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Did any of y’all grow up eating a rich and creamy vanilla tapioca pudding? I remember it from church potlucks…how we children would fill up red plastic drinking cups with the stuff and enjoy it to the very last bite. The base of it was almost custardy, which is why I included eggs in this recipe, like I was making a vanilla pudding. Of course if you’re following a low-glycemic eating plan, like Trim Healthy Mama, tapioca is out because of its high glycemic index (and therefore its impact on blood sugar). By happy accident, chia seeds do a great job of mimicking the texture of tapioca, so here you have it – a Vanilla Custard Chia “Tapioca”!
The chia seeds do add a slight flavor of their own (I buy mine from Aldi, but you can purchase online here as well), but nothing too distracting. The pudding is good warm, but I think it’s more traditional when refrigerated and served cold. It will thicken up in the refrigerator.
I love to heat up leftovers in the microwave for a few seconds, top with a smear of peanut butter to melt, and enjoy for breakfast! (Add some protein for a complete meal, such as some collagen in your tea or coffee.)
Interested in a single-serve dairy-free version? CLICK HERE for vanilla and HERE for strawberry!
I used THM Super Sweet Blend to sweeten this Vanilla Custard Chia “Tapioca”…it’s my favorite versatile sweetener and does a great job in baked goods and puddings like this! If you don’t have the sweetener I used, feel free to use your favorite low-glycemic sweetener to taste. This sweetener conversion chart can help you find out how much to use, but I always recommend starting with less sweetener than you think you’ll need, then tasting and adding more in small increments until you get it just right. I personally use less sweetener than most people because that’s what my taste buds like, so feel free to taste and add more sweetener to this recipe (and all of my recipes!).
Tip
If you accidentally cook this too long and end up with scrambled eggs in your pudding, you can try using an immersion blender to blend it and smooth it out. You’ll lose some of the “tapioca” effect because you’ll be blending the chia seeds, but some texture remains and the pudding actually becomes a really nice consistency.
Want a dairy-free chocolate version? Click here!
You could probably even use this Chocolate Custard Chia “Tapioca” recipe to make a dairy-free vanilla version if the half and half and butter in the recipe on this page keep you from enjoying it. I would just leave the cocoa powder out of the chocolate recipe and see what happens.
You may also enjoy:
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STARTING THM
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my recipe index
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recipe index by fuel type/allergy/theme
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Single-Serve Vanilla Chia “Tapioca” (dairy free)
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Single-Serve Strawberry Chia “Tapioca” (dairy free)
As always, check out the Notes section of the recipe for extra info. Check out the links in and below the recipe to see the products I use and recommend. Some of the links included in the recipe and blog post are affiliate links, which means that if you make purchases through these links, I make a small commission (but your price doesn’t change).
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- 2 c. unsweetened almond milk
- 1 c. half and half
- 3 eggs
- ½ tsp. molasses
- ¼ tsp. salt (rounded)
- -
- ¼ c. + 2 T. chia seeds
- -
- 2 T. THM Super Sweet Blend
- 1 T. salted butter
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Whisk the first section of ingredients very well in a nonstick saucepan. Whisk in the chia seeds and turn the heat to medium. Cook until the mixture just starts to bubble, whisking often, especially towards the end. Pull the pan off the heat and whisk in the Super Sweet Blend, butter, and vanilla. Taste and add more sweetener if desired. Refrigerate overnight to thicken, then enjoy!
- This "tapioca" is good warm or cold. If I heat it up for breakfast, stirring a little bit of peanut butter into it to melt is super yummy. (Add some extra protein, such as collagen in your coffee or tea, to make it a meal.)
- TIP: If you accidentally cook this too long and end up with scrambled eggs in your pudding, you can try using an immersion blender to blend it and smooth it out. You'll lose some of the "tapioca" effect because you'll be blending the chia seeds, but some texture remains and the pudding actually becomes a really nice consistency.
You can pin this recipe here:
This was sooo yummy. I might have undercooked it though because I was nervous about overcooking it. As soon as I started seeing some little bubbles I waited like another minute and then took it off. I wouldn’t quite describe it as a custard. More of a Chia seed pudding but it is so good.
Love the tip. It’s like saying, “Hey, it’s okay if you make a mistake. I made one, too, and here’s how I fixed it. We can do this together!” 🙂 Thanks for all your recipes.
I love tapioca pudding and this made me so happy! It is absolutely delicious. I never would have thought to eat it with peanut butter, but oh my! It made it even better. Thank you so much for the recipe.
I tried this and while I like the texture of the chia – reminiscent of tapioca granules – I think the eggs are bound to cook and curdle over medium heat. I think low heat and/or a double boiler are needed. Or else heating the milk and then tempering the eggs by adding small amounts of hot milk to the whisked eggs before then combining everything.
Stoves can vary in temperature/settings, so it’s definitely something that you may need to adjust based on your own equipment. 🙂 I tested this recipe on an electric stove, but then moved and made similar recipes on a gas stove and found that the gas stovetop ran a lot hotter so I had to adjust the temperature down. Low and slow is always the best way to go if you have trouble with the eggs curdling. As you get used to making puddings and custards using this method, you’ll get a better feel for when to pull them off the burner and you can get away with a higher heat to speed up the process. A double boiler or the old fashioned tempering method are definitely great insurance policies. You could also use an instant read thermometer and cook until the mixture reaches 160*. I hope to do a video and blog post explanation about all this to use as a resource in future and put a link to it in all my pudding/custard recipes.
To make this a true THM meal, how much collagen do I need to add to a cup of coffee?
I personally shoot for 10-20 grams of protein per meal. 🙂
I have missed tapioca pudding. This is so good! It’s even better with chocolate! Add 1/2C on plan chocolate chips or a 2-3 unsweetened Baker’s cocoa squares at the beginning (will need extra sweetener). So good.
I tried this not really thinking it was going to be good. Boy, my husband and I were pleasantly surprised!!! The seeds turn soft and this is easy and yummy. So glad I tried it.
I do not have molasses. Will it taste fine without any or should I use raw honey?
It’s mostly to add a richer brown sugar flavor. I would just add a dash of maple extract in its place.
This was sooo good. It reminded me of the “unhealthy” butterscotch tapioca I used to make…before THM. Only I browned the butter as I used to for the “unhealthy” version. It adds Wonderful Flavor. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks so much Brianna!
That’s a great idea, Marideth! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Brianna!
How many servings does this recipe make? Like if I was going to put the in small mason jars. Thank you ? Karla
I think it makes about 5-6 servings. 🙂 You can find serving info in the recipe near the top, I believe.
Is it possible to give a temperature to heat this to? I have almost always curdled puddings when I cook them.
Low and slow is the trick, stirring constantly towards the end, and pull it off the heat a little before you think it’s done (or right as it starts to make tiny bubbles). 🙂 I’m afraid I’ve never measured the temperature, but Googling leads me to believe that 175-180 is about right. Eggs can curdle when heated in excess of 185 degrees, apparently.
Hi. Do you have nutritional value info on this or any of your recipes? I am new to all this and trying to find recipes and ingredients to help me continue on my weight loss and “healthier me” journey and I get hesitant to make a recipe if I don’t see the nutritional value. Just curious. There is so many different ingredients i have never heard of and I look up every one. Thank you
Hi Rhonda! I don’t usually calculate nutrition info on my recipes since the healthy eating lifestyle I follow doesn’t require it and I like to embrace that (Trim Healthy Mama), but MyFitnessPal is a super easy way to find nutrition facts! If you sign up for an account, under the Recipes tab there’s a place where you can just add the link to a recipe and it will pull up the ingredients for you to confirm, then generate the nutritional info! 🙂
To find out more about Trim Healthy Mama, you can click here: https://www.briana-thomas.com/starting-trim-healthy-mama/
Thank you, I appreciate it. This has been such a different journey for me, a whole different lifestyle. It has been a couple of months , I lost 21lbs. I honestly didn’t think I would lose weight and enjoy what I assumed would be cardboard tasting food. I was so wrong. I can’t wait to start making some of your recipes. Thank you very much for them and helping me with my question.
Wow, that’s wonderful! I’m so happy for you!
So I made this yesterday and put it in the fridge overnight as suggested.
The flavor is delicious but unfortunately it was like eating soup.
Did I not heat it long enough?
You used 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of chia seeds as well as 3 eggs? Those are the major thickeners. Unless there was a mistake in the amounts you used, the only other thing I can think of is that it wasn’t cooked long enough. I’m sorry it didn’t turn out for you!
Does it have to be blackstrap molasses?
Blackstrap is preferred if you’re following the THM plan, but it’s not that different from regular molasses in nutritional value, and since it’s used in such small amounts and regular molasses tastes better, I usually just regular (Grandma’s brand). Either is fine in this recipe.
I liked this very much–creamy and rich. Thank you for sharing so many recipes!
I love this stuff!!! The first time I made it, it curdled at the end. The next time I made it, I cooked it a bit lower and removed it sooner. Yummy, warm or cold!?
Good idea, Barbara! I’m so glad you like it!
Thanks so much for the chia “tapioca” recipe. It reminded my husband of his grandma’s cornstarch pudding and was true comfort food for us. In fact, it’s the first real food he had after we got home from his knee replacement surgery this evening. I’m sure I’ll be making it often!
Wonderful! I’m so glad it reminded you of an old favorite!
I can’t wait to try this! I have tried two chia pudding recipes, and both of them were incredibly awful. Yours, on the other hand, looks good!! I’m excited to try it!
Mine curdled right at the end of the heating…any suggestions? It still tastes good but it is not pretty lol!
I would try cooking over a lower heat and pulling it off the burner quicker next time. 🙂
Hello.Missed my emails! Missed hearing from you!
But so glad for you and you just keep enjoying being married…will gladly wait for any posts..
So I have a question.i can’t eat seeds bc of divercous…can I eat this.
God bless you.
Hi Cynthia! Thanks for your sweet note. I would check with your doctor before eating chia seeds if you have a condition like that. 🙂
Briana, thank you for this new recipe. I will definitely try it t. I would probably try the single serve first and. Noticed that recipe does not have any egg listed in the ingredient list but in the blog you speak about egg. Just wondering about this.
Congratulations on your new life! So exciting!
Susan
There are 3 eggs listed in the third ingredient line in this recipe. 🙂 The single-serve recipe does not have any eggs.