Soft layers of warm silken tofu with chewy tapioca pearls in a sweet syrup. This quick and easy taho is delicious and is made with minimal ingredients! It's a great dessert idea for parties or small gatherings and a sure crowd pleaser!
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What is Taho?
Taho is a classic Filipino dessert that originates from the Philippines and it's a pudding made of chewy sago pearls, silky tofu in a simple brown sugar syrup.
This simple dessert is can be served warm, room temperature, or cold. It's also fantastic for large gatherings if you make each component in advance.
In the Philippines, it's sold by street vendors and a favorite for many Filipinos. The Tagalog word "taho" is derived from the Chinese word "douhua" which means "soft soy beans pudding”.
The concept of Taho is from China discovered by a chef that was trying to make soy milk so it's similar to Chinese Tofu Pudding, except this has chewy tapioca pearls.
Ingredients
Please scroll down to the below Recipe card for full measurements
- Soft Silken Tofu (aka soft tofu): I don't recommend tofu that is extra firm, firm, or medium tofu.
- Large Tapioca Pearls or Small Tapioca Pearls: these are also known as "sago" and they come dried. Or substitute with boba pearls.
- Brown sugar: Light or dark brown sugar equally work.
- Cold Water: to make our syrup
- Pandan leaf: Pandan is a tropical plant in Southeast Asia. Select Southeast Asian grocers will sell the leaves frozen. It has a grassy vanilla taste that has a hint of coconut. Or substitute with 1 teaspoon of pandan extract or vanilla extract.
Expert Tips
- Be gentle handling the silken tofu. It's very soft and will break apart easily. If you're not keen on presentation, you don't have to be too gentle with it.
- Make sure tapioca pearls are totally translucent after cooking them. If you still see a white dot in the center of the sago pearl, let it soak it the hot water for another 5 minutes.
- Keep cooked tapioca pearls submerged in cold water to prevent them from clumping together.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make taho:
Boil Tapioca Pearls & Prepare Tofu
First bring a large pot of water to boil. Reduce to medium heat. Add tapioca pearls and boil according to your package instructions. For large tapioca pearls or small tapioca pearls, boil on medium heat for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the pearls to sit in the hot water covered for another 15 minutes until chewy and soft. You can strain the pearls or leave them in the cold water until you're ready to serve them with a slotted spoon.
Then transfer silken tofu to a cutting board and gently slice into thin layers or dice it. I'm using the kind that comes in tubes but you can use the one that comes in a square package. If you want the tofu warm, steam it for 10 minutes and allow it to cool a bit before slicing.
Assemble Dessert & Make Syrup
Into a serving glass or small bowl, add layers of the tofu with tapioca pearls in between.
In a small pot, add water, brown sugar and a tied pandan leaf. Bring it a boil for 2-3 minutes while stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pandan leaf.
Add Syrup
Fill each glass or bowl with your brown sugar syrup. Enjoy warm or let it cool to enjoy cold.
Storage
- Taho is best consumed same day as tapioca tends to turn hard in the fridge. But if you have leftovers that you can't waste, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days and reheat the pearls in boiling water and the syrup in a small pot.
- Freezer-friendly? I don't recommend freezing this dessert as the tapioca pearls will go hard.
Pairing Suggestions
Taho is served best on its own but you can serve it along side fresh fruits, cakes, pastries or other desserts!
FAQ
Large tapioca pearls are round, white and about ¾-cm in dimension. You can find them sold at many Asian markets in the dried section. When boiled, they become translucent and bouncy. They look like the below image.
Taho can be made a few hours in advance and served cold or at room temperature. I would suggest keeping the cooked tapioca pearls at room temperature submerged in cold water to prevent them from sticking.
📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Taho
Ingredients
- 10.5 oz silken tofu
- ¼ cup tapioca pearls (large or small tapioca pearls work)
- 1 cup brown sugar (or sub with cane sugar)
- ½ cup water cold
- 1 pandan leaf tied in a knot (or sub pandan leaves with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or pandan extract)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Reduce to medium heat. Add tapioca pearls and boil according to your package instructions. For large tapioca pearls or small tapioca pearls, boil on medium heat for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the pearls to sit in the hot water covered for another 15 minutes until chewy, soft and completely translucent. If you still see a white dot in the center of the sago, let it soak for another 2-5 minutes in the hot water. You can strain the pearls or leave them in cold water until you're ready to serve them with a slotted spoon.
- Transfer silken tofu to a cutting board and gently slice into thin layers or dice it. If you want the tofu warm, steam it for 10 minutes and allow it to cool a bit before slicing.
- Into a serving glass or small bowl, add layers of the tofu with tapioca pearls in between.
- In a small pot, add water, brown sugar and a tied pandan leaf. Bring it a boil for 2-3 minutes while stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pandan leaf.
- Fill each glass or bowl with your brown sugar syrup. Enjoy warm or let it cool to enjoy cold.
Georgia
Is this a drink?
christieathome
No, it's more like a sweet dessert.
Laura
Christie this was amazing! My daughter and I love all things tofu and boba so of course we had to give this a try. So glad we did! Thanks for sharing this great recipe with us!
christieathome
Thank you Laura for making my recipe! I'm so happy you and your daughter enjoyed my recipe 🙂 Tofu + Boba are so underrated!
Rosemary
You know this could be a healthier dessert because tofu is so good for you hehe! Love learning all about different desserts and drinks through you
Katherine | Love In My Oven
I have never tried anything like this before! That brown sugar syrup sounds delicious!
Michelle | Sift & Simmer
Never tried taho, but it sounds so delicious! The tapioca pearls are so pretty!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
I really appreciated your tip for using the smaller tapioca pearls. That will make preparing this yummy drink so much easier!
Katerina | Once a Foodie
I have never tried any Filipino cuisine either, Christie, and this sounds like the perfect introduction! I am so intrigued by these ingredients - this dessert sounds delicious and easy to make! Thank you for sharing, and merry nearly Christmas to you and hubby x