Light and refreshing strawberry sago that's super easy to make with fresh strawberries, coconut milk, tapioca pearls, and any jelly add-ins you like!
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Strawberry sago is one of the easiest and most refreshing no-bake desserts you can make. It's perfect for warm days and strawberry season. It's not too sweet and always a hit with everyone.
What is strawberry sago?
Sago (also called sago pudding or tapioca pudding) is a Cantonese dessert soup that consists of tapioca pearls and usually fresh fruits or taro. It can be served hot (taro) or cold (fruit versions). It can be made as a thicker pudding consistency or a thinner soup-like consistency.
The name "sago" originally referred to the sago pearls used to make the dessert which are made from the starch extracted from the pith of palm trees. Real sago is hard to produce and isn't commonly found anymore but the name stuck. Most sago desserts nowadays are actually made with tapioca pearls which are made from the cassava plant.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Easy to make. This is a no-bake dessert that you can make in less than an hour with just a few ingredients.
- Fresh strawberry flavour. Use sweet strawberries during strawberry season for the best flavour.
- Satisfying textures. You'll get bites of fresh fruit, soft tapioca pearls, and chewy coconut jellies in every spoonful.
Ingredient notes
As always, the full recipe card with ingredient amounts and instructions is at the bottom of this post! Keep reading for more details on each ingredient or skip ahead to the recipe.
- Strawberries - Use ripe and fresh strawberries for the best flavour. Finely dice them as big or small as you would like them to be in the finished dessert.
- Coconut milk - Any brand or kind of canned coconut milk will work for this recipe. At the end, we'll use water to thin out the strawberry sago to your desired consistency but you can also use additional coconut milk for more flavour.
- Granulated sugar - The amount of sugar listed in this recipe is great if you're using very sweet strawberries or just don't want it to be too sweet. The amount you use will completely depend on how sweet your strawberries are and your preference. If your strawberries are a bit sour, add more sugar to taste.
- Small tapioca pearls - Despite the name, sago is similar but different from tapioca pearls. Real sago pearls are hard to find and not commonly used anymore so we'll be using small tapioca pearls that look like tiny white beads that you can find in most Asian grocery stores or in the international aisle of your grocery store.
- Coconut jellies (also called coconut gel or nata de coco) - This is a fun and easy chewy add-in that usually comes suspended in syrup in a jar. Be sure drain the syrup before using.
How to make strawberry sago
Blend - To a blender, add 300g or half of your diced strawberries. Add the coconut milk and sugar and blend until smooth. Taste and add more sugar if needed. Pour the mixture into a large serving bowl. Chill the mixture in the fridge while you cook the tapioca pearls.
Cook tapioca pearls - Fill a medium pot almost full with water and bring it to a boil on the stovetop. Once boiling, add the tapioca pearls and give it a stir. Boil uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let it steam for another 10 minutes until the tapioca pearls are translucent all the way through.
Drain - Pour the tapioca pearls into a large fine mesh sieve to drain the water. Rinse the tapioca pearls thoroughly with cold water to stop the cooking process and to wash away excess starchy goo. If you're not using the tapioca pearls right away, keep them submerged in cold water. Otherwise, drain and add them to your chilled strawberry mixture.
Note: the photos below show the strawberry mixture being added to the bowl after everything else for a more pleasing video but both work.
Mix - Add the remaining half of the diced strawberries, coconut jellies, and any other add-ins you like. Stir to mix well. Add water to thin out the consistency of your strawberry sago pudding to your liking and serve cold.
Storage
This strawberry sago can be stored in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 3 days.
It will thicken the the longer you store it so you may need to stir in some water or coconut milk to thin out the consistency to your liking before eating it in the following days.
More sago recipes to try
Recipe
Strawberry Sago
Ingredients
- 600 g fresh strawberries, finely diced
- 400 g coconut milk, (1 can)
- 50 g granulated sugar, adjust to taste
- 150 g small tapioca pearls
- 225 g coconut jellies, also called coconut gel or nata de coco, drained
Instructions
- Blend: To a blender, add 300g or half of your diced strawberries. Add the coconut milk and sugar and blend until smooth. Taste and add more sugar if needed. Pour the mixture into a large serving bowl. Chill the mixture in the fridge while you cook the tapioca pearls.
- Cook tapioca pearls: Fill a medium pot almost full with water and bring it to a boil on the stovetop. Once boiling, add the tapioca pearls and give it a stir. Boil uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let it steam for another 10 minutes until the tapioca pearls are translucent all the way through.
- Drain: Pour the tapioca pearls into a large fine mesh sieve to drain the water. Rinse the tapioca pearls thoroughly with cold water to stop the cooking process and to wash away excess starchy goo. If you're not using the tapioca pearls right away, keep them submerged in cold water. Otherwise, drain and add them to your chilled strawberry mixture.
- Mix: Add the remaining half of the diced strawberries, coconut jellies, and any other add-ins you like. Stir to mix well. Add water to thin out the consistency of your strawberry sago pudding to your liking and serve cold.
Notes
- Cooking tapioca pearls: Use a larger pot and more water than you think you'll need when cooking tapioca pearls. Tapioca pearls absorb a lot of water as they cook and release starch into the water, making the water very thick and gooey if there isn't enough water to offset it. The tapioca pearls can also stick together and become gooey if you don't use enough water.
- Sugar: The amount of sugar you'll need to add completely depends on how sweet your strawberries are. 50g is great if your strawberries are ripe and sweet but you may need to add upwards of 100g if your strawberries are on the sour side.
- Storage: Cover and keep your strawberry sago in the fridge for up to 3 days. It will thicken up the longer you store it so just stir in water to thin out the consistency to your liking before eating it in the following days.
- Other add-ins: various jellies, popping boba, fresh fruits, ice on extra hot days, or keep it simple!
- Process photos: The process photos show the strawberry mixture being added to the bowl after everything else for a more pleasing video when I was filming this recipe but it makes more sense to add it to the bowl first, straight from the blender so that you can clean the blender right away.
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