Tapioca’s not for everyone, perhaps you don’t fancy the satisfying chew of tiny bubbles bursting in every spoonful, but for me, it’s an essential ingredient in a good pudding. Far beyond the sad plasticized pudding cups in a grocery store corner, this pudding is rich with homemade dulce de leche and pairs famously with a tart fruit like pluots. The slightly underripe, tangy pluots cut into the thick caramel flavor and I struggled to stop swooping up ribbons of dulce de leche with pluot wedges even before the pudding was finished cooking. At any rate, while this recipe from San Francisco’s State Bird Provisions offers a simple approach to tapioca-crafting, I did change up the method for making dulce de leche. Instead of boiling the whole can of sweetened condensed milk for a few hours, I used David Leibovitz’s approach by pouring the can of milk into a glass pan nestled inside a larger glass pan filled halfway up with water and letting this brown itself into gooey golden caramel for about an hour and a half. This method cuts the cooking time in half and sends you on your way to spoon-licking splendor much more speedily. After the caramel waiting period is over, you’re not far from the end result of a luscious, pearl-packed pudding experience, ripe with opportunity for bowl and pot-licking pleasures and beyond.
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Dulce de Leche Tapioca Pudding
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
A rich and luscious pudding infused with homemade dulce de leche and chewy tapioca pearls, perfectly complemented by the tangy bite of fresh pluots.
Ingredients
- 1 14-oz (395 g) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 cups (720 ml) whole milk or half and half
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) medium-sized tapioca pearls
- 2 pluots, slightly underripe, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a glass baking dish. Place this dish inside a larger baking dish and fill the larger one with water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the smaller dish.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the condensed milk turns into a gooey, golden caramel (dulce de leche). Check occasionally to ensure the water level remains halfway up the side of the dish, adding more water if necessary.
- Once the dulce de leche is ready, remove it from the oven and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk or half and half, tapioca pearls, and salt. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes to allow the tapioca to soften slightly.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture comes to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for about 20-25 minutes, stirring often, until the tapioca pearls are translucent and the mixture has thickened.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and gently fold in the prepared dulce de leche until well combined.
- Serve the pudding warm or chilled, topped with slices of slightly underripe pluots for a tangy contrast.
Notes
- For a quicker dulce de leche, use David Leibovitz’s method by baking the sweetened condensed milk in a water bath.
- Ensure the water level remains consistent during baking.
- Serve with slightly underripe pluots for a tart contrast to the sweet pudding.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 45 grams
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 10 grams
- Carbohydrates: 60 grams
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Protein: 8 grams
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
- Tapioca Pudding with Spring Berries
- Dulce de Leche Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Dulce de Leche Churro Blondies
- Baked Churro Dulce de Leche Ice Cream Sandwiches
Frequently Asked Questions
Why bake the condensed milk in a water bath instead of boiling the can?
The article explains this is David Leibovitz’s method: pour the 14-oz can of sweetened condensed milk into a glass baking dish, nest it inside a larger pan of water, and bake at 425°F for about 1 hour 30 minutes. Compared to the traditional method of boiling the sealed can for several hours, this cuts the cooking time roughly in half and avoids any pressure risk.
What should I watch for while the dulce de leche bakes?
The recipe says to check occasionally and ensure the water level in the outer pan stays halfway up the sides of the inner dish; add more water if it evaporates. The dulce de leche is ready when it turns gooey and golden caramel in color — about 1 hour 30 minutes at 425°F. 
Why does the recipe call for slightly underripe pluots?
The article specifically notes that slightly underripe, tangy pluots cut through the thick caramel flavor of the dulce de leche pudding. A riper, sweeter pluot would not provide that contrast — the tartness is the point of the pairing.
I really like this recipe, I keep coming back to it.