Easy Minute or large pearl Instant Pot tapioca pudding recipe that takes less than 15 minutes and requires less work than on the stovetop. If you love a little bit of dessert after dinner but need a fast way to get it cooked, this and our Instant Pot rice pudding are the treats for you.
Yes we are back with this easy Instant Pot tapioca pudding recipe, yet another favorite Instant Pot dessert recipe! It came out fabulous and only took about 15 minutes! I grew up with tapioca pudding. It’s now one of our favorites and added to the list Instant Pot recipes with many others you’ve got to try on our site. Let us know what you think! (originally published 2/17, affiliate links present)
Ninja Foodi Tapioca Pudding
Tapioca pudding great either warm or cold in my opinion with just a dash of nutmeg on top. It’s such a simple dessert really and mostly milk so I love that my kids like it (they aren’t big milk drinkers anymore but this is a great way to get some into them).
- If you’ve made this pudding on the stove top you know that it’s really milk, sugar, tapioca and an egg.
Making it in the Instant Pot is no different as far as the ingredients go, just of course the timing, the pan, and what settings to use is what you need to know. If you’ve heard about IPs or Ninja Foodi but don’t have one yet I share my love for them because it has really made dinnertime much easier in our house, and allowed us to eat together more often (the goal right).
Large Pearl Tapioca Instant Pot
FIRST – You should sign up for my free newsletter so you get new posts emailed to you twice a week and never miss out on anything! Now let’s start with a few basic tips:
- Make sure to Bookmark our InstaPot recipes page. We add new ones each week!
- Then PRINT this —–> Instant Pot cooking times cheat sheet that will help you understand how long meat, vegetables and beans take to cook in your pressure cooker.
- This is a great InstaPot cookbook and a set of wooden utensils are great to grab too.
- I HIGHLY recommend you buy this non stick pot.
- You should still deglaze pressure cooker after sautéing but it won’t have as many issues with this better liner.
For reference, this is the pressure cooker I have (a 6 quart) and use for all recipe creations.


Tapioca in Pressure Cooker
With both of us working full time it’s fabulous to be able to cook what would normally take a an hour or so for less than 20 minutes, seriously! There are a few versions but I have a 6 quart pot at home. There are two ways, PIP (pot in pot) method is below and second way you put directly into your pressure cooker pot:
- Pot for inside your IP to use the PIP (pot in pot) method for this – You MUST use this pot for it to work (sen below)
- 2 3/4 c. Milk
- haven’t tried with coconut milk but should work
- 1 Egg
- 4 Tbsp. Tapioca – use Minute tapioca pearls
- 1 Tsp. Vanilla
- 1/3 c. refined sugar
Now you could cut down the sugar if you wanted or make sugar free with a Splenda product if need be. I haven’t done that but it should not make a bit of difference as far as the directions go. I will share how to make the version showed below in the pans but will say that the other one in the recipe card is more user friendly.

Instant Pot Tapioca Pudding Pot In Pot
Pour 2 c water into your Instant Pot and put a trivet inside. Add the sugar, vanilla, milk, and Minute tapioca into the BOTTOM of the 2 stackable pots.
- Add an egg and whisk together for 1-2 minutes so all of it is combined well & sugar begins to dissolve
- Put the top pot on top of your lower filled pot
- Put the lid on the top pot
- Secure the locking device so both pots are tightly together
- Lower your pot on to your trivet, must be low trivet so lid will shut
- Put your lid on and close your steam valve
- Put your IP on manual, pressure high for 5 minutes.
- Do a natural release for 4 minutes before releasing steam
Pour Instant Pot tapioca pudding in your bottom bowl/container into a separate cool bowl. Put bowl in fridge, it will continue to thicken as it cools.

Large Pearl Tapioca Instant Pot
Here is the second (and best) way to make Instant Pot tapioca pudding. We do it right in our Instant Pot and there’s no need to soak the tapioca pearls beforehand. Video is below and full recipe is in recipe card below:
- I HIGHLY suggest you get a non stick pot to make this and other recipes!
- Add this brand of small pearl tapioca or this large tapioca and water into your pot
- Close lid and steam valve and set to pressure cooking on high for 5 minutes.
- Whisk together your egg yolks and milk in a small bowl so they are ready. Then do a quick release when done.
- Turn pot OFF using the cancel button (important step so you don’t get the burn notification). Use a wooden spoon to scrape bits of stuck on tapioca off bottom of pot.
- Now turn your pressure cooker to saute.
- Add some of the hot pudding into your bowl with milk and whisk so it can temper the mixture.
- Once the pudding starts boiling slowly pour 1/2 the egg/milk mixture in stirring consistently so the egg cooks and pudding doesn’t burn. (I like using a wooden spoon during this process), then add 2nd half.
- Slowly sprinkle in sugar and stir consistently until dissolved. Stir in vanilla.
Turn pressure cooker off, remove pot so it doesn’t continue to cook, pour pudding into bowls immediately so it doesn’t stick. You can certainly enjoy this as is nice and warm if you prefer that temperature. OR Allow to cool in fridge to thicken up more (or eat immediately if you prefer).

Pressure Cooker Tapioca Pudding
Optional items are a dash of cinnamon inside or on top of your Instant Pot pudding, nutmeg is good too, and a few raisins has been a favorite topping too. Looking for more Instant Pot dessert recipes?
Here is the recipe for making tapioca in an Instant Pot. It’s a short cook time and if you follow it precisely it turns out so good. Immediately after it’s done I transfer to small bowls and refrigerate to cool before eating.
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Instant Pot Tapioca Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add tapioca pearls and water into your Instant Pot (directly inside, this is not the PIP method that is above). Stir
- Close lid and steam valve and set to pressure high for 5 minutes. Whisk together your egg yolks and milk in a small bowl so they are ready. Then do a quick release when done.
- Turn pot OFF using the cancel button (important step so you don’t get the burn notification). Use a wooden spoon to scrape bits of stuck on tapioca off bottom of pot.
- Now turn your pressure cooker to saute. Add some of the hot pudding into your bowl with milk and whisk so it can temper the mixture.
- Once the pudding starts boiling slowly pour 1/2 the egg/milk mixture in stirring consistently so the egg cooks and pudding doesn't burn. (I like using a wooden spoon during this process), then add 2nd half.
- Slowly sprinkle in sugar and stir consistently until dissolved. Add vanilla.
- Turn pressure cooker off, remove pot so it doesn't continue to cook, pour pudding into bowls immediately. Refrigerate
- Allow to cool in fridge to thicken up more (or eat immediately if you prefer).
Elizabeth
Monday 18th of July 2022
If I double this recipe (for the one that cooks in the instapot (not PIP) method, do I adjust the cooking time?
The Typical Mom
Tuesday 19th of July 2022
I do not recommend doubling
Lynne Ranayhossaini
Monday 29th of June 2020
Your recipes are very much appreciated! But busy moms need things to be fast and easy . Simply combine all of your tapioca pudding ingredients into the instant pot insert and set it to the “porridge” setting. Stir constantly. Cooks just like stove top method . Takes about 15-20 minutes.
Kirk Sutton
Monday 1st of June 2020
I love the recipe but all the pearls don't completely cook/expand. I am using #40 Large Tapioca Pearls. Should I try soaking First?? This is second time. Thanks !!
Jennifer
Tuesday 17th of March 2020
Can I use regular, not instant, tapioca pearls with the first PIP method? I always get a Burn notice when I cook in the liner and thought I might have better luck PIP.
Mary Lynn
Monday 10th of February 2020
Good morning, Typical Mom and thank you for all these Instant Pot recipes!
I made the tapioca pudding this morning and would like to point out for newbies to tapioca pudding, this recipe will allow you to make the pudding quickly and WILL taste fine but the texture is very different from tapioca pudding made the traditional way (stove top).
I think forcing all that water into the tapioca (I used large pearl) under pressure explains the strange texture of Instant Pot tapioca. When I ladle the pudding out of the pot, it is very stringy and glue-like. This has never been my experience when making it the traditional way.
Again, it does taste the same so, but if you can simply remember to soak tapioca overnight the stove top method is just as easy and quick.
Hi I am having a problem finding tapioca pudding to make not the instant I don’t know what name brand always saw the tapioca in a box so I can’t look it up to find out what stores carry it can you help me I live in Fresno CaliforniaS. hirley
Saturday 16th of January 2021
Hi I am having a problem finding tapioca pudding to make not the instant I don’t know what name brand always saw the tapioca in a box so I can’t look it up to find out what stores carry it can you help me I live in Fresno California