Bouncy sago in a creamy strawberry coconut pudding. This quick and easy strawberry sago is ready in 30 minutes with just 4 simple ingredients! A refreshing dessert for the strawberry-lovers! [Gluten-free and dairy-free adaptable]
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Strawberry sago is a creamy pudding made of chewy cooked tapioca pearls mixed with whole fat coconut milk, strawberry purée, condensed milk and chopped strawberries with fresh mint!
It's a great cold dessert idea for the summer or gatherings because you can make it in advance or keep it chilled until you're ready to enjoy it! Also, it's fantastic for the family and the kids.
I personally love to make Chinese dessert when it's strawberry season, which is May through to October because the berries are juicy and sweet!
I also share how to make this dairy-free with ingredient substitutes below so everyone can enjoy this!
Not a fan of strawberries? Try my Mango Sago instead, which is just as delicious, if you love mangos!
I personally love this version so much more because I love strawberries and cream! The chewy sago with the sweetened cream bursting with strawberry flavor is heavenly.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Fresh Ripe Strawberries: make sure they're fully ripened without any greening. Ripe strawberries smell very sweet through the packaging and are vibrant red with firm skin. Avoid using frozen strawberries for this recipe.
- Small Tapioca Pearls: these are pearl-shaped white flavorless balls made of cassava root starch and sold online or at Asian grocery stores. Or substitute with the larger pearls and boil them for 30 minutes and let them sit in the boiling water covered for another 30 minutes until chewy and tender. Do not use minute tapioca pearls.
- Condensed Milk: or substitute with condensed coconut milk for a dairy-free version.
- Whole Fat Coconut Milk: not light coconut milk. Or substitute with heavy cream, whipping cream or half and half cream.
- Fresh Mint: this is optional for garnishing.
Expert Tips
- Make sure tapioca are cooked through. If you see a white dot in the center of the boiled tapioca, it's not ready yet and let it rest in the hot water covered for a few more minutes.
- Strain cooked tapioca under cold running water to remove excess starch.
- Keep the tapioca in the strainer submerged in cold water until you're ready to make the pudding in which you need to strain out the excess water.
- Use a high power blender to puree the strawberries. I find this works better than a food processor.
- Make sure the coconut milk is mixed well so the fats combine with the liquids prior to adding to the tapioca.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make strawberry sago:
- In a medium pot with 5 cups or 1250 ml water, bring to a boil on high heat. Add tapioca pearls, reduce to medium heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then turn off the heat, cover and soak the tapioca in the hot water for 10-15 minutes until translucent. If there is a white dot in the center of the tapioca, soak covered for 2-3 minutes.
- Strain the cooked tapioca with fine mesh sieve and rinse off the excess starch with cold running water until cold. Strain out as much excess water and transfer tapioca to a large bowl. Open the canned coconut milk, remove the lid and mix the contents with a fork. Then pour the coconut milk into the bowl of tapioca.
- Take only 17.6 oz or 500 grams of the strawberries (reserving the rest for later) and slice off the tops. Then transfer hulled strawberries into blender. Add condensed milk and blend until smooth.
- Add the strawberry mixture to the cooked tapioca and coconut milk and mix until combined. Taste test the pudding and feel free to add a little bit more of condensed milk if needed to adjust the sweetness to your liking.
- Slice the tops off of the remaining strawberries and dice it into small cubes.
- Divide strawberry sago pudding between four dessert bowls or glasses. Top it off with the diced strawberries. Or mix the diced strawberries into the strawberry sago. Garnish with fresh mint and enjoy cold!
Storage
- Strawberry sago will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. I recommend storing the strawberry sago separate from the diced berries used for garnishing until ready to serve. To enjoy, leaving the pudding out at room temperature for 15 minutes and mix it so the coconut milk has time to melt.
- Freezer-friendly? I don't recommend freezing strawberry sago as this will cause the tapioca to harden.
Pairing Suggestions
Strawberry sago serves well with:
- fresh fruit like berries, bananas, cherries, mango, pineapple, apples and more!
- other sago desserts like Coconut Mango Sago, Mango Sago, Mango Sago Coconut Drink, Pitaya Coconut Sago, or Rose Pandan Coconut Sago
- jelly desserts like Pandan Coconut Jelly, Mango Coconut Jelly, Fruit Jelly Cake, or Lychee Jelly
- tofu desserts like Chinese Tofu Pudding or Taho
- puddings like Chinese Mango Pudding
- shaven ice, ice cream, popsicles or frozen yogurt
FAQ
Strawberry sago can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoyed cold from the fridge. I recommend storing the strawberry sago pudding separate from the diced strawberries used for garnishing. To enjoy, leaving the strawberry sago out at room temperature for 15 minutes and give it a mix so the coconut milk has time to melt.
Yes, feel free to substitute with ripe mango and I share a recipe for the mango version linked above. I don't recommend substituting with other fruits.
Other recipes you may enjoy
📖 Recipe
Easy 4-ingredient Strawberry Sago
Ingredients
- 28.2 oz strawberries fully ripe & washed
- ½ cup tapioca pearls small uncooked kind (do not use minute tapioca)
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk or condensed coconut milk for a dairy-free version
- 13.5 floz full fat coconut milk room temperature (or heavy/whipping cream/half and half for a dairy version)
- fresh mint leaves for garnishing, optional
Instructions
- In a medium pot with 5 cups or 1250 ml water, bring to a boil on high heat. Add tapioca pearls, reduce to medium heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then turn off the heat, cover and soak the tapioca in the hot water for 10-15 minutes until translucent. If there is a white dot in the center of the tapioca, soak covered for 2-3 minutes.
- Strain the cooked tapioca with fine mesh sieve and rinse off the excess starch with cold running water until cold. Strain out as much excess water and transfer tapioca to a large bowl.
- Open the canned coconut milk, remove the lid and mix the contents with a fork. Then pour the coconut milk into the bowl of tapioca.
- Take only 17.6 oz or 500 grams of the strawberries (reserving the rest for later) and slice off the tops. Then transfer hulled strawberries into blender. Add condensed milk and blend until smooth.
- Add the strawberry mixture to the cooked tapioca and coconut milk and mix until combined. Taste test the pudding and feel free to add a little bit more of condensed milk if needed to adjust the sweetness to your liking.
- Slice the tops off of the remaining strawberries and dice it into small cubes.
- Divide strawberry sago pudding between four dessert bowls or glasses. Top it off with the diced strawberries. Or mix the diced strawberries into the strawberry sago. Garnish with fresh mint and enjoy cold!
Carmen
Hello! I was looking for a good recipe for strawberries as they are on sale now, and found this very appealing recipe. Thanks! I lived in Brazil for a few years and there they use tapioca balls all the time to make desserts similar to this one. There it is called sagu. Tapioca is one of the most common starches that grows in Brazil so everyone eats it most of the time. There the most common way to prepare it is for kids' birthdays. they cook it with cinnamon and clove sticks and then add wine and sugar when the sago is cooked. the alcohol evaporates and only the flavour is left. Thanks for sharing this recipe=)
Christie Lai
Glad to hear that I could provide this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing that information on tapioca and how you normally enjoy it! It sounds delicious!
Kim Urquhart
We tried the strawberry sago pudding ahead of serving it to our guests and it was just the right balance we were looking for - refreshing, not too sweet, palate cleansing and delicious! It was a shame my husband wanted half of the leftover pudding after portioning it for our guests! 😁
Thanks for the recipe!
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for sharing your positive and kind review! I am so glad you and your guests all enjoyed it 🙂 Haha that's too funny of your husband. I appreciate you making my recipe, Kim!
Kim
We tried the strawberry sago pudding ahead of serving it to our guests and it was just the right balance we were looking for - refreshing, not too sweet, palate cleansing and delicious! It was a shame my husband wanted half of the leftover pudding after portioning it for our guests! 😁
Thanks for the recipe!
Addison
It was amazing, i made it for a bake sale and everybody enjoyed it ! Thank you so so much!!
Christie Lai
Aww this made me smile so much! Thank you so much for making it and really happy to hear that everybody loved it at the bake sale!
heather
really good! made it for a dinner party and everyone loved it 🙂 also refrigerates well
christieathome
So happy to hear that your whole party enjoyed it! Thank you so much for making my recipe, Heather! 🙂
Isenathi
I have lost the words but all I see is PEFERCTION👌👌👌
christieathome
Thanks so much for the kind words!