Amish Strawberry Tapioca Pudding is a light and refreshing dessert. This creamy homemade tapioca pudding is made with fresh strawberries, jello, minute tapioca, and whipped cream.
Some may know this dish as strawberry tapioca fluff or strawberry tapioca salad. However, we always called it strawberry tapioca pudding. It is a tasty, summery dessert that's perfect for any occasion!
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Water is the base liquid used for cooking the tapioca pearls and dissolving the sugar and gelatin. It helps create the desired consistency for the pudding.
- Minute Tapioca acts as the thickening agent. When cooked, tapioca pearls absorb moisture and swell, giving the pudding its characteristic texture. Minute tapioca is quick-cooking and results in a smooth, gel-like consistency.
- Sugar provides sweetness, balancing the tartness of the strawberries and enhancing their natural flavor. The amount of sugar can be adjusted according to personal preference.
- Strawberry Jello adds flavor, color, and additional thickening. It adds a vibrant pink hue and intensifies the strawberry flavor.
- Salt (optional) enhances the flavor. It's optional but can add depth to the taste.
- Fresh Strawberries bring natural sweetness, texture, and a burst of fruity flavor. Sliced or chopped strawberries add freshness, texture, and visual appeal to the dessert.
- Cool Whip or Whipped Cream - Both add a creamy, airy, and rich texture that complements the fruity flavor of the strawberries. Cool Whip provides a more stabilized, slightly sweeter consistency. Whipped cream, on the other hand, gives a fresher, richer flavor but is not as stable in warm temperatures.
How to Make Strawberry Tapioca
Homemade strawberry tapioca is very easy to make.
Simply boil the tapioca in water until the granules are transparent. Then add the sugar and jello and stir to dissolve.
Chill the tapioca for several hours (or overnight) to allow the jello time to set.
Next, add the thawed Cool Whip or whipped cream. You can either whip the cream in by hand or use a mixer. The mixture is a bit sticky, and it can be fun trying to get it creamy. 🙂 I used my big mixer, but do whatever works best for you.
Then add the sliced strawberries and serve, or refrigerate it until ready to serve.
Make-Ahead Strawberry Dessert
I typically cook this tapioca mixture at least one or two days before I want to serve it. Since the jello/tapioca mixture needs to be well-chilled (allowing the jello time to set) before adding the whipped cream.
And then I like to have the tapioca dessert assembled (with strawberries and cream) and chilled for several hours or overnight, before serving. It's one of those recipes that tastes better on the second day because the flavors have had time to blend.
However, this strawberry tapioca pudding can also be served within a few hours if needed.
After cooking the tapioca/jello mixture, set your pan into a bowl of ice water to chill it quickly. Refrigerate it for a couple of hours, add the strawberries and cream, and serve.
Keep this strawberry jello dessert refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days - if it lasts that long 🙂 . But keep in mind that the whipped cream may start to thin the pudding a bit after a couple of days.
This post contains affiliate links...
Can I Use Frozen Strawberries to Make Strawberry Tapioca?
I prefer using fresh strawberries to make this dessert tapioca. But yes, you can use sliced frozen strawberries as well.
What is Tapioca?
Tapioca is made from the starch of the cassava plant, and it comes in different forms: tapioca starch, minute tapioca, and tapioca pearls, among others.
I'm a sucker for tapioca! The squishy pearls in my mouth are delightful. And honestly, I love it in all forms, having recently discovered that I also love boba drinks. 🙂
Tapioca starch can be used as a thickener in pie fillings. And it also plays a role in gluten-free baking as an integral component of gluten-free flour mixes.
Minute tapioca is a finer grind of tapioca pearls, resembling coarse salt. It is used for pie fillings, but you can also use it for pudding. And minute tapioca is what we use in this strawberry tapioca pudding recipe.
Tapioca pearls are balls of cassava starch that have been shaped into pearls. And contrary to popular belief, tapioca isn't a grain like rice, for example, that is grown. Tapioca starch is extracted from the cassava plant and mixed with boiling water to form a paste that can be rolled, cut, and shaped into different shapes and sizes, like tapioca pearls.
So tapioca pearls come in various sizes from very tiny pearls to large tapioca pearls also known as boba.
I love creamy tapioca pudding made with pearls!
Jello Salads
This creamy jello dish has a lot of the same ingredients often found in side jello salads. However, for some reason, this tapioca dish seems more like it should be classified as a dessert rather than a side dish.
I won't judge though, if you decide to serve it as a side dish. It is light and refreshing and delicious with any meal. 🙂
If you love jello salad as much as I do, I have more recipes for you to try 🙂 ... Indiana Layered Jello Salad, Orange Yum Yum Salad, and Grape Dreamsicle Salad.
If you try this Amish recipe for strawberry tapioca pudding, I'd love it if you left a comment and star rating below. Thank you!
📖 Recipe Card
Amish Strawberry Tapioca Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 c. water
- 1 c. minute tapioca
- 1 ½ - 2 c. sugar
- 6 oz. strawberry gelatin powder
- ¼ tsp. salt (optional)
- 1 - 2 lb. fresh strawberries, sliced or chopped
- 1 (8 - 12 oz.) Cool Whip (thawed) or whipped cream
Whipped Cream (if using):
- 1 ½ c. heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp. sugar
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil. While stirring, slowly add the minute tapioca and boil over medium-low heat until clear, stirring occasionally. (It takes approx. 10 minutes.)8 c. water, 1 c. minute tapioca
- Remove from the heat and add the sugar, jello, and salt. Stir until dissolved.1 ½ - 2 c. sugar, 6 oz. strawberry gelatin powder, ¼ tsp. salt (optional)
- Cool and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Add the thawed cool whip and mix until incorporated and creamy (I use my mixer to do this). Add the sliced strawberries and mix well.1 (8 - 12 oz.) Cool Whip (thawed) or whipped cream, 1 - 2 lb. fresh strawberries, sliced or chopped
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Whipped Cream:
- Whip the heavy cream, vanilla, and sugar until thick and creamy.1 ½ c. heavy whipping cream, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 3 Tbsp. sugar
Joann
Loved this dish when we were in pella iowa. I tried to make it and mine turned out like glue.
What did I do wrongp
Anna
Hmmm... Kinda hard for me to tell since I wasn't there to see how you made it?? Is it possible that you overcooked the tapioca??
Cheryl
Why did mine end up gummy like snot?
Anna
It does get a little bit gummy, but then when you whip some whipped cream or Cool Whip into it, it turns out beautifully.
Penny Franklin
This recipe was great!. So good I have passed it on to other friends.
Anna
So glad you enjoy it!
Anna
This is so good!
Heidi
Do I have to soak the tapioca before cooking it?
Anna
No, this recipe with minute tapioca does not require soaking time.
Mary Troyer
Love love your recipe finally got to IN to purchase pearl tapioca. We had this a lot when I was a young girl at home for Sunday dinner or special occasions. Thanks for sharing as many of the older generation of my family are gone. I was raised Mennonite and have lots of Amish kin. Mary T
Margaret
Excellent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anna
Thank you!