Soju yakult cocktail in a glass with soju bottle in the background and yakult in the foreground.
      Soju Yakult Cocktail
    • Piped squiggle design of toasted meringue on top of lemon tarts
      Mini Lemon Meringue Tarts
    • Glass drizzled with brown sugar syrup and filled with milk and boba.
      Brown Sugar Milk Boba

    Recent Posts

    • A chocolate blossom cookie with a bite taken out of it resting on another cookie.
      Chocolate Blossom Cookies
    • Earl grey sugar cookies scattered on a wooden board.
      Earl Grey Sugar Cookies
    • A cranberry apple galette sitting on a wire rack on a kitchen counter.
      Cranberry Apple Galette
    • Cinnamon roll donuts scattered on parchment paper, some with cream cheese frosting, some without.
      Cinnamon Roll Donuts

    Footer

    ↑ BACK TO TOP

    More Info

    About • Contact • Privacy Policy

    Keep exploring

    Copyright © 2021 Teak & Thyme. All rights reserved.

    Follow

    Instagram • Tiktok • Youtube • Pinterest

    160 shares
    A portion of baked tapioca pudding in a wooden bowl.
    A scoop taken out of a baked tapioca pudding to show the sago pearls inside.
    Tapioca pudding in a baking dish with golden brown pineapple bun crust on top.