Health food stores often sell already shelled fresh coconut meat. If you can’t find it, buy a whole coconut instead. Look for one that’s heavy for its size and filled with liquid (give it a shake to be sure).
Ingredients
6 servings
½
1
2
½
⅓
1
½
Preparation
Step 1
Combine tapioca and 2 cups water in a medium bowl. Combine chia seeds and ½ cup coconut milk in a small bowl. Cover both bowls with plastic wrap and chill overnight. Pour remaining coconut milk in open can into an airtight container or another small bowl; cover and chill until ready to use.
Step 2
Drain tapioca pearls. Combine reserved coconut milk and coconut milk from remaining can in a medium saucepan; add salt and ⅓ cup agave. Bring to a boil over medium, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring constantly, until reduced by one-quarter, about 5 minutes. Add tapioca and cook, stirring constantly, until tapioca is translucent and tender but still chewy in the center, about 5 minutes. Set saucepan in a bowl of ice water and let cool, stirring occasionally.
Step 3
Stir soaked chia seeds, coconut meat, and ½ cup pineapple into pudding and scrape into a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly onto surface, and chill until thickened and cold, at least 2 hours.
Step 4
To serve, stir pudding well and divide among bowls. Top with mango, shredded coconut, and more pineapple and drizzle with some agave.
Step 5
Do Ahead: Pudding can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
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Reviews (6)
Back to TopI made this recipe today. I thought it looked interesting, healthy and different. I had the chia seeds, I love coconut and wanted to try tapioca. So I took the plunge. It was fun making this BUT, as I told my husband while we were eating it, "it's like the dessert from a different planet". Just not impressed. With all the fruit prep, it looks pretty but not worth making again. Taste is just ok with a strange twist because of the texture.
CFoote
Southern California
3/28/2019
I really liked this! It makes a really tasty dessert, and it's easy to make apart from the overnight soaking. Notes: I did omit the 1/3c agave initially, because I like things less sweet and I find that coconut milk and pineapple already have a bit of sweetness to them, and I just drizzled a little over the top to serve - it was quite sweet enough for me. I also served it without the extra toppings because I was lazy and didn't have more pineapple or mango on hand, and it was delicious regardless! I used black chia seeds instead of white because I have a surplus. Other than making it a slightly gray color in places with the swollen seeds, it didn't affect the taste at all. (For Anonymous below, I used Hoosier Hill Farm Large #40 Tapioca Pearls from Amazon.com, and they worked really well. I even left them soaking for two days in the fridge without them disintegrating.)
eurystomus
Seattle WA
1/17/2019
The large pearl tapioca that I've been able to find locally would not work in this recipe. When I add them to any liquid to soak, they immediately start to dissolve and break down. Within 30 minutes, they are a layer of white grainy smush at the bottom of the bowl. Where can I find the type of pearls which you use and what are they called? I've purchased to different brands and they've both done the same in liquid.
Anonymous
Columbia, MO
4/15/2018