{"id":73,"date":"2011-06-29T07:38:54","date_gmt":"2011-06-29T13:38:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/therealfoodchronicles.com\/?page_id=73"},"modified":"2016-05-02T20:40:18","modified_gmt":"2016-05-03T02:40:18","slug":"egg-gluten-dairy-free-rich-dark-chocolate-tapioca-pudding-recipe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stormysweitzer.com\/recipes\/egg-gluten-dairy-free-rich-dark-chocolate-tapioca-pudding-recipe\/","title":{"rendered":"Egg-, Gluten-, & Dairy-free Rich Dark Chocolate Tapioca Pudding"},"content":{"rendered":"

National Tapioca Day was yesterday.\u00a0 It inspired me to make a dish that I normally wouldn\u2019t make. You see, I am one of the few people who doesn\u2019t seem to have great memories of eating tapioca pudding as a kid.\u00a0 I just couldn\u2019t get past the texture.\u00a0 But, my husband does love tapioca pudding, so I decided to come up with a recipe that might appeal to us both.\u00a0 I am glad I did.<\/p>\n

The result is a dark chocolate tapioca pudding that is as simple and creamy as the familiar recipes, but has a more grown-up taste. It is also dairy-free and does not include eggs, which are often included in traditional recipes.<\/p>\n

A Few Words on Ingredients<\/h3>\n

\"ingredients\"<\/p>\n

Pearl Tapioca:<\/strong> For this recipe, I used Bob\u2019s Red Mill Small Pearl Tapioca<\/a>. \u00a0You can often find pearl tapioca in the baking or healthy foods section of your grocery store or at an Asian market.\u00a0 For this recipe, do not use instant tapioca.\u00a0 I have not seen certified gluten-free tapioca pearls; so be cautious and read the label to avoid cross-contamination with your other allergens.<\/p>\n

Tapioca Starch:<\/strong> Instead of egg, I add tapioca starch to the recipe to thicken it up.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t have tapioca starch, arrowroot or corn starch will also work.<\/p>\n

Milk:<\/strong> I use plain, unsweetened almond milk, but depending on your tastes and food constraints, you could use soy milk, rice milk, or a 50\/50 combination of light coconut milk and water.<\/p>\n

Chocolate: <\/strong> I wanted to use dark chocolate in this recipe, so I bought a bar of Dark Chocolate with Cacao Nibs that I found at my local grocer. This bar is 72% cocoa, certified gluten-free, and does not contain dairy. \u00a0 You could use a bar with a lower cocoa content, if you prefer a less bitter-sweet flavor.<\/p>\n

Cocoa substitute:<\/strong> If you cannot find an appropriate chocolate bar near you, you can substitute 2 Tablespoons of cocoa and 2 additional Tablespoons of sugar than called for in the recipe below.\u00a0 Add them when you add the rest of sugar.<\/p>\n

Sugar:<\/strong> Try to avoid refined sugar. \u00a0Raw sugar and palm sugar work well. \u00a0You could also use 1\/4 cup of raw honey or maple syrup in place of the sugar.<\/p>\n

Tips for Cooking Amazing Tapioca Pudding<\/h3>\n

\"stirring<\/p>\n

Use a heavy-bottomed pot.\u00a0 I used a 2-qt pressure cooker pot, but would also try a cast-iron Dutch oven.\u00a0 In both cases, I do not use the lid, just the pot.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t have any of these, just use the thickest pot you have.<\/p>\n

To add creaminess, it is best to soak the tapioca pearls for at least 30-60 minutes before using them in this recipe.\u00a0 Simply place them in a heavy-bottomed pot, pour 1\/2 cup of the almond milk over them and let it sit until the pearls are somewhat translucent.\u00a0 \u00a0To manage your time, consider setting the tapioca to soak before preparing dinner or while you run an errand so that it is ready when you are.<\/p>\n

Bring the ingredients to a slow boil.\u00a0 The goal is to keep the temperature high enough to cook the pudding without scalding the ingredients.\u00a0 Medium low temperature is about right to start, but since every stove is a little different, adjust your heat accordingly.<\/p>\n

The tapioca has a tendency to clump and will stick to the bottom of your pan when cooking.\u00a0 To avoid this, stir continuously.<\/p>\n