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! (affiliate links present)
Ninja Foodi Tapioca Pudding
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
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.
Jump to
If you are new to pressure cooking we have a lot of easy one pot meal recipes for you here. To begin with 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.
- I HIGHLY recommend you buy this non stick pot.
- You should know how to deglaze a pressure cooker after sautéing but it won’t have as many issues with this better liner.
For reference, this is the model 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:
Ingredients
- 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?
- Pressure cooker brownies are fudgy and packed with chocolate
- Instant Pot pineapple upside down cake is easy to bake in a mini pan
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.
Instant Pot Tapioca Pudding Recipe
Equipment
- 1 pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 1/2 c milk, whole is best if you can find it
- 1/2 c sugar, white sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla, or a bit more depending on your taste
- 1/2 c tapioca, not Minute tapioca
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 c water
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).
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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 !!
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.
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 California
There is a link in this recipe for the tapioca I bought and you can order online.
Step 5 of the Instant Pot recipe (NOT P.I.P) says: 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)
What do you do with the remaining 1/2 of the egg/milk mixture? Did you forget a step? Do I throw it out? lol. Looking forward to trying with my new Bella multi-cooker.
Half, stir until incorporated, then add other half, stir
Thank you! Going to attempt it tonight!
Hi. I’ve had good and bad luck with the pot in pot version. I use the pot you recommend, but sometimes, it seems to “overflow” and I get a watery gooey mess on the bottom of the outer pot liner pot. What am I doing wrong?
Also, at one point, the egg seemed to scramble. Ugh. I wonder if you have any insights. I cut back to one cup water in the insert, that seem to help, but when I went down to 3/4 cup water, it overflowed again. Do you know if cooking on low pressure could/would make a difference? Thank you!
Pot in pot is trickier as you must ensure top is very secure. Did you try directly in pot using a non stick inner pot? That is the way to go and how we make it almost every time.
Thank you for your response. I guess I’m finally figuring out the pot in pot is not going to work consistently. Made it for my elderly mom last weekend it came out perfect. I am going to invest in a non-stick pot tonight!
The recipe for instant bread and bread you share is quite meticulous and easy to understand. I have learned a lot from this recipe. Thanks very much.
This was an epic failure. Did not use the PIP method. I wasted the ingredients. I consider myself a very good cook. Back to the stove method as this doesn’t really save you time anyway IMO. Sorry.
I was so excited to find this recipe because tapioca pudding is my FAVORITE. Making it in the pressure cooker was such a time saver!! Never making it any other way again. Thanks
So easy and delicious! Love that it takes less than 10 minutes!
I tried the quick tapioca in the regular pot twice and it was a sticky mess. Used sauté to heat water to get rid of mess.
I got the pot in pot and did exactly what you recommended and IP never went to timing. Got burnmessage as water was all gone. Tapioca looks done and is in fridge. Decided to do the water test and it worked perfectly so I am wondering what happened. IP did lock but don’t know why this recipe did not work? Any ideas?
As stated you cannot do the quick tapioca in the pot itself, have to use the pans in the post I show. I have never had the pot in pot issue you stated. All I can think is there wasn’t enough water put in?? Hard to guess without being there. Just made regular tapioca, not minute, in pot last night once again and was great. Use the tapioca balls I list in the post if you want to do it directly inside the pot.
I have had times when I noticed before getting a burn notice that the I P wasn’t sealing properly. When I opened it up the seal wasn’t proberly seated. Straightened it out and was fine after that. Hope this helps.